Chapter 26 #2
With her heart pounding, she moved deeper into the maze, toward whatever lay ahead in the dark.
After another twenty feet in, a soft light appeared between the branches. She slowed, peeking through an opening in the hedge.
An older dom, late forties by her guess, sat in a leather chair better suited to a library than a garden. Beside him, on a small table, a lantern cast a halo that stopped just short of her.
He hadn’t noticed her yet, so she took a moment to study him. He wore a dark-blue suit and tie despite the warmth of the evening, laugh lines framed his mouth, and his hair had silvered at his temples. She hadn’t seen him at the club before. She would have remembered.
When she stepped into the clearing, his head lifted. “Good evening, my dear. I was wondering if you’d be brave enough to show yourself.”
She had the oddest urge to curtsy—he seemed almost regal. Instead, she whispered, “Hello, sir,” and glanced around. “May I ask… are you here to give pleasure or pain?”
“That’s up to you.” He patted his lap. “Come here.”
She approached slowly. When she placed her hands on his thighs to lower herself, he stopped her with a quiet cluck of his tongue.
“Never presume. I want you on my lap, not over it.”
Her head snapped up, eyes wide.
“Yes, you heard right. Hurry now. Our time together is brief.”
He guided her between his legs and lifted her easily, so her bare bottom perched on one trouser-clad thigh.
“Eyes on me,” he ordered. “And keep them there.”
His hand sank into her hair, tugging until her face tipped up, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“Relax. It’ll make this more enjoyable for us both.”
His free hand glided over her—thigh to hip, up her side, and inward to cup her breast. When his thumb grazed her nipple, Emily gasped.
His grin broadened, gray eyes flashing before his mouth claimed hers. A jolt of exhilaration surged through her at his effortless command. He was a stranger, which seemed to heighten the thrill. As his mouth moved over hers, devouring her softness, she opened for him without hesitation.
She’d never had a thing for older men. No daddy issues—she’d only been teasing Alec—no secret fantasies. For this man, she could almost be convinced.
His caresses grew bolder. He rolled her nipple firmly then slid his hand down her thigh. She whimpered, knowing what he’d find when he parted her legs and touched her intimately.
Ding.
The sound echoed through the clearing, making her jump.
“We’re out of time. How disappointing,” he murmured against her lips. Then he set her on her feet, steadying her when her legs wobbled.
“What’s your name, little one?”
“Emily, sir.”
“I’m Master Everett,” he said, his smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. “If you win tonight and choose me as your dominant, I would be honored. For now, I must send you on your way.”
“You mean that’s it?” she asked, surprised.
His mouth curved, amusement warming his eyes. “Didn’t you enjoy our interlude, Emily?”
“Yes, Master Everett. Very much.”
He winked. “I was told you would—which means I’ve accomplished my mission.”
A question hovered on the tip of her tongue. Who told him she would? Before she could ask, he nudged her toward the exit with a gentle pat on her rear.
At the door, three paths branched off, which meant two led to trouble. She glanced over her shoulder. “Which would you choose, sir?”
He shook his head. “Since I know what lies down each path, that would be cheating. Don’t fret—no one will give you more than you can take tonight.
And, as always, you can call stop at any time.
” His hand connected with her bottom again—not a pat this time but a firm swat that ended her procrastination.
She walked into the dark, following the hedge-lined path as it twisted and turned. When she reached the next decision point, she chose left again. It had gone well so far.
Soon, she reached another small clearing. When she stepped in and saw who stood waiting, she came to an abrupt halt.
Mateo towered above her petite frame. His eyes were such a deep brown they appeared black in the shadows.
Unlike Master Everett’s formality, Mateo wore a chest-hugging white T-shirt that barely contained his pecs and biceps.
Black jeans clung to lean hips and a flat belly.
It should’ve been illegal to look that good.
“Beautiful Emily,” he greeted with a slow smile. “I hoped you’d find your way to me. Come here and stand on the stool.”
Rooted to the spot, she looked down at the eight-inch step at his feet.
“Don’t be shy. The timer’s ticking, and we have much to do.”
She darted a look toward the exit, but he caught her hand and tugged her forward. Standing before him, her head barely reached his chest. Unsure whether to avert her gaze or meet his, she tilted her chin up. He was simply too gorgeous not to watch.
He stroked her cheek. “You’re such a tiny thing. Hang on.”
He turned, retrieved another step, and added it to the first. His hands easily spanned her waist, as he lifted her and set her down on the small platform.
Now, she looked down on him.
He looked up at her, satisfaction written across his face. “Dainty but nicely rounded. I shall enjoy my task very much.”
His hands rose to her breasts, caressing lightly, flicking her nipples with the edges of his thumbs. They peaked instantly. From her elevated perch, he didn’t have to bend when he licked one taut peak then the other.
“What a lovely treat,” he hummed, lingering at the second. His tongue, lips, and teeth worked in slow, deliberate rhythm, sending little currents racing through her. Not to be neglected, he rolled and pinched the other nipple.
Too soon, he drew back.
“We can continue if you select me as your master tonight. For now, there is a task to see to.”
“This wasn’t it?”
His laugh vibrated through the quiet. “Dev’s games are never so tame. You can expect them to increase in intensity as you work your way through the maze.”
“I’d expect the sadist to come last.”
“I only enjoy giving pain to those who enjoy receiving it. I’m funny that way.” He held out his hand, revealing a set of rubber-tipped tweezer clamps connected by a chain. “I cannot wait to see how these look on you. But first…”
He took her hands and moved them behind her, hooking her cuffs together without looking. The position lifted her rib cage, presenting her breasts. Her nipples, still glistening from his mouth, seemed to reach for him.
When he traced one with a fingertip, wet heat rushed to the ache between her legs—an ache that had lingered since Master Everett’s lap.
“Now I can enjoy these beauties without interference.”
Mateo sucked a nipple into his mouth, an arm around her waist keeping her upright as her knees threatened to buckle.
After several excruciatingly wonderful minutes, he released her with a soft pop and applied the first clamp.
It bit down, tight, but not unbearable, until he turned the screw. She hissed in pain.
He eased off, lessening the tension by a fraction.
“Poor tortured nipple,” he cooed, stroking the compressed skin with his thumb. “I have time for just one more taste.”
The slow lick drew a groan from her parched throat. Then he blew on it—warmth of his breath on her wet skin—making her tremble.
He turned to the other peak, sucked firmly to prepare it for the second clamp.
Ding.
The timer echoed through the clearing, signaling the end of their session but not the torment. Mateo quickly applied the second clamp, just as tight as the first, then lifted her from the stool and set her on the ground.
He lifted her chin and kissed her—slow, sure, undeniably talented. But even as warmth curled through her, something was missing. Mateo could stir her body, but that’s as far as it went.
Out of nowhere, he broke away, muttering, “All right, already.”
Mateo brushed her hair behind her shoulders and admired his handiwork briefly. Then he grumbled, “This has been enjoyable, although thoroughly unsatisfying. Choose me later, and I’ll correct that for us both.”
He gave her a swat to get her going—definitely a dom thing. It surprised her it hadn’t stung as much as from the non-sadist dom. She hurried to the exit, though, not pushing her luck.
Thankfully, there was only one path this time.
Before she left, she turned slightly and asked, “What about the cuffs, sir?”
“Those stay as they are. Hurry to your next stop, Emily, but go cautiously. I’d hate for you to fall on those pretty clamped breasts.”
Her either—ouch!
She entered the winding paths again, breath unsteady.
As she picked her way along in the shadows, hurrying, but also trying to keep the chain steady and the clamps from bouncing, she tried to wrap her head around what she was feeling.
Pleasure hummed under her skin, but it rang hollow—beautiful notes without a melody.
Mateo had awakened her body; the older dom had too.
But only Alec could strike the chord that resonated deeper, the one that pulled her like a magnet, drawing her toward him no matter where she turned.
Distracted, she was in the next clearing before she knew it. It wasn’t manned by a man at all, but by a stunning blonde in a black bustier and matching latex pants. The only thing not black—from her winged eyeliner to the four-inch heels of her boots—was the coiled red whip clipped to her belt.
Emily knew instinctively this station would challenge her more than the previous two. Not because of the whip but because of the domme herself.
“I want you here, feet apart,” she ordered, pointing at the grass in front of her.
She didn’t dare hesitate.
Mistress Natalie had approached her on her first night working for Regina. Emily had been captivated by the same-sex couples—both male and female—but her interest had stopped at watching. She’d politely declined Natalie’s offer, and she hadn’t looked pleased.