Claimed (7 page)

With gentle but reassuring hands, he turned her around, then he pressed his hand on her lower back. Heat burned from his touch to travel up her spine. Oddly enough, the sheer force of the sizzle spread like wildfire across her body and settled the race of her heartbeat, easing her panic. She stared up into his face, and the strength of his gaze comforted her.

He smiled softly. “That’s a better way to greet someone.” He gestured to Cora. “Does this scene bother you?”

Presley wrapped her arms around herself, not wanting to look at Cora again. “It’s horrible.”

“Is it?” Master Dmitri stepped in behind her, placing his hands on her hips, and her tight muscles loosened, which was odd. Shouldn’t she be tense in his arms, not melting like warm chocolate drizzled over strawberries?

He pushed her forward with his thighs, forcing her toward Cora. “Look at her face, doll.”

Presley studied her friend—even if she’d rather not—and caught sight of Cora’s hooded eyelids. Her lips around the gag were relaxed, not struggling. Cora sucked in shallow breaths through her nose, as if she could hardly contain herself. “She doesn’t seem to mind this.”

He wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his mouth next to her ear. “It appears that Cora has a fondness for being restrained in public and spanked by many hands, as you can see.” He nudged her head to the right with his cheek. “Look over there. Do you see Master Aidan watching to make sure she’s all right?”

Master Aidan, who sat on a stool a bit away from Cora, had his shadowy eyes transfixed on her. “Yes, I do see.” Cora was fine, even more than fine. She looked ready to erupt into an orgasm.

“This scene is for
her
.” Master Dmitri closed in on Presley’s back, his erection pressing against her bottom, causing her to swallow hard. “Because
she
likes it. Do you understand?”

Remembering how to address a Dom in the dungeon, Presley responded, “Yes, sir.”

“Nicely done, doll,” he murmured, running one large hand over her abdomen. “Now you understand the point of setting your limits.”

She snorted a laugh.
“
Yeah, got it—know your limitations, or your Dom will put you in a horrible situation.”

He chuckled. “Too right.”

Presley shivered as his warm breath trailed over her neck and amplified the heat between her legs. Wetness pooled in her panties and seemed to increase as she watched Master Aidan stand, drop his leather pants, and sheathe himself in a condom. Then he slammed himself inside of Cora, thrusting unforgivingly.

Holding her breath, Presley ignored her trembling body as she watched Cora erupt into the most impressive orgasm. She’d never come like
that.
Had the spanking intensified the orgasm, or being tied up and put on display?

An orgasm in a second—
unimaginable
.

The hottest of all tremors started at the tips of Presley’s fingers and shimmed their way down to her toes. Watching others get off in front of her, and the idea of others watching her orgasm, set her aflame, even if she fought against the idea of having sex in public.

Master Dmitri leaned away, tickling a fingertip along her spine. Damn Cora for picking out her clothing. The open shirt gave him a huge amount of access to her sensitive skin. She should’ve worn a turtleneck, because then her legs wouldn’t be wobbling.

“What’s on that pretty mind of yours?” he whispered into her ear.

I’m insane! The idea of being strapped up for all to see and spanked in public makes me hot!
“Nothing.”

He tsked
.
“I expect an honest answer, Presley.” He spun her around to face him, which only made matters worse; his intense stare ignited a fierce throb in her clit. “For now, seeing as you’re shy, I’ll help you.” He cupped her shoulder and pinned her to the spot, and the world closed in on her as if he were interrogating her. “Did you enjoy watching Master Aidan fuck Cora?”

She blinked twice, questioning whether she’d heard him correctly. “I . . .” She shut her mouth, unable to put her thoughts into words.

“You liked watching others have sex in front of you,” he said, far too casual. “You even liked the idea of being bound and others watching you orgasm. But you don’t approve of penetration in public.”

She gulped. “Sex—I mean to say, intercourse—”

“Is a private matter behind closed doors?”

“That’s right.” She hastily looked at the floor. “I’m not sure I could ever do that in public.”
You sissy!
In this place, everyone must take their wankers out and thrust them into anyone, right?

“Eyes to me.” The sharp command snapped her attention to him, but he smiled gently, showing none of the harshness in his voice. “You said
not sure
instead of
won’t.
That means penetration in public—as in a cock thrusting into your cunt—would be a soft limit for you.”

Her mouth dropped open.

His eyes twinkled and he tapped her jaw, forcing her lips closed. “You don’t have to enjoy everything BDSM has to offer.” He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, and his gaze focused there. “You simply need to discover what you do like.”

The ravenous hunger reaching his eyes liquefied her. “Okay.”

A dark flare surged through his expression, stealing any of the heat, and on instinct, she stepped back. Before she could firmly plant her heel on the ground, he gently pulled her in place in front of him. “Try again.”

She gulped. “Yes, sir.”

“That sounds lovely.” He smiled that sexy grin, displaying none of the power he’d exhibited a moment ago. “Let’s see what else you might take an interest in.”

While the switch in him had surprised her, she appreciated the clear signals. When she did something inappropriate for the dungeon, he didn’t chastise her like a child or make her feel foolish, but one look sent the message clearly enough for her to rethink her actions. He gave her the chance to correct herself, and she liked that.

Taking her hand in his strong grip, he led her across the dungeon toward Master Sawyer, who was slumped on one of the couches drinking a Red Bull. His bare chest glistened with sweat, and his muscles appeared strained.

As they approached, Master Dmitri called, “Rough night, Master Sawyer?”

Master Sawyer glanced up with a furrowed brow, but the tension in his expression fled and he smiled, lightening his stern hazel eyes. He ran a hand over his blond buzz cut, sending droplets of moisture spraying off. “Remind me again why I agreed to top Kenzie?”

“Because she offered herself to you.” Master Dmitri chuckled as if he knew some secret Presley didn’t. He stopped next to the couch and tucked Presley to his side, making her feel comfortable in a situation that should have made her outright uncomfortable.

She looked up, spotting Master Dmitri’s amused eyes as he stared at Master Sawyer. She gazed over his square jaw and the thick veins on his neck. Her study then traveled to the opening of his black dress shirt, and she wondered what his chest looked like bare. Did he have the six-pack she imagined?

Right now she had it in mind to pinch herself. Had this handsome, powerful man honestly asked if he could train her? The idea seemed absurd. Shouldn’t she be the one drooling over him and asking if he’d train her?

A sudden heat washed over her, and she blinked, realizing that she’d been ogling him, since she discovered Master Dmitri’s amused eyes now trained on her. He gave her that devilish half-smile before he asked Master Sawyer, “Where is Kenzie now?”

Master Sawyer gestured to his right. “She got mouthy. I figured if she likes her mouth so much, we might as well put it to good use.”

Presley followed his direction, and the blood drained out of her body.

A slender strawberry-blond woman knelt on the floor, nude. Her legs, wrapped in crimson-colored rope, were bound to steel rings on the floor. Her arms were stretched wide, as the leather cuffs on her wrists were attached to chains on the wall behind her.

Master Kyler stood in front of her, his dark jeans down at his ankles while he held on to her head with both hands and thrust his large erection into her mouth. His movements weren’t careful and kind; they were rough and harsh.

Tearing herself away, Presley turned to Master Dmitri mainly to stop looking at
that,
and the side of his mouth curved. “I see how that upsets you, but let me explain. Kenzie’s a very difficult sub who likes to poke at her Dom, so he punishes her. She gets off on public displays of sex and also being manhandled.”

Presley examined Kenzie again, instantly cringing. While she didn’t mind the thought of providing oral sex, the humiliating manner it was being done didn’t interest her. “That’s
not
for me.”

“Yes, I agree,” Master Dmitri said in his tender voice, drawing her attention to him. “Which means humiliation is a hard limit for you.”

She had the urge to wipe her forehead and exhale a big
phew
but refrained to save herself the embarrassment. One thing was true—she saw the importance of outlining her limits, and it put Master Dmitri in a good light that he gave her the time to realize this. The solid edge to him, where he showed that her well-being mattered to him, was something she could easily trust.

Master Kyler settled in beside Master Dmitri. “Your sub is ready for you.” He zipped up his pants and winked at Presley. “She’s got quite the mouth on her, even when my cock’s shoved down her throat.”

Presley’s mouth nearly dropped open again, but she clamped her lips shut, forcing herself to look brave. Talking so openly about sex acts, cocks, and the rest of it would take some time to get used to, considering she couldn’t even say
sex
without blushing.

Master Sawyer finished off his energy drink as he stood, then he threw the can in the recycling bin beside the couch. “That sub is going to be the death of me, but—” His gaze darkened. “I’ll be damned sure she has a red ass before I’m buried.”

Master Dmitri chuckled, his body rumbling against Presley, and she looked up at him as he nodded. The amusement crinkling the corners of his eyes made her realize how happy he was in the dungeon. In his office, he seemed serious, but in this space, he seemed playful and content.

A sudden loud
slap
broke her train of thought, and a scream followed, echoing off the walls in the dungeon. What worried Presley more than that piercing sound was how it made her body come alive and warm in all the perfect places. The scream wasn’t drenched in horror or fright but layered with thick and greedy arousal. And that rich desire slid through her veins, making her crave something equally intoxicating.

With heat pooling low in her belly, she realized that in Dmitri’s arms, her sense of fear had left her. While the sound would’ve frightened her before, now it didn’t. The worry that something horrible would happen to her had vanished. The feeling that she didn’t belong had evaporated.

“Right,” Dmitri murmured. “I’m glad to see you’re more comfortable now than when I found you at Cora’s scene and looking for the exit.” He turned all of his focus on her, and the intensity in him did all sorts of hot things to Presley, including making her belly drop to her knees.

The weight of this man’s good looks was due to his eyes. The controlled power that lay present in their depths was heady. Presley experienced the magnitude of his appeal over her. Heat raced between her thighs, making her clit throb and forcing her to squeeze her thighs together to ease the ache.

One sleek eyebrow arched. “You’re more than ready to play, aren’t you?”

Why deny it? “It appears so, sir.”

His mouth twitched. “I’d like you to meet the other members. Introduce yourself, ask questions, watch, and discover what wicked things you’d enjoy. If you feel nervous or scared again, stay put and don’t move. I won’t be far away from you tonight and will come to you.” Spinning her around, he swatted her on the bottom, causing her to lurch forward on a squeak. “Presley,” he called after her. Glancing over her shoulder, she caught his devilish grin. “Be honest with yourself about what you like and don’t like. A hard limit is something that would destroy you to do. If you have a moment of ‘not right now but maybe in the future,’ that is a soft limit. If you have a thought of ‘I like that, but I’m nervous about it,’ that is not a limit.” His eyes darkened with that slight curve to his mouth that was entirely kissable. “Be warned, if you lie to me, I’ll know.”

Sweet Jesus!

Chapter Seven

In Dmitri’s office atop the casino, he sat in his leather chair at the desk and stared out the full wall of windows behind him to the Las Vegas Strip. Traffic rushed by in a blur, and people littered the sidewalks. Not as if it really mattered what time of day it was; the city never slept. He loved that about Sin City. It made for great business. However, what he loved more were the sinful parts.

He’d been born and raised in Vegas, and the lively city had always suited him. After he received his MBA from Stanford, he considered a move. But fate stepped in and brought him home to Vegas with an offer of employment under the casino’s vice president.

Now Dmitri groaned. Instead of enjoying the fine day, he was stuck in his office. On a weekend, he typically worked from home if anything came up, but yesterday’s situation that had kept him late hadn’t been finalized.

His Saturday had been long already, with nonstop telephone meetings and e-mails, and it was only two in the afternoon. Add in the fact that Presley had stayed on his mind, all her innocence trapping him in erotic thoughts, and his mood was tense. Those pretty eyes showing her surprise, the lovely flush of her cheeks, and her body enticingly receptive to him had haunted him all day.

He ran a hand over his neck and exhaled, then turned away from the windows to his large mahogany desk. He grabbed the mouse and hit send on the e-mail, in agreement with the VP’s choice for the new fall/winter shows at the casino; he was especially pleased with the new burlesque show.

“Sir, I’m leaving now.”

He looked up from his computer. The term usually meant something far different. His secretary stood in the doorway, dressed in a horribly ugly, brown pencil skirt, way too proper top, and glasses over her brown eyes. Part of the reason he’d hired her. He didn’t need the distraction of a beautiful woman while he worked. He had enough of that at the dungeon. The other reason was that she was a seriously smart kid right out of college and a damn hard worker.