Once Bitten, Twice Shy (14 page)

W
ithout another word,
he turned and started toward the house. I almost tripped going up the short flight of stairs that led to Lex’s front door. My knees were weak and my thighs felt like overcooked noodles. Lex unlocked the front door and pulled me inside, his hand still tight around my wrist.

He moved me deliberately, positioning me next to him as he locked the front door. My breaths were light and shallow. He still didn’t speak as he led me through the house to a plain black door. When I saw it, I realized exactly how serious Lex was about his kink.

I didn’t have time to decide if that terrified me or not, because he opened the door to reveal a flight of stairs descending to a lower level. Lex didn’t even spare me a glance, merely started down the steps as though he expected me to follow, which I did because he still had my wrist in his grip.

It was dark but Lex hit a few switches along the wall and lights came on throughout the room. He had recessed lighting throughout the space, and each fixture pointed to specific play areas of his dungeon. And it was definitely a dungeon. Though I’d never seen one except in my imagination or on the videos I sometimes watched online, I was sure this was a place for torture and pleasure.

Beneath one pool of light was a St. Andrew’s Cross. What looked like a spanking bench sat beneath another. There were pieces of furniture I didn’t recognize and wasn’t sure I wanted to know what they were intended for. A huge bed, large enough for five or six people, stood in the center of the room, the wooden headboard carved to look like twisted, thorny vines and I assumed the style made it easier to secure someone to the bed. A huge black cabinet stood against the wall to my left, the doors shut tight. Floggers, restraints, paddles, and other paraphernalia hung along the same wall.

My heart was definitely about to pound its way out of my chest. Lex was serious about his play and I was a novice. The tension inside me ratcheted up another ten notches. I wasn’t sure I could handle whatever he planned to dish out.

I didn’t realize that I was no longer breathing until both of Lex’s hands cupped my jaw and tilted my head up so he could look into my eyes. Whatever he saw there, or felt emanating from me, made the anger drain from his expression. Concern replaced the rage.

“Breathe, little one,” he prompted.

I managed to suck a deep breath in past the tightness in my throat.

“Another.”

I exhaled and sucked in another breath until the urge to throw up, pass out, or both, lessened.

His thumbs moved in circles on the hinge of my jawbone. “Ivie, I’m sorry I scared you. I promise, you are safe with me.”

I blew out that breath and forced myself to take another.

“I know,” I whispered. “I just got a little overwhelmed when you brought me down here.” I gestured around us. “I knew you were into kink but I wasn’t exactly expecting something this, um….” I trailed off, unable to think of how to describe what I saw around me.

His dark chocolate eyes brightened for a moment. “I can see how that might take you off guard.” He grew serious. “Do you want to go back upstairs?” he asked quietly. “I don’t want you to feel as though this is something you have to do tonight.”

My mouth went completely bone dry. Even though he was seriously pissed off and, judging from the tent in the front of his pants, even more turned on, this powerful vampire was willing to take my thoughts and feelings into consideration. That alone convinced me I had made the correct choice.

“No, I don’t want to go back upstairs,” I said, my voice a little stronger than before.

Lex’s eyes bored into mine for what felt like an eternity. I wondered if he was reading my mind. Or perhaps he was struggling with himself. Finally, he seemed to be satisfied with what he saw and his hands released my jaw.

“Very well,” he said. He gestured to a small pillow nearby. It sat beneath another recessed fixture, looking as though it were under a spotlight. “Remove your shirt and pants and kneel on that.”

I gulped and walked to the cushion. I pulled my shirt over my head, folding it neatly, trying to stall without being obvious. I set it on the floor next to the pillow. Then I stripped off my yoga pants, also folding them neatly and placing them on top of the shirt. I didn’t remove my bra or panties. He hadn’t said anything about them and I honestly felt vulnerable enough in nothing but my underwear. I was just glad that I had chosen a black bra and matching panties that morning when I’d gotten dressed.

Lex seemed to appreciate my body as it was, but that only soothed my frazzled nerves a bit. I bit my bottom lip and knelt on the pillow, settling my bottom on my calves. I wasn’t sure what to do with my hands, so I rested them on top of my thighs.

I chanced a glance up and nearly choked on my tongue. Lex had removed his jacket and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt. In his hand was a set of padded wrist restraints and he was headed right toward me.

He didn’t speak as he secured the restraints around my wrists in front of me. After he finished, he ran a finger under the material.

“Are these too tight?” he asked.

I shook my head.

His hand reached up and cupped my jaw firmly, forcing my face up so that I was looking into his eyes. “When I ask you a question, how should you respond?”

“N-no, Sir. They aren’t too tight.”

He gave me a small nod of approval. “I understand that this is all new to you, Ivie, but, if I have to remind you again, I will be using my hand on your bare ass.”

I squirmed slightly at his threat. As always, Lex’s keen eyes didn’t miss a thing and he raised a single eyebrow.

“Are your hands numb or tingling?” he asked.

I almost shook my head, but remembered just in time. “No, Sir,” I murmured.

He smiled slightly at me, then an inscrutable expression dropped over his face. One that made me very nervous.

Lex began to walk in a circle around my body, his hand lightly touching my shoulders as he moved. “Do you understand why you’re here, little one?”

“No, Sir,” I whispered. Well, I had an inkling, but I also had no idea why he brought me tonight.

“You did some things you shouldn’t have.” His fingers went from lightly tracing my shoulder into my hair. He gently gripped the back of my skull, tilting my head back so I had to look up the long line of his body to his face. “And now I’m going to punish you.”

Every muscle from my belly button down contracted viciously at his words.

Then he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on my lips before he continued, “And you will love every moment of it.”

Before I could faint, which was a distinct possibility, he straightened and used the pressure of his hand cupping my nape as a cue for me to stand. I was a little awkward getting to my feet, but managed to do so without stumbling.

With his hand on the back of my neck, Lex led me to the spanking bench. As we drew to a halt, I shuddered. Oh shit. He didn’t say a word as he positioned me and secured my hands to an O-ring in front of me. He used straps to secure my calves to the padded knee rests on each side of the bench. I was well and truly caught. He remained behind me and I couldn’t turn my head to look at him, causing my anxiety level to rise even more.

His fingertips trailed down my spine, tracing each bump of my vertebrae, and leaving a trail of fire in their wake. When his hand reached my tailbone, he reversed direction.

“Since this is your first time in my dungeon, Ivie, I will use my hand. If you misbehave again, I will use a paddle.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it with a quick snap. I wasn’t supposed to speak unless he asked me a question, which he hadn’t. Still, his threat caused a rush of heat between my legs rather than having the effect I expected, which was fear.

The damn vampire knew exactly what he was doing to me because he chuckled softly.

Suddenly, his fingers twisted into my underwear and he ripped them off me with a quick jerk. My entire body quaked. Oh God. He hadn’t even really touched me yet and I felt like I was on the edge of an orgasm, which I hadn’t thought possible. I always had difficulty climaxing, often to the frustration of my partners and myself.

I was distracted from my thoughts by the feel of his rough, hot palm cupping the cheek of my ass.

Lex hummed in the back of his throat. “Your skin is so pale, little one. It will be a pleasure to see it turn pink, then red, beneath my hand.”

I squirmed again and his hand came down on my ass in a sharp slap.

“Keep still,” he admonished.

I began to pant again. I didn’t know if I could survive this.

His fingers began their leisurely travel up and down my spine again. “Do you know why you’re being punished, Ivie?”

I was so caught up in the sensation of his hand on my bare skin, that I forgot his instructions and shook my head. Two short smacks on the fleshiest part of my bottom made me squeak. That stung. It didn’t hurt badly, but it was enough to get my attention.

“No, Sir. I don’t know why I’m being punished,” I gasped.

His hand resumed its movement on my back. “You let another man touch you without my permission, Ivie. That is unacceptable.”

I wanted to argue. That was ridiculous and sounded like a bullshit excuse to me. Still, I wasn’t in the position to be defiant, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Next time, I will ask you how many swats you think you deserve. This time, I will decide.”

I swallowed the squeak that wanted to crawl up my throat.

“Though this is the first time you have misbehaved, your choice was a very bad one. I think that we will start with ten.”

I sighed, thinking that ten didn’t sound like that many. At least he hadn’t chosen fifteen, or, God forbid, twenty. I twitched slightly as his hand began to caress my backside, squeezing and molding my flesh.

“You will count them for me aloud,” he said. “And you will call me Sir. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir,” I answered.

Suddenly, the loud crack of his palm meeting my skin filled the room and my entire body went rigid. Holy fucking shit, that hurt! His hand had come down directly on one of my cheeks.

“Ivie,” he prompted.

“One, Sir,” I choked.

The next slap wasn’t quite as hard, but it still stung, and it was centered over my other ass cheek.

“Two, Sir.”

After the fourth swat, I wasn’t sure I could make it to ten. My ass felt like it was on fire. When I reached six, the burning sensation on my bottom had spread to my pussy. By the eighth blow, I was struggling against my bonds to raise my ass in order to meet his hand.

Lex paused after the ninth blow. I whimpered. Even though the skin of my ass ached, I needed that final blow. The pain had mixed so thoroughly with the pleasure that I couldn’t recognize either clearly. Finally, when I thought I would lose my mind, Lex brought his hand down on both my cheeks.

I shuddered against the spanking bench, desperate to come but not able to cross the line alone.

“Ten, Sir,” I moaned.

In less than five seconds, Lex had released my legs and hands and was carrying me to the bed with an arm behind my back and another under my knees. Setting me on my feet, he unhooked my bra and stripped it off my arms before he tossed me on the sheets. Lex was on top of me before I managed to get my bearings.

Quickly, he grabbed my arms and lifted my hands above my head. I twisted to watch as he snapped my restraints to another small O-ring hidden at the top of the mattress. Panting, I tossed my hair out of my face, my legs moving restlessly against the sheets. The smooth fabric beneath me was cool against my burning skin, but it felt rough under my abused ass.

I watched in silence as Lex climbed off the bed and literally ripped his shirt from his body. My eyes followed every bulge and flex of his muscles as he stripped the material down his arms and dropped it on the floor. He toed off his shoes and socks and started on the buckle of his belt. I licked my lips with anticipation.

As suddenly as he began his striptease, Lex stopped, his hands going to his hips as he eyed me speculatively. Leaving his belt undone, he turned and began walking away from me.

I almost called out to him, but bit my tongue. I didn’t know what he was doing or planning, but I did know that I didn’t want to fuck this up. I had to trust him. I watched in silence as he took another set of restraints off the wall and brought them to the bed. There were two thick straps that looked like larger versions of my wrist cuffs and two longer, thinner straps attached to the top of those.

Smiling that same wicked smile he’d given me outside, Lex wrapped one of the thicker pieces around my thigh. The thin strap was attached to the top. He repeated the process with my other leg. Just as I realized what he was planning and started to protest, he grabbed both the thinner straps and attached them to the headboard on either side of the O-ring my hands were clipped on. This act brought my knees up almost to my chest and spread legs wide, leaving me horribly vulnerable.

My wide eyes met his, and that devilish smile never left his face.

“Perfect,” he growled.

His eyes drifted down my naked torso to my pussy. He never looked away as he climbed off the bed and finished unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. I watched as he stripped off his pants and underwear, leaving him naked. And what a sight it was.

There was naked, then there was extra special,
that isn’t gonna fit
naked. My pussy spasmed at the thought of him trying to slide that monster inside me. After the spanking, however, I was game to try.

Never taking his eyes off the area between my thighs, Lex crawled across the bed to me. I couldn’t help shifting under his stare. Was he going to do what I thought he was?

As his face drew level with my pussy, he leaned down and nipped my inner thigh. Yes, I realized he was going to do what I thought.

Still looking at my most private places, Lex spoke. “I have wondered for months about this, Ivie.”

I looked down my nude body at him, struggling not to writhe on the bed like a nymphomaniac at the image of his face right between my thighs.