Holiday in Handcuffs (2 page)

“
What you told me is
something about your friend, nothing about your personal
motivation. If she is in the lifestyle she could have come alone or
with someone else in the lifestyle, another friend...”

I didn’t want to tell him he was correct.
Stephanie, our friend from college only lived twenty minutes from
Greenville and could have met Adrienne here. Stephanie was wild and
courageous enough that she would have come in a blink with
Adrienne. Probably had a great time, too. Instead, I’d told
Adrienne I’d come with her. I did put her off for almost a month
before I let her pick a date to visit.

“
I don—”

“
Yes, you do.” He cut me
off as he moved on to the next item, a leather paddle. “Don’t try
and figure out a perfect answer in your head, listen to your
body.”

My body? What was it with this man? “What do
you mean?”

“
I can only assume that
your friend didn’t allow you to come here completely ignorant of
what goes on. Over the years she must have told you about what goes
on in the community—sessions and scenes. Things that have happened
to her during play.”

“
Yes…and?”

Pausing again, he brushed his fingers
through the multiple straps of what Adrienne had told me was called
a flogger. The same thing the man had used on the woman I’d
watched. My heart kicked up and I found myself following this man’s
hand movement.

Smiling, he lifted the flogger off the hook
and moved toward me. “How did you respond when she’d talk about her
experiences?” He leaned toward me, the flogger held between our
bodies, and whispered, “Did your body start to tingle in the same
areas she discussed? Your nipples tighten? Your body become
warm?”

I was finding it hard to breathe. My head
was spinning at his seductive words. I had been more captivated by
Adrienne’s stories than I’d ever shared with my friends. Over the
years, I’d found myself asking Adrienne about the events of
different her outings. Every Saturday afternoon I’d find time to
call Adrienne in Texas and ask her about what happened on her
Friday play night.

“
Tell me, did you imagine
yourself doing the things she did?”

“
No.” The word broke from
my mouth as I took a step back from him and the item he held.
Telling him the truth I continued, “Tigger’s stories
were…interesting. I’m not sure why I wanted to know. However, my
friend is a little more adventurous and her tolerance for pain is
pretty high. I never saw myself doing the things she
did.”

Using the handle of the flogger, he touched
the curve of my shoulder and dragged it down my arm, caressing me
with it. “But, you did in the other room.”

My gaze snapped to his.

“
Bingo.” Cocky was the
only way to describe the grin on his face.

I wanted to deny his words. Tell him that I
was disgusted by what I had seen or that it was nothing more than a
simple reaction as one would have when watching a porno. But, my
lips wouldn’t form the words.

“
What if I
did?”

He didn’t answer me, instead he handed me
the flogger.

I took it. I was surprised at the heft, but
also at the softness of the wide blue leather straps. I’d seen them
online in many colors. As Adrienne talked about different items
over the phone, I’d sit before my computer and pull them up; look
at them. Secretly.

“
Tell me. What stops you
from trying a session?”

Fear. “I don’t like pain.”

“
That’s subjective. An
experienced Dom knows where to start with a sub not to turn them
off and build their tolerance from there.”

My fingers were idly stroking the leads of
the flogger. “Are you experienced?”

What difference does it
make?
My mind screamed. But, I admitted,
this man fascinated me. Somehow he’d made me feel comfortable
around him. He seemed patient and controlled in a non-threatening
manner.

“
Yes. I’ve been in the
lifestyle for twelve years.”

Wow
. Besides my job, which I’d been doing for nine years, I’d
never been committed to anything for that long.

“
Other than the supposed
pain?”

I laughed. “Supposed. Okay, I’ll give you
that since I’ve never tried it.”

He smiled. “I like your laugh.”

“
Thank you.” Pondering his
question, I said, “I’ll admit I enjoyed being able to see the woman
getting spanked first hand, but I don’t like people to watch me.”
Glancing away, I admitted, “I never even allowed my last boyfriend,
who I’d dated for four years, to video tape us. It just felt like
other people eyes on me.”

“
That’s understandable.
Unless I’m instructing I prefer the intimacy shared between a sub
and myself.”

I wasn’t sure why hearing
him say that lifted my heart some, but it did. Maybe it was because
I was holding the flogger in my hand and I couldn’t help but
thinking about him wielding it.
On someone
else of course
.

“
I thought all in the
lifestyle liked to be on display?”

“
Some. Not
all.”

I handed him the tool back and didn’t miss
the electric current that passed between our fingers at the mere
touch.

“
What’s your
name?”

“
Um.” Most people there
used names that kept their anonymity. Saying my name is Nevea
LaBaun wouldn’t do.

What should I tell
him?
This wasn’t like being at the club
and some ‘no game’ guy asked me and I blurt out Shelia or Candy.
Both I had used in the past. This seemed a little more
sincere.

“
I’m assuming since this
is not your environment, you never considered you’d be anything but
a fly on the wall, so you never considered what you wanted to go
by.”

My cheeks heated at being read so easily by
this man. “Correct.”

Tilting his head, he eyed me for a moment.
“How about Velvet?”

I felt the pinch of my brows. “I don’t
understand the connection. How’d you decide that?”

Giving a side smile, his hazel eyes
brightened as he explained, “Well, it was between that and
Jessica.”

“
Simpson?” I was
offended.

“
No. Rabbit. Because
you’re more than a little skittish. To be honest Jessica Rabbit
came to my mind because you’re a beautiful African American woman
with a body that could inspire any artist.”

Hearing his words made my body feel warm.
“But.”

“
I feel it is best for me
to explain later.”

“
Suit yourself.” Curiosity
was gnawing at me.

“
I’m Bolt. Dom
Bolt.”

I was sort of getting the hang of how the
naming business went. “Let me guess. Because you’re quick as
lightening,” I said using a tone television always used when
describing the attributes of a superhero.

A bark of laughter erupted from him as he
angled his head back. “Yes. But, only when it matters. I’ve been
known to take a bottom to subspace without long drawn out
sessions.”

“
Subspace?” I thought I’d
heard Adrienne talk about this before but I couldn’t fully grasp
what she meant.

His expression became serious again as he
said, “Separation of mind and being. When a sub no longer is solely
focused on what is being done, they feel and in the deep feeling
they lose themselves to everything else around them.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, just as I
never knew what to say to Adrienne when she shared her
experience.

“
So, Velvet. No pain. No
audience. If I could guarantee complete privacy, would you be
willing to try it?”

Would I? I stood there, staring at the
dominant, sexy male before me.

He spoke before I did. “BDSM is about trust.
I know you don’t have any reason to give me the honor of your care.
However, to ensure I’m a principled Dom, I’ll give you a safeword;
something you can use and I’ll stop immediately. I’ll also use
quick release cuffs.”

I was familiar with what a safeword was, but
I’d never heard of the cuffs. Primarily because I knew Adrienne
enjoyed the feel of ropes and silk ties.

Dom Bolt moved away from me and went to the
cabinet. Pulling a drawer open he removed an item. Crossing the
wood floor to me, he held the object out for me to see. He placed
them on his own wrists and locked, then he pulled against them and
showed me the strength of the leather and metal restraints.

I was nervous watching him pull against
them. I thought about myself, helpless and dependent.

Then he twisted the wrist of one hand and
with his thumb pressed a hidden button and one cuff popped out. The
next one followed just as quick.

I shivered with relief.

“
Your choice.”

Looking from the compelling gaze of the man
before me to the imposing wooden structure that took up so much of
the room, I thought about it.

Am I really considering doing this?

I was. I realized it wasn’t just curiosity
of the experience. It was this man. Something about him drew me. In
the hours’ time I’d been in his presence, he made me want to trust
him and just for a moment allow him to guide me through this
experience. I had always been a pretty good judge of character, for
myself and my friends. I could spot a jackass from three streets
away. All of my ex-boyfriends were still friends of mine. It just
didn’t work out for us and we’d mutually ended it.

Being honest with myself, I knew that none
of my past men had ever driven me to distraction as the man before
me. None of them had made me want to allow them to take the lead,
even if for a moment. Not one of them had made me desire them on
first sight.

But this man.

Staring into his clear, kind hazel eyes my
gut told me to trust him.

People talking and walking by the room drew
my attention away from him.

“
You’ll make sure we’re
not seen?”

“
I will.” Moving away from
me, he went to a shelf beside the door and pulled out a stack of
signs. Flipping through them he singled one out then put the rest
back. He held it up toward me so I could read it.

CLOSED SESSION.

I nodded.

Winking at me, he attached it to a hook on
the door then closed the door behind him. With a slow strut he
crossed to me. “What other assurance do you need?”

“
I’m not sure if I’m
comfortable being naked before you.” That had been bothering me.
Everyone, including Adrienne easily disrobed to their birthday
suits without pause. However, I thought my body was too thick in
too many places—ass and thighs especially. Having it all hanging
out just made me uncomfortable.

His gaze was like a caress as it made a
leisurely stroll along my curves. When his dark, heated eyes
captured mine again, he said, “You are an attractive woman Velvet
with a lovely body that you should not be ashamed of. However, for
this experience, agreeing to make your bare ass available to me
will be enough.”

“
I’ll take off my skirt.
I’m wearing a thong that will give you what you need,
right?”

“
No.”

That single word made my heart leap.

“
What? Why
not?”

“
Fabric can not only be
constricting during a session, but with it tightly surrounding the
area in play it can reduce your circulation. At times intensifying
the impact.”

Nervous, I fingered my hair, pulling it over
my shoulder. “I thought that was the point.”

“
Not for a novice such as
yourself. I’ll need to start gently with you. Also, I’ll have to be
able to properly gauge your level of sensitivity to the force of
contact I’m providing you.”

My heart was now racing as I stood there
staring at him and considering if I wanted to truly go through with
this. As I inhaled, I took in his potent scent that was giving me
erotic thoughts and setting my blood on fire. The intense gaze he
was giving me didn’t help my body to remain calm either. There was
so much appreciation in it; like he was just as captivated by me as
I was by him.

Exhaling, a harsh whoosh sound and braving
it out, I lowered my hands to my skirt. I couldn’t get my lips to
agree, but I knew what I wanted. This moment. This man. Reaching
under my flirty, A-Line black skirt, I took hold of the sides of my
thong and dragged it down.

It was a silly thing to do, remove my
panties first, but I felt less exposed starting with them. As I was
lowering them, I realized my mistake. I should have asked him to
turn around, or stepped away from him. I could feel the wetness of
my thong and knew that no matter what I had told him earlier about
being in this house not affecting me he would behold the truth
soon.

Rolling my bottom lip in, I took my
underwear to my ankles and stepped out of them.

Surprisingly, Dom Bolt didn’t comment about
them. I gaze up at him and saw he still stared at my face. It
calmed me some to realize he was giving me a small amount of
privacy.

“
When you remove your
skirt, Velvet, you can place both items on the chair in the
corner.” He turned from me and stepped around the back of the
wooden X with the cuffs.

Swiping my antique gold-colored undies from
the floor, I hustled to the corner, holding on to what little bit
of modesty I had left. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see Bolt
securing the cuffs to some kind of short chain on the back of the
X, still not looking at me.