Mina's Heart (27 page)

Ever cupped his hands around her rib cage, rubbing there in a way that managed to be both relaxing and erotic. Her breasts felt swollen, and her pebbled nipples begged for attention.

Wilder flipped Lydia’s skirt up and ran his palms over her bare, chocolate cheeks. He raised his hand, and Mina looked away. She wondered if his handprint would show up on her dark skin.

In the other direction, Micah had finished binding Jessalyn. Ropes covered much of her body, but her breasts bulged from between strands left deliberately wide enough to keep them exposed. As Mina watched, Isla rolled one nipple between her thumb and forefinger. Jessalyn whimpered as the Domme pulled and pinched.

Next to her, Sara sat in a chair, her hands tied behind it. Jude had turned her so that she faced outward, and Mina could only see the back of her. He swung the flogger, and she dropped her head back with a groan of pleasure. From Mina’s vantage point, it appeared as if she had spread her legs as well. From the gleam in his eyes, Jude looked like he was enjoying the show.

A loud smack sounded from her other side. The sound of a spanking was louder and harsher than the soft swish of the flogger sailing through the air. Mina couldn’t stop herself from looking back at Lydia.

Wilder didn’t spank her quickly. He paused between each one and ran his palm over the area he’d just abused. Lydia moaned loudly. Sara made several short, high-pitched noises. Mina swung her head back and forth, barely aware of Ever’s hands until she felt his fingers parting the lips of her pussy.

Her waist was still below the level of the table. Though this wasn’t part of the prize, she didn’t protest. Not only did she have trouble denying Ever anything he wanted, but she didn’t think anybody was paying attention to her. Between Sara and Lydia, the demonstrations were turning pretty erotic.

Sara muttered something over and over that sounded like “please.” Lydia thanked Wilder for each spank. She even lifted her ass for more. Though it was turned away, Mina swore that many of his blows landed on her pussy.

Between her legs, Ever eased two fingers into her vagina. He pumped them in and out, assuming a leisurely pace. Soon the noises in the room—pleas, moans, smacks, and slaps—melted together. Mina rested her head back against Ever’s shoulder.

“Please, Master. Let me come.”

Abruptly, everything in the room stopped. Ever withdrew his fingers and licked them clean. Wilder set Lydia on her seat, where she had already placed a towel. Jude turned Sara back to face the table, her reddened breasts bearing evidence of her payment.

“Beautiful,” Pete said. He folded his hands on the table and nodded his approval. “Just enough to make them desperate. Will there be a third round?”

“I’m in. Who’s dealing?” Mina looked around the room, but everyone seemed preoccupied.

On the other side of the table, Eva smiled. She had dealt the second round. She pushed the cards toward Mina. “Why don’t you take a turn? I think Pete and I will sit this one out.”

Pete got to his feet. “I’ll sit. You won’t be able to.”

Ever shook his head. “Ten-minute break.”

Upstairs, Mina took an ice cube from the freezer and put it in her mouth. She knew Ever had turned the heat up. She’d expected to be warm, not hot. Thanks to his extraspecial massage, she was burning up. If he came into the room, bent her over the counter, and fucked her hard, she would be very happy.

Lydia came into the room instead. “We’re about to get started. Generally, we stay downstairs until the party is over. And subs should always be available to their masters.”

She turned to go, probably expecting Mina to follow her. Mina reached out and grabbed Lydia’s arm. “Wait. I have to know. Does it hurt?”

Slowly, Lydia turned back. Her brows were drawn together, creased with confusion. “Does what hurt?”

“Your…” Mina looked in the general direction of Lydia’s rear end.

“My ass? Pleasantly so. Hasn’t Ever spanked you yet?” She cocked her head to one side.

Mina shook her head. “We don’t do any of that. Just bondage and bossiness. He spanked me once for disobeying him. I don’t understand how you could ever enjoy something like that.” Yet Lydia had been obvious in her pleasure.

“Punishment is different. It’s meant to hurt. What Wilder did was meant to feel good. If he’d just done it a few more times, I probably would have come.” Lydia gave Mina a reassuring smile. “Don’t knock it until you try it. Now come on before we both get into trouble. I didn’t tell Wilder I was coming to look for you. If he thinks I’m masturbating, I won’t get to come at all for a whole day.”

Mina had gone longer than that between orgasms. She didn’t see the big deal until she imagined being away from Ever for twenty-four hours. The idea caused a pain in her chest that hadn’t subsided by the time they made it to the lower level.

Ever pulled out her chair and frowned. “What’s wrong, honey? It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind.”

She kissed his cheek. “I haven’t.”

For this round, she’d cavalierly consented to oral sex, forced orgasm, and toy fucking. Part of her wondered if Ever would let anyone besides him redeem these prizes. She wanted to go down on Ever in front of them all, proving at last that she belonged to him. At least that was the way it played out in her head.

In reality, the round went on for a very long time. A few hands in, she watched in awe as Pete loaded a naked Eva onto the extreme punishment bench. The tableau of the beautiful, bound submissive made her pussy clench in envy. It gave her an idea of what she had looked like when Ever had bound her onto the thing earlier.

Pete showed no signs of dropping his pants, even though his erection made a huge bulge in the front of his jeans. He secured the restraints and opened up a bag that had been sitting near the sliding door that led to the backyard. He pulled out a ball gag, which he promptly pressed to Eva’s lips. She opened her mouth eagerly.

Ever tugged at her wrist. “You might not want to watch.”

She realized she’d been holding up the game. After all, she was the dealer. “Sorry.”

She tried to tune out what was going on behind her. It was difficult, especially when she heard Eva’s muffled noises of protest and a soft whir. It wasn’t the frantic-quick sound of a vibrator, more like the slow churning of a motor. After a little while, all she heard were quiet whimpers.

Somehow, she managed to win a good amount of chips. It might have had something to do with the distracted manner in which everybody else played the game. Because she couldn’t turn around, Mina was in a position to catch the hurried tells that many of them forgot to hide.

While she hadn’t won many of her chips back, she did have enough of other people’s to ask for several prizes. She planned to use her winnings to get back at the Doms for stripping clothing away from the submissives. In particular, Mina thought Jude had been very cruel to Sara. The woman deserved some kind of reward for putting on such a good show.

Nobody made a move to cash in. Several stretched languidly. Mina scooted her first pile forward. Micah and Isla exchanged glances. Jessalyn lifted her brows. Lydia leaned closer, fascination parting her lips. Mina forced her face to remain neutral. With her being new to the group, this might be considered a bold move, but it was what the round was for, wasn’t it? They didn’t have to hold back because she was there. If things worked out with Ever, then she wasn’t going anywhere, and they would need to get used to having her in the mix. “Oral sex. Jude licks Sara.”

Jude started, and Sara’s eyes widened. He sat forward. “Are you serious?”

If Sara protested, Mina would just say she had been kidding. Though Sara kept her gaze downcast, she appeared to be hiding a desperate bit of hope.

“Yes. I’m serious. Are you refusing? Ever said everything had to be consensual.”

A muscle flexed in Jude’s jaw, and his strawberry-blond goatee seemed to shimmer in the light. “I’m not refusing.”

“Good.” Mina pushed another pile forward. “And Sara will suck your cock.”

Now Jude blanched. Had she gone too far? She was making her choices based on what they’d put on their menu cards. Mina looked to Ever to see what she should do, but he was no help. He appeared to be biting his lip in an attempt to hold back laughter.

“Unless she says no.” Mina had to add that in. Sara had a right to refuse.

“I’m in,” Sara mumbled.

The raspy sound of chips scraping across the table drew Mina’s attention to her right. Lydia beamed as she sought to redeem her chips. “Micah and Ever will flog me, double Florentine style.”

Mina didn’t know what that was, but she was amazed that Lydia would want to be flogged after she’d been spanked.

Ever looked to Wilder for permission. Micah did the same. Wilder shrugged. “She likes a heavy hand, which I’m sure you’ll figure out before your arms fall off.”

Eva was still strapped to that machine. Pete had attached some menacing clamps to her nipples. Weights dangled from the ends, pulling her skin taut. Mina shivered, but the expression of ecstasy and pain on Eva’s face was more than a little amazing.

Pete flipped a switch, and the slow whir of the motor, which had become part of the background noise, ceased. Eva let out soft shouts of pain as he released her nipples. He massaged them, which seemed only to make her squirm and cry out more.

Jude shoved forward a small pile of chips. “Mina is bound and blindfolded, and everybody who chips in gets to fuck her with the toys on her list. Orgasm not guaranteed.”

Shocked silence greeted his proposal. From the size of the stack in front of him, Jude didn’t have enough to request all that. Mina looked to Ever for guidance.

Her master’s sea-foam eyes glinted hard. “Nobody touches my sub without my permission. I’ll put her on the pleasure tower. She’ll endure it until you and Sara finish. Then you’re even.”

Jude set his jaw and glared at Ever. The tension in the room was so palpable most of the submissives around the table squirmed. For several long moments, Eva’s whimpers were the only sounds.

“Bend her over the punishment bench. Choose the slimmest vibrator you have and set it to the slowest speed.” Jude growled his counterproposal. His fists were clenched and on the table.

Ever scratched his chin, seemingly unaffected by his buddy’s threatening pose. Finally he nodded, accepting Jude’s amendment. Mina didn’t understand what had happened. She only knew she’d crossed a line she hadn’t known was there. She wanted to take it back, but now that Ever had spoken, not following through seemed like it wouldn’t help the situation.

“Give me ten minutes to wash it down. We’ll take a break.” Ever stood. He took her hand and led her to the contraption that Eva had recently vacated. She scurried after him, trying to keep up with his longer stride.

“Ever?” She whispered, trying to keep the conversation between them. “Did I do something wrong?”

If he heard her, it wasn’t evident in his bearing. He didn’t respond as he wiped down the wicked-looking piece of equipment. It hadn’t seemed so menacing earlier.

“Ever, please. I didn’t mean to upset anybody. I thought they would like it.”

He looked up from what he was doing. “I’m sure they will.” The soft baritone of his voice sent shivers down her spine. He kept his voice as low as his tone. “Not that either of them will admit it. You called them out on whatever the hell is or isn’t going on between them. You did what none of us have had the courage to do. You’ll need that courage now, honey. Make me proud.”

At least he wasn’t angry with her. “Am I allowed to come?”

“If you can. Either way, I’ll take care of you later.” He guided her onto the bench. Then he bent down and secured her arms and legs. “I’m impressed, though taking on a Dom like that will never end well, even if your intentions are good.”

She understood that to mean Jude had to save face. He didn’t want to fulfill the terms of the bet, but he wouldn’t step down. It would go against every macho standard he held dear.

Jude hadn’t specified that she be tied down, so she figured the bondage was to satisfy Ever’s need for control. He checked the restraints before locking the collar around her neck and placing a gag in her mouth. When he moved behind her, Jude took his place.

He leaned forward, appearing to check the lock on the collar. “If you think either Sara or I will thank you for this, you’re wrong. And if you think Everett didn’t set you up with this whole night, you are much too naive to last with him. He wanted to see you fail. He wanted to see you squirm, and you’re definitely living down to his expectations.”

She felt Ever probing the opening of her vagina, which had been wet earlier but had dried at Jude’s harsh statement. Nothing Ever had said or done had hinted at the deep dislike apparent in Jude’s tone and words. Did he still harbor a deep resentment of her? Doubts assailed her. When she’d told him that she loved him, he hadn’t responded at all. Was this his revenge?

The pressure of Ever’s fingers left, only to return with the wet glide of lubricating gel. Jude moved away, and Mina remained still, reeling too much to protest or call a halt to everything. A slim dildo penetrated her, but she felt nothing. The quiet sounds of a motor whirring to life barely registered in her consciousness. She noted the feel of the dildo sliding in and out of her, a violation she forced herself to endure.

Perhaps this was retribution for the way she’d run out on him, but she’d be damned if she’d give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Chapter Twelve

Everett watched Mina’s face for signs of distress or enjoyment, but he was unable to discern anything. As far as he could tell, she seemed to have accepted this as the consequence of betting and offering toy fucking as her prize.

Jude clasped his hand around Sara’s wrist and led her into the playroom. He closed the door behind him. Normally Ever would object to anyone using the room without his permission, but these weren’t normal circumstances.

He hadn’t expected Mina to play that last round. The prizes were out of her realm of experience, things she would shyly give him if he asked, not things she would perform or endure in front of an audience.