The Plume: The First Anthology (24 page)

She took a deep breath. "So, how would this work? We'd date like normal people..." Joanna was keenly aware of the boots, of the smooth leather against her thighs and the way they made her feet arch. She thought of the vibrator the Master had locked upon her, the one with the remote control that had ensured she'd always been ready for him, and felt faint at the idea of Mike doing the same.

She could imagine sitting in a restaurant, seemingly a normal couple, as he drove her crazy with the vibrator.

Then tying her up and taking her repeatedly once they got home.

"But play games privately. Fulfill each other's fantasies." Mike glanced her way. "What do you think?"

"I hope it works." She turned to look into his eyes. "I want to find out."

"We need to talk about what works for us, specifically." He nodded and she sensed new purpose in him. "For me, it's sensation and innovation."

"All I have to do is surprise you with pleasure?" Joanna asked, not at all sure she could do that.

Mike grinned and nodded. "I'm easy, but I'm not cheap."

Joanna laughed.

"Go on, tell me what you like."

Joanna had been trying to identify the same thing. "It's the combination of being completely out of control but trusting that I won't get hurt."

"Why is the lack of control so powerful?"

"I think it's because I was taught to manage everything and to excel at everything. I was responsible for my younger sisters, and seemed to always have to perform."

Mike nodded. "So, you can't let yourself experience pleasure?"

"It would be self-indulgent."

He gave her an intent look after he stopped at a red light. "You have to have it inflicted upon you."

Joanna nodded, her mouth dry. "I'd love to make this work."

Mike's voice hardened, giving her a thrill. "Prove it. Surrender to me. Right now."

Joanna knew what she had to do. She slipped her hands beneath the skirt of her dress and slid off her black satin thong as Mike watched. His eyes glinted when she handed it to him. "Okay," she said, her voice sounding breathless. Her heart was thumping. "I surrender. I'm yours."

Mike rubbed his finger and thumb across the satin, put it in his pocket. "I'm surprised."

Joanna smiled. "I thought you liked surprises."

"I do. Points to you, over-achiever." His eyes twinkled when she laughed again. "Are you wet?"

She touched herself then offered her fingertips to him. He inhaled deeply of her scent, his eyes closing in pleasure. He licked the slick wetness off her fingers, then suckled her finger hard, his gaze boring into hers. Joanna thought of him eating her or sucking her nipples like that, and shivered with desire.

Someone honked behind them and Mike turned his attention back to his driving.

"I want your bare puss on the seat," he said, his voice husky. "Right now."

Joanna pulled up the hem of her dress and did as she was told. The leather seat was cool against her butt, and her sex was humming and hot. She remembered what she'd been taught at the Plume and put her ankles together, spreading her knees apart. She was ready for him. "Should we go to your place or mine?"

"Mine. I have a present waiting there for you." Mike hit the gas and Joanna clutched the seat, not knowing how she'd wait.

Was it possible to have both? To walk around in the regular world, but live with her master and dominator? Joanna found the idea thrilling. She already knew that like Mike, she couldn't go back to vanilla relationships and her old expectations. Yet, like Mike, she wasn't prepared to join the Plume forever.

Maybe they had more in common than that. Maybe they could make this work. She bit her lip, thinking about a permanent relationship with one man and master.

A perpetual captivity.

And a complete secret.

The notion made her shudder with delight – and hope.

* * *

Mike was hard as soon as Joanna surrendered to him. Her black thong was so unexpected that he wasn't sure he'd be able to drive. He wanted to pull into an alley and take her immediately.

But orgasms were better if they were delayed.

He drove to his townhouse in record time, squealing the tires as he backed into the driveway. He didn't care if Joanna knew how much he wanted her. In fact, he didn't want to have any secrets between them.

It had been a perfect first date, that hum of sexual energy running beneath her words. He'd loved how her eyes shone, how she ran her fingers down the stem of her wine glass, how she smiled at him. Her time at the Plume had made her more confident in her skin and more aware of her sexuality. She dressed with more feminine style and had started to wear skirts. She was more relaxed and that made her more sexy. The sight of her legs this week at the office had been distracting for Mike, but not as distracting as the way she smiled at him now.

Tonight, with those high black boots, a simple black dress, a string of pearls and red lipstick, she'd been the sexiest woman in the world.

She wasn't just with him.

She was his. It was almost too much to bear.

Mike had been a sucker for Joanna for a long time, but now he knew he was going to fall hard and fast. He had to get this right. He had to make the relationship work, just the way he hoped it would.

He hoped he struck exactly the right tone tonight. He wanted to replay that dinner every Friday night, but after he'd bound her into a chastity belt or corset or restraint that made her completely aware that she was his willing captive. He wanted to look across the table and see her eyes shining, her lips parted, and plan what he'd do to her next.

They walked to the front door of his townhouse together, and she put her hand in his elbow. Just like they were a regular couple coming home. The sound of those heels on the concrete steps, though, was driving him wild in a way that he doubted many regular couples experienced.

"So, what'd you buy me?" she asked, her tone light and playful.

He slanted her a look, wanting to know her thoughts. "Guess."

"Hmm. A lot of ribbon?"

"That's Rex's style."

"Rex?"

"You called him the Master."

Joanna nodded, thoughtful. "You know him?"

"And have for a long time." Mike changed the subject, not wanting to venture down that avenue. "Come on, guess."

"Rope?"

Mike shook his head and put his key in the lock. He could smell her perfume and thought he could smell her wet heat.

"Duct tape?"

He looked at her. "Most women would think they were getting lingerie."

She smiled, mischief in her eyes. "But you haven't known me long enough to know my size." He opened the door and ushered her in, not telling her that he could get any information he wanted.

Legally or otherwise.

She'd learn that truth soon enough.

The lights were on in the living room, the drapes closed, just as he'd left them. It looked welcoming but private.

Joanna took a glance at the room and smiled her approval. Then she turned her smile on him. "Besides, I took care of that part tonight."

"You already gave me your thong."

"It matches everything else."

Mike was surprised and excited. The thong was black and plain satin. It could match anything. What had she chosen to wear? He couldn't wait to see. He loved the look of women, and he was crazy for the sleek appearance of Joanna. The fullness of her breasts had been a surprise at the Plume and he couldn't wait to see them again. The way she smiled over her shoulder at him when he locked the door made his cock strain against his jeans.

She shed her coat in the foyer and turned her back to him, sweeping her long sleek hair out of the way. "Can you get the zipper?" That she was prepared to undress, right in the foyer, was as good as it got. She'd enter his home in her lingerie.

No, she'd enter in his gift.

Mike took her coat, hung it up. He couldn't resist the gentle curve of her nape, or the scent of her perfume. He caught her shoulders in his hands and bent to kiss the back of her neck, tightening his grip upon her when she shivered. "Tell me you're mine," he whispered.

"All yours, Master."

"Call me Mike."

"Yes, Mike," she echoed, casting him a luminous glance. "What did you buy me?"

"All in good time." He ran his fingertip across the fullness of her lips. "Didn't you learn that good slaves only answer when they're spoken to?" She parted her lips and touched the tip of her tongue to his fingertip, tempting him to kiss her.

Slowly and possessively.

He did. Their kiss was hot and potent, melting his bones and feeding his desire. He pushed his fingers into her hair, letting its silk surround his fingers, cradling her nape in his hand. She arched against him and he caught her around the waist, pulling her against his chest. He could feel her nipples pushing against the cloth of her dress and thought about her wearing nothing at all under her dress. He felt something around her waist, though, a bit of boning and guessed the truth.

When he released her, her cheeks were flushed and her breath was coming quickly. Her lips were swollen and her eyes were bright. "I'm not even helpless yet," she said, reaching out to run her index finger across his lips. His blood fired right on cue.

"Show me," he commanded.

She smiled a bit, turning her back toward him again. Mike opened the zipper on the back of her dress, not knowing what to expect. He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed the dress down, running his hands down her length.

She was his.

He liked that she was both slender and curvaceous. Her breasts were a feast he meant to enjoy over and over again. She was wearing a corset, as he'd guessed, one made of black leather that laced up the back. He slid his hands around her waist, drawing her back against him. Her butt collided with his groin and she rubbed herself against him, tempting him even more. He cupped her breasts, liking her choice. The corset had only half-cups, so her breasts were displayed but not covered.

It was his favorite style of corset, a constraint that wasn't an obstacle. He turned her before him, admiring the view, after she stepped out of the dress. The high black boots were the perfect coordinate for the corset, and he liked that she had picked to wear the corset to match his choice.

"You wore something to match," he said.

She smiled and dropped her gaze, her dark lashes sweeping her cheeks. "I wanted to please my new master."

"Then put your hair into a ponytail," he instructed and she did as he commanded. "Turn around and lift your hands over your head. That corset needs to be tighter." Her mouth opened in a little circle of surprise, but Mike only smiled at her.

He loosened the laces at the back, tightening them so that her waist was much smaller. He could almost fit his hands around her and he liked that a lot. When he had fastened it to his pleasure, he turned her around to find her face flushed.

"It's tight," she whispered.

"We'll tighten it a little more each week. You can wear it to work, under your clothes, so neither one of us forget that you're mine."

She gasped but her eyes were shining. He could see her pulse fluttering at her throat and knew she was as aroused as he was. "Yes, Mike."

He brushed his lips across hers, unable to resist her. "We'll have to get you a chastity belt to match."

Joanna caught her breath. "With a vibrator," she breathed. "With a remote."

Mike hadn't thought of that, but it was a great idea – especially since she obviously like it.

"And here's your present," he said, opening a box that he'd left on the hall table. "I bought you a set of restraints. Leather. Fur-lined."

Joanna's lips parted in surprise, tempting his kiss again. The sight of her surprise sent red heat through him. "Restraints?" Her voice was tight.

Mike stepped forward and caught her nape in his hand, tipping her face up for his kiss. "It's not only Rex who makes fantasies come true. You like to be a helpless captive. You'll always enter my home bound."

"Yes, Mike," she murmured. Her gaze danced over the contents of the box, her cheeks flushing.

The wrist restraints were long and went from her wrist to her elbow. Mike liked how smooth and sleek they looked. He bound her arms together behind her back with quiet efficiency: right wrist to left elbow; left elbow to right wrist. The pose forced her back to arch slightly, displaying those beautiful breasts to advantage.

"Struggle," he instructed when he was done and she fought the bonds, but couldn't free herself at all. Her eyes widened and she began to breathe more quickly, those breasts rising and falling. Her nipples were as hard as rocks. He kissed her quickly then, swallowing her gasp of excitement, then kissed her thoroughly. She kissed him back, her eyes closed and her lips softening beneath his.

Her eyes shone when he finally lifted his head.

Her gaze flicked to the box, but he removed only the leather and fur gag. The rest could wait. "Thin walls, unfortunately," he murmured. "And I have to spank you pink before we even start."

Her mouth worked and he knew she wanted to ask a question.

He nodded approval.

"But why?"

"Because I've wanted you for two years, and I've had to wait. I'm impatient when it comes to pleasure." He kissed her again, wishing he could both silence her and have her mouth available.

That would have to wait.

He felt how his kisses softened her and knew she needed the mix of tender and tough. He liked tailoring his moves to maximize her pleasure and dared to hope that this could work. It was all good for him – and Joanna dripping for him would drive him crazy, no matter what he'd done to get her that way.

He would make her forget Rex.

Mike put the harness over Joanna's head, adjusting the black leather straps so that they fitted over her ponytail, around her ears and across her cheeks. "Take the gag," he instructed and she opened her mouth, so luscious and pliable that he wanted to take her right away. He locked the fur gag into her mouth, adjusted and secured it, then locked the opposing leather strap over it. He stood back, admiring the look of her.