Authors: Kathy Kulig
After working in a security company for thirteen years, force of habit had her
scanning the castle walls for security cameras or spotlights. No cameras, minimal
lighting, no motion sensors. She hoped the park had a better system in place inside,
considering the castle was supposed to have fifteenth- and sixteenth-century
furnishings.
Why did the castle have to be closed today? Just her luck. She walked up the
drawbridge and tried the door and sure enough it was locked.
Crap.
Maybe it wasn’t so easy to break into a castle.
Walking around the building, she ran her hand along the rough stone. Five
hundred years old. What would it have been like to live here centuries ago? What was it going to be like to entertain here? She hadn’t practiced in over two weeks since she’d 10
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shipped her harp. Even though the audiences for the dinner shows would be small, her
stomach knotted up as if she was about to perform at a huge symphony hall.
She was three-quarters around the building when she discovered a small alcove
and a wooden service door at the end of the narrow walkway. Dana tried this door and
it opened. She shook her head.
Very poor security
. She should mention this to Jack and make some recommendations while she was here.
A narrow curved stairway led up. The castle was huge and she preferred to know
the layout of the place since the first show would be in a couple of days. One flight up opened onto a great hall. A few tapestries hung on the walls between giant windows
and heavy dark chairs and one table took up one wall. They’d need more tables to seat guests. There must be another room.
Dana crossed the hall to another doorway that led to a different stairway and was
about to climb, when she saw a flickering glow from the darkness below.
Fire?
Could the castle be on fire? Wiring or the furnishings could be. She trotted down the circular stone stairs.
Darkness crept in around her except for the golden, flickering light from the
basement. Walking through another doorway, she thought she heard voices but she
wasn’t sure. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
As she rounded a stone partition, the room brightened. Flames flickered within a
half dozen wrought iron sconces, a fire burned in a small stone fireplace. The room
smelled of sweet burning wood and damp stone. At the far wall two people hovered in
shadows. Dana remained in her circle of darkness at the bottom of the stairs, unable to take her eyes away from the sight.
The woman was naked, her wrists and ankles bound with straps that hung from the
ceiling. Her arms and legs were spread wide in a V shape. As Dana took a closer look, she saw the woman was cradled in a narrow hammock rigging that supported her back
and bottom. Her pussy and anus lay open wide and metal clamps were attached to her
nipples. Dana winced at the distended tips protruding from the tight clamps. The
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woman was also wearing a blindfold. The other person, wearing a hooded robe, was
male. She could tell by his bare legs and feet. His back was facing Dana.
A rush of heat, then cold crept through her. Wrapping her arms around her waist,
her first instinct was to escape and call for help. Then she stepped back and searched for a weapon, planning to do some damage to the guy if the woman needed help. Instead,
Dana froze at the bottom of the stairs. Attacking this man was not a good idea if the woman was a willing participant. She would watch long enough to make sure the
woman was okay.
There were people who got into this kinky stuff. Why this woman would allow this
man to do these things, Dana couldn’t fathom. “More, slave?” the man in the robe asked the woman.
The woman nodded. “Yes, Master, if it pleases you.” His fingers stroked the narrow
thatch of dark hair between her legs, avoiding the glistening folds of her pussy. The woman squirmed and tried lifting her hips.
Dana managed to breathe in teaspoon-sized portions of air. People did this for fun?
It didn’t look like fun. Was the woman in trouble? Should she stop this? Go for help?
Move, dammit
.
“You want me to touch your clit, don’t you?”
The woman whimpered and arched her back. “Yes Sir.”
“But I hadn’t given you permission to move.” He continued to tease her, his fingers
trailing along her inner thighs, across her ass and back up to the thatch of hair.
The woman moaned in pleasure. “No Sir. You didn’t. I forgot.”
His hand moved to her breast and adjusted the nipple clamps until she let out a
little yelp and sharp intake of breath. “I’ll have to punish you for forgetting.”
“Yes Sir.”
He swung a flogger in the air several times. The woman’s chest rose and fell quickly
as if anticipating the blows that would come. Dana held her breath. The robed man
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struck her ass and she cried out and jerked against her bindings. Her feet pointed and legs tried to spread wider.
“Yes, Master, again. Please.”
Biting her lip, Dana clamped a hand over her mouth. Good lord, the woman
was
enjoying this.
“Not just yet. You’re being an ornery slave today.” He chuckled as the flogger
swatted her bottom and the underside of her thighs.
Dana’s blood chilled with the sharp crack of leather hitting the woman’s bare skin.
As he hit her again and again, the woman slumped in her restraints, her head hung to
one side. He approached her and brushed her long dark hair from her face and kissed
her forehead tenderly. Whimpering, the woman leaned into the kiss. Dana stared at the couple shamelessly. She should leave quietly but couldn’t pull herself away.
“Good,” he said. “You ready for more?”
The woman nodded and leaned into his hand. He walked over to the wall and
pulled an object out of a tote bag then came back to the woman.
“You remember the safe signals with a gag?”
“Yes, Master. Three quick grunts or open and close my hands.”
“Yes.” He bent down to kiss her. “Now open.” A ball gag was secured in her
mouth. He tied the straps around the back of her head. Now the woman couldn’t
scream if she needed to.
Dana was unable to shout or run. Should she trust this man or do something?
“You’re such a pain slut, my love.” The man stroked her hair then he swung the
flogger in a circle. Turning to the side, the man faced Dana, and she noticed his robe was open. He was naked underneath. His hard cock jutted out from the draped fabric.
“I think you like pain as much as coming.”
The woman made a mewling sound as she nodded.
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“You want to come, don’t you?” His hand slipped between her legs, then he
plunged a finger inside her.
She nodded and moaned, trying to raise her hips.
“No, stay,” he ordered, pulling his hand away. He then swung the flogger and
swatted straight across her breasts.
The woman gave a yelp as much as she could with a gag in her mouth.
Dana bit her lip as heat flowed through her followed by a throbbing in her pussy.
Lord, she was wet and getting turned on by this. The man lapped at the woman’s
clamped nipples, then took a swollen tip between his teeth. The woman jerked against
her restraints. “Too painful?” he asked.
She shook her head and arched her back, offering her breasts to him. He bit harder
this time and the woman cried out beneath the gag. Dana’s nipples hardened too and
her pussy was sopping. How could she stand that kind of torture and appear to beg for more?
“Are you ready to be fucked?” he asked as his hand dipped down to her slit.
She nodded, writhing in her restraints.
“I’m going to fuck you, but I want to taste you first.”
The woman let out a groan and looked up at her right hand. She had her pinky
finger sticking up. He looked up. “You’re signaling you’re on the edge?”
She nodded.
“Good. I’ll go slow.” He cracked the flogger in the air. The sound made the woman
and Dana jump. “But don’t come until I give you permission. I still wish to taste you so you must remain in control.”
The woman nodded slightly and whimpered. Stroking her breasts, the man then
moved his hand lower, circling her pussy. His mouth positioned between her legs and
Dana could see he was blowing across her clit and labia. The woman groaned. Dana
held her hand over her mouth.
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Obviously, these were lovers, strange as it was, and she needed to get out of there
before they saw her. Slowly, she took a step back and another, but somehow managed
to trip over her own feet in the darkness. Stumbling, she fell back against the wall. The movement and noise caught the man’s attention. He jerked his head toward her.
Taking a step closer, he frowned and studied her for a moment. He didn’t make any
move to hide his cock or the flogger he held out at his side. Sliding the hood back off his head, he let the robe hang off his shoulders, giving her a view of his face and body.
Straight black hair fell past his shoulders. Dark, intense eyes lingered on her breasts, then he locked his gaze with hers with an intimidating smile. “You like to watch, I can tell.”
The woman hanging from the straps moaned.
“It’s all right. We have a visitor, my love, but I don’t think she means any harm.”
His eye narrowed. “Do you?”
Dana shook her head. “No. I saw a light. I thought it might be a fire.” As if that
explained why she was in the castle when it was closed to the public.
“Except you pulled my lady out of her sub space.” His smile was grim. “Never
interrupt a session.”
She wasn’t sure what he was talking about. “I didn’t mean to disturb you. I wanted
to make sure…” She was going to say make sure the woman wasn’t tied up against her
will, but she’d figured that out the first minute. Then why hadn’t she left sooner?
“That something ominous wasn’t going on here?” He laughed. “I can see your
nipples through the bra. You like to watch. It’s in your eyes too. My lady likes to be watched. You can stay if you wish, but you can’t interfere and you must remove your
clothes.”
The throbbing in her pussy was almost painful at the thought of his suggestion. Her
panties were soaking wet. This was turning her on, and scaring the hell out of her too.
“I think I’ll go. Sorry to disturb you.”
He looked annoyed. “Suit yourself.”
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She backed up the spiral stone steps. As soon as she couldn’t see him anymore, she
turned and ran the rest of the way. Running across the main hall on the first floor, she found the door to the outside, yanked it open and raced toward the front of the castle where her car was parked.
A fine misty rain cooled her heated face but her body was on fire. She kept glancing
behind her, expecting to see the naked man in the black, hooded robe chasing her. As
she came around the front turret, she crashed into him.
Dana screamed and tried taking several steps back. Strong, muscular arms enclosed
her.
“Easy now, miss. Are you all right?”
She looked up into calm, blue eyes that held concern, not the intense annoyance of
the man in the castle’s dungeon. “Let go of me.” She pushed at his chest. Despite the cool air, he wore a short-sleeved shirt that showed off decent-sized biceps.
He released her and she took a step back. “You running from a ghost?” the guy
asked, smiling. Not the man in the black, hooded robe. He was taller, his hair shorter and he was wearing jeans, not a robe, thank God.
She held a hand to her chest while she sucked in air, trying to catch her breath.
“Who the hell are you? You scared the daylights out of me.”
“I’m Jack.”
“Jack Murray?”
He nodded, smiling with a glint of mischief in his eyes. “And you are…”
He was much better-looking than she’d imagined him. During months of email
she’d made her own fantasy image. Thick, dark hair was combed back but a wavy lock
fell low over his brow. He was a few inches taller than she was and about the same age.
“I’m Dana. I just got here.”
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“Dana, hello.” His eyebrows went up. “Got here. From where?” He was giving her
an odd look, probably trying to figure out what she was doing running from behind the castle.
She hesitated. Glancing over her shoulders, she half expected to see the naked guy,
robe flowing behind him as he chased after her. Her heart still pounded.
Jack looked past her as if he too expected to see someone.
“Dublin. I drove in from Dublin.” She’d rather get as far away from the castle right
now. What if that guy came out and saw her? But Jack was the one who’d hired her or
recommended her for the job. She took a deep breath and let the air out slowly, willing herself to relax. She glanced back again. If the robed guy was chasing her, he would’ve been out by now.
She turned back and met Jack’s eyes and her stomach did a twirl. Actually, he was
damn hot, no question there. God, she didn’t need the inconvenience of a summer fling, not that he’d be interested. Even if he was, it wasn’t worth the trouble or pain. Imagine the awkward moment when she had to return to the states.
“Something wrong,” Jack asked.
“No, I’m fine.”
He gave her a look of disbelief and the corner of his mouth quirked in a grin.
“Did the other harpist have her baby?” she asked.
“Don’t think so.”