Aspen

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

LUCIAN

S hock.

Confusion.

Frustration.

Excitement.

Desire.

Innocence.

Fear.

I’d never seen a more intoxicating combination of emotions swirling in a woman’s eyes. And the thought of anyone else on the receiving end of that warm, caramel gaze created a primal pulse deep in my bones. As if a long-lost pre-historic drum beat through my veins that urged me to not let another man—another dominant—play with her.

“I didn’t get the impression she liked you much when we talked earlier,” Corbin stated when I approached him with my idea.

“Either way, I think she’d still appreciate not having a stranger with her on stage.” Corbin stared, calling bullshit. “If she doesn’t want me to do it, then she can always say so.”

Thankfully, he kept his doubt to just a stare and didn’t push me to defend my choice. I didn’t want to know what would come out of my mouth to make sure it was me on that stage with Aspen.

With each step closer, my muscles relaxed into the comfort of the dominant role, while also pulling tight with anticipation.

Corbin made his exit with a nod and a pat on the back, leaving me standing only a few feet away from Aspen. I held my breath, waiting for her to object or run or demand another man.

But she did none of that.

She held her ground, her body stiff, as if braced for battle. The juxtaposition between her body and the torrent of emotions playing in her gaze pulled me in.

“I don’t want to take my clothes off, and Corbin said that you should respect my wishes and my comfort level, so you can’t make me,” she rambled once I reached her, trying to take control, as usual.

The problem was, this wasn’t the place for her to take control and it was my job to teach her that lesson. It was my job to make her submit—to like it.

Before she knew what to expect, I snapped my hand out, gripped her jaw, and pulled her to me. Her hands landed against my chest, but didn’t push away. Good. I inhaled the miniscule submission like an aphrodisiac, sinking into her widened eyes.

“First of all,” I started, lowering my voice for only her to hear, infusing it with my unquestionable control. “I am the one in charge on this stage.”

Her lips parted, ready to unleash a torrent of backtalk, but I tightened my grip and cut her off.

“Second, a Dominant always considers his submissive when setting up a scene—even if that means pushing against their limits because they know what their submissive really needs. Which may go against what they requested.” Again, her lips parted. Again, I stopped her. “Now, I may not know you well enough as your Dominant, but I know you well enough as a person to know that you are not ready to be stripped bare in front of a crowd. I also know you well enough to know that you are only up here because you took the bait I perfectly laid and accepted my unspoken challenge. I know you’re too stubborn to back down, despite the fact you’ve been nothing but nervous and fidgety since you realized what you actually volunteered for.” I leaned in closer, our mouths a breath apart. “And I’ll tell you a secret. It makes me crave to push, just to see how far you’ll go.”

Her mouth snapped shut and her jaw clenched under my prodding fingers. She didn’t like that I was right, but wouldn’t deny it. I eyed her lips, wondering if they’d yield under mine or remain stubbornly stiff. With an exhale, I abandoned the thought and pulled back.

“Third, if I was your Dominant, I would start this session off by bending you over my knee and spanking your ass so hard that you’d be unable to find pleasure in it. You’d only find a lesson to remind you that I am the one in control, and you will not top me from the bottom. Understood?”

She hesitated, struggling to hold my gaze, but eventually gave in. “Yes.”

“Lastly, when we are in these roles of Dominant and submissive, we leave behind the petty bickering you insist on at the office. Here, we treat each other with the utmost respect. And it is respectful of you to address me as Sir.”

Her tendons flexed under my fingers and her brows pinched while she hesitated longer this time.

I tightened my grip, daring her to fight me.

“Yes, Sir.”

The whispered words sizzled along my skin, bringing it to life. I loosened my grip around her jaw and stroked my thumb along her plush bottom lip. “Good girl.”

Unwilling to fully let go, I cradled her face rather than gripping it and softened my voice. “If at any point you want to stop, all you have to do is say so. Once we stop, we can either discuss and move forward with adjustments if I think necessary or end completely. However, stopping to discuss is not an opening for you to question my decisions or ask questions in an attempt to decipher what comes next. You need to trust that I have the utmost respect for you, like I am trusting you do for me. Even if it’s only on this stage. Do you understand?”

Her pupils dilated, and her tongue wet her bottom lip, answering without a fight. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good.”

“Shouldn’t we get started?” she asked, glancing toward the crowd.

“This performance is for us,” I answered, giving her every ounce of my attention. “This is our moment that we are allowing them to observe. If I wanted to stand here the entire night and only talk, then I could. It’s up to them if they want to stay and watch or find something else. I don’t give a shit.”

“Oh…”

The curious innocence came back, igniting the primal beat again. “However, I am quite eager to begin.”

I brushed her hair behind her ear, damn near groaning aloud when she curled into my palm. Before I decided to follow through with standing there all night talking, I pulled back and moved the chair to center stage, positioning it so the audience would only be able to see her side.

“My submissive will be remaining fully clothed for tonight’s demonstration,” I explained to the crowd. “However, she will remove her underwear so we can get an uninhibited example of the toy.” I locked eyes with Aspen and held out my hand, daring her to challenge me. Maybe if she did, it’d give me an opportunity to follow through on my wish to spank her first.

But she didn’t.

She held my stare and primly reached under her dress to work her panties down her legs. Once she stepped out of them, I wiggled my fingers as a reminder to give them to me. With a huff, she slapped the delicate black lace into my palm.

Wet heat pressed against my skin, and I smiled, adjusting my grip to rub the damp fabric between my thumb and finger. I’d assumed she was turned on by the events that got us there, but I hadn’t realized how much until the cream from her panties coated my fingers. Pink tinged her cheeks as she watched me fondle the lace before stowing them in my pocket.

“To ensure my submissive cannot pull back or angle herself away from the toy, I will first restrain her to the chair using simple Shibari.” I grabbed the rope and stood behind the chair, nodding for her to take a seat.

With a deep breath, she complied, sitting with her back straight and hands folded perfectly in her lap. I moved to her front, waiting until she tipped her head back and met my gaze. Not letting her look away, I dropped to my knees and began coiling the rope around her smooth skin.

I made sure to not take advantage of the situation and stroke or graze anywhere unnecessary, despite how much I wanted to. The pressure of the rope did all the work for me to bring us both to the edge.

I kept my eyes on her, watching for the smallest indication that she disliked the coil of the rope—the restriction.

First one wrist.

Then her ankle.

Then the other side.

When all four appendages were tied to the matching legs, I kneeled at her feet and moved my hands to her knees. With her soft flesh warming my palms, I met her gaze and shoved her legs apart, soaking in the flare of desire. I coiled the rope around one thigh before maneuvering around the back and repeating the process to the other. Finally, I used the remaining material to bind her to the chair back. One band around her waist, and two more winding around, above and below her breasts, framing them perfectly.

I didn’t know how she’d feel about Shibari, but by the time I finished, she was panting. Her eyes struggled to focus—lost in the same daze that pulled against me. My body climbed to the high I craved, soaking in the scent of her wet pussy pouring from between her legs. My mouth watered, desperate for a taste, but holding back.

Focus.

Standing up, I forced myself to step away and open the box on the table. Inside, I found a sleek black, silicone toy curved in an uneven u-shape with a small opening on one side that I knew sucked at the clitoris. Corbin talked about the toy last month and how it outperformed the others with its thumping and suction motion. I swallowed my smirk, already knowing I would make Aspen come on this stage and make her eat her words.

Moving back to her, I dangled the toy from my fingertip and addressed the crowd. “To demonstrate the full capabilities of the toy without influencing her reaction with any of my amazing sexual skills, I will only be touching her with the toy.”

As expected, the crowd laughed, and I looked back in time to catch Aspen’s eyes roll. God, I couldn’t wait to watch her writhe and moan in front of everyone.

“Because I can smell how wet my submissive is,” I announced, staring Aspen down, eating up her wide-eyed shock. “I will not be using any lubricant with this demonstration beyond her own cum. We will set the timer for five minutes to see if she can hold off an orgasm.”

Corbin reappeared with a stool and timer. He twisted the knob and set it on the stool at the edge of the stage for everyone to see before vanishing again.

Despite the humming countdown, I took my time to loom over Aspen, stepping between her spread legs, never dropping her gaze as I leaned over and gripped the back of the chair. Her pinched lips and clenched jaw did little to mask her nerves. Even if I hadn’t noticed her quickened breath, I saw it in the depths of her eyes.

Watching every minute reaction, I touched the toy to her knee, soaking in her jump of surprise. I dragged the toy along her inner thigh with painstaking slowness, using the anticipation as foreplay. With only a few inches left, I hit the button to activate the vibrations.

She gasped and jerked against the ropes, accidentally inching her hips forward enough that I could feel the heat pouring from between her thighs. She tried to adjust back but couldn’t in her confines.

With a gloating smile, I closed the gap and brought the tip of the toy to her opening. The muscles along her thighs contracted, hinting at tension, despite her failing attempts to keep her glacial features in place. I swirled the toy around her opening, gathering her lube and dragging it up and down her folds, circling her clit with each pass.

By the time I slid inside, her pinched lips relaxed around her frantic breaths, making room for a breathy moan to escape. I would have called her on it, except I was too busy releasing my own desperate groan when my fingers encountered her smooth, wet folds.

God, why had I announced I wouldn’t touch her?

My muscles flexed, fighting against me pulling back instead of shoving my fingers in right beside the toy. She’d be so fucking tight, stretched to the max with my fingers along the slim wand hooking against her g-spot, leaving me to wonder how much she could take.

Again, I berated myself for blocking my chances of finding out.

Focusing on the task at hand, I increased the vibration and slid the toy deep, twisting it back and forth, allowing the other end to brush her clit. But I didn’t turn it on…yet.

Once her breaths slowed into a false sense of familiarity to the even pace I set, I held the toy inside and turned on the g-spot massager. This time, she moaned loud enough for the crowd to hear, bringing them to the edge of their seats. My length pressed against my slacks, pulsing with desire, remembering how the crowd’s anticipation maximized the pleasure. I adjusted my grip, damn near coming in my pants when my knuckle brushed against her opening and came away drenched.

Fuck me.

I started to worry if I would make it through five minutes without coming.

Clothes rustled from the crowd, and soft moans surrounded the stage, intensifying my arousal.

I needed to end this before I embarrassed myself.

Holding her gaze, I tapped the button to start the suction, keeping it steady over her clit.

She cried out. A mixture of pure femininity and her own husky tone rang like music to my ears.

She squeezed her eyes shut as sweat beaded on her brow and a flush stained from her cheeks down to her neck. The chair creaked from her hips attempting to thrust against the toy, the sleek lines of her thighs straining against the bonds.

Her small pants grew to desperate whimpers, and I ate it all up, memorizing every second. Moisture dripped down the toy to my fingers, and I promised myself a taste when this was all done.

I eased the pressure against her bud and waited until her head lolled on her shoulders in relief before continuing my onslaught. She released another shout, sending her own attack against my senses.

Her hips rocked wildly, scraping the legs of the chair against the floor. Success crept in, fusing to my muscles, already pulling my lips into a victorious smile.

And then her eyes snapped open, hitting me like a punch to the gut.

Her pupils dominated the amber color coated in a sheen of moisture.

Her lips parted around her gasping breaths, while her eyes frantically darted around as if she just then became aware of the crowd.

Witnessing the clear panic she struggled to control sucked the air from my lungs, yanking me back down to earth. This wasn’t a woman on the edge of pleasure—or maybe she was, but she was also on the edge of fear.

My first reaction was to stop everything and talk it out, but I hesitated, knowing Aspen’s pride would struggle, leaving her with embarrassment in front of the crowd. If we were in the office, I would take the win with pride, relishing the lesson she’d have to learn. But we weren’t. In this moment, I was her Dominant. I was in charge of her care, and no company, shares, petty anger, or bet mattered.

I removed the stimulation from her clit and turned off the stroking wand, leaving only the vibration. Her gaze jerked to mine, confusion pulling her face tight, thankfully overtaking the fear. Holding her stare, I pulled the toy halfway out and played at her entrance, knowing she’d still find it pleasurable without orgasming.

A flash of relief and gratitude sparked like gold in her eyes, warming an icy cavern in my chest, pulling at rusty chains holding it closed. Alarm flared around my skin, squeezing too tight. Before it could spread, I clamped down on the sensation and focused on her.

For the rest of our time, she didn’t look away, and I studied every twitch and change to her face, wanting to understand what the hell had happened.

For the rest of our time, I pushed everything else aside and forced a calm demeanor, despite the foreign warmth trying to break free inside me.

For the rest of our time, I dismissed the arrogant asshole she accused me of being and became the Dominant she needed.

Bing!

Time was up.

I removed the toy. My mouth watered when I revealed the smooth surface coated in streaks of white cream. If this was any other situation, I’d fuck her mouth with the toy until it was clean and then I’d taste her cum from her lips. The idea tempted me, but I quickly sobered when I remembered the wild look in her eyes.

Taking my time, I stood to my full height and studied her for signs of distress, but couldn’t find any. Especially when her chin sank to her chest, hiding her face from my view.

Unable to take the disconnection, I gripped her chin and tilted her head back to look at me, still finding the confusion, but also relief, gratitude, and something else I couldn’t decipher. Not the panic from earlier, but some kind of hurt lingering behind her gaze.

“Well, ladies and gentlemen, it seems Lucian didn’t quite have what it took to make our submissive of the night orgasm,” Corbin announced, making his way back on stage. “But we will have this toy available for everyone to try, should you find yourself with a bratty submissive.”

While he continued to speak about the product and various ways to utilize it, I untied Aspen’s bonds. After removing each stretch of rope, I gently massaged her skin, stroking across the braided indents decorating her flesh. I stayed attuned to her throughout the process, knowing the release from Shibari could be intense, even after a short period of time.

I alternated between kneading the tense muscles and soft strokes, savoring the glide of my thumb across the dips and rises left behind by the rope. Sounds faded as I lost myself in the silken honey skin under my calloused grip. Finished with her wrists, I slid down to my knees and gently dug into her thighs, marveling at the soft give before hitting flexing muscles. They were the perfect thighs for fucking while standing. Strong enough to grip my hips, but soft enough to hold on to.

“You don’t have to—” she started, pulling me from the daze of idolizing her skin.

“I do.” I glanced up to her wide eyes, glossy from her own daze my ministrations sent her into. Pride swelled through me, expanding my chest. “I want to.” The soft words sounded like a confession—one that rang with too much honesty and more raw emotion than I ever allowed myself to feel. Snapping my gaze back to her legs, I shifted my attention to her ankles, attempting to explain more curtly. “As your Dom, it adds to my own pleasure to care for you from beginning to end.”

That was twice in one session I had to rein in a growing warmth I’d locked away long ago. Tightening my control, I focused on soothing the abrasions on her ankles, refusing to think about how much I liked her slim ankles engulfed in my rough hands. I forced myself to ignore the images of how easy it would be to grip them, holding them wide while she laid on her back, keeping her completely exposed to me—leaving her open for me to fuck her however I wanted.

“It helps to stretch after,” I suggested, rotating her ankles, trying for a distraction.

She nodded, extending her arms and rolling her wrists.

“Do you need water?” Corbin asked.

“I’ll get it.” I jumped at the opportunity to collect myself, heading over to the table and grabbing the water bottle.

When I turned back, Corbin stared me down. I ignored his studious gaze and focused on Aspen. I wasn’t ready for an interrogation from my friend when I didn’t know the answers myself.

“That was amazing,” Rose gushed to Aspen once we left the stage, curling her arm around Corbin’s waist. “You were absolutely stunning. And the way everything stayed hidden under your dress…” She groaned. “So hot.”

“Thank you,” Aspen said softly.

“So, are you going to continue exploring?” Rose asked with a devil’s smile.

Before Aspen could respond, I answered for us both. “Not tonight. I think we’re going to head out.” I kept my attention on Rose, sensing both Aspen and Corbin’s questioning gaze on either side of me.

“Of course,” she said before talking to Aspen. “Well, I hope I get to see you again. Maybe we can all get together, and you can update me on this whole business drama you have going on.”

“Rose,” Corbin warned.

“What?” she asked, all innocence.

Corbin gave her a knowing stare before shaking his head. For a dominant, he was complete putty in that woman’s hands.

An ache bloomed in my chest, right around the same spot Aspen kept igniting a forgotten warmth. As if a lingering desire still dug itself deep into a now empty pit that used to be full of wanting that same bond that Corbin and Rose had. Then the memory of what happened the last time I let myself be putty for a woman burned that ache to ash under fiery anger, going out so quickly it sucked any heat away with it.

“Thank you for allowing me to observe tonight,” Aspen said.

“Of course. Maybe you’ll become our newest member,” Rose suggested.

Aspen shrugged with a smile. “Maybe.”

We said our goodbyes and, with my hand pressed against the small of her back, made our way through the labyrinth of hallways. This time not stopping until we reached the heavy brown doors that led out to the lobby. Despite having been a couple of hours, it felt like lifetimes had passed—like something shifted between us, leaving us on a precipice of change.

The problem was that I didn’t know what lay on either side. Falling into the abyss led us to something unknown, but stepping away from the edge wouldn’t keep us in the same place we were before we entered the club.

The bigger problem was that I didn’t think I wanted to go back to the same place.

I think I wanted to grab her hand and drag her into the dark with me.

And I think she wanted it too.

I just needed to take the first step and find out.