Bound: The Mastered Series (20 page)

“Never before now. But this one”—his finger followed the white lines—“threw me off.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s nearly identical to the Japanese symbol for a rogue samurai warrior.”

“Seriously?” Amery glanced down at it. “I’d think it was weird that you knew that, but given your background . . .”

Ronin placed his fingers beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Do you know what word is the English translation for a rogue samurai warrior? A samurai without a master?”

The intensity in his eyes caused her heart to skip a beat. “No. What?”

He paused and said, “Ronin.” Then he angled his head to place his lips on the scar. “You have my name etched on your skin, Amery. I considered that a sign.” His eyes met hers again. “Wouldn’t you?”

The room spun. She didn’t trust herself to open her mouth, so she rested her head on his leg.

He silently stroked her hair.

Finally she said, “I know we need to talk some more, but I’d really like to wrap myself around you for a little while.”

“Here on the couch or up on the roof?”

Amery lifted her face and looked at him. “What about your bedroom?”

Those golden eyes gleamed. “I have willpower, but not that much after a week without you. I can’t promise to keep my hands to myself.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

Without a word Ronin scooped her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom.

THEY
stripped down to their underwear and crawled beneath the cool sheets. Entwined together with Ronin in the dark, Amery suspected nature would take its course. And it did, just not in the way she imagined. They fell asleep.

She woke up disoriented and peeked over Ronin’s shoulder to check the time on the alarm clock. Seven a.m. Wow. Neither of them had stirred all night.

Ronin murmured, “Where you going?”

“Nowhere.” She snuggled back into him and closed her eyes.

But now that she’d awakened him, he trailed his fingers up and down her spine. “Guess we both needed rest.” He kissed the top of her head. “I didn’t sleep worth a damn last week.”

“Because you missed me?”

“Could be. Or could be the extra hours working out. Or a combination. How about you?”

“I slept like a baby.”

He made a displeased noise and quickly pinned her arms to her sides. “Is that so?”

“Yes, because babies wake up several times in the night and need comforting. Or food. Since I didn’t have anyone around to comfort me, I cracked a pint of Häagen-Dazs at two a.m.”

“You wallowed in sugar; I wallowed in pain. Why exactly was it we weren’t wallowing together?”

“Oh, a little thing about you neglecting to show me your ropes before you tied me up in them.”

His arms tightened around her. “What now? I’ve got you locked down. Without ropes.”

“Well, I have a weird question we didn’t talk about last night.”

“Which is?”

“Does it always have to be kinky between us?”

Ronin rolled her to face him. “What do you mean?”

She tried not to fidget under his sharp stare. “Will you need to tie me up every time in order to get off?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Oh, don’t try and scare me with that sensei glare.”

“I haven’t even begun to scare you.”

“I’m serious, Ronin.”

“So am I.”

Somehow Amery got the drop on him and was striding into the living room before he could grab her.

He spun her around. “What the hell? You just walk away in the middle of a conversation?”

“I asked you a question and you hedged. Normally that’s not a big deal because you do it all the freakin’ time. Last night I listened to you and I have a better grasp on this part of you. So I deserve a straight answer on whether we can ever have sex without the bondage stuff.”

Ronin stared at her so long she geared herself up for another non-answer. But he curled his hand around her face. “It doesn’t always have to be that way. And you must be aware of that, since it hasn’t always been that way between us.”

“Bondage of some sort has played a role in most of our sexual encounters.”

“I suppose maybe it has.” This being Ronin, he didn’t offer an explanation or an excuse for it. He jerked her body against his. “Understand one thing. I don’t always need ropes or ties, but I am always in charge. That’s one thing that won’t ever change. And I intend to prove it every chance I get.”

That declaration in his sleep-roughened voice made her tingle everywhere.

“You got that?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” He stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Lose the bra.”

Amery unhooked it and tossed it aside.

“And the panties.”

She shimmied the black silk down her legs. Completely bared to him, she wondered what sexual treat he had planned first thing.

“Now let’s have some breakfast.”

“But I’m naked!”

“So you are. Looks like I’ll be frying the bacon.”

“Ronin.” She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “Aren’t you supposed to be proving that you don’t need kink all the time?”

“That only applies to the sexual side of our relationship. Besides, eating breakfast in the buff isn’t kinky.”

“It is for me!”

“You’ll get used to it.” Then he sauntered into the kitchen.

•   •   •

TWO
hours later they were lounging by the pool.

Ronin said, “What would you like to do today?”

Amery cracked a lid open. “Besides this? Nothing.”

“Nothing? Not one thing?”

“We could roll around in your big bed. Get ourselves hot, sweaty, and sticky and then jump back into the pool.”

“You have a thing for my pool.”

“No, I have a thing for
you
. The pool is just a bonus.” She looked at him over the top of her sunglasses. “You up for a tumble?”

“Actually I wanted to talk to you about that.” Ronin reached for her hand. “Since you’ve agreed to let me bind you, I’d like the first time to be a little more formal.”

Her belly made a slow roll. “Can you explain that?”

“I want you in the right headspace from the start. And knowing that you’re in my practice room, waiting for me, will put me in the right frame of mind too.”

“Okay. But what does that have to do with us taking a tumble right now?” She paused. “Oh. Do you want to tie me up right now?”

“No. But as much as I want to build the anticipation of the binding, I’d like to build the anticipation of the sex after the binding, by abstaining from it.”

“You’re serious.”

He kissed her knuckles. “Completely. It isn’t like I expect to hold off for a week, just until tomorrow night. Can you be here at nine?”

Amery smiled. “Looking forward to it.”

“Perfect. I’ll leave instructions for you in the room.”

Instructions. That did sound formal.

“Would you like a peek in the practice room?”

She’d wondered if he’d offer. “No. I’d rather it retain some mystery.”

“Good point.”

“Besides, the room is for you, not for me.”

“Another good point. But I promise we’ll both enjoy it.”

She didn’t doubt that for a second. “So now that I know sex is off the table for today . . .” She stood and whipped off her bikini top, then ditched her bottoms. She threw a grin at him from the edge of the pool. “Let’s swim naked.”

“You are getting bolder.” He shed his swim trunks and moved in behind her.

“Yes, I am. And I’m blaming it on you.” Then she wrapped herself around him and tipped them both into the deep end.

•   •   •

THE
following evening Knox let her into the penthouse. If he noticed she was nervous, he didn’t mention it.

Amery’s steady heart rate skyrocketed when she opened the door to Ronin’s secret room.

Spread out across the bench was a satin kimono the color of cherry blossoms—pale pink that gradually morphed into a deep rose at the bottom hem. She picked it up and rubbed the silky fabric against her skin, half expecting the sweet aroma of cherry blossoms to surround her. But Ronin’s scent teased her nose and she breathed it in.

A piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Amery picked it up, realizing it was a list for her. Ronin’s precise penmanship stood out in black, a sharp contrast against the thick white paper. She read:

INSTRUCTIONS

Strip and wear nothing beneath the robe.

Leave your hair down.

Kneel on the pillow in the center of the room.

Close your eyes and allow your mind to drift.

No wasted words. No surprise there.

As Amery ditched her clothing, the balls of nerves knotted in her chest, her belly, and the back of her neck began to loosen. She slowed her breathing and focused on her senses.

The cool robe slithered against her naked, heated skin. The velvet pillow provided cushioning for her knees as she rested back on her haunches. The only scents she could distinguish were Ronin’s and the slightly bitter tang of her own sweat. Her mouth remained dry, but she could taste the remnants of her breath mint. Placing her hands palms up on her thighs, she searched for the quiet place inside her where unease didn’t have a foothold.

Her happy sense of calm wavered when the door snicked shut.

Breathe.

Then Ronin’s hands were on her scalp. Petting her, following the length of her unbound hair to the ends in the middle of her back. His mouth brushed her ear. “Nervous?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Not the response she expected, which caused her to bristle and ask, “Are you nervous?”

His softly whispered “Yes” was there and gone.

She permitted herself a small smile.

He said, “Stand,” and helped her to her feet. From behind he untied the robe’s sash at her waist. He slid his palms up the length of her arms. He peeled back the fabric from her shoulders, and the satin fell to the floor.

Amery had been naked in front of him before, but this seemed . . . new.

Then his lips were on her skin, trailing down the side of her neck in a silent command to arch to the opposite side. Her hair swished against her back in an erotic arc as she complied.

“So lovely,” he murmured, while pulling her arms behind her back. “Is it comfortable for you to grab your elbows?”

She maneuvered her arms into a better position.

“Perfect. I’m going to start tying you now.”

Her stomach lurched in a combination of fear and excitement. She blurted out, “Am I supposed to keep my eyes closed?”

“Up to you.”

“Me watching you won’t bother you?”

Ronin stepped in front of her. “No. The only thing that will bother me is if you’re not honest about how you’re feeling. Blocking your sight will strip away another layer of your control. I can blindfold you if you’d prefer.”

“Oh.” Part of her wanted to be blindfolded to get the edgier experience, but a larger part wanted the option of watching him as he bound her.

“So what’ll it be?”

“I’ll wing it.”

He pressed a kiss on her lips. “Stay still. I’ll be right back.”

Amery watched as he selected three plain white rope bundles from the far wall. And she managed a clinical detachment about what he intended to do with the rope until he loosened the first bundle. She squeezed her eyes shut.

“I’ll start with a chest harness that will also immobilize your hands.”

“Okay.”

That’s all Ronin needed. The first wrap circled her chest below her armpits. As did the second and the third. Then he crossed the center of her chest, and that pulled the bindings tighter as well as squeezed her breasts.

She contemplated looking down to watch him at work, but she focused on his rough fingertips gliding across her skin as he checked the tightness of the bindings. And yeah, they were plenty tight.

“Are you holding your breath?” he asked in that low, commanding tone.

“Maybe a little.”

“Inhale and exhale slowly. Even more exaggerated breathing than you use in yoga.”

She nodded and filled her lungs.

Ronin didn’t miss a beat and kept wrapping.

When he tugged the rope across her nipple, she sucked in a surprised breath.

“One more like that.”

The second wrap compressed her nipples between the two ropes, creating a pinching sensation, and her eyes flew open. She glanced down and saw her nipples elongated from the pressure and jutting out from the ropes.

His thumb swept over the left one as his right hand held the coil of rope. “Does it hurt?”

“Not when you touch it like that.”

Ronin kept stroking it, staring into her eyes. “This tie is called ‘string of pearls.’ See how the binding makes the tips of your nipples round?”

“Yes. Just as long as it doesn’t cut off my circulation entirely and turn them white.”

“I know how sensitive your nipples are. Plus, my mouth will help restore blood flow when the time is right.”

That brought forth a flash of heat between her thighs. She closed her eyes.

He said, “Breathe, baby,” and wound the rope around her rib cage.

There didn’t seem to be a point when his hands weren’t on her. Or when she couldn’t feel the heat of his body against hers. Or feel his lustful gaze studying her reactions. It was heaven, being on the receiving end of his total attention.

Another shiver broke free when his fingers followed the contour of her belly down to the rise of her mound.

Ronin pressed against her clit and dragged the pad of his thumb down the seam of her sex and back up. He pushed against that bundle of nerves again. But the pressure was different. She sucked in a quick breath when she felt the rope sliding along the split in her sex, one on either side of her labia. Then he pulled it between her legs and up the crack of her ass.

His mouth grazed her ear. “Do you know how beautiful you look?”

“No.”

“Or how fucking hot it is that I can make you come whenever I want just by doing this.” He tugged on the ropes, sending a shooting sensation from her nipples to her clit, then down her pussy, across her anus.

She gasped, shocked that the sharp bite of pain morphed so quickly into pleasure.

He snatched the two rope ends tickling her back and attached them to the rope threaded between her thighs, tying them to her bound arms.

Amery’s breaths had become labored—from the tight bindings or her lack of control or a combination of both.

“Slow and steady, remember,” he said in that deliciously deep, calming tone.

But it didn’t soothe her this time. She thrashed around in an attempt to get free. “I can’t get enough air.”

“Amery.”

“I can’t fucking breathe.”

“Stop. Think. You’re safe.”

“No! Let me go.”

Ronin abruptly stepped away, leaving her alone.

That kicked her sense of panic higher. The rope sliced into her every time she moved, burning tender flesh. She twisted her shoulders, trying to shake loose. A scream of frustration got stuck in her throat and the only sound she could make was a pitiful whimper. All she heard was the rush of blood in her ears.

Then firm, warm flesh pressed against her back.

Ronin.

He pulled her lower body against his with his right forearm, which also stopped the rope from moving and abrading her skin. Ronin curled his left hand around her throat and jaw, holding her in place.

His complete immobilization of her didn’t create additional alarm. It somehow . . . settled her. He didn’t say a word; he just held her. He made her feel safe.

Keeping her eyes closed helped her focus.