Authors: Lorelei James
“I’m glad you’re stepping outside that neat little box you’ve lived in for so long.”
“Better late than never.” She let the wine rest on her tongue. “So Murphy didn’t need you in the bar tonight?”
“Thursdays are quiet. People are gearing up for the weekend. I probably would’ve sat at home anyway, and Murph agreed I needed to come here to talk to you.”
Ainsley’s face warmed, recalling the last time she’d seen Layla at the club. Was she here to explain that scene? “I wasn’t sure what my reaction would be to watching you and Murphy. It wasn’t what I expected. Can we just leave it at that?”
“What are you talking about?” Layla’s eyes widened. “Oh. The public scene last weekend?” She waved her hand. “I’m not an exhibitionist, which is why Murphy almost always chooses that punishment when I’ve stepped over the line. I’m here to talk to you about something else. Someone else actually. Bennett.”
“What about him?”
“Let me say I knew Bennett was a rancher. I had no idea where. As a sub, I don’t ask questions that will get me in trouble. Murphy and I were talking about you, specifically the changes in your life, including moving from Denver to Sundance. He got really quiet. Which freaked me out. Then he told me Bennett lives in Sundance.”
Ainsley swirled the wine in her glass before she looked up. “I know. We’ve already run into each other.”
Layla gasped. “You did? Did he recognize you?”
“Right away.” She groaned. “Of course it happened at the bank. He requested my presence at his place that night so we could talk. And…” Why was she feeling shy, telling Layla this?
“And what?”
“He asked for a month of me being his submissive.”
“I’m assuming you said yes?”
“Why would you assume that?” Ainsley said a little sharper than she intended.
“Whoa.” Layla held up her hand. “Not trying to piss you off, A. I suspected you’d be a good fit for Bennett in the club. Especially since you’re not sure if you’re interested in participating in this lifestyle beyond a short-term sampling. And Bennett…well, he only does short-term.”
“Why is that?”
“Bennett likes variety. He’s got excellent instincts with whips, floggers, riding crops and canes, knowing how far he can push the submissive’s pain threshold. Seems he’s always being asked to show his expertise on another member’s partner. When he gets her to that headspace, he returns her to her partner.”
“So Ben doesn’t have sex with every woman he demonstrates on?”
Layla shook her head. “Hardly any, actually. He’s very mindful of boundaries, yet there’s never any doubt who’s in charge during the scene. There’s something about his quiet intensity that draws subs like bees to flowers.”
“Or it could be the size of his…ah…stinger that attracts them,” Ainsley said.
“Oh man.” Layla giggled. “Ain’t that the truth. Murph once gave me twenty lashes because he caught me licking my lips during one of Bennett’s public scenes.”
“Yes, Ben’s got a smoking hot body besides his impressive stinger.”
Layla squinted at her. “What’s up with you calling him Ben?”
“When he’s in Dom mode he’s Bennett. When we’re hanging out, he’s Ben.”
“How much time
have
you spent with him?”
“The last three nights. We’ve come to terms on the specifics of his one-month proposal. Since we live in the same town, he suggested we skip the club for the month.”
“Are you all right with that? You trust him? Because some subs only want to play where there’s supervision in case the Dom goes too far.”
“I trust Bennett. Even when the idea of surrendering that much control to him scares the bejeezus out of me.”
“Learning to integrate your submissive side will be hard for you, but that doesn’t mean you should alter your personality, in or out of the bedroom, just to please him.”
Ainsley frowned. “Explain that.”
“Doms expect a certain amount of disobedience from subs, especially new subs just learning their parameters. You are a strong woman with strong opinions. If you never act out, either accidentally or on purpose, how will you know the difference between punishment and discipline?”
She vaguely remembered Ben mentioning that, but she hadn’t asked specifics. “There’s a difference?”
Layla nodded. “Murphy forcing me to do a public scene was punishment for the way I humiliated him. Discipline was the caning I received in private the next three days to reinforce his dominance and as a warning not to do it again.”
“So I’m supposed to be defiant to see how Bennett reacts?”
“Not always. But accepting everything Bennett says or does…where is the learning curve? What are the limits? For both of you?”
“I never thought of it that way.”
“As happy as I am that you’re getting a taste of the lifestyle, even behind bedroom doors, I want to caution you about a couple of things.”
Ainsley expected Layla to alert her to the physical pain from spankings. Or reiterating practicing safe sex, or suggesting Ainsley call her if something happened that made her uncomfortable. She hadn’t expected her friend to warn her off Ben completely.
“Don’t fall for him, A. Not as Bennett, not as Ben. Keep the relationship focused on you embracing your submissive nature with an experienced Dom.”
“That’s it?”
“You shouldn’t look to get involved long-term with the first Dom you meet anyway. Don’t expect promises of forever or fidelity, especially not from Bennett. Don’t agree to play every night. And for heaven’s sake, don’t spend the night with him because that’s a gateway drug for subs. As soon as you’re able to function following his aftercare, leave. Or make him leave.” Layla’s gaze turned shrewd. “What?”
“Ben’s already asked me to spend the night with him.”
“Have you?”
“No.”
“I see that
not yet
answer in your eyes, Ainsley.”
She fidgeted. “But he can just command me to stay over anyway, right?”
“Technically? Yes. Especially if you’ve agreed to give up your weekends to him.”
“We haven’t talked about that.”
“You need to. Next time you’re together before the clothes fly off and the restraints come out.”
Ainsley rolled her eyes. “Gotcha.”
“I worry about you, knowing he’s in the area. You’re trying to prove you can handle the bank president’s job. You’re new in town and it’d be easy to spend all your free time with Bennett. I don’t want you to get too attached to him, because it won’t last.”
As much as Ainsley wanted to protest, she’d be wise to listen to Layla since she’d known Bennett for years. “All right.”
Relieved, Layla sagged against the loveseat. “Good.”
“Thanks for the advice. I never would’ve mustered the guts to do this if not for you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad we’ve reconnected, A.”
“Me too.” Ainsley stood. “Let’s eat. Then you can give me hints on how to keep my Dom on his toes while keeping my butt from getting paddled.”
“Don’t even pretend you don’t want that man spanking your ass at every opportunity.”
“I’m blindfolding you tonight.”
That was an abrupt subject change. “I guess that’s one way to start the weekend,” Ainsley said dryly. She’d weighed Layla’s advice and ignored it simply because she’d wanted to spend the whole weekend with him. In his house. In his bed. Under his control.
Bennett traced the line of her jaw and stared into her eyes. When he studied her so intently, as he touched her with such familiarity, she felt more naked than when she was actually naked. Stripping her defenses was more intimate than stripping her clothes.
“Will I need to bind your hands so you don’t tear the blindfold off?”
“Maybe.” Ainsley’s heart pounded. How could he make her so skittish with just words? “So you’re going to blindfold me, tie me up and then what?”
“Leave you in the barn while I come back inside and watch The Speed Channel.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“Isn’t that what you’re afraid of? I’ll take away your choices and leave you powerless and at my whim? Then I’ll somehow abuse you, or your trust, which will allow you to get upset and leave, which also lets you regain control?”
“Ben—”
“Bennett,” he corrected with an edge. “Answer the question.”
“I still don’t know…the truth is I’m confused.”
“I’ll un-confuse you. Because you’re not supposed to be thinking, are you?” His smile, usually so sexy and sure, took on a decidedly wolf-like gleam. “Get undressed and bend over the arm of the couch.”
Ainsley bit back her question. But the uneasiness wouldn’t go away.
Just focus on each step
. She removed every stitch of clothing. She stretched across the couch arm. She tried to concentrate on how the soft cushion molded against her hips and belly. How the fabric abraded her nipples.
Bennett crouched beside her. “Do you know the difference between discipline and punishment?”
Yes. But she had the urge to stall. “No.”
“Discipline is what a Dom uses to remind the sub who’s in charge. Punishment is to correct offensive sub behavior.” He plucked her bra from the floor and quickly bound her arms with it.
Neat trick. Okay,
scary
trick.
When he rolled up her blouse, she understood he intended to use her clothing to truss her up. That made this lesson more personal somehow. He covered her eyes and tied a knot at the base of her neck. Everything turned dark and her anxiety increased exponentially. Why was she naked, bent over, blindfolded and about to let this man do whatever he wanted to her?
Retreat! Retreat now. It’s not too late.
“Ignore that voice,” Bennett whispered in her ear. “The voice of doubt, the voice of reason that demands you assert yourself has no place here. The only voice you should be listening to is mine.”
The deep cadence held a compelling, but rough edge. But when she let go of her fear and trusted him, when she pleased him, those harsh tones mellowed into warmth. Ainsley tried to shut off everything but the reality of him: his voice, his touch, his scent, his presence.
“That’s it.” A single fingertip traversed her spine. “Don’t think. Feel. Anticipate.”
Sensual touches zigzagged from her shoulders to the top of her butt in a constant stream of motion. Then the sensation changed into a sharp bite of pain in a dozen separate spots on her body.
She pushed up from the couch, only to have Bennett pushing her down.
“Let. Go.”
She did and it was a glorious place to be, completely under his care and control.
Caresses slithered over her back, sending goose bumps blooming outward, increasing her awareness of new erogenous zones. As soon as she became used to the tickling touch of a dozen different points of contact, they morphed into pinpricks of fire that seared her skin.
The teasing stroke followed by several stinging snaps went on for several rounds. The hard/soft combination awakened her nerve endings, sending her to the place where pleasure bled into pain and became one. She existed in the moment, in his attention.
That’s when Bennett stopped. Curling his hands over her shoulders, he pulled her upright and unbound her hands. “You’re beautiful in obedience, angel.”
He tantalized her with erotic kisses that increased the dizzying, floating sensation. She was vaguely aware of moving. Of his callused hands gripping her hips as he guided her backward.
“Up on the bed. Hands on the headboard.”
Despite the commanding tone, he helped her into the position. He made her wait, but he hadn’t left the room. She heard him pacing behind her.
The bed dipped and his warm, hard body pressed against hers. A hand slipped over the curve of her belly, breaching the curls covering her mound. Two fingers followed the seam of her sex and plunged inside her wet pussy.
God that felt good.
His pleasure rumbled in her ear. “Flogging turns you on.”
“That’s what that was?”
“Widen your stance.”
While Ainsley slid her knees out, he thrust his fingers in a few more times before he moved. The bed jostled. Soft hair brushed the inside of her thighs.
“Lean forward.”
Oh wow. It was like she was sitting on his face.
His tongue snaked from the top of her slit to her bottom. A very long, very thorough lick.
Her whole body trembled.
“Goddamn you taste good.” He yanked her down and went to town. Suckling her pussy lips, then flicking them with his tongue. Mapping every fold with every part of his mouth. Lapping at the cream pouring from her sex.
A whimper escaped when his teeth scraped her clit.
Bennett stilled. “Did that hurt?”
“A little. It just caught me by surprise.”
He pressed several soft kisses over the hood of her clit.
Those glimpses of his care, of how attuned he was to her every response amazed her. His work-honed hands clutched the globes of her ass as he ate at her sex. She was so lost in the intimate attentions of his hungry mouth that she jumped at the first brush of his thumb across her anus.