10
“G
irl, you look fierce!” Sarah, looking insanely hot herself, walked a little circle around Mandy. “Is that the dress?”
Mandy ran her shaking hands down the skirt. Her hair had never looked better. Her makeup was as perfect as she’d ever managed. She had primped and shaved and loofahed. She had never felt prettier. And, thanks to a certain surprise she had planned for Zane, she’d never felt sexier either. But, still, she was nervous as hell. “This is the one.”
Sarah squealed. “Ohmygod, those shoes! You’ve got to let me borrow them sometime.”
“Sure. It’s not like I go out dressed like this every day.”
“But since you’re seeing Zane now, maybe you will.”
Mandy’s face must have turned ten shades of red. Maybe even twelve. “I’m not ‘seeing’ him.”
“In my book, if a man buys you a present, he’s serious.”
“I can’t comment yet. So far, the only time we’ve spent together has been at the dungeon. I don’t consider that a ‘serious’ relationship at all. I consider a steady thing to be when you buy groceries together ... puppies—serious.”
“Fair enough.” Sarah pulled open Mandy’s door. “Ready to head out?”
Mandy took a long, deep breath. Her nerves were strung tight already. She hated to see how she’d feel by the time they got to Zane’s house.
Clacking out of the building, her bondage gear packed in a chic Gucci tote—a gift from one of her subbies—Sarah said over her shoulder, “At least this time I won’t have to worry about you getting kicked out.”
“Yep, no need to sneak in a camera now. That case is done. Wrapped up. Thank God!”
“Did the soon-to-be-ex-Mrs.-Clark pick up the footage yet?” Sarah asked.
“No, she hasn’t returned my call.”
“That’s strange.” In the parking lot, Sarah stopped between her car and Mandy’s. “Who’s driving?”
“I’ll drive this time.” Mandy made herself comfy behind the wheel. “I thought it was weird, too. You’d think she’d be eager to get the footage to her lawyer and get the ball rolling. I’ll try her again on Monday. Maybe she didn’t get my message.”
“Sure. That happens to me all the time.”
Sarah kept Mandy’s mind off what was about to happen with all her energetic jibber-jabbering. Before she realized it, they were at his house, rolling up to the entry. The parking valet, an extremely gorgeous man, opened the passenger-side door first. Sarah gave him a visible once-over as she stepped up to the porch. Mandy followed her. They exchanged grins.
“This is going to be one helluva night,” Sarah said as they stepped into Zane’s mansion.
Once again, Mandy found herself overwhelmed by the opulence of his house and the number of incredibly beautiful men found within. She’d never have guessed there were so many men who looked that good living in the area.
“My, oh my,” Sarah said on a sigh. “This is like a chocoholic walking into a Hershey factory.”
“Yeah.” Mandy searched the thick crowd as they walked deeper into the house, her gaze skipping from one man to another. “Do you see Zane anywhere?” The place was packed wall to wall. How would she ever find him?
“Not yet. Knowing him, he’ll be in the dungeon.”
“Okay.” Following Sarah, who was very adept at winding her way through crowds, Mandy kept searching. But, thanks to her petite size, which was in stark contrast to many of the party’s guests, she was having a hard time. What she needed was to get up above the crowd somehow.
Sarah grabbed her hand, dragging her into the dungeon. “Sheesh, lost you for a second there. Stick with me.”
“I’m trying.” Mandy took a step forward. Something, or rather someone, grabbed her around the waist. Her hand slipped from Sarah’s. A little startled, she twisted to look over her shoulder. A hand pinched her chin, stopping her from turning her head.
“There you are.”
She knew that voice.
Her body knew that voice, too. And liked it.
“Yes,” she said, very much aware of Zane’s heat as he pulled her back against him. “Here I am.” She thought about her surprise, and her body quivered in anticipation. Bodies, most of them male, were crowded around her, but she was focused on only one—his. The one she couldn’t even see.
Using the arm circling her waist, he pulled her flush to him. The rigid thickness of his cock was pressed against her buttocks. She wondered how long he’d make her wait to touch it, to feel its silky-skinned length slide through her fingertips or past her lips.
He gently gathered her hair into his fist. His fingertips massaged her scalp, giving rise to pleasant tingles. “I’ve been waiting. You’re late.”
“Sorry. Sarah had to make a quick stop on the way.”
Ever so slowly, he pulled on her hair, coaxing her head to one side. “Mmmmm,” he said, his mouth barely touching her neck. Goose bumps sprang up all over the left side of her body. “Perhaps I should punish you.”
She didn’t know exactly what he had in mind this time. That made her both keenly aroused and slightly uncomfortable. She shifted her weight, resting most of it on one foot. “I did apologize. That counts for something, doesn’t it?”
He chuckled. The sound vibrated through her whole system, making her nerve endings all twitchy. “Perhaps.” He dragged his tongue down the column of her neck, and she quivered. “I can’t get over how responsive you are. To my words. My touch. My ... kiss.” One of his hands slid down the front of her body. It stopped at her mound.
Her body proved exactly how responsive it could be. Her knees turned to gelatin and her bones melted. She leaned into his heat and let him support her. “Can we go somewhere private ?”
“Are you sure you want to be alone with me tonight?” His teeth grazed her skin. “I can’t guarantee I’ll maintain control.”
She could pretty much guarantee she wouldn’t maintain control either. “I’m sure.”
“This way, then.” Gradually he released her, giving her time to steady herself. He took her hand in his. “To my suite. I think I may show you the whole space this time. I believe you’ll like it.”
There was something about the way he said those words that made her wonder exactly what secrets he kept hidden behind those doors. The lounge area had been nice, furnished with quality pieces and accessorized with tasteful art.
He walked her through the throng, stopping once in a while to respond to a guest who greeted him. Without exception, every one of those people, male and female alike, gave her an appraising once-over when Zane introduced her. She wondered if she measured up to their expectations.
Once she was safely enclosed in his suite, she released a heavy sigh.
Smiling, Zane unfurled his fingers, letting her hand slip from his. “Are you nervous, Amanda?”
“I’m alone with a man I barely know. I’m in a setting that’s new and strange to me. And I feel like everyone here is playing some kind of secret games. They know all the rules. I don’t.”
At the small bar positioned against the wall, Zane leveled his gaze to her. “You’re very astute. I admire that about you.” He lifted a glass decanter. “Wine?”
She wasn’t sure if drinking alcohol was such a good idea. “No thank you. But I would appreciate a glass of water.”
“Very good.” He dropped a few cubes in two glasses, then opened a bottle of water and filled them. He handed one to Mandy, keeping the other for himself. “If you’d decided to drink tonight, that would have put a damper on my plans.”
Mandy almost drained the glass. “What plans would those be?”
His eyes sparkled as he looked at her over the rim of his glass. After taking a drink, he lowered it. “You’ll see. Soon.”
“You are quite the tease, aren’t you?”
“No. I don’t tease. I intend to follow through with every single promise I make to you.”
All the cells in her body appreciated that statement. She guzzled the rest of the water, then handed her glass to Zane. Her hand was shaking. “I need to talk to you about the retainer—”
“Take off your clothes, Amanda.” Calmly, his every movement smooth and steady, he set the glasses down, then turned back to her.
So much for discussing business. So much for foreplay, too. He was jumping right into things. She supposed she should be grateful he wasn’t going to make her sit and struggle to make small talk when her tongue was tied in knots.
Feeling like her throat was coated with dust, she gulped. She fumbled with the back zipper of her dress, thinking how sad it was that she’d worn this beautiful dress for so little time.
“Let me help you.” He eased her around with hands on her shoulders. Her spine tensed as he dragged the zipper down, down, down. A fingertip traced the same line, but from nape to the base of her spine, right above her ass. “You have the sexiest back I have ever seen.”
“Thank you.” She quivered.
The dress slowly slid down her body, softly caressing her as it made its journey to the floor. She didn’t move, just stood there, trembling, her pussy already hot and wet.
“You smell delicious,” Zane said, still standing behind her.
“Thank you. It’s lavender. My favorite scent.” She wanted to turn around or at least glance over her shoulder to see what he was doing. She could feel his gaze wandering over her form. It was like a laser, warming her skin. She didn’t move, though. Something kept her there, frozen in position, while he stared at her.
“I’m not talking about the lotion. I’m talking about you.” His hand cupped her ass, and a blade of heat sliced through her body. He was going to discover her surprise soon. Very, very soon. She had a feeling he was going to be pleased. “How wet are you for me?”
Her burning pussy clenched. Some of her juices trickled down the inside of her thigh. “Very.”
“Show me.”
She widened her stance and bent at the waist, bracing her hands on her knees to keep herself semisteady.
“Mmmmm.” His fingers slipped between her ass cheeks. Down they traveled, toward her anus, stopping where the flared part of the butt plug remained outside her body. “What’s this ?”
“I thought you’d like it.”
“I do. Very much.” His fingers continued their journey, bypassing the butt plug to plunge into her pussy. “Yes, very, very much.” He curled his fingers inside her, withdrew them to the fingernail, and then drove them back inside.
Mandy shuddered from head to toe.
“Come here, baby. You deserve a reward.” Zane took her hand and led her across the room, to the door that led to what she had to assume was his actual bedroom. He opened it.
It was a bedroom, but nothing like any she’d ever seen.
For one thing, it was huge. In the center of the room was a raised platform, the bed. It was probably the size of two California-king mattresses laid side by side. The Goliath bed was piled with pillows and cushions and looked very comfortable, luxurious ... inviting.
Various pieces of wood and leather bondage furniture lined the walls. Despite being built from common materials, the bondage furnishings were very different from any she’d ever seen. Each piece was adorned with intricate carvings—legs, supports, any vertical or horizontal piece that was visible.
“Sit here.” As Zane positioned her on the bed, sitting and facing the door, Mandy saw the enormous armoire standing in the corner adjacent to the door. It, too, was heavily adorned with carvings. She couldn’t make out exactly what the designs were from a distance, but it was beautiful nonetheless.
Zane gave her one lust-filled look, then strolled to the armoire. She got only a glimpse of his collection of equipment when he opened the door. He gathered a variety of wrapped items into his arms and brought them to her.
Some kind of metal stand.
A wrapped dildo.
Some lube.
Some leather cuffs.
“Up, on your knees.” He unwrapped the dildo, then picked up the metal stand.
Mandy shifted into position, standing on her knees with her butt as high off the mattress as it would go.
“Legs apart.”
She spread her legs slightly.
“Good.”
Holding her position, she watched Zane attach the dildo to the metal stand. He set it on the bed in front of her. From the look of it, the very tip of the dildo would probably just touch her pussy if he set it under her.
“Straddle it.”
So, she did have the right idea. Moving carefully, she positioned herself over the erect toy. Just as she’d thought, the very tip of the dildo barely grazed her swollen labia.
“Now it’s time for your reward.” Dropping to his knees before her, his legs straddling the frame as well, Zane pressed his hands to either side of her face and kissed her.
It was one hell of a kiss.
A kiss that made a million stars explode behind her closed eyelids.
A kiss that made her heart thump in her chest.