The man continued his show of dominance, and Faith had little time to ponder her extreme reaction to this particular scene.
She was too busy absorbing it, experiencing the confusing thrill.
“Tell me, would you like to try it?” Damon asked.
F
aith jerked her gaze from the couple and stared at Damon in surprise. “I don’t understand.”
“Would you like to take her place?” he asked, gesturing to the woman being spanked. “Of all the scenes, you seem to be the most keenly attuned to this one. You’re here to explore your desires. What better way than to experience it firsthand?”
“You allow that?” she asked incredulously.
He smiled patiently. “We don’t make choices for our members or prospective members. You’re here to make a decision about whether this is something you want. I merely want to aid you in that decision. Think of it as test-driving a car before purchasing it.”
She laughed. She couldn’t help it. The idea of comparing getting naked in front of strangers to test-driving a car seemed ludicrous. But then as she gazed around at the people milling about the room, no one seemed to put much stock in nudity. She was the only one gaping like a kid in a candy store.
“What do I do?” she whispered. God, could she do this? She wanted to. No doubt about that. But the thought of doing it nearly made her sick with nervousness.
Damon touched her cheek and rubbed a finger down her jawline in a soothing manner. “I’ll be here the entire time. I’ll help you undress, and I’ll stay beside you. You can do as much or as little as you’d like. I’m just here to monitor, to make sure you aren’t hurt and that no one makes you do something you don’t want. Those are the only rules. Everything else goes.”
She swallowed, closed her eyes then opened them again to see him staring at her. Then she nodded. “Okay. Yes. I want to very much.”
He smiled then. “Good. See, you’re already taking control of your desires.”
Again her gaze flitted around the room. To her relief, no one seemed to be paying her any attention. She had this embarrassing image of everyone stopping what they were doing to stare at her.
Damon gestured at the man, who paused and nodded. Then the man touched the woman’s shoulder and helped her into an upright position. To Faith’s surprise, he bent to kiss her before motioning her away.
“I’m not intruding on a relationship am I?” Faith asked hesitantly.
Damon shook his head then put both hands on her shoulders. “I’m going to undress you now. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
Oh hell, please, please don’t puke.
She inhaled deeply through her nose and nodded.
Damon let his hands trail from her shoulders to the waistband of her skirt. “Turn around,” he ordered softly.
She did as he asked, shivering at the firm tone of his voice. Did he know how much the air of authority turned her on? He must. He’d pretty much been her sole confidant in this venture, which was odd, considering they were virtual strangers. Or maybe they were virtual friends since they’d only talked through the internet. A nervous giggle quivered in her throat, and she swallowed it back.
His fingers fumbled with the button and zipper of her skirt. He undid both and let the material fall in a pool at her feet. She didn’t look down. She wouldn’t look down. She had no desire to see herself standing in heels, underwear and her shirt.
“Back around,” he ordered.
Slowly, she rotated, her gaze cast to the floor.
Gathering the material of her silky camisole in his fingers, he tugged upward. “Arms over your head,” he said.
She complied, and he pulled the shirt free of her body. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms over as much bare skin as she could.
“Arms down.”
Again, his voice sent shivers quaking over her body. Slowly, she let her arms fall until she stood in front of him, clad in only her panties and bra.
“Open your eyes. Look at me,” Damon said.
She pried one eye open then the other. Behind Damon, the man with the paddle stood looking at her, interest darkening his brown eyes.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Faith. Embrace it. Don’t be ashamed of it.”
He tugged at her bra straps until they tumbled down her shoulders. He stepped close to her and reached around to undo the clasp. All too soon, the bra fell away, and her immediate reaction was to cover herself with her hands. But Damon grabbed her wrists with his hands.
“No.”
The one word shot over her, and she stood, knees quaking, waiting for the rest.
“Slip out of your shoes,” he said calmly.
She kicked them off and nudged them away with her toe.
His hands glided down her sides to her hips, where his fingers dug into the lacy band of her panties. Slowly and methodically, he inched them down until they too fell to the floor.
Oh God, she was naked. Was it possible to endure a full body blush? Because she felt red-hot from head to toe, and she bet her skin had to be flushed.
Damon’s hands returned to her hips. His fingers brushed her skin lightly as they climbed higher to her breasts. He palmed the fleshy mounds and rubbed his thumb over the nipples until they hardened to puckered buttons.
Liquid heat pooled between her legs, and more than anything she wanted to slide her fingers down to her clit so she could alleviate the burning ache.
He reached down for her hand then turned to the man standing behind him. “She’s all yours, Brent.”
Faith gulped and waited for the man’s command. Brent’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. She felt his gaze on parts of her body that already tingled and pulsed.
“Come to me,” he said.
She moved forward with halting steps. He pointed to the same apparatus the last woman had lain across.
“Stomach down, arms over the other side, legs spread and lined up with the legs of the stool.”
She bit her lip but complied, moving forward to fit her stomach to the warm leather pad. She leaned forward then felt Damon’s hands on her back as he helped her into position.
“If at any time you want to stop, just say so,” Damon said close to her ear. “I’ll be right here.”
Another hand, one more unfamiliar, caressed her ass. The sheer forbidden quality of a stranger touching her so intimately should be more exciting. Though her legs trembled and felt jellylike, Brent’s touch failed to fire her senses.
Without warning, the paddle met the flesh of her ass in a loud smack. She jumped. It startled her. Then she frowned. While she hadn’t envisioned some stinging, lashing blow, the light pat on her ass had been just that. A pat.
The paddle fell again, this time on the other cheek as he had done with the other woman. Her brow furrowed. Was this all there was to it?
Her nerve endings were on fire with anticipation. She wanted—no she needed—something, though she wasn’t sure what. More of a push, more of an edge. Not this light pat on the butt she was getting.
Another blow fell, and tears of disappointment pricked her eyes. She raised her head, prepared to tell Damon to make Brent stop when her gaze locked on the entrance across the room.
A gasp escaped her that had nothing to do with the blow that landed on her backside. Standing in the entrance, his gaze solidly locked on her, was Gray.
G
ray stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a fierce expression on his face. What on earth was he doing here? Mortification gripped Faith as he continued to stare at her, tension rolling off him in waves.
But then she shook her head. No, she had nothing to be ashamed of. She didn’t know what the hell he was doing here, and she didn’t care. She gazed defiantly at him, determined not to back down in shame.
Her head slowly lowered, and she shut her eyes tight in disappointment as another tap landed on her behind. It wasn’t real. None of it was real. A tear dripped down and hit the floor beneath her.
Clearly this was all for show, a spectacle more for the observer than the participant. Or maybe it just didn’t do it for her. She felt so close. On the cusp of something.
Her skin crawled with need. She felt edgy, restless, and she’d had enough.
Once again, she raised her head and opened her mouth to halt the entire process. Her mouth continued to gape open when she saw Gray standing just a foot away, his eyes blazing with promise. Promise of what?
Brent stepped back, then moved toward Gray. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the two men size each other up. Then Gray turned his head to Damon. “May I?” he asked as he gestured toward the paddle in Brent’s hand.
Damon shook his head resolutely. “Absolutely not.”
“Ask her,” Gray said in a steely voice. “Ask her if she wants it.” His blue eyes caressed her face, challenging her, baiting her.
God, he wanted to spank her? Her body prickled to life, and her blood roared like a raging river in her veins. She gulped, trying to breathe around her heavy tongue.
Damon looked between her and Gray, his expression questioning. “Faith? Is this something you want? He isn’t a member here. He’ll be escorted out. All you have to do is say the word.”
She licked dry lips, trying desperately to work up the nerve to go where she dared. Slowly she nodded.
“No, Faith, I have to hear you. You tell me what you want,” Damon insisted.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes,” she said in a louder voice. “Please.” Her voice cracked, and she relaxed her neck for a moment, the strain of holding her head up uncomfortable.
She was crazy. This cemented it. But Brent wasn’t doing it for her. In fact, for as turned on as she was by the visuals she’d experienced, as soon as Brent had touched her, she’d gone as flat as day-old Coke.
The idea of Gray touching her, of him being the one to dominate her…She shuddered and felt a surge of moisture between her legs.
A firm hand cupped her chin and directed her gaze up. She met Gray’s eyes and blinked as he stared piercingly at her.
“Can you take it, Faith?”
He’d thrown down the challenge now. Her eyes narrowed.
“Don’t play games,” he said softly. “I’ll take you where you want to go, but you have to be willing to get there.”
He stared at her for another long second before letting her chin slide from his hand. She cocked her head to the side to watch him as he turned to Damon.
“Tie her hands,” he directed.
She swallowed in surprise and started to protest, but she bit her tongue. No, this was what she wanted. And she knew Damon would call a halt if she so much as squeaked.
Damon bent and tied one wrist to the leg of the stool with a leather thong. Then he secured her other one.
“And her ankles,” Gray said.
She closed her eyes, anticipation nearly undoing her as both ankles were tied to the wooden legs. Lord, but she felt vulnerable. Tied hand and foot, ass in the air, pussy exposed for the world to see.
And it stirred her as nothing ever had before.
She heard his footsteps as he moved around behind her. One finger trailed down the seam of her ass and paused just above her pussy entrance.
Touch me. Oh please touch me.
But he didn’t.
He pulled his hand away, and then the paddle met her flesh in a stinging smack. Her body lurched forward, and her eyes flew open in shock.
“Wait for it,” he murmured from behind her.
The burn radiated from her buttocks and was soon replaced by a hazy glow that bled into her body. Before she had time to fully process the sensation, he delivered another stinging blow.
Her eyes closed, and she relaxed her head. A moan escaped her as the heat simmered over her skin. Again, the paddle connected. One side. Then the other. Soon her body was awash in what she could only describe as an edgy, euphoric shimmer.
He placed the swats strategically, never hitting the same spot twice. She strained against her bonds, nearly weeping with her need to achieve her release. She wanted more, craved more, and yet she wasn’t sure she could handle more.
What was happening to her?
Ten? A dozen? She lost count. Then nothing. Silence fell. Cool air washed over her burning bottom. She let out a low wail.
“Please,” she whispered.
He leaned over her. She could feel his shirt against her shoulders. “What do you want, Faith?” he whispered in her ear. “Tell me what you want.”
“I want to come,” she gasped out.
His fingers found her pussy. As soon as he touched her clit, she went off like a firecracker. Her head arched, and she cried out as the explosion rocked her to her core.
He continued to massage and manipulate her clit until she cried out for him to stop. She collapsed her tense muscles, lying over the stool like a limp, overcooked noodle.
Gentle hands untied her wrists, and she pried open her eyes to see Damon in front of her, his gaze questioning.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
She nodded, unable to do more than that.
Gray put his hands around her shoulders and pulled her up to stand beside him. When she got enough nerve to look him in the eye, she saw a mixture of confusion, desire and anger in his eyes.
“Get dressed,” he muttered.
Damon handed her clothes to her, and she yanked on her skirt and blouse, not bothering with the underwear.
“She’s going home,” Gray threw out in Damon’s direction.
Damon lifted a brow as he looked at Faith for confirmation. She bit back a smile. Then she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I think I found exactly what I wanted.”
G
ray all but hauled her from the room and into the darkened hallway. As soon as they were away from prying eyes, he shoved her against the wall, forcing her hands over her head. His lips met hers in a frenzied rush.
Her body, still shaky from her explosive orgasm, nearly folded. He lowered her arms then moved his hands to her waist, then up her body to her breasts.
“I wanted to touch them,” he said hoarsely. “I wanted to touch you everywhere.”
He shoved her camisole up until his hands found her breasts. He cupped them, brushed his thumbs across the sensitive peaks. Then he bent his head and sucked one of the nipples into his mouth.
Her knees buckled. She made a grab for his shoulders, wrapped her hands around his neck and clutched him to her. The air coalesced around her. Bright, shimmery sparkles seem to suspend in midair.
Every nerve ending was still supercharged from her earlier release, and his mouth on her nipples sent a raging inferno through her system.
His hand slid down her body to the hem of her skirt, and he yanked it up, baring her thighs then her pussy. He suckled her nipple then moved his head to her other one, working his mouth rhythmically.
He parted her thighs with his hand then slid his fingers into her wet folds. She groaned at the dual sensation of his fingers in her pussy and his mouth on her breast.
He let go of her nipple and stared her in the eye as he slid two fingers deep into her opening. His thumb found her clit, and he stroked.
“Come for me,” he growled. “Give me one more.”
As his fingers worked deep, an uncontrollable shudder rolled over her body. It started deep in her groin and radiated outward. It tightened until she felt near to bursting. And then she did.
As she cried out, he dropped his head to her neck, kissing and biting at the skin under her ear. He held her up with his free arm while his other hand slid in and out of her pussy.
She closed her eyes against the sudden burst of pleasure. It was too much and not enough all at the same time. “Oh, God,” she panted.
She clung desperately to him as she rode the fierce storm of her release. He kissed her, passionately, savagely, taking everything she had and offering in return one of the most intoxicating sexual experiences of her life.
As her shudders diminished, and he withdrew his hand from between her legs, she whimpered softly. Slowly, he eased her down until her feet were solidly planted on the floor. Her gaze flickered down to his groin.
In the shadows of the hallway, she couldn’t make out the bulge covered in the dark denim, but she’d felt it a moment ago. She lowered her hands and cupped him.
He went rigid against her.
“Show me how to please you,” she said softly.
He hesitated and then put a hand on her shoulder. He pushed her down to her knees while reaching for his fly with the other hand.
He fumbled with the button and the zipper. As the fly parted, he reached in and pulled out his cock. Another liquid surge of desire blazed through her veins.
His hand tangled in her hair as he cupped the back of her neck. With his other hand, he guided his cock to her mouth.
“Take it deep,” he rasped.
She opened her mouth and let him slide between her lips.
“Oh yeah, like that,” he said with a groan.
He inched forward, pushing her head against the wall. His hand left her head, and he placed both hands above her, leaning into her.
She tasted him, curiously, wanting to absorb his flavor, his essence, everything that made him the powerful male. She enjoyed the rougher texture of his cock and the smoother, velvety softness of the head as it rubbed against her tongue over and over.
There in the hallway, for anyone to see as they passed, he fucked her mouth against the wall. She was on a high she might never come down from. It was heady, exhilarating in a way she’d never experienced.
He plunged deeper, and she forced her throat to relax around him. His hips worked back and forth, and she slid her hands around to cup his firmly muscled ass.
Again he reached down, tangling his fingers in her hair, holding her as he fucked in long strokes. Then he took her head in both hands.
“Swallow it,” he said. “Take it all.”
She closed her eyes as he swelled larger in her mouth. His thrusts became more urgent, shorter and faster. Then he slid deep and held himself against her, his legs and buttocks straining underneath her hands.
The first warm pulse hit the back of her throat, and she swallowed quickly to keep from choking. He eased back then thrust forward again as her mouth filled with his musk.
His hands relaxed against her head, but he continued stroking her hair as he rocked back and forth in her mouth. There was such strength in his movements, yet they echoed such gentleness. It was an addicting combination.
With seeming reluctance, he pulled away from her, his semierect cock falling from her mouth. He tucked it back into his pants and fastened them up.
She knelt there, too stunned, too out of sorts to get to her feet. She wasn’t sure she had the strength anyway.
He reached down, curled his hands underneath her arms and pulled her to her feet.
“It’s time to get out of here,” he said gruffly.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and started to lead her to the stairs. As she glanced back down the hallway, she saw Damon standing in the doorway to the great room. How long had he stood there? Had he watched the entire interlude?
Strangely she felt no panic over the thought.
Gray hustled her down the stairs, past the social rooms and out the door leading into the small parking lot. A blast of humid air hit her in the face, sucking the breath right out of her lungs. Not that she had much to spare.
When they stepped onto the pavement, she realized she hadn’t gotten her shoes. She halted and stifled a giggle.
Gray stopped and shot her a sideways look. “Something wrong?”
She looked curiously at him. He seemed so…pissed. So out of sorts.
“My shoes,” she said. “I left them. I need to go back.”
“You’re not going back in there,” he ground out.
She opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a look.
“I’ll buy you another pair. You’re not going back.”
Some part of her wanted to tell him to fuck off, but another part, the cautious,
smart
part of her warned her not to push right now.
He urged her forward again, his hand at her elbow. He guided her between her car and his truck, but instead of opening her door, he opened the passenger side of his truck.
“Get in,” he directed.
“But my car!”
“I’ll get it for you later,” he said. “Get in. I’ll take you home.”
She stared at him for a long moment before sighing. With a resigned huff, she climbed in, and he closed the door behind her. She sat in the dark, staring straight ahead until he walked around and opened the driver’s side. He slid in beside her and thrust the key into the ignition.
She watched from her periphery but he never looked her way. He backed out of the lot and headed down the long driveway, his gaze locked in front of him.
“Want to tell me what all that was about?” she asked when they turned onto the highway.
She heard something that sounded like a grunt. Unwilling to let the silence continue, she turned in her seat to face him.
“It was nothing,” he muttered.
Her face twisted with incredulity. “Nothing?” She stared at him in shock. “I can still feel the marks on my ass, feel your fingers in my pussy. I can still taste you in my mouth.”
He gaped at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “Don’t be crude, Faith. It doesn’t suit you.”
“Why did you show up here, Gray? How did you know I’d be here? Because I don’t believe in coincidences.”
He stared out the windshield, his jaw clenched.
“Gray?”
“I saw your day planner,” he mumbled.
“That doesn’t explain why you showed up, why you stepped in, why you—”
“Okay, Faith, I get the point. Really, I do. Can we just drop it?”
She sucked her cheeks in until her lips pursed. Then with a shake of her head, she turned her back to him and stared out her window.
The traffic passed in a blur. The distant glow of the Houston skyline reflected off her window and bathed the night with an iridescent shine.
Had she imagined the whole damn thing? Because right now it all seemed the product of one too many vivid dreams. Good dreams, mind you. Really,
really
good dreams.
Unfortunately for her, the man behind those dreams was treating her like his worst nightmare.
What the hell had happened back there? And what the hell was Gray’s problem? He acted jealous, but she wasn’t anything to him. One stolen kiss didn’t grant a license to spank her ass. Even if she loved every minute of it.
“You need help,” she muttered. The serious lying-on-a-couch-across-from-a-shrink kind of help.
She pressed her forehead to the warm glass and closed her eyes. How had things gotten so fucked up? She couldn’t even blame Gray. He’d actually salvaged what was otherwise an exercise in complete disappointment.
Why had she reacted to him and not Brent?
Because it had been real with Gray. Not a pretense. Not a show put on more for the spectator than the participant. Brent had merely toyed with her. Given her the appearance of dominance. Gray? He was a completely different story.
A fascinating, seductive story. One she wanted to watch unfold. Wanted to
experience
unfolding.
She didn’t know what the hell was wrong with him, but she’d learned quite a lot tonight. Namely, that what she was looking for
was
well under her nose. His name was Gray. And he was more than capable of feeding her darkest, most secret desires.
When they pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, Faith didn’t immediately move to open her door. Gray opened his and walked around to open it for her, but still, she sat there.
“Faith,” he said, holding out his hand. “It’s time you got home.”
Her chest gave a jerk as she let out a dry laugh. Then she turned her stare on him.
“You’re just going to ignore what happened?” She got down and stood toe-to-toe with him, craning her neck to look into his eyes. “Gray, we didn’t just share a kiss, trade a few gropes and back away.”
He turned his head upward to stare at the sky, his face drawn tight.
“It was a lot more than that, and you’re pretending it didn’t happen?”
He lowered his head again but didn’t look her in the eye. “I need to go get your car,” he said. “You go on in. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“How are you going to get my car?” she asked in exasperation.
“Faith, please. Just go inside.”
She threw up her hands and stalked off toward her door. Whatever was up his ass wasn’t going to be dislodged tonight. But damn it, tomorrow he was going to talk to her.
She jammed her key into the lock and shoved her door open. A hand touched her shoulder as she started to go in. She turned around to see Gray standing there. A surge of hope rose within her.
“I need the keys,” he said simply.
With a scowl, she slapped the keys against his chest, and without waiting for him to take them, she whirled around and left him standing in the doorway. She slammed the door behind her, fuming the entire time.
She clutched her arms around her waist and headed for the bathroom. Right now a long, hot bath was the first order of business. Sorting out her cluster fuck of an evening could come later.