“Tonight you’ll decide how we start. Tell me what your fondest wish is and I’ll grant it. ”
“Me bound. Utterly submissive. To you. My dearest wish is that tonight you have me in any manner you desire,” she whispered.
His smile was tender as he rose. “Do you know how I see you, Ren?”
She shook her head.
“I imagine you on a pedestal, displayed to your best advantage. Beautiful inside and out. ”
He went to the window and pushed out the square leather ottoman. It was huge, an accompaniment to the leather sectional in the library, but Lucas had always kept the ottoman in here because he liked to position her on it.
It elevated her to a perfect height for her to kneel and be on level with his cock to either suck or for him to fuck her from behind. And it was plush and comfortable on her knees. She could remain on it for hours and never complain.
Tonight he pushed it to the center of the living room, a distance from the fire so she wouldn’t become too warm but would still enjoy the warmth in the otherwise cool room.
Then he left the living room for a moment and returned with two metal posts attached to heavy bases. He positioned them on either side of the ottoman and then left to get two more. When he was done, there were posts about two feet out on all four corners of the ottoman.
Without a word, he picked up Ren, curling her into his arms and carried her to the leather cushion. He turned her on her knees and stroked a hand over the curve of her back and then to her buttocks.
“Stay here. On your hands and knees. I’ll be back in a moment. ”
She put her palms down, enjoying the sumptuous feel of the buttery-soft leather. Then she spread her knees at a comfortable distance and positioned herself according to Lucas’s instructions.
A moment later he was back and he came in behind her. First there was the warm clasp of his hand around her ankle and then next she felt the slight abrasion of rope. She closed her eyes and sucked in her breath as he wrapped the length around one ankle.
It was then she realized the purpose of the posts. He secured the rope binding her ankle to the post, pulling it tight in the process. Then he repeated the process with her other ankle until her legs were spread wide and her feet were splayed outward, opening her completely from behind.
“Lower your head,” he ordered quietly.
She dipped her head down.
“Lower. Rest your cheek against the ottoman. ”
She complied, tilting her body down so that her ass was higher than her head and she pressed her cheek to the soft leather.
He pulled one arm out beside her so that it dangled over the edge of the ottoman and then he wrapped rope around her wrist. Then he pulled outward until her arm was stretched and he tied the rope to the corresponding post.
When he finished with the other hand, she was effectively trussed hand and foot, secured to the ottoman and vulnerable to whatever he chose to do to her.
“I’ve left you just enough slack that you can raise your head when necessary,” Lucas said. “For now you can rest your cheek as you are. When I tell you to move, you’ll lift your head so that your mouth is as accessible as your ass and pussy. ”
She nodded her understanding.
He hesitated a brief moment, his hand resting on her head. “Before we begin, there is something we need to have an understanding about. ”
She frowned, though her expression was hidden by the veil of hair obscuring her face.
“We haven’t discussed a safe word since the beginning of our relationship. You’ve never used it. I need to be sure you remember it so that if anything occurs tonight that is not to your liking, anything at all, you will simply say the word and it will all stop. ”
She was confused and a little worried at his tone but she nodded. She trusted him to stop. Absolutely.
“Say the word. This once so I know you remember it. ”
“Butterfly,” she whispered.
“Good girl. Now choose your instrument. I have a desire to mark your pretty ass tonight. ”
She closed her eyes for a moment. “A belt. ”
His hand went still on her shoulder. “A belt? Interesting choice. Not one we’ve used before. ”
She should have said a crop. She should have just gone with the familiar and not put Cole anywhere into this scenario, but she couldn’t take the words back now.
“You can use mine. ”
Her head whipped up, putting a painful strain on her arms as she twisted her head in the direction of that voice. She blew at her hair to move it from her eyes and ground her teeth in frustration when it wouldn’t budge.
Then Lucas gently pushed the hair from her face, collected it in his hands and pulled it around to her back so her vision was no longer obscured.
Standing across the room just inside the doorway was Cole.
CHAPTER 38
Ren couldn’t breathe. She was so in shock that she couldn’t even process the simplest thought. What was he doing here? And why was Lucas standing there, holding her hair, so calm and measured that it could be anyone at all in his living room.
Her chest hurt. Her eyes stung. Her pulse was thudding hard in her ears and all she could hear was a dull roar.
“Remember your safe word, Ren,” Lucas murmured.
And finally it all made sense. Somehow, someway, they were here together and the reminder of her safe word was Lucas’s way of ensuring she was okay, not just with sex, pain and having her boundaries pushed, but with everything. Him, Cole and whatever the two of them had planned.
Cole stared at her with his piercing blue eyes and then he slowly walked forward, closing the distance between them. He came to stand directly in front of her and Lucas tightened his grip around her hair, forcing her chin up even farther.
Then he leaned down and kissed her. Hard. So savage that her oxygen-starved lungs screamed for mercy. Then he pulled away and took one step back.
Lucas’s hand relaxed and he settled in against her back, rubbing lightly. Then to Cole. “Your belt?”
Cole unfastened the leather belt, pulled it from his pants and handed it over to Lucas. Her neck ached from holding herself in such an awkward position but she couldn’t look away, no matter the strain on her bound wrists.
She had so many things to ask. So many questions burning her lips. But neither man had given her permission to do so. Which brought up yet another issue. Who was she to submit to? She closed her eyes and lowered her head, confused and aching.
“Look at me, Ren. You’ll look at me while he uses the belt on your ass. ”
She jerked her head back up, her eyes flying open.
“Better yet,” Cole murmured as his hands went to the fly of his pants. He unzipped himself and let the pants gape open as he pulled out his cock. He stroked once and then twice and moved forward until the tip of his erection was a mere centimeter from her bottom lip.
“Open,” he directed.
She opened her mouth but he made no move to enter. Not until …
The first lash of the belt cracked across her skin, shocking her. She’d momentarily forgotten. Her concentration and focus had been on Cole.
It made her furious and she wasn’t even sure why his statement made her snap, but she was suddenly so very angry that it was like being infused with a shot of liquid fire.
She flinched away from Lucas’s touch and he backed away as if sensing that she desperately needed space.
“No, you shouldn’t have come!” she shouted. “Why did you come, Cole? Why? Is this some sick twist? It wasn’t enough you walked away again after promising me we’d find a way. Is this some kind of final farewell where you show me how it could be but can never be because you have no intention of ever keeping your promises to me?”
Both men looked shocked by her outburst.
She dropped her face into her hands as some of the tearing sobs finally clawed their way from her chest. The sound was ugly in the silence but she could no longer control the horrible grief swelling inside her.