The sudden sadness in his eyes shocked her. Was he still talking about her?
"I need to touch you," she paused. "Sir."
"I know you do and I promise you will, when the time is right." He trailed the crop down her hip and the side of her leg all the way to her ankle. "Right now I want to touch you like this. Are there any triggers I should know about that make you reluctant to enjoy my crop?"
"Triggers?" She could barely breath. That feather light touch of leather he continued to apply to her naked body made a rush of need sweep through her. Want.
"Yes. Like any bad experiences that made you afraid of a whip or a spanking." He hesitated his strokes.
She shook her head. "No. Just. I just-just can"t wrap my head around it."
He laughed. "Bet you"re starting to wrap that pretty head around it now." He"d begun tapping the end of the crop against the outside of her thigh in a rhythmic pattern. Before long he tapped across her leg to the inside where more sensitive skin lay.
Maggie wanted something so badly she didn"t know whether to cry or beg. Tears of frustration formed in her eyes.
"It"s okay, pet. Let the emotion wash over you. Trust that I"ve got you." He nudged her wet folds with the crop all while continuing that crazy tapping. She held her breath when he nudged her c.l.i.t. A zing of intensity sizzled through her. The ache at her nipples intensified.
She opened her mouth for more air and only managed a few harsh pants. The taps against her flesh grew harder, more intense. Verging on something more. He moved down one leg and up the other, until every inch of her tingled with sensation. Pressure built in her womb as the o.r.g.a.s.m she craved more than her next breath grew imminent.
"That"s good. Keep breathing." She barely heard his words over the buzzing in her ears. She did, however, notice the look in his eyes that gave her all the encouragement she needed. He was now her anchor as layer after layer of sensation built inside her. The thwaps of the crop grew more insistent, leaving a sharp sting in their wake. Still she kept her eyes on his and stayed the course, breathing in and out. It was hard to describe what she felt. It didn"t really hurt. Every slap of leather gave her an odd mixture of both pain and pleasure that she could barely tell apart. Pressure intensified in her p.u.s.s.y in a rush every time the crop landed until she thought she might burst with the gathering desire.
He glanced down and another smile crossed his face. "So beautiful. Your little c.l.i.t is standing at attention waiting for me to give it what it needs. But first..."
To her surprise, the taps from the crop ceased. "Oh..." She hoped this meant they were moving on to something a tad stronger. Like more of his hands or maybe his mouth. She whimpered just thinking about it.
"I don"t know what you"re thinking about, but I think I like it." He fiddled with the beads on the nipple clamps, eliciting a long moan from her. "But it"s time to get these off."
Maggie whimpered, torn between the freedom from the ever constant bite of the clamps and the ache of want still holding her tightly in its grasp.
Tucker leaned forward and kissed the upper slope of her right breast while his fingers made a quick path down her stomach to the small patch of hair between her legs. Before she could adjust to the new onslaught of sensations, he slipped his fingers between her wet folds and pressed two fingers inside her. With the palm of his hand applying constant pressure against her over-sensitized hot spot, Maggie went from zero to way past sixty in a matter of seconds.
Before her next breath he grasped a clip and removed the clamp from her left breast.
Maggie sucked in a sharp breath. Her vision wavered as pain flooded through her. She opened her mouth to speak and nothing came out. Frozen in this strange overwhelming sensation, her arousal ratcheted higher despite the pain.
"Breathe, Maggie. Your blood is rushing back to your nipple." His fingers moved inside her as he spoke. Impossible pressure built inside her.
Then he removed the second clamp and Maggie screamed loud and long. The sound hit her ears as dissociated from her body. Had it been she who screamed? She couldn"t be sure. Her body raced to the edge of the cliff and hovered precariously.
Smiling, Tucker removed his hand and dropped the used clamps into a small sink she hadn"t noticed before. Tears sprang to her eyes again and this time she couldn"t hold them back. He was torturing her and that"s all there was too it.
When he returned to her side she didn"t bother trying to hide her face. He reached up and brushed a tear from her cheek. "You"re so lovely like this. So much more than I expected." More tears slipped free and he continued to caress her cheek, catching each one.
She didn"t know what to think. Her body demanded most of her attention. Between the gaze he"d locked with hers and the pulse of need that hammered through her, she was lost.
"Can I come down now?" Her confusion was ripping her up from the inside out. She didn"t understand what he wanted from her at this point.
"No."
That was it. One word and no explanation. She wanted to yell in frustration.
He leaned over her shoulder to the frame of the wheel and unhooked it from the wall. "Besides being a beautiful backdrop for your portrait, this device does have other fun uses."
A sudden panic flashed through her. Fortunately he didn"t make her wait long to discover what he meant. He grabbed the handle and began turning her torture trap. Spread-eagle and strapped to the metal, a sudden rush of air whistled between her legs. He stopped the contraption when he"d turned her completely upside down. She lifted her head and tried to see what he saw. With the angle of the device it proved too difficult to hold her head up and she relaxed back in position. So much for the blood rushing to her nipples. As if her mind wasn"t foggy enough. Now she couldn"t see beyond the bottom of the room and it didn"t take a genius to know he now stared down at her open and available p.u.s.s.y.
"Now this is what I"m talking about." He opened another drawer and ripped into some packaging. Then his hands were on her p.u.s.s.y, slipping through the folds and spreading her lips wide. "Now I really get to play," he said.
Maggie shivered under the sudden onslaught that felt so good. Her eyes rolled back into her head. This had to be the strangest scenario she could have imagined. No control, a new fangled torture device and her in a position where he could and would do whatever he wanted to. And she couldn"t care less. Any inhibitions she"d possessed had long slipped away.
Tucker opened her wider and blew on her c.l.i.t at the same time some cool liquid spread across her opening. Her breath caught in her throat. Then he pushed something inside her. Something not his hands. Wide and firm. She squirmed. "Oh my G.o.d. What is that?"
"Be still. We don"t have much time."
What?
She felt a pinch on her c.l.i.t. And... Was that metal? Oh. My. G.o.d. He"d clamped her c.l.i.t. Fresh streaks of pain splintered through her p.u.s.s.y and thighs. The almost-o.r.g.a.s.m that had begun to fade came rushing forward. All at once everything throbbed. Her p.u.s.s.y, her nipples... Strangely, the extra blood to her head seemed to amplify everything. She had to come. Now.
Can"t-Holy-uh-"
"Take deep breaths, Maggie. You"re doing great." He squatted next to her and kissed a trail from her rib cage to each breast. The warmth of his touch calmed her. Gave her the chance she needed to catch her breath. The rising tension lowered a fraction.
He pulled back, slipped his finger in her mouth and hooked behind her lower teeth. "You"re going to love this part."
He stood back up and a second later vibrations emanated from whatever he"d pressed inside her. She jerked and thrashed against her restraints. Her muscles inside and out tightened and flexed. The wheel began to move and she barely noticed until she was upright again and she stared into the watchful eyes of the man who continued to torture her with pleasure.
He reached between her legs and the vibrations sped up. Her eyes widened and he simply smiled. Moans one right after the other fell from her mouth and she squeezed her eyes closed.
"No, pet. Look at me. You will watch me when you come. I need that from you."
She couldn"t. The sensations rocketed through her. Her stomach clenched, her muscles quivered and every inch of her skin tingled. A little more. Please G.o.d a little more. Her body was about to explode.
"Look at me." A sharp thwack landed on her thigh and her eyes sprung open. He stood in front of her, crop in hand, dark eyes flashing.
"You are amazing, Maggie." He swung the crop and another blow landed on her opposite thigh. Her back arched, reaching out for more. She was certain she was going to die any moment if she didn"t get off.
"It"s time, pet." Those simple words might have shot her from the wheel had she not been restrained. Her body bowed, so eager for anything and everything her Master wanted. Sweat rolled behind her neck and back as she strained for more.
"I wonder if this will make you scream."
There was no time to figure out what he meant. He removed the clamp from her c.l.i.t and the sudden rush of blood coupled with the vibrations threw her violently off the edge she"d been perched on. Her mind splintered. Overwhelmed by the sheer force of pleasure, she fought the cuffs at her wrists and ankles like a wild banshee, thrashing from one side to the other. Her nerve endings burned in a relentless wave of sensation until her body collapsed.
Tucker grabbed her around the waist and supported her weight. At his touch, more spasms rocked through her, sending her well into overdrive. Her muscles tensed, rendering her helpless to do anything other than feel each aftershock as it quaked through her. Draped across Tucker"s chest, she lay there boneless as he worked to remove first the cuffs at her ankles and then her wrists.
Freed, she flopped forward until he scooped her into his arms and carried her across the room to the bed. Maggie barely registered any of his movements. Her brain was fried as she allowed him to lay her out on her back, grab a blanket and wrap her inside it before he lowered himself next to her and pulled her tight.
She allowed her eyes to drift closed and vaguely heard Tucker speaking to her. There was no comprehension, simply the haze she floated in. She had no idea how long she stayed like that. Days could have pa.s.sed for all she knew. Her mind fluttered through the pleasure and intensity of Tucker until suddenly it re-fired.
Her eyes sprang open and the memories of her day flooded back to her in live action motion. Everything she"d allowed Tucker to do and then some. The hard band of his arm was wrapped around her waist leaving her afraid to move or breathe too heavily. What was he thinking? She"d behaved so-so out of control. Maggie fought not to wince and alert Tucker she"d recovered. Instead she inhaled deep and imprinted his delicious woodsy scent to memory. She wanted to remember him like this. Here in his art studio where he"d chosen to...
She couldn"t finish the train of thought. Her stomach tightened. She had no choice but to move. Her clothes were on the other side of the house and her car even farther. She had to find the energy to not only get up, but escape his grasp.
Maggie wriggled in his arms to find he only tightened them around her more.
"Let me go, Tucker. I have to get up." He stirred behind her and the first thing she noticed was the hard-on pressed to her bottom. Oh my G.o.d, he didn"t get off. The shock of that astounded her. Why had he stopped? Guilt flashed through her. Then another thought floored her. They weren"t finished.
Maggie couldn"t handle him right now. She"d lied. She wasn"t ready. She fought harder against his hold and managed to loosen his grip. She sprang from the mattress and glanced around the room for something to cover her. When she found nothing she used her hands to cover her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and sprinted for the door.
"Maggie, what are you doing?"
She ignored him and kept going. She had to get out now. At the door, she turned back to him. "I"m sorry, Tucker. I have to go."
"Wait." He jumped from the bed and she didn"t look back to see what he did. She ran the length of the covered walkway, found her clothes and grabbed them and then sprinted for the front door. The bowl on the table held both her keys and his. She grabbed both sets.
"Maggie, I said wait. We need to talk about this."
Her steps faltered but she managed to keep going. The authoritative tone of his voice nearly compelled her to obey. She fought the compulsion to do as he asked. The almost incapacitating sensation of vulnerability started to slow her down, but her sense of self-preservation kept her in motion. She half-expected Tucker to catch her from behind and haul her back to his bed. Her stomach trembled at the thought. Even now, in flight, her doubts and needs warred side by side for dominance.
In the end, her head won out and she slipped through the door and made a beeline for her car. The fact that she was outside and completely nude gave her no pause. Fortunately Tucker lived on a private wooded estate that afforded him a ridiculous amount of privacy from a neighbor. She scrambled into her car and started it up. Without a look back, she gunned the gas and sped away from a house, or a homeowner, that now held a piece of her soul.
Chapter Six.
Tucker stood in his doorway and stared at the jagged tire tracks left behind in Maggie"s wake. She"d bolted like a jackrabbit and caught him off guard. One minute he had his arms wrapped around the woman of his dreams and the next he"d watched her naked a.s.s as she"d fled from his home before he could stop her.
He sighed and leaned his shoulder against the doorframe. She"d even grabbed his keys so he couldn"t follow her. s.h.i.t. He hated the idea that she"d run out on him in the middle of an emotional overload. Anxiety and fear often came up at the end of an intense scene. He"d seen it in Maggie in spades. As if on cue, his painfully erect c.o.c.k jerked against the front of his pants, reminding him of the condition Maggie"s surrender had left him in. Not that he had any immediate plans to do anything about it.
No, as much as he"d wanted to sink into her warm, welcoming body they both needed more time. So much of the last few years for him had been a dark and dirty place. All the work he"d done to escape the nightmare of his youth had been a joke. Fate was a cruel b.i.t.c.h and she"d made sure he had to come back home long before he was ready.
Tucker took a deep breath and shook off the old self-pity trying to worm its way back into his psyche. This past summer had been about healing, rebirth and second chances. At least he hoped so. Instead of mourning the loss of his future, or the sudden demands that came with inheriting an enormous tainted estate, he"d returned to the art he loved. Except for the weekly visits to see his mother at the mental hospital, he"d spent every hot day and waking minute in front of a burning furnace working everything out of his system with molten gla.s.s.
Hard physical labor and a love for the job became like a balm to the angry emotions that had driven him into the dark. Over time the rage and resentment had begun to fade and he"d had to work his way through the guilt and embarra.s.sment for his behavior since his return.
Unfortunately this trip down memory lane wasn"t doing him a d.a.m.n bit of good when it came to one Maggie Cisco. He needed to find his spare keys and go after her. He had a duty to ensure her safety, both physical and mental. This wasn"t the first time he"d seen a new submissive freak out after a scene but it was the first time someone had run out on him without even bothering to put on clothes.
A beep from his cell phone caught his attention. He scooped it up from the end table next to his couch and checked to see who was texting him.
I"m sorry I ran out like that but I need some time alone to think. Please don"t follow me. Don"t worry. I"m fine. Talk soon, Maggie.
Tucker drew his brows together and frowned at the phone. He didn"t like the sound of this one bit. He understood all too well the need for s.p.a.ce but not seeing her for himself did not sit well with him. Several minutes pa.s.sed while he paced the room. He was ready to get in the car and go after her when the phone ringing in his hand caught him off guard. Automatically, he answered it without looking at the screen.
"Maggie?" he questioned.
"No, you bonehead this is not Maggie." He winced at his sister"s voice. She did not sound happy with him. "What did you do?"
He was in no mood to get in a p.i.s.sing contest with his sister over who knew what. Her moods pretty much changed with the wind and if he wasn"t careful he"d get caught up in it.
"h.e.l.lo to you, too."
"Don"t even," she warned. "I"m serious as a f.u.c.king heart attack today. What the h.e.l.l did you do?"
"Are we going to play twenty questions or can we just get to the point of what you think I"ve done?"
"Jesus, Tucker. You"re such an a.s.s sometimes."
He smiled. She had no idea. "And as usual, you are as colorful as always my dear."
"Maggie"s here."
Tucker straightened. "What? Why? Is she okay? Did she tell you what happened? Tell me."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, big boy. I thought I was asking the questions. Don"t even think about using your Jedi Dom mind tricks on me."
He sighed. One of these days someone was going to take Nina over their knee and make her learn the hard way not to be such a brat all the time. "Not in the mood, Nina. What"s going on?"
"You really do suck the fun out of everything don"t you. Fine. She showed up in the cafe about five minutes ago looking rather sh.e.l.l shocked. She took a table in the corner and with some prodding managed to order some coffee."
"Dammit. I"m on my way."
"Hold up, lover boy. If she looks like this because of something you did maybe you should give her some s.p.a.ce to pull herself together. Why don"t I talk to her? Feel her out first before you come crashing through here about as graceful as a bull in a china shop. Plus I"ve got your keys." He listened to her jangle them next to the phone.
"It"s nice to know you think so highly of me. She did text me and ask for some time alone."
"Came on a little strong did you? Color me shocked."
"Your mouth is going to get you in a lot of trouble some day. You really need to learn some manners."
Nina laughed. "f.u.c.k that. Now tell me something I don"t already know. Like what you did to make Maggie look so distressed. No wait. I have a feeling those details would require brain bleach to forget."
Tucker growled. Literally growled. His sister always found a way to get under his skin and drive him crazy. If he didn"t love her...
"Look. Why don"t you go back to your cave and do your artsy thing. I"ve got this and if I need you I"ll let you know."
"I don"t like this, Nina. If she"s upset I need to be there."
"Tuck. Do the right thing here. Give the woman some d.a.m.n s.p.a.ce instead of smothering her to death. I WILL call you if you"re needed."
His grip on the phone tightened as he fought every instinct to follow Maggie and bring her back. He couldn"t wrap his mind around why she left in the first place so why wouldn"t she want him to take care of her? It was his duty. His right.
"h.e.l.loooo. Are you listening to me?"
"Reluctantly," he answered.
"Are all you Dom types this stubborn?"