Chapter 43 Chapter fourty three
On the side wall, he had a vault. And there was a wooden panel that might have resembled a wardrobe, except for the fact it was built into the wall. The large luxurious walk-in closet smelled of leather and pulsed with masculine power. His organization was meticulous. His suits and shirts were arranged by color. Next came casual wear, khaki pants and polo shirts. Sports shirts and shorts were folded on shelves. She supposed it made him more efficient, but part of her yearned to mess up his life, even a little bit.
“Stalling won’t save you,” RAFE called out.
Hope gripped the material tighter, so she didn’t drop it. “Coming!” She draped the jacket over the back of the valet on the piece of wood curved to resemble a hanger, then smoothed the wrinkles from the fabric. There was no reason to be scared of what would come next. Who am I kidding?
When she returned to him, his smile of appreciation was the encouragement she needed.
“Undo my tie,” RAFE commanded.
“I’m not sure where to begin,” HOPE admitted.
“You’ll figure it out. The more you struggle, the more I’ll enjoy it.”
She stretched to reach the knot, and getting so close to him caused her tender nipples to brush against his shirt. He filled her vision, swamped her senses. If this kind of arousal was constant in BDSM, she wasn’t sure she could bear it.
Hope worked the knot free. “Take it all the way off.”
“Should I put it away?”
“No. Offer it to me, then turn around and place your hands behind you.” He held her gaze. “Tell me you understand.”
This was her first experience with bondage, and her pulse fluttered. “Yes, RAFE.” The words were magic, making her want to obey.
Hope pulled his tie free. A primitive instinct compelled her to fold it in half, then in quarters, before extending it toward him.
“You’re a natural,” RAFE said.
She turned, expectation spiking in her blood, and laced her fingers at the small of her back, waiting.
With perfunctory movements, he wound the silk around her wrists. “How’s that?”
It wasn’t tight enough to cut off her circulation, but there was no give in the fabric, making her aware of his power.
“I want you to use your colors if you’re frightened too much,” he whispered against her ear.
“You’re planning to scare me?” HOPE asked.
“Oh, yes. The exact amount.” His breath was warm on her skin, and tiny goose bumps dotted her arms. “Some fear is good for you, sweet Hope. It will keep you in line.”
And if it doesn’t? A sense of preservation kept her from challenging him aloud.
He swept her from her feet to carry her to the bed. He laid her on her back, her hands still fastened, imprisoned beneath her.
Her mouth dried as he crossed to the closet. He returned less than a minute later, carrying two things: a thin paddle and leather-thonged implement she recognized as a flogger.
“This one is for beginners,” RAFE said.
If that was true, she didn’t want to see the advanced version. The fear he had mentioned chilled her.
“The falls are wide, so it’s going to be a thuddy sensation.” He picked up the handle. He held the flogger above her chest, the angled tips skimming her skin. Watching her reaction, he danced the leather over her breasts, the light touch awakening her nerve endings. Her nipples became even tighter, and she drew her shoulder blades toward each other, trying to arch.
He moved lower, across her ribs, down her torso. Without being told, she spread her legs for him.
“Sweet, sweet Hope.” Avoiding her cunt, he gave her legs and inner thighs leather caresses.
“Please.” She wanted the whole experience.
He moved his wrist, then flicked the strands between her legs.
This was more than a touch; it was quick bursts of flat pain. She understood what he’d meant by thuddy, and she loved it. “This… Yes.”
“Say my name.”
“Please, RAFE.” Then for the first time, because it was natural, she added, “Sir.”
“I’d put a ribbon around the moon for you.” When he flicked his hand, sending the flogger flying against her cunt in a brutal kiss, she screamed his name.
“Did you come?”
“I…”
He pulled the implement away. “Did you come?” His carefully enunciated demand made her shiver.
“You know I did. But it’s not my fault.”
“Does that mean you’re blaming me for your misbehavior?”
Ever since he pressed the thorn against her, she’d been on a knife’s edge. The fact that he’d denied her a climax several times had made her more orgasmic than ever before. Sensing danger, she answered, “No, Sir. I meant that I’ve been so turned on by your skilled”—evil—“ways this entire evening.” She opened her eyes, unaware that she’d closed them.
“Celeste mentioned you should go into PR. I concur,” RAFE said.
He returned to his closet. Something tinkled, like metal playing on wood. His cufflinks? Then silence echoed around her. Her trepidation built, as he no doubt intended.
When he exited, his shirtsleeves were rolled up. He’d never been sexier.
“I will be with you in less than sixty seconds,” he said.
She nodded. The man was masterful. In leaving her tied in the middle of his bed, naked, flogged, her pussy sizzling, she was hyperaware of her submission to him.
Though she strained her hearing, she couldn’t quite make out what he was doing.
In less time than he’d promised, he carried a wooden chair into the room.
“This will suit our needs.” It was serviceable and sturdy, like something out of an old-fashioned classroom. “In fact, I may leave it here permanently.” He placed it near one of the windows. “Please come to me.”
Since her hands were tied, his request challenged her. She wriggled toward the edge of the mattress.
Watching her with avid interest, he said, “Now I want you on your knees, then turn around.”
“I suspect I’m not the first one you’ve given this direction to,” HOPE said.
“You’d be wrong. You’re the first submissive I’ve had in this bed,” RAFE replied.
Since she wasn’t sure how to respond, she accepted his help to her knees. “You like watching me struggle.”
“It’s as exciting as fuck. I’m considering ordering you to grind your pelvis against the mattress and watching you get yourself off. Shouldn’t take much since your cunt is already hot from my lash,” he said.
An illicit thrill raced through her. What the hell was it about him that turned her into a sex fiend, horny for each new experience?
“In fact—”
“No. No, no, no, no, no. No.”
“No?” In his maddening way, he raised one of his eyebrows. “No is not a safe word.”
She knew that.