My Liege of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair
She nodded.
“Despite your overly encompassing clothing, I doubt Simon made an error.” Xavier took her pointed chin between his thumb and finger. As her smoky eyes widened and she tried to retreat, he let his voice slip into command mode. “Be still.”
A shiver ran through her, and her pupils dilated. Even her breathing stopped.
“Very pretty,” he murmured. Her surprise at her own reaction made his cock stir and brought his dominant instincts sliding to the fore. When she lifted her hand up to push him away, he captured her wrist. “No, little fluff, don’t move. I want to look at you.”
Her speeding pulse tapped a protest against his fingers. “I’m not submissive,” she whispered.
“Oh, I think you are,” he said. In fact, her Domme clothing looked so wrong on her that he was tempted to rip it off. “However, I might believe you lack experience. How familiar are you with BDSM? Have you been spanked?”
“No.” Her slight wiggle seemed to indicate possible interest.
“Toys?”
Her cheeks pinkened.
He’d bet the lady owned a vibrator. “Did your boyfriend use a vibrator on you?”
The flush started at the tops of her breasts and flowed upward. He’d never seen such a clear red color. Lovely. She gave a tiny shake of her head and realized she’d answered his intimate question. Her brows drew together.
“New to everything, then. Are you here because you want to know more?” But why would a newbie take a receptionist job? His eyes narrowed, and he took another guess. “You’re too impatient to wait through the screening process?”
She nodded, and her small upper lip pressed against the plump lower. “And the membership fees…”
Had gone high when he’d converted the club to exclusive. “I see.”
Should he let her stay without taking the class or being recommended? As the owner of a security firm, Simon had infallible instincts about people. A priority flag on her application would speed up her medical and background screening. And he did need someone on the desk. He tugged on a silky lock of her hair and caught a hint of a light springtime fragrance. “I’ll make you a deal. You fill out the paperwork, do the physical, and stay as a receptionist for at least four months, performing all the receptionist duties, and I’ll waive your first year’s dues.” He stepped back a pace to let her think.
Think she did. Her eyes turned unfocused in an expression oddly akin to that of subspace. Yet rather than relaxing, her entire body and brain seemed to jump into high gear. Unbelievably sexy. What would it take to shut off her brain?
Her attention returned to him. “Not that I doubt your word, but my reading indicated the lifestyle can attract unstable personalities. One, can you prove the manager will agree to your deal? Two, how do I know you won’t ask something of me that I will refuse to do?”
Intelligent women were so fun to play with. He hardened as he imagined a chess game. Spanking her for every pawn he captured. Fucking her if he took her queen. If she lost the game, then… Concentrate, Leduc. “Those are valid concerns.” Unable to resist, he ran a finger down her cheek. Her skin was as smooth as it looked. Smoother. “For question two—right now, I intend to use only breast clamps and bondage tape on your wrists. Do you have a problem with either?”
She swallowed. “I g-guess not.”
He studied her. He was pushing, but he didn’t think it was too much. Although he could overwhelm a compliant sub, this wasn’t one. And the receptionist did need to be able to fill in as a submissive when needed.
Off to the side, Dixon was shifting his weight from leg to leg as if expecting Abby to get flattened. “Dixon, can you explain who I am?”
“Please, my liege, she didn’t know. Don’t—”
Ah, the fluff had made a friend. “I’m not offended. She simply needs confirmation of my position here.”
Dixon turned to the young woman. “This is the owner of Dark Haven. Master Xavier. Call him ‘my liege.’”
Xavier sighed. He had no idea who’d first given him that title, but the submissives took such delight in it, he’d allowed it to continue.
Taking a step forward, Dixon whispered all too clearly, “For fuck’s sake, don’t upset him or say no to him.”
Don’t smile.
Abby’s lips curved into a provocative O. “Well. Forgive me, please, m-my liege.”
Since she wasn’t his, he tried not to think of the ways a submissive might demonstrate her penitence. “Now we have that straightened out, let’s get on with the lesson.”
Dixon motioned to Rainier’s submissive. “I…uh…brought her an ice pack, sir.”
Finished crying, the young woman had curled into a corner of the couch. “That was thoughtful of you. Ask Rainier if you may assist her while he joins me.”
“Yes, my liege.”
Xavier glanced at Rainier, who was leaning on the couch next to his submissive, and said, “I’m sorry for the delay.”
“No problem. Destiny would be hard to replace.”
“She has been.” Xavier set his toy bag on the oversize coffee table and removed a roll of bondage tape. He preferred leather cuffs, but the tape was less intimidating. After stepping behind Abby, he grasped her right wrist. “Abby, since we’ve not played together before, you tell me if something is getting to be too much.”
Chapter Two
It’s already too much. Abby looked over her shoulder at the owner of the club. White dress shirt, black silk vest, black jeans, black boots. Definitely in the tall, dark, and handsome category, only the words seemed insipid compared to the reality. The wide, muscular shoulders turned tall into dangerous. His skin held the darkness of Native American ancestry, and the long black braid down his back was a definite statement. Very handsome, with chiseled European features that went well into hard-edged.
And scary. But she couldn’t back out. She doubted the man had a benevolent bone in his body. Quite obviously if she didn’t “assist,” she’d be out the door. She sure hadn’t thought her participant observation would include real participation. Unease tickled the back of her throat.
He glanced up, and the sun lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement. “Easy, Abby. The club safe word is red, and if you use it, play stops immediately. Say it loudly, and a dungeon monitor will show up to make sure you’re all right.” Holding her arm firmly, he wrapped what looked like wide packing tape around her right wrist a couple of times, and she realized the material wasn’t sticky.
“Red. Got it.”
“Abby,” he said. “I daresay you know how to address a Dominant in this setting, especially the one working with you.”
The uninflected reprimand made her flush as if she’d been caught cheating off someone’s test paper. “Yes, my liege.”
He didn’t rant but nodded acceptance.
Despite her relief that he hadn’t lost his temper, anxiety thrummed in her ears as he pulled her other arm behind her back and secured both wrists together. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend nothing was happening. She’d never been able to let Nathan put her in handcuffs. Why in the world was she allowing this stranger to restrain her arms?
But she needed this place for her fieldwork. Needed to keep her job. Publish or perish. If she ever met the academic who’d invented that phrase, she’d shove his papers down his throat until he choked.
“Abby.”
She opened her eyes.
Xavier stood in front of her, looking down. Why did he have to be so tall? His warm hands massaged her bare shoulders. “Any strain in your joints?”
“No, sir.”
He studied her silently.
She shifted her weight, trying not to think about her lack of mobility. If she didn’t move, she wouldn’t know—much like closing her eyes during gory movie scenes.
“Pull on the tape, Abby. How does it feel?”
Her arms jerked involuntarily, and just like that she knew she was restrained. Couldn’t defend herself. That her
“Easy, pet.” He cupped her chin with one firm hand. His fingers curled around her arm, creating a warm place on her skin. His movements showed how easily he could touch her…yet the contact was comforting. Settling. “Eyes on me.”
Panting, she looked up and into eyes the color of darkness, but the specks of golden brown made them warm, not cold.
“Good girl.” He stroked his thumb along her jawline. “You know you can’t escape, but I’m not going to do anything you won’t enjoy. We’re here in a public place, and you have a safe word that will summon every monitor in the dungeon. Now slow your breathing down before you hyperventilate.”
Oops. His gaze never left hers as she pulled in a measured breath and let it out.
“Better. Another.” His grip on her upper arm was unyielding but not painful. A man’s hand.
Why did his touch seem different from Nathan’s? Why didn’t she get that horrible dread?
“Little fluff, I want you to remember how you’re breathing now. When I tighten a clamp, it will hurt for a few seconds. I want you to inhale through the pain like you did with your fear.”
“Pain? But—”
“Do you get flu shots?”
“Yes.” When his eyebrows pulled together, she added a hasty, “My liege.”
“This is the same level of pain, although people rarely get turned on by vaccinations. Whereas nipple clamps…” A crease appeared and disappeared in his cheek.
She nodded to say she could handle that much pain. But could she handle these disconcerting flares of heat? Her nipples actually tingled as if anticipating the touch of those powerful fingers.
Was this the kind of thing Nathan had wanted to do with her? Guilt pressed on her chest. Considering he had dumped her, she shouldn’t feel as if she were betraying him. But she did. And she’d let a complete stranger restrain her. Alice had fallen down a hole into Wonderland; Abby had fallen into quicksand and was sinking fast. What am I doing here?
Xavier hadn’t moved, was simply watching her. “What’s the matter, Abby?”
“I don’t know you at all. You’re talking about…” Nipple clamps. “I don’t know you.”
“I see.” His hand was still curved around her upper arm as he moved closer. With his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face and gave her a light kiss. His lips were firm but velvety. Gentle. How could someone with such a merciless face kiss so sweetly?
When he lifted his head, she whispered, “Why did you do that?”
His aftershave was totally masculine with a hint of the exotic, like a pirate who’d visited India. He rubbed his thumb in a circle over her cheek, his lips only an inch from hers. “Because I can,” he whispered back. Then he smiled. “Because I’m going to be touching you much more intimately in a moment.”
Heat roared through her at the thought of his hands…elsewhere.
“Think of this as an introduction. I’m Xavier.” He covered her mouth with his, and it wasn’t a gentle, sweet kiss any longer. He took her lips, demanding a response. When she pulled at the restraints and gasped, his tongue swept in. She couldn’t move, couldn’t escape, and…
He stepped back, grasping her arms to keep her steady. Ravished by only a kiss, she stared at him. Her lips felt swollen, and she ran her tongue over them.
A flicker of heat lit his eyes, followed by amusement. “Are we better acquainted now?”
Her voice came out sounding as if he’d strangled her instead of kissing her. “Yes, my liege.” If he introduced himself like that at a faculty party, the floor would be littered with swooning academics.
“Very good.” With far-too-competent hands, he undid the first hook on her corset. As he worked his way down, his long fingers brushed the skin between her full breasts. Each undone fastening exposed more of her body, and coolness wafted over her damp flesh. When he finished, he set the corset to one side, leaving her bare from the waist up.
She bit her lip. Really, this is nothing. In France, beaches were filled with women wearing no tops. Not that she had joined them, but… She took a mental step back. Observe. With a determined breath, she checked out a noisy spanking in the center of the room.
A warm hand cupped her breast.
She jumped, tried to pull away. “What are you doing?”
He grasped her arm with his other hand, holding her in place. “Did you think you could get clamps without being touched by the Dom?” Even as he spoke, he stroked her breasts, one then the other. His palm was calloused, slightly abrasive. His thumb circled the areola, and her nipple bunched hard enough to create an ache.
She tried to dissociate, to observe the other scene.
“Eyes on me, Abby.” The softness of his voice didn’t negate the command.
The intensity of his gaze sent a shudder up her spine. He tugged on her nipple, and she inhaled hard at the reverberating sensations—the rush of pleasure at his touch, echoed by another in her groin.
“You have beautiful breasts.”
She blinked at the sweet compliment.
He didn’t look away as he said, “Rainier, as with most play, you should warm up the skin first. Get the blood circulating. Especially with your submissive, you want her aroused first, or she’ll only feel the pain.” He rolled Abby’s nipple between his fingertips, and the sensation almost sent her up on her toes.
“You can massage or suck nipples to long points. Be aware that with smaller breasts, wetness can cause clamps to slide. I prefer either tweezer clamps or adjustable alligator clamps, until I discover the sensitivity of the submissive’s breasts and the amount of pain she enjoys.” He picked up what looked like a metal spring clothespin with a screw in the center. The ends had a black coating.
When he chuckled, she realized she was staring at the device.
He put the clamp on her nipple.
Oh, that’s not so bad.
Then he played with the screw, and the jaws closed more tightly. “If you know your submissive well, you can simply watch her for clues.” Another slight turn and the sensation increased to a pinch. He brushed a finger over her compressed lips.
“However, at first, you should check verbally.” He lifted her chin with a finger and held her gaze. “On a scale of one to ten, where ten is unendurable, how much does this hurt?”
The pinching sensation was easing. “Four, I guess.”
“Very good.” To her horror, he tightened the clamp, and she squeaked as the pinch turned to a bite. “Breathe through it, Abby.”
She tried to get her hands around, to pull the damn thing off, only her arms were restrained behind her back. She couldn’t do anything. Her breast hurt. Then the pain diminished. The pinch gradually changed to throbbing, and her nipple felt…bigger, tighter. Every movement made her more aware of the sensation—and the way her clitoris had begun to ache as well.
Xavier squeezed her shoulder in a comforting massage before glancing at Rainier. “Since you’re not a sadist, this is far enough until you know what works for your submissive. You want her engaged in processing the sensations, unable to escape them, but not quite sure how much it hurts.” He smiled at her. “Next one, Abby.”
Owwwww. She’d braced for the pain, yet her eyes teared, making her contact lenses swim. But this time she worked her breathing, and it helped. As the pinch gentled to throbbing, she felt slickness between her legs. Thank heavens she’d worn a skirt and wasn’t bare-bottomed like some women. No one needed to know this had turned her on.
A finger stroked over her cheek. “See the color here and on her lips? How her breathing is fast and shallow, even though the pain has decreased? The fondling aroused her. The clamps added to it.”
A tidal wave of heat rushed into her face.
His chuckle was low and dark. “She’s also easily embarrassed.”
The other Dom laugh
“Once the clamps are on, you can play,” Xavier said. “Add a reminder of who is in charge.” His long fingers combed her hair. “Your hair is like dandelion silk, pet,” he murmured before his hand closed, trapping the strands. He firmly pulled her head back until she stared up at him, her throat exposed.
A sudden tug on one breast clamp sent a jolt of pain through her. She gasped, struggling instinctively to get her hands free. She couldn’t even move her head with Xavier fisting her hair.
“Helplessness is frightening to some women. Exciting to others.”
He tugged on her other nipple enough to hurt, yet as she struggled she realized that her panties were truly wet. That she wanted sex more than she ever had in her whole life.
“I think Abby finds it exciting.”
Oh sweet heavens, she was making an idiot of herself. Stiffening, she tried to step back and got nowhere.
Unmoving, Xavier watched her with an eagle’s predatory gaze. He glanced at the other Dom. “That enough to start with?”
“It is. Thank you, Xavier. I screwed up.”
“We all do,” Xavier said. “Talk to her. An apology doesn’t diminish your authority.” He released Abby’s hair and stroked the strands back down. “Remember to leave breast clamps on only a short time—fifteen minutes or less—until you assess her endurance. If on very long, they’ll hurt more coming off than going on.”
“Got it.”
Trying to distance herself from the sensations flowing through her, Abby gritted her teeth. She couldn’t let herself get diverted from making her observations. She turned her attention to a different scene where a man was restrained on a Saint Andrew’s cross. But…why was an X-shaped piece of equipment called a cross? Have to do some more research. The female Domme had two floggers that swirled and slapped the man’s shoulders in an amazing display of coordination.
A gawky person like Abby would probably hit herself in the face.
“Xavier, I had a question.” A tall, stunning Domme approached.
“One second, Angela.” His calloused hands closed on Abby’s shoulders. “Kneel, pet, while I talk to Mistress Angela.”