Second Touch (Emma's Arabian Nights, #2) (8 page)

“Can you put them on?” he said in a thick voice.

Emma studied him then gentle understanding filled her expressive face. “Of course.”

After she strapped on both cuffs, he held out his wrists and flexed his hands, liking how they looked on him, and liking even more that they were a visible symbol of the claim Emma had on his heart. “Thank you, Mistress.”

She took a step away before retrieving a pair of red patent leather heels from the small closet and slipping them on. “Ready?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

During the car ride to Moira’s house they’d talked about normal things, Ryan’s job, his family, her experiences being a substitute teacher, and mutual friends from high school. It was nice to relax with her, and he found himself laughing more than he had in a long time. She had a razor sharp sense of humor and a dry wit that he greatly enjoyed. Finding a woman sexy enough to interest him was easy, but finding a woman smart enough to challenge him was much harder. The fact that Emma was both sexy and intelligent left him feeling like the luckiest man on earth.

They made the final turn into Moira’s neighborhood and Ryan let out a low whistle at the sight of all the massive, stately Victorian homes on large expanses of land graced with old-growth trees. “Nice.”

Emma grinned. “Moira inherited her house from her grandmother, though I bet the judgmental old bitch is turning over in her grave at the kind of events happening there now. Her place is two more down on the left.”

He pulled into a long, winding drive that went through tall privacy hedges and led to an elegant Victorian mansion painted in shades of tan, deep purple, and cream. It was a beautiful home and lights burned behind all the windows, giving it a cheerful glow. Cars were parked all along the side of the road and the circular drive so he eased his Camaro in behind an SUV and parked. Emma reached out and grabbed his hand, her expression clearly troubled as she studied him.

“You sure about this?”

“I’m sure, stop worrying. I trust you. Hopefully, you trust me enough to know that I would tell you if something bothers me.”

“I just don’t want you doing something because you have the misguided notion that blindly following orders would please me. I need you to be honest with me Ryan, without worrying that it’ll make me mad. What will make me angry is if you lie about wanting to try, or do something, when you really don’t. You’re more important to me than any kink or fleeting pleasure.” She flushed and looked away, then when she turned back her gaze hardened and she squeezed his hand tighter. “I will know if you’re lying. Ryan, believe me when I say I will know. I’ve been a pro Domme for a number of years now and I’ve gotten very, very good at reading submissives.”

He brought her small hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles as he spoke. “Emma, I’m not exactly innocent. I did have a sex life before you, and I have done some things that might make you blush.”

She tried to pull her hand away. “I highly doubt that, but even if you did I don’t want to hear about it.”

Sometimes he forgot how possessive a Domme could be, especially Emma, and he tried to hide his pleased smile at the knowledge that she was jealous. “Regardless, I’ve been to parties before and I’m not going to freak out on you. Nothing you could do would make me run screaming into the night.”

“Is that a challenge?”

He blinked, then looked over at her and admired the way her white silk dress cradled her generous breasts, and how bright and pure she looked against the black leather of his car’s interior. “No, not a challenge, an invitation. Use me, use me for your pleasure, for your satisfaction. I’m yours and I trust you. Let me be everything you want because, baby, you’re sure as shit everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman.”

Emma’s breath caught and she had to blink back tears at the sincerity in Ryan’s gaze. Her heart beat harder and butterflies took up residence in her stomach, making her feel like an unsure teenager instead of a jaded woman. It wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, not by far, but it made her feel very vulnerable and she didn’t like that. Part of her still didn’t trust Ryan not to break her heart and that part tried to kill the tender feelings flooding her. But she couldn’t shoot Ryan down just because she was an insecure mess. He was being so honest with her and the Domme in her wouldn’t allow her to hurt him because of her own issues.

“Thank you, Ryan.” She cupped his cheek before blowing out a soft breath. They needed to get out of here, out of the dangerous intimacy of the car and into the party where she could see the truth of all his promises. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

His expression tightened for a moment, then he nodded and got out. She’d managed to open her door by the time he got around to her side and he frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Um, getting out of the car?”

“You should wait for me to open the door for you, Emma.”

She rolled her eyes and allowed him to help her out. “I’m perfectly capable of opening my own door.”

“I know, but I like opening it for you. Not because I’m your submissive, but because I’m your man and taking care of you is my job.”

“I thought it was my job to take care of you?”

He flashed her an unrepentant grin and went to grab her hand, then stopped. “Is it okay if I hold your hand?”

“Of course, why do you ask?”

They began to walk slowly to the front door of Moira’s house and she slipped her fingers against his and held his hand. “I don’t know, I mean I didn’t know if I was allowed to do that.”

“Why?”

He shrugged, the gold spacers in his ears gleaming. “I’m not sure how you want me to behave when you’re in full on Mistress mode at a party.”

“Just be yourself, because I’m going to be myself. Being a sexual Dominant isn’t an act for me, Ryan, it’s who I am.” She glanced at him. “And I want you to be who you really are. Don’t think of being with me as playing the role of a submissive. I can have my pick of fake ass kissers, I want the real you, but I’ll expect you to be respectful, to mind your manners so to speak.”

They took the steps and he paused when she was one above him. “I’m not faking this, you know. I really do get off on submitting to you, and in more than just a physical way. It makes me…it makes me feel peaceful when I’m serving you. Like the world vanishes and you’re the only real thing in my life. I don’t know how to explain this right, but my job is stressful and I’m responsible for a lot of things. When I give up control to you it’s like I can finally relax because I know that you’ll take care of me.”

“Oh, Ryan.” She leaned down and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss. “Your trust means so much to me, I won’t abuse it.”

Before he could respond the front door opened and Moira’s voice, filled with laughter, spilled out. “Emma! I’m so glad you made it. Stop molesting your boy on the porch and bring him inside so I can watch you properly.”

The bright light of the elegant foyer highlighted Moira, making her black and red latex mini-dress gleam. With her dark wine red curls falling about her shoulders she looked both seductive and feminine, a combination that Ryan must have liked because he swallowed hard before looking back at Emma. A little trickle of jealousy moved through her at Ryan admiring Moira, but she knew her friend would never cross the line with Ryan and Emma had to admit, Moira looked hot. Ryan would have to be blind to be unaffected by the other woman.

“Roll your tongue back in your mouth,” she whispered to Ryan and couldn’t help but laugh as he flushed.

Grinning, Emma tugged Ryan into Moira’s house and stopped inside the two story foyer. For a moment she had to do a double take at the sight of people in obvious fetish garb strolling around an elegant Victorian mansion even though she’d seen it before. The sight of Moira, dressed in her red and black latex with her sexy thigh high boots standing next to the entrance of an elegant parlor made her smile. Then she turned her attention to the rest of the room and found Tanya watching them with a cute little grin.

Tanya wore a sultry French Maid’s uniform tonight with sheer black material over her breasts, exposing her pretty pink nipples. With her pink streaked hair piled on top of her head and her black skirt high enough to show her frilly white underwear Emma couldn’t help but move over to her and run a proprietary hand over her perky little breasts. Emma knew Moira had arranged for Tanya to be here just in case Emma wanted to use her. Of all the women in the world, Tanya was one of the few Emma completely trusted to not try and steal Ryan from her. For all of the pink haired woman’s flirting, she was utterly devoted to her Mistress, Moira, and her Master, Chris. And they were utterly devoted to the small woman’s pleasure in return.

“My, my, what do we have here?”

“A naughty little girl,” came a deep man’s voice from the parlor off of the foyer.

Tanya’s Master, Chris, came strolling into the foyer with a wide smile creasing his classically handsome face. In a way he reminded her of a young Paul Newman and Chris was certainly easy on the eyes. He was a tall, well-built man in his early forties with dark blond hair and an easy grace dressed in black jeans and a tight, black t-shirt. Emma had known him for almost as long as she’d known Moira and she immediately gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Chris, it’s so good to see you.”

He gave her a squeeze before letting her go. “I heard you were bringing your new sub with you tonight. I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

With a laugh she turned to Ryan and had to hide her smile at the barely hidden warning look he was giving Chris. Ahhh, Alpha males. Submissive or not, they didn’t like any man touching what they considered theirs, especially another Alpha male. Chris must have noticed as well because he gave a low chuckle then whispered in her ear, “Only you would pick the most dangerous dog in the junk yard to collar. He’s delicious. Does he swing my way?”

She gave a low laugh and whispered in Chris’s ear, “Nope.”

“Damn.”

Chris leaned down and kissed the side of Emma’s neck, keeping his eyes on Ryan the whole time. While Emma knew he was doing it just to get a rise out of Ryan - Chris loved provoking male subs - she didn’t like the way Ryan looked like he was about two breaths from kicking the other man’s ass.

That would not do - at all.

“Ryan.” He shot her a defiant look, and she decided to nip this problem at the bud. “Attend, now.”

For a moment he hesitated, then he dropped to his knees in the foyer, his thighs spread and his head down. Her breath caught at how handsome he was, and she loved the internal conflict to remain on his knees she read in his body language. Moira must have liked it as well because she was eyeing Ryan like a tasty treat.

Emma nodded to Tanya. “Help him remove his jacket.”

She did so with a visible bounce in her step and Chris chuckled. Tanya and Chris had an open relationship and his kink of choice was watching Tanya enjoy herself with another man, preferably while Chris joined them. An idea came to Emma and she gave Ryan and Tanya a speculative look while the Tanya helped him out of his coat, revealing his big, tight, tattoo-covered muscles beneath the thin mesh of his shirt. Her body flooded with heat and she wanted nothing more than to go over there and tear the shirt from his body like she was unwrapping the best present ever.

Moira bit her lower lip and looked up at Emma, mouthing the words, “Holy shit.”

Taking a deep breath, Emma forced herself to relax as she leaned against Chris. “He’s a handful, but he’s mine. Ryan, show Mistress Moira the gift I gave you.”

He started to stand and she snapped, “Crawl.”

For a moment he hesitated, then went to his hands and knees and crawled with the fluid grace of a panther stalking its prey. It should have been impossible for a man as well-built as Ryan to move like that, but he did. Tanya was practically eating him alive with her gaze and Emma would have laughed at Moira’s slightly stunned look if she wasn’t feeling equally knocked off her feet. God, he was so fucking sexy it should be illegal.

When he reached Moira, he knelt again and offered his wrists up with his head lowered. They’d attracted a crowd and Emma did a quick scan of the people around them, noting more than one envious expression as some of the Dommes she worked with got an eyeful of Ryan. She thought for a second she caught a glimpse of Eric, one of her clients, but he was gone before she could take a second look. If he was here, she’d have to let Moira know to keep him away from Ryan. Eric tended to get a bit possessive, and if he tried to fight Ryan, he would end up seriously hurt.

Moira visibly gathered herself, and the mantle of confidence and strength that marked her as a Mistress fell over her. It always fascinated Emma to see sexual Dominants let that part of themselves rise to the surface, to see the predator they kept so carefully hidden from the rest of the world take control. In Moira’s case, her focus sharpened on Ryan as she slowly looked him over, taking pleasure in both his form and his posture as he knelt before her.

Keeping his gaze lowered, Ryan raised his wrists up higher for Moira’s inspection, turning his hands so the gleaming, inscribed silver plaque faced the other woman. Moira’s red painted lips moved slightly as she read it, then she looked over to Emma with a pleased smile. “Nice.”

“Thank you.” She snapped her fingers. “Ryan, come here.”

This time he didn’t even bother to stand, instead crawling to her. The heavy muscles of his back and shoulders flexed, the tendons in his arms standing out with each move. Moira bit her lip again as she got an eyeful of Ryan’s ass, and more than one woman watching made a little sigh. He quickly reached her, but before kneeling, he paused to place a gentle kiss on the top of each of her feet. The warmth of his lips made her thighs clench. He was a big man, even on his knees. She wanted to rub herself all over his body, mark him with her scent, and enjoy the masculine beauty that was hers for the taking.

“Ryan, this is my friend, Master Chris. He is an old, dear friend of mine and Tanya’s Master.” Ryan gave her a confused look; she could practically hear him asking her what he should do. “You may greet him.”