Bound to be Tempted: Emergence, Book 4 (7 page)

Minutes later she emerged and padded across the room, head bowed, arms at her sides, flawless skin taking his breath away.

It wasn’t as though he’d never seen most of her body before at one point or another, but he didn’t make a habit of ogling other people’s submissives. Now that she was here under his care, he couldn’t keep his gaze off her. He took a deep breath, reminding himself this was temporary for the millionth time. Why was that line such a blur?

She stopped midway into the room, probably waiting for instructions.

Carlton stepped up to her silently, his feet barely registering the command to move forward. Her creamy skin was so flawless she could be a model. He wondered if she ever had. “Assume a proper standing position please.” He watched while she straightened her shoulders, angled her chin toward the floor, spread her feet shoulder width and clasped her hands behind her back.

“Good. You remember.” He circled her body slowly. Her ass was fantastic, and he couldn’t wait to mark it with the pink print of his palm, his flogger, his paddle. He’d seen her do many spanking scenes at the club. Not every submissive participated in scenes out of an actual desire to do so. Sometimes their Doms or Dommes would insist on cooperation with no regard for the feeling of the sub.

Carlton wasn’t that kind of Dom. He liked to think he had a good sense when it came to selecting scenes his submissive would not only enjoy, but derive pleasure from. If he suspected his sub wasn’t headed down the mental path he’d expected or desired, he tried something else.

Breaking women wasn’t his game.

But Maggie was a submissive he’d seen in action. He’d watched the rapture on her face many times. He had a good idea what she liked and disliked. That knowledge was what had driven him to decide to give her this opportunity. Her needs met his style.

Did her desire to push the envelope in a variety of scenes make her a risk taker? He took a deep breath. If Karen had been a submissive, she would have gone all in like Maggie, easily taking a flogging or a spanking without question. But maybe it wasn’t that clear-cut. Maggie had a level of hesitation that made her seem more cautious perhaps.

With reluctance, he left the view of her ass and rounded to her front. He spent more time than necessary staring intently at her pert breasts.

He didn’t move. He waited for what he knew would come. Sure enough, moments later her nipples pebbled beneath his gaze. The pretty pink stood out in contrast to her milky white skin.

This was Maggie. In the flesh, not some apparition or a ghost. There were no demons haunting him tonight.

When Carlton lowered his gaze, he found her unshaved pussy glistening with moisture. The soft curls at her apex matched the long, black, wavy hair hanging down her back. Somehow on her, the curls on her pussy looked appropriate. So pure. It made her seem innocent. Untouched. He knew that wasn’t true, but the illusion was there all the same.

However, he wouldn’t keep the curls. It wasn’t his style. A bare pussy suited him better and left his submissive feeling more exposed.

“Do you like me looking at you?”

“Yes, Sir.” Her voice was breathy. He’d affected her. And yes, she was nervous. Cautious. Smart. Karen had never been cautious about anything. Maggie had that distinction.

“Good, because you’re a beautiful woman. I’ll be looking at you a lot.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“All right. Let’s get to it then.” He forced himself to step away.

He led her to the living room and pointed at the floor next to the couch. “You won’t be permitted on the furniture this week. You’ll earn that privilege over time. You’ll earn most of your privileges around here. For now, you have none.”

“Yes, Sir.” She knelt on the floor, clasped her hands behind her back and rested her ass on her heels.

He sat on the couch, his leg almost touching hers. “Good. Your posture is spot on. You know your positions. I expect minimal discussion from you this week. One of the freedoms you’ll earn is the right to speak freely. For now, you will limit your speech to necessary questions for clarity or responses to my direct questions.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“This arrangement is going to be slightly unconventional because we aren’t strangers to each other. However, although I’ve known you from a distance for a long time, there are many things about you of which I’m uninformed. I’d like to take a few minutes to ask you about yourself and tell you about myself. A little background. An icebreaker, you could say.”

“Okay, Sir.”

“Tell me about your family.”

“My parents live about a half hour away. I don’t talk to them often. I don’t have brothers and sisters.”

“Well, that was quick and easy. Why don’t you talk to your parents very often?”

“We have some differences of opinion, Sir.”

“I see.” He didn’t. But he could imagine the possibilities considering their only child just got out of a relationship with a woman. It made him sad for her if her sexuality in any way caused a rift with her family.

“Okay, so a bit about myself. I was born in Wisconsin. I have two younger brothers. My parents still live there. I moved to the South when I was twenty and I’ve been here ever since.” Carlton never took his eyes off of Maggie. It seemed appropriate to spend some time getting to know each other, but what he really wanted to do was find out what made her body hum. “Do you have any questions?”

“What brought you to the South, Sir?”

“We had some differences of opinion.” He grinned.

Maggie smiled. “Touché.”

He wasn’t being exactly honest with her, but he couldn’t imagine a time when he might be willing to share that particular aspect of his past. So they each had a secret. He could live with that.

Carlton leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees. He could smell her personal scent, and he wanted to bury his nose in her soft curls and inhale her floral shampoo. “I want to get to know you better.”

Maggie flinched. It was subtle, but he noticed all the same.

Carlton lifted one hand and stroked the soft skin of her arm above her elbow. “I’m not talking about your mind right now. Keep your secrets. I’m talking about your body.” His voice was low, softer than normal. Goose bumps rose on her skin as his finger grazed the silky smoothness of her bicep.

A soft exhale escaped her lips, and she shivered. What she nervous? Or aroused?

He would know soon enough. “Come.” He stood, taking her with him with a gentle lift to her arm. Without another word, he led her back to the master bedroom. He released her next to the bed and left her standing there while he slowly removed the comforter and pulled back the top sheet. “Lie down in the center, Maggie.”

She did as he instructed, climbing onto the bed and situating herself on the sheet.

He chuckled at her position. “What position is that?”

Maggie sucked in a breath. “Sorry, Sir.” She lifted her arms above her head and spread her legs.

Carlton stared at her for several seconds.
God
,
she’s beautiful
. He’d known she was submissive, but so far she’d exceeded all of his expectations. Gone was the snarky Maggie he’d come to know who had reminded him so much of Karen. This woman was submissive to a
T
, softer, calmer. As a submissive, she wasn’t as flippant, sarcastic and impertinent as he’d imagined her.

Stepping back a pace, he pulled his black T-shirt over his head and bent to remove his shoes and socks. He wasn’t ready to release his cock from his jeans. Soon.

He climbed onto the bed and knelt between her legs. With the back of his knuckles, he lightly grazed her thighs. More tiny bumps rose on her skin.

She kept her gaze focused on the ceiling, as he’d known she would. After all, that’s what the position required.

Carlton nudged her thighs farther apart with his hands. He gazed for the first time in such close proximity at her pussy. Pink. Swollen with arousal. Wet. He inched his fingers farther up her thighs, forcing them wider. With one hand, he used the tips of his fingers to examine her soft curls. Although he liked the look on her, he would shave her soon. Shaving her every day would humble her, remind her of her place. Besides, it would afford him the opportunity to fondle her every morning, even on days when he had no intention of permitting her to orgasm.

His fingers itched to shave her for the first time right now, but that would ruin his plan. The goal right now was to find out what made her body hum. If he stopped to denude her, it would change her mindset.

“You’re so wet, baby. Do you enjoy the exposure?”

“Yes, Sir.” She licked her lips, her words soft, barely audible.

“And what about this?” He gently danced his fingers at the apex of her thighs.

Her legs trembled. She didn’t respond. It didn’t matter; he had his answer.

Releasing her thighs, he smoothed his fingers toward her belly. Her stomach dipped as she gave a sharp inhale. “You’re so sensitive,” he whispered. He trailed his fingers toward the underslopes of her breasts. He admired their perfection, ideal for her frame, the pink areolas small, her nipples tight, although he had yet to touch them.

Her arms were rigid, her fingers threaded together, squeezing tightly.

“Relax, baby. I’m just exploring. Nothing more. Getting to know you.” As he finished speaking, he flicked his thumbs over her nipples. The buds stiffened further. “You like that,” he murmured. “Your nipples are sensitive. I’ll remember that.” He forced himself to leave her tight buds to cup her breasts gently and then with a slight pressure.

Maggie moaned as he squeezed, bucking her chest into his palms.

“Stay still, baby. I’ll train you not to move. You’ll learn to control every flinch. Do you know why?” He punctuated those last words by pinching her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers.

Maggie bucked her chest again. It wasn’t in her control. He couldn’t fault her for that tonight. She was new to him. Perhaps no one in her past had ever insisted on that particular compliance.

“Because it’s what I demand. And because obeying me increases your arousal.” He leaned his face over hers and met her gaze. “Your breaths are shallow. Your skin is flushed. Is it my voice? Or my touch?” Still squeezing her nipples just enough to make her writhe, he dipped his head and licked first one tip and then the other with his tongue.

“Both, Sir.”

Releasing her breasts, he watched the shiny tips for a moment before he lowered his gaze back to her pussy.

Carlton tucked his hands under her knees and pushed them higher until they were bent at a ninety-degree angle. When he released them, she opened like a butterfly. He pulled her folds apart with both hands. “So fucking sexy.” He drew one finger through her slit, almost moaning at the amount of moisture already gathered there. “Are you always this wet?”

“I-I don’t know, Sir.”

Carlton used one hand to hold her folds apart. Her sex glistened. He ached to run his tongue through her arousal. But he would wait. As soon as he buried his face between her legs, he would be lost. Unable to gauge her reactions.

Her thighs stiffened, her muscles contracting as she fought to keep from squirming. Good. He liked that.

He circled her clit with her moisture, not quite touching the little bud. And then without warning, he dipped his finger into her pussy. He stiffened and gritted his teeth as his finger froze inside her depths. So tight. He narrowed his gaze, slipped in a second finger. Too tight. He lifted his face to find her watching him, her lips tucked under her teeth, her eyes wide. He stroked those two fingers inside her.

Maggie lifted her ass into his touch.

Carlton considered his next words carefully. “How many cocks have been in this pussy, Maggie?”

She swallowed, released her lips. “I have several types of vibrators in my apartment, Sir.”

He stroked her some more.

Her brain scrambled. She willed him not to stop.

“That’s not what I asked.” He eased those two fingers out and then back into her pussy and dragged them across her G-spot. When he lifted his gaze to hers again, he must have read something in her expression. It wasn’t hard to imagine. She had her bottom lip between her teeth, biting to the point of pain, knowing this was the moment she had to face the truth. Would he be angry with her for keeping this from him?

Carlton froze, his eyes widening, his mouth dropping open. He yanked his fingers from her sheath.

She waited.

His initial expression made her heart pound faster. Disbelief? And then the corner of his mouth turned up slightly before he spoke. “Fuck.” He leaned back, ran the hand he hadn’t just jerked out of her through his hair. Frustration took over his expression, but it was too late. She’d already seen his approval before he’d been able to school his response. “You haven’t been with a man.” He wasn’t asking. He spoke the words out loud, seemingly to let them sink into his own psyche. “How did I not know this?”

Margaret blinked. She remained silent while he processed.

He glanced around the room, searching for answers. He wouldn’t find them. “There’s a story behind this.”

He’s astute
.

“I’ll want to know.” He met her gaze, set his hands on her thighs once more. “I won’t make you tell me now, but soon. You need to think about your answer. I want to know about your past and why you’ve never explored this side of yourself.”

She nodded. “Yes, Sir.” She understood. She didn’t blame him.

“Was Lori your first experience with submission?”

“No, Sir.”

“Have there been others?”

“Other what, Sir?”

“Other women.”

“Yes.” The word came out on a breath.

His gaze penetrated her deeply. She owed him an explanation. She knew that. But not now. Not yet. She wasn’t ready.

Carlton’s face dipped.

“I’m not a lesbian, Sir. If that’s what you’re thinking. I’m bisexual. I’ve just never been with a man. Never met one I trusted.”

“And me? Do you trust me?”

“I do, Sir. I really do.”

A smile spread across his face as he shook his head. “Do you realize how horny that makes me?”