"I know you will, baby. You"ve thought about this for a long time haven"t you?" He traced a finger around the edges of her lips, focusing on the beauty of the pale pink lushness of her mouth.
"Not exactly."
Tucker chuckled. "No, I would guess not. I meant the being tied up part, the submitting to a Dominant," he ventured. "The choice of partner is a bit newer."
She nodded.
"Tell me what you think submission is?" he asked. They"d start there and then move on.
"The act of yielding to the will of another," she replied in a monotone voice.
"Spoken like a true professor." He pulled an arm behind her back. "Grab that bar."
She hesitated, her mouth opening and closing. Tucker curved his hand around the side of her neck and steered her focus back to him. "Say it."
Maggie scrunched up her nose and bit her lip.
Tucker leaned forward and pressed against her soft frame. "I mean it, Maggie. I want to hear every word going through your head right now. If during our play, I decide you need to hold your tongue, I"ll definitely let you know. So say it."
He leaned back and watched her shoulders straighten.
"I may not have any practical experience but I"m not stupid. It doesn"t take play to understand what something means or to feel it inside."
Tucker let her words digest for a moment before he responded. Her intelligence was both a blessing and a barrier. At least for now. "Relax, Maggie. I don"t disagree with you at all and I"m not going to try to correct how you feel." He brushed his nose along her cheek and nuzzled behind her ear. "Quite the contrary. I only want to prove it"s even more than you"ve imagined. At the end of the day I want you curled on your side with my arm wrapped around you, your body tucked to mine and your mind only able to register how content you are. My motives are that simple."
Before she could respond, he grabbed her opposite hand and pulled it behind her back. "Grab the bar."
She complied and after he fastened her wrists to the bar with leather straps, he stood back to admire her stance. With both hands forced behind her back to grab the cross bar, her chest pushed forward and her luscious nipples pointed into the air.
Her ability to still follow his directions while questioning his motives left a knowing mark. Unconsciously she wanted to submit as much, if not more than her mind even knew.
"Submission is exactly what you said it was. However, the clinical definition will give way to something a bit more indescribable during play if things go well between us."
"If?" Her voice trembled.
Tucker stroked a lone finger along her check and dipped the tip of his finger between her lips. "Yes, Maggie. There is always the possibility that at some point it will become too much for you. That"s what a safe word is for. Do you have one?"
"No, not really." Her eyes cast in the opposite direction.
He tucked his finger behind her teeth like a hook and tugged her jaw until she was forced to look at him. "No what?" he asked.
Confusion clouded her eyes for a moment before her mistake dawned on her. "No, Sir," she replied.
"Much better. Keep it simple today. I"m not planning to judge you. So pick a safe word then. Something easy to remember but not often used in your daily life. It can"t be a word that would come up in a normal conversation."
"Love," she blurted.
Tucker winced. He knew as well as the next psychologist that a sudden word a.s.sociation like that came with meaning. She"d been hurt and whether she"d fully recovered or not, there were scars. For now he"d tread carefully.
"I was thinking something a bit more unusual, like aardvark."
Maggie stared at him for a few seconds, blinked and then broke out in laughter. The rich lilting sound went a long way to relieving some of the tension he"d begun to feel. While he had complete confidence in his ability to carry out the scene, he felt an urgent need to get this right. Maggie had to be different than all the rest.
All the rest.
Tucker refused to go there. Today was his and Maggie"s fresh start.
"Can we just stick with red? If I need you to stop that"s more likely what I"m going to say."
While he"d been wandering in his thoughts, Maggie had stopped laughing and grown serious. Her flushed face drew his attention again. "Yes, red works. I"m not a stickler for protocols, I simply want you to feel safe to explore anything and everything you desire."
"Thank you, Sir" Her head dropped when she spoke the words in a soft voice.
He didn"t think he could hide his grin of satisfaction this time, so he turned to the small antique cabinet behind him where he stored many of his beloved toys. He opened the middle drawer and scooped up the nipple clamps he"d picked out for her over a week ago. They"d arrived in the mail just in time.
He was ready to get started.
Maggie looked up just in time to see Tucker turn around with something in his hands. Fortunately he didn"t leave her waiting as he opened each palm to show two nipple clamps with small purple beads dangling from the clip.
Oh dear. The silliness she"d been experiencing a moment ago fizzled out and her heart began to pick up speed. With her clothes somewhere in the house and her wrists and ankles shackled to this weird wheel, a sudden sense of vulnerability crept over her. Until now she"d managed to keep it light and stay calm. Not anymore.
He stepped close. So close she swore she felt the air shift between them every time he moved. His dark gaze bored into her as his hands began to roam over her naked body with the cool beads that somehow left a trail of heat every where he touched.
For a few seconds, serious doubts began to plague her. Was she sure? Was she crazy? She opened her mouth to say something and no sound came out. Her protests died in her throat because Tucker began teasing her nipples with the tips of his fingers.
She liked it a lot when he pinched them. The tiny burst of pain had knifed through her as fast as a lightning strike and as equally devastating.
"Tucker I-"
His lips brushed the sh.e.l.l of her ear. "Shhh. I"m going to put these on your nipples now. Then I"m going to step back and admire how lovely you look shackled and clamped."
The feel of his rough skin on the slope of her right breast caught her breath. She"d noticed the myriad of scars on both of his hands earlier and found the difference in texture fascinating. Rough against smooth. Raw wood against silk. Her thoughts jumbled, refusing her the ability to put a string of words together in a sentence.
"Keep breathing. There"s no reason to hold your breath yet."
That"s exactly what she was worried about. The yet part.
With two fingers he squeezed and rolled her nipple. That same sizzling sensation erupted around her c.l.i.t. It seemed so unrealistic that such a small touch on a totally different part of the body would make her p.u.s.s.y quiver. Her head lolled to the side.
"I love that you"re so responsive to my touch. As soon as your eyes roll back in your head, I can read you like a book."
She slowly opened her lids at his words. Her stomach tumbled the minute her gaze locked with his. The heat between her legs spread until she started to squirm.
"Now you"re ready." He didn"t wait for a response or give her another second to breathe. He clipped the small mouth of the clamp over her extended left nipple and let go.
Maggie sucked in a breath at the sharp bite of pain that erupted at the site.
"Look at me." The stern tone of his voice caught her attention and she eagerly obeyed. Immediately the heat in his gaze shot through her. He liked what he saw. "The worst of the bite is already easing. Just relax and let the pressure do the work."
Maggie followed his directions and forced her muscles to go lax. And he was right. The pain had lessened somewhat and she"d been too busy on her way to a freak out to realize it. He ran his hand around the areola and squeezed gently. "You have perfect nipples for clamps. I"m going to enjoy playing with them."
She groaned. The more he talked the more she sank into the experience. Her arousal already high, spiked further as a sense of urgency stole over her.
"Thank you, Sir." She didn"t know what else to say. No words came to her to describe how incredible she felt at the moment and asking him to do as he pleased...
Her train of thought cut off when Tucker wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and threaded his fingers in her hair seconds before he covered her mouth with his. Soft lips flattened against her mouth and he slipped his tongue inside to slide alongside hers.
When she thought she"d collapse from a simple kiss, he plumped her free nipple between two fingers until little mewls sounded from deep inside her. Lost in the pleasure curling through her, Tucker caught her off guard when he fastened the second clamp onto her breast.
Maggie tore free from his kiss. She panted through the pain, waiting for a similar easing as the last one. When it didn"t come she looked up at Tucker to find him smiling.
"It hurts."
"Yes, pet. It should. The combination of both nipples clamped at the same time creates a totally different sensation than only one. Just keep breathing and you"ll be fine."
For some reason her brain focused on the fact he"d called her pet instead of the pain. Something shifted inside her. She"d never been one for nicknames but when he called her "Miss Maggie" or now "pet" a slow warmth crept through her. She liked it.
"Let your brain think beyond your nipples now." He ambled around her, his fingertips gliding over her bare skin. "Think about your belly." His fingers splayed across her abdomen. "Feel the quiver of the muscles as I touch you there."
Maggie held her breath. Every cell in her body fired to life like little rocket flares exploding in the night sky. Extreme. Exciting.
"I love the curve of your waist and hip right here." His hands grabbed the indentation of her waist and skimmed down to her thighs. "I long to feel my hips cradled between your legs." To her pleasure, he ma.s.saged her quads, loosening some of the tension she"d built up over her ordeal.
She sighed and relaxed back on the odd contraption he"d attached her to. "Is this really necessary right now?" Maggie tugged on the restraints at her wrists. "You"re turning me to jello."
He simply raised his eyebrows and dropped his hands.
Whatever he had planned for her, that one look reminded her that he was in control now not her. Instead of her normal instinct to argue or withdraw, Maggie closed her eyes and relaxed on a long sigh. Giving into his will.
"Good girl."
Maggie opened her eyes and met his gaze, amazed by the warmth he once again offered. "That"s what you were waiting for wasn"t it?"
He stared at her for a long moment, his gaze so intent she felt as if he"d crawled inside her and opened a new door.
"Of course. Now I can begin."
Instead of touching her again like she ached for, Tucker turned and strode across the room. Straight to a-an easel? What the h.e.l.l?
When he lifted his head and looked at her, he frowned. "Don"t look so disappointed, Miss Maggie. I"ve thought about this for so long I have to get it down on paper." He grabbed some charcoal from the small table next to him and began to scratch on the paper.
Maggie stood motionless, still shocked he"d brought her here for his art. This wasn"t what she"d expected at all. Some of the warmth she"d been feeling receded and the pain at her nipples throbbed a bit more incessantly. Her p.u.s.s.y ached too. Now that he"d turned his attention to the piece of paper in front of him she realized how wet she"d become as he"d coaxed her into position.
"Tucker, I don"t think. I mean I"m not sure about this."
He didn"t look up. "Unless you address me properly here in this room, I"m not going to respond."
She ground her teeth in frustration. She"d forgotten again.
"You have a beautiful body, Maggie. It"s very inspiring." He paused, captured her gaze for a few breathless seconds, and then with a frown continued to sketch.
Minutes pa.s.sed and neither of them said anything. He worked furiously and she tried to think of something other than the fact she stood strapped to a wooden contraption with her nipples clamped. More importantly she desperately wanted to ease the ache between her legs. The streaks of constant pain from her nipples still ran a direct line to her c.l.i.t and every few minutes her s.e.x squeezed with an ache to be filled that startled her.
"Sir," she started and stopped.
He immediately turned his attention to her. "Yes, my pet?"
"Is this supposed to be some sort of punishment?"
Tucker dropped his chalk, wiped his hands on a cloth and walked over to her. "Why would you think that? We haven"t even discussed whether this relationship will include such things."
Her gaze slid over him as he moved. The black V-neck sweater molded to his upper body enough to show off a chest she longed to rub against. In the heat of his work, he"d pushed the sleeves to his elbows and her gaze was drawn to the hair sprinkled across his forearms. The soft smoke gray pants he wore did little to hide his ma.s.sive erection as he approached. Just staring at him made it impossible to think straight.
"I hurt. I don"t know what to do."
"If the clamps are unbearable you only need say so." He reached for one and she jerked away.
"No," she cried. "That"s not what I mean."
His grin spread across his face quickly and Maggie frowned. As soon as he"d understood what she meant he seemed to like that idea entirely too much.
He put his hand between her legs and slowly ran a finger through her wet folds. "I do love a hot and wet submissive." Back and forth he rubbed, being careful not to touch her now puffy c.l.i.t.
Maggie"s head spun and the world around her tilted. Part of her wanted to protest and wipe the smug look from his face and the other, more important part of her, thought she"d die if he stopped. She fought the restraints, first her arms and then her legs. It was much harder than she"d thought to stay calm when she"d reached such a fever pitch.
"Be still, Maggie. Don"t fight this."
His level tone broke through the beginnings of her panic and she stopped moving. Her legs shook as his fingers explored more of her s.e.x. First circling, the protruding hot spot and then around her entrance. She tried to keep quiet, even going so far as to bite her lip. But he was driving her insane.
When he pushed a finger inside, she cried out. Sweet heaven that felt good.
"Mmm," he murmured. "I can only imagine how incredible you"d feel around my d.i.c.k."
His earthy words sent Maggie"s pulse into overdrive, beating a harsh rhythm in her ears. His finger pushed deeper and she swore she saw flashes of light at the edge of her vision. He"d strung her so tight the slightest touch was setting her off.
He reached for her breast with his other hand and Maggie tried to brace herself for the added sensations to no avail. His hand tugged at the small fall of beads and a low wail erupted from her throat.
Holy s.h.i.t! She was literally going to go insane with need. Her body pulsed, her s.e.x squeezed and her stomach quivered uncontrollably. The gathering o.r.g.a.s.m pulsed forward.
"So close," he said seconds before his touch disappeared. "Right where you need to be for your next lesson.
What? Was he crazy?
Tucker returned to the small cabinet near the wall and pulled a crop from a bottom drawer. The slender black implement with its small piece of leather at the end intimidated her. If she thought she had her doubts before, they were twofold now when faced with the real deal. The really scary thing was in the fact that her distaste of such things from her research was quickly giving way to a desire to feel, to please, and to experience the pleasure Tucker had promised.
"What are you going to do?" Her voice trembled.
"Probably not exactly what you"re thinking. Although I do think it"s important to push past your preconceived notions and see first hand if you enjoy it." He touched the leather tip to her stomach with a barely there brush. "Life"s too short to live in wonder, Maggie."