Maison Domine: A Binding Ties story Page 5

  No one had toweled her off since she was a child. “I am a grown woman. I am perfectly capable of drying myself.” Sexual submission was one thing, allowing him to coddle her was another.

  He sighed. Good. At this rate, he’ll be fed up with me by Sunday night and we won’t have to do the awkward end-of-affair song and dance.

  “Lara, it has nothing to do with your capability. But it has everything to do with letting go of your tightly held control, and allowing someone to care for you on occasion. And not only during sex.” Dammit, was the jerk reading her mind?

  She angled her chin mutinously, but made no further attempts to stop him. If she were pushed, she would admit, grudgingly, it was nice to feel his towel-covered hands on her skin. It wasn’t even a sexual thing, which further mystified her. Drying her off as an excuse to fondle her, she understood. Doing it simply as a way of showing affection was completely over her head.

  He finished by gently squeezing the water out of her hair. “If we had more time, I’d brush it out for you. But brunch starts in a half hour, and I need to shower and get ready as well.”

  Bemused, she murmured, “Oh, uh, no worries. I can brush my own hair. Go ahead and shower.”

  Jax chuckled darkly. “Why, thank you for the permission, you minx. I’ll discipline you for it later.” He cut off her attempted protest. “Don’t worry, love. You’ll enjoy it as much as everything we’ve done already.”

  The smile he flashed her was erotic to the point it should have been illegal. Lara turned to escape his sinful threats, and Jax’s hand connected sharply with her ass. She jumped and looked over her shoulder at him in shock.

  “There is your preview. Now go get ready. We’ll head down in twenty minutes. Oh, I left you a blue satin robe to wear for the day. It’s on the arm of the couch.”

  Chapter Nine

  Through his shower and the walk down to breakfast, Jaxon’s head was spinning. He, the self-assured Dominant, was in deeper than he had been since Jenny. She had been his live-in girlfriend and submissive almost five years ago. Everything had been going swimmingly, but she had been slowly upping the ante for their play sessions to dangerous levels. Because she had been gradually asking him for more and more pain, it took him a while—too long, in his opinion—to realize what was happening.

  They were playing one night, and Jenny wanted him to use the bullwhip on her. Although he knew how to wield one, he didn’t like to actually land blows on a sub’s body, using it instead for the psychological mindfuck of having the whip crack next to a blindfolded submissive. He stupidly agreed to lay one lash upon her, because he knew she could take the pain. But it was not enough for Jenny. She begged for more, for him to make her bleed. Naturally, Jaxon refused and ended the play session and Jenny had stormed off.

  She slit her wrists while he was waiting for her to cool off. Jaxon immediately rushed her to the ER, where they patched her up and ran psychological testing on her. Jenny was admitted to the psych ward immediately, deemed to be a danger to herself and others. She was pathological, and her parents—whom he had never met—decided to keep her there for months on end, blaming him for her mental collapse.

  Opening the door to the large dining room, Jaxon tried to shake free of those thoughts. He had been young and stupid, but he vowed never to make the same mistake again. And for the past five years, he hadn’t once been tempted to commit to a submissive. Until Lara.

  She tugged his hand, and Jax realized he had been staring off into space for too long, when he should have been taking Lara to a table.

  Beautiful, strong-willed, submissive Lara Brunner. He had noticed her when he had joined the faculty at Waterman University six months ago as a part-time professor of creative writing. Normally, he would have written her off as not his type—too controlling, too uptight. But his instincts kicked in, having seen the spark lying in wait behind her staid personality—the spark he was beginning to uncover at Maison Domine.

  Seeing Katrina waving them over with a knowing glint in her eye, he silently cursed. Kat knew him too well. As soon as she got him alone, she’d be giving him the I told you so speech. Katrina had, after all, been telling him for years he would eventually find a submissive who would break through his self-imposed barriers.

  Jax pulled Lara over to their table. He sat, and Lara started to pull out the chair next to him. With a hand on her arm, he stopped her.

  “You can either sit on my lap, or on the floor, for breakfast today.” He was shocked smoke didn’t start pouring from her ears. Even knowing it would make her uncomfortable and irritable, Jax could not bring himself to give her this freedom. She needed to be pushed before she could fully realize her submission.

  “I will do no such thing!” she growled, clearly not wanting to make a scene.

  His face hardened. “It was not a request. Choose a seat.”

  Jax could tell she was waging battle with herself. Expressions flew across her face, anger, defiance, and finally, resignation. She settled onto his lap, wiggling around and torturing his already hard cock before finding a comfortable position, barely managing to not flash the whole room when the robe shifted and bunched under her.

  The food, as usual, was spectacular. As was the company, especially because Katrina kept her own council and didn’t smirk at him too often. And while he enjoyed feeding Lara, teaching her that she could let go of her tightly held independence and let another care for her, his control was on edge. Feeling her soft ass cradling his prick for the entire meal was almost too much for even him to tolerate without throwing her on the table and burying himself between her soft thighs.

  After breakfast, he would be showing her around the dungeon rooms. At the thought of introducing her to the more formal aspects of BDSM, his cock twitched in anticipation. He couldn’t wait to see her tied down, beautiful red marks on her ass and thighs from his hand. Or the soft way he knew she would moan and whimper at the touch of a flogger on her bare skin.

  Jax stood abruptly once the plates had been cleared, afraid of coming in his pants like a callow high school boy. Lara gave a little eep sound he knew she hated to make. It was a challenge for Jax not to laugh at the grimace shadowing her face.

  It was almost unfair how easy she was to read. The woman put her every expression on her face. Jax knew she was uncomfortable letting go. Not because she didn’t enjoy it, but because she enjoyed it too much. For some, the submission was unnatural. But for Lara, it was clearly something she craved, needed like fresh air after living in the smoggy pollution of her achievement-driven life.

  She always ate alone, spent long hours in her office, and almost never spent time in her laboratory working on her own research experiments, even though she was a brilliant chemist. Jax had shamelessly listened to students and professors talk about her. No one argued she was talented, and driven, but it was obvious she kept her distance from other people. She had to be lonely, but would never willingly admit to it.

  In the six months he had been at Waterman University, Jax had not seen her smile as much as she had in their night together. She completely lit up when she grinned, and Jax refused to let her sink back into her isolated persona come Monday.

  He had made up his mind about Lara Brunner. She was his. And once he decided upon a course of action, nothing short of Armageddon could deter him.

  Lara had no experience with BDSM, save for the night before, but she knew it would be remedied shortly. Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself as Jax led her down the oak-paneled staircase. The stairs had seemed much less ominous when leading to a simple meet-and-greet. But then, last night she had only been at Maison Domine to observe, not to actually be on the tail end of a flogger.

  The stairs creaked eerily beneath their feet, adding to her anxiety. Even knowing Jax would never do anything she didn’t want, she was apprehensive. She hated not knowing what was coming next, which was why her life had always worked for her. High school, undergrad, grad school, post-doc work, teaching, tenure. It was all laid o
ut for her. Lara knew what her end goal was, and exactly what she needed to do to achieve it. There were no surprises waiting in the wings of her life plan.

  Except for this weekend. She had not seen this coming. Even knowing Samantha as well as she did, Lara would never have expected to be forced into a BDSM club by her friend.

  Thoughts spinning, she ran into Jaxon’s back when he stopped before the first doorway on the right. He turned, raising his eyebrow at her in bemusement.

  “Kitten, you look pale. Say the word, and we can go upstairs. It can all end if you’re not ready.” He reached out a hand to tuck a wayward strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “There is no pressure. If you’re not enjoying what we’re doing, don’t push yourself.”

  Lara tilted her chin. “I don’t think so. I’ve committed myself to this weekend, and I won’t…pussy out of it! Lara Brunner is not a quitter. Lead on.” She slapped a hand over her mouth, shocked at her language. That particular word only popped out of her mouth when she was under particular stress. And Jax had practically dared her to quit!

  He was staring at her, green eyes aghast and mouth agape at her display of bravado. “Well. We shall proceed. And be assured you will be disciplined for your attitude later. We’ll add it to your punishment for your after-shower brattiness.” His grin was hot enough to melt her panties off. Her pussy clenched and grew wet. Who’d have thought she would be turned on by threats of punishment? Well, other than Samantha. And Jaxon. Damn.

  “This is the room I reserved for us today.” Jaxon turned the knob, revealing a sumptuously appointed chamber. She took in the four-poster bed in the corner before Jax’s voice drew her attention.

  “Strip and kneel. You will only speak when I ask you a direct question, or to give your safe word. For this scene, the word will not end the weekend, only what we are doing in this room.”

  For once, she was able to keep her mouth shut as she shed her robe and hung it on a convenient hook by the door. Though she trusted she would like her punishments from Jax, she had no desire to bait the man. Master-bait, maybe, Lara punned.

  He turned the lights up in the room, drawing her attention to the mirrors covering the empty wall on her left. Shiiiiiit, she thought, spotlighting and mirrors? If this is my punishment, Jax is more of a sadistic bastard than I thought. Lara had spent a good part of her life trying to downplay her body, and now Jax wanted to highlight it.

  Taking deep, even breaths, she strove for a clear head. It wasn’t working. She could smell Jaxon’s delicious leather and musk scent, and could practically feel him looming over her. Disconcerting though it was, it didn’t make her uncomfortable. It was almost soothing.

  And wasn’t it a fucking weird feeling for Lara Brunner, Independent Woman Extraordinaire, to have?

  Finally accepting she wouldn’t be able to relax any more than she had, Lara tracked his movements with her eyes, trying to simultaneously anticipate every probably outcome and stay calm. Maybe reciting the periodic table would settle her… Hydrogen, helium, lithium, beryllium…

  When he cranked down a bar that had been resting up on the ceiling in front of the mirrored wall, her heart raced. So much for staying calm-ish.

  “For this scene, you will be cuffed in place, hands above your head.” His stunning smile flashed her way. It would have set her at ease, except for the edge of heat she glimpsed before he turned away from her to open an in-wall cabinet.

  When he once again faced her, there were two metal pieces in his hands. They were heavy-duty double-ended ring clips. As much as she wanted to ask him what they were, she restrained herself.

  “Good girl.” Shit, those words should not have given her warm fuzzies. But from Jaxon, they did. “I can see the questions swimming behind your eyes. All in good time, sweet.”

  Chapter Ten

  This had always been the part of training most intriguing to him. Each new submissive was like a puzzle to solve. But Lara…he didn’t simply want to discover her pain tolerance and BDSM preferences. He wanted to know her, as a submissive and as a woman. It would take a while. Months, years even, and the thought should have scared him, instead of being thrilling.

  Setting aside that feeling to examine later, when he didn’t need to be completely focused, Jaxon returned his thoughts to the scene. It was more of a test for her than anything else. Many women glorified the lifestyle, but as soon as they got a punishment, or didn’t get their way, they left. Which was fine, but it wasn’t what he wanted from Lara.

  They were at a turning point. He was not yet invested enough in whatever they had to make parting ways on Sunday night unbearable. If the little voice in the back of his head tried to argue otherwise, he silenced it. Jax wanted to know, sooner rather than later, how serious she was about being a submissive. And he intended to find out this morning.

  Lara was radiant, kneeling before him in nothing but a smile. It was almost a shame to make her move. In keeping with their non-traditional training already, part of Jax wanted to scoop her up, throw her to the bed, and ravish her. Reaching deep down into the well of self-control he had patiently developed over the years, Jax reminded himself this wasn’t solely about his needs.

  Jax ran his fingers through her gorgeous blonde hair. It reminded him of summer, of sunshine and lemonade and freedom. She always wore it tightly pulled back at work, and it blew his mind why a woman would try to contain such beauty. He wanted to wrap the strands around his cock and stroke himself with the silk of her hair, feel it trailing across his thighs as she took him in her mouth again.

  “Come here, and wrap your hands around this bar, facing the mirror,” he commanded her. It was obvious she was nervous. Women like Lara never dealt well with the unexpected. Yes, Lara would be a treasure as a submissive, strong-willed and independent, but obviously needing to give up some control of her life. She would definitely keep him on his toes.

  Lara settled her delicate fingers around the metal bar, and he attached her wrist cuffs to the clips already in place. He was so focused on making sure nothing would pinch or pull her, it took him a while to check her expression, to make sure she wasn’t panicking. The little minx had her eyes closed!

  Smack! He landed a slight, stinging blow onto her rounded ass.

  “What the hell was that for?” A look of panic crossed her face as she realized she had broken the no-talking rule.

  Jax grinned. Lara had been almost too passive. It was nice to see her shaken up a bit.

  “We’ll add that outburst to your current punishment. And keep your eyes open. I put you in front of the mirror for a reason.” He stroked her ass, which had a nice red splotch where he’d smacked her. Under his fingertips, goosebumps broke out across her smooth skin. A quick check in the mirror showed her hardened nipples. Good, this was turning her on.

  Wisely, she kept her mouth closed, not arguing with her expanded punishment, but she did squirm a little under his caressing hand. Jax knew she had to be annoyed that her punishment turned her on, despite her breakthroughs last night.

  “Let’s go ahead and get your punishment out of the way. I think fifteen strokes would be sufficient, and I’ll use my hand this time.”

  Running a hand across her hip, he couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around her and whispering in her ear. “Will you take your punishment from me?”

  “Yes, Sir.” The whispered words sent blood rushing to his already aching dick. He gritted his teeth against his overwhelming desire for the beautiful woman in front of him. Kissing her neck, he noted her slight shiver with satisfaction.

  He moved to stand behind her. Five quick blows rained down on her ass, making the pale skin blush. The tension in her arms, from gripping the bar above, told Jax she was not unaffected. But she did not use her safe word, or cry out.

  Five more blows, and the slight pink tinge to her butt deepened. She let out a little moan, whether from pleasure or pain he didn’t know. But he was hoping for the former.

  The last five blows he peppered on her thighs,
to give her poor rosy cheeks a break. Rubbing the tender spot, he knelt and laid kisses across the area. The massage, more than anything else he’d done, made her twitch. Masculine satisfaction filled him, knowing he affected her.

  “Thank you, Sir.” Her words were choppy, strained, as though she had to work to get them out.

  “Good girl,” he praised and ran his hands and lips across her backside. “Spread your legs.”

  Obeying, her thighs parted and he was instantly intoxicated by the smell of her sweet cream. God help me, Jaxon prayed, wanting desperately to taste her arousal.

  He ran a finger across her cleft, allowing himself a small sample. Lara abruptly cut off her moan.

  “You may speak, love. I want to hear you moan and beg for me.”

  Rising to stand behind her, Jaxon made sure Lara’s eyes were on him when he licked his fingers. “Mmm. You taste like sunshine and honey.” His wicked grin made her blush, but she didn’t look away from him.

  He brought his index finger to her mouth and painted her lips with her essence. “Taste yourself.” A pink flicker of tongue delicately swiped across her rosy flesh.

  He blamed his loss of control on the sight of her tongue. Without thinking, Jax tilted her head and took her mouth in a searing kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth, sharing her flavor. It was decadent, sinful, and dangerous. Her kisses should be outlawed.

  Tearing himself away, he rested his hands on her shoulders. “Look at yourself, Kitten. You make me forget myself.” Jax could see her fighting to keep her eyes on the mirror.

  His hands skimmed down her arms and up her sides to cup her breasts. Nibbling her sensitive neck, he whispered to her. “Sexy, lush and full. Not to mention your brilliant mind. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of you.” Her spine went rigid at his last words, but he stroked his hands across her skin until she settled down again.

  “Ready for more?” She nodded, her breathing ragged.