Strictly Yours: Hooded Pleasures, Book 3 (7 page)

Speaking about honest—be honest to yourself.

She didn’t regret talking to Nathan. It’d been technically against the rules but she had to say something, vent her fears and feelings after that phone message.

And after all he was a cop.

Someone who knew what she was thinking, what she was worried about.

Someone who knew her.

Almost intimately
, her inner voice whispered.

Almost.

Jen squirmed, squeezing her thighs together at the delicious memory of his submission. He’d been beautiful, sweaty and strong, allowing himself to be totally at her mercy and letting her do whatever she wanted to.

Not completely.

Play with your toys, but don’t let it get out of control.

Don’t let yourself get out of control.

She sighed and thought about a visit to her bedroom, her vibrators at the ready in the side table.

It wasn’t the only decision she’d have to make if she did choose that route.

It was an ongoing battle whether to satisfy her needs with an imaginary lover or to see herself with one of her men.

A specific man.

Nathan.

The urge swamped her with desire, and she stood.

Nathan.

He sat next to her, the sweat drying on his body as he kissed the palm of her hand, swearing his devotion to her.

The recent memory overwhelmed her, and she went to the bedroom, reliving his gentle touch on her cheek and his insistent demands to know how he could help her.

She knew exactly how he could help her.

Or at least her fantasies of him.

She pulled the drawer open and looked over her various toys. One, a small vibrator, fit easily over her finger.

Jen lay back on the bed and writhed on the sheets as she turned on the slender pink bullet and slid it over her belly.

“All yours,” he murmured as he worked his way over her body with his mouth, kissing and nipping her bare skin. “All you have to do is ask.”

Her fingers stroked his dark hair before taking a firm grip. “All I have to do is tell you what to do.”

“Yes.”

She circled her navel twice, imagining his tongue licking an erotic circle before heading south.

It didn’t take long for the vibrations to shake her to the core, the heated flashes drawing long groans out of her.

Nathan
.

Jen reached up with her free hand and pinched her nipple, rolling the nub between her fingers as the toy moved below the waistband of her sweat pants.

She was soaked already.

She could see his face, that gentle smile hiding all sorts of hidden potential. He’d come so far as a submissive, his underlying strength showing through. His ability to serve and obey on command was magnificent, his choice to surrender control to her a glorious gift she’d been entrusted with.

And yet he could be a strong man, ruler of his domain when he needed to be. When he had to be in order to do what he did—help people and save lives.

The vibrator slipped down and pressed against her inner core with a sudden urgency, pulling moans and gasps from her with increasing frequency.

Nathan.

The orgasm sprang on her like a tidal wave, swamping her from head to foot. Her head snapped back against the pillow, her hips bucking up from the sheets as pleasure shot through all her nerve endings, blinding her temporarily and stealing her breath away.

Nathan.

Jennifer slumped against the mattress, a slow burn in her muscles drawing out the last of her strength.

Nathan.

She licked her lips and wondered what it’d be like to have him in bed with her.

Jen closed her eyes and let her mind drift onto what could be.

If only—

The phone call snapped her out of her reverie, the shrill tone startling her.

Jen scrambled off the bed and ran into the living room where her phone sat on the coffee table.

She studied the number before hitting the button.

The clinic.

Jen relaxed slightly, the lethargic feeling returning.

“Hello?”

“It’s Helena. The day-shift doctor,” she added in case Jen didn’t remember her. “I’m calling to see if you saw anything strange on your last shift. Anyone acting odd, any strangers hanging around the clinic.”

Jen frowned. “No. Why?”

“Because someone called in a bomb threat, and we’ve been evacuated.”

Chapter Six

Nathan’s biggest problem over the next few days was his inability to stay focused, his attention wandering back to Jen and her problem.

Is she safe? Is she okay?

Is she well?

He bit the inside of his cheek to banish the worrisome thoughts and bring himself back to full awareness.

As soon as he’d been able to clear his head of her, Nathan had made a few phone calls to old friends.

He’d trained most of them, watched them climb the ladder into different positions within the force.

Nathan had never, ever considered contacting them for anything other than maybe an odd drink here and there. He didn’t want to be one of those cops, the ones who misused their power, their connections.

But this—this wasn’t for him.

It was for her.

He’d called in some favors, gently poking around the edges without saying what he needed the information for. There’d been some raised eyebrows, but they all knew he wouldn’t have come and asked for help if he didn’t have a good reason.

She’d given him the punk’s last name—Tanner.

It wouldn’t be hard to put it together with recent parolees and an incident at a medical clinic three years ago.

So he waited for his favors to come back home and wondered if Jen was okay.

And mentally berated himself for a lack of focus as he snapped his attention back to the street.

This sort of daydreaming could be dangerous for anyone, but it was possibly lethal for a policeman. A careless slip, a lack of awareness for a few seconds, and he could not only be in deep trouble, but he’d bring his partner down as well.

Daydream as an accountant, and you might cost someone a lot of money.

Daydream as a cop, and you might end up six feet under.

Henry hadn’t noticed, thank goodness. The rookie was taking it all in and learning fast. His enthusiasm helped keep Nathan sharp, his constant drill of questions keeping his training officer on his toes. The young man would go far with that type of mindset as long as he stayed focused.

This was a concentrated effort for his senior as they circled the block on a late-night patrol, aiming a searchlight into the dark alleys to find the haphazard shacks and shelters built out of everything from discarded tarps to broken shopping carts.

Nathan gestured to his right. “In there.”

The spotlight swung over a huddled figure warming his hands over a garbage can fire.

“Hey,” Nathan yelled. “You okay tonight?”

The man froze for a second, then slowly raised a gloved hand and waved at the policemen. He gave the pair a thumbs-up before returning his focus on the fire.

Nathan waved back and tapped the gas to move forward. “Stay sharp. Homeless people get robbed and hurt all the time. We’re here to protect everyone. You see something out of place, you speak up, and we’ll check it out,” Nathan said. “Remember the sleeper? If we could have gotten to him sooner, we might have been able to convince him to get inside. Say hello, wave, do whatever you do to get their attention and confirm they’re okay.”

“Don’t some of them hate us?” Henry asked.

“Some do. Some don’t. Doesn’t matter if they’re being victimized.” Nathan slowed as they came to another intersection. “Protect and serve. That includes everyone.”

Henry fell silent and studied the narrow alleys.

Is she safe?

Nathan tightened his grip on the steering wheel and tried to push his mind back on track.

He cleared his throat. “Watch when you get into these lanes. If you look down, you can see the cobblestones. I figure they used to be horse paths before—easy enough to snap off a side mirror or scrape up the doors if you’re not careful. You don’t want to turn the car in all banged up unless you’ve got a good story to go with it.”

Henry hummed a response.

Nathan tried to push his mind back on track and failed.

All he could think about was Jennifer and how he had to do something more to protect her.

It wasn’t only his job as a policeman, although it would be enough to justify his ongoing concern for her. It was part and parcel of what he felt as a submissive, his personal responsibility to keep her safe and sound during her time with him.

In a perfect world, it would be twenty-four hours a day, but that wasn’t possible right now.

He needed to make sure when she came to him, she felt comfortable and safe, secure enough so they could both let themselves go and enjoy their time together.

He could give her that much. The dead bolt was strong and firmly set, almost impossible to break down with mere force.

But that was all he could do. All she would allow him to do.

Nathan didn’t know what else to do to help her when she drove away out of sight.

He did know things had changed between them and would continue to change.

Because as soon as he got the information he’d requested, he’d know more about her than any client of HP ever did about his Domme.

And their relationship would change yet again.

“They’re pretty interesting folks.” Henry waved at another street person wearing a series of sleeping bags.

“Don’t let your guard down,” Nathan warned. “They can lash out at you at any time.”

“Why would they?”

Nathan rolled his head around, feeling the tension in his neck muscles. “Some of them might be sick. Hallucinations from a variety of sources—off their medication or maybe got some bad drugs from a pusher, ill from not seeking medical attention. A cut can get infected fast, and they’re afraid to go to the clinics or get any help.” He grunted. “And some of them plain don’t like cops. They get rousted too many times or harassed, they’re going to throw the first punch and damn the consequences. Watch yourself and be prepared for any situation. Most of them are okay, but there’s always the odd one out.”

Henry turned his attention back to the streets.

Nathan hoped Jen wouldn’t be too mad with him.

You’re interfering
, he imagined her sharp reply.
I didn’t ask you for anything more than advice.

But I’m a cop. And your sub.

And I won’t let you be worried or scared if I can do anything about it.

The radio flashed to life, the commands blaring out from the speaker and banishing any thoughts of Jen from his mind.

Henry grinned as Nathan hit the lights and siren.

“Time to earn our paycheck,” Nathan said.

Chapter Seven

Nathan’s black eye hadn’t totally faded by Sunday, earning him a disapproving look from Jennifer as he knelt at her feet.

He couldn’t think of her as Danielle anymore.

“What happened here?” The riding crop slid along his cheekbone, the smell digging into his senses and cutting straight to his libido.

“Punk at a bar decided he wasn’t going to go down easy.” He closed his eyes as the leather tip moved down over his collarbone and across his bare chest. It took a concentrated effort to stay still as it skittered on his body hair.

Her concerned hum cut through his arousal. “Are you in any pain? Anything at all?” The crop tickled down his left side, dangerously close to his bare cock and balls. “I need to know before we start.”

“My right shoulder. I took some painkillers before you arrived, but it’s still pretty tender.”

Lying to her would be wrong. He could pretend to be tough, but if he safe-worded out because of pain there’d be hell to pay.

Honesty was the best policy.

“Hmm.” The crop traveled across the back of his shoulders, gently crossing the black-and-blue blotch. “I can see that. Lovely bruise. Jerk did quite a job on you.” The heated whisper in his ear had him at full arousal, ready and raring to go. “Don’t think for a minute I’m going to go light on you because you’re out there saving the world. When you’re in my hands, you’re not a cop, you’re my boy toy to do with as I wish.”

He smiled despite the risk. “Yes, Mistress. Anything you wish.”

“You’ve forced me to change my plans for today.” The cool leather landed gently on his balls, still hard enough to make him jump.

“I’m sorry, Mistress,” Nathan automatically replied.

“It’s not your fault.” She paused. “Did you crack his skull?”

Nathan chuckled. “Aside from being charged for assaulting a police officer, he’s dealing with a dislocated shoulder courtesy of my partner, who stepped in and secured him.”

“Good. I’d have hated for him to walk away unscathed.” The soft whisper caressed the back of his neck. “But this provides me with an opportunity. And I do love improvising.”

Despite what she’d said, Jen had been planning to do this particular scenario for a while. It was all a case of finding the right time and place to maximize the emotional impact.

Nathan had handed both to her on a platter.

Not all domination was about the physical act.

Not if you did it right.

She pulled the length of nylon cord out of her backpack.

It’d been cut to eight feet, more than enough to serve her purposes.

“Stand up. Position three.”

Nathan rose and placed his hands behind his back, feet slightly apart.

She positioned him under the track lighting and slipped a thick black blindfold over his eyes.

He stiffened slightly as the world vanished for him, replaced with only her voice.

“I thought we’d try something new.” She drew her nails down over his bare chest. “Your safe-word is—”

“Blue moon.”

“Don’t forget it. Along with red, yellow and green.” Jen wanted to remind him there were ways to downgrade the scene without fully stopping.

“I’ll remember, Mistress.” He licked his lips in nervous anticipation.

“Good.” She knelt down and worked with the rope.

Nathan let out a grunt as she slipped an overhand knot over his erect cock and pulled it gently to fit. His arms twitched, and she knew he wanted nothing more than to reach down to see what was happening.

“Stay,” she warned him.

He froze in place, a statue except for his cock, which swelled under her touch, bound tight by the cord.

“Good boy,” she murmured as she continued.

It took a few twists and turns to create a square knot wrapped around his hard length, keeping it in place.

She moved farther up and spun the cords into another square knot sitting above the last one, binding him.

Nathan grunted, and she paused to look up and see how he was doing.

His jaw was tight, the muscles on his neck taut and solid. He swallowed hard while trying not to move, the twitches in his arms and legs betraying him.

She smiled. While this might have been on his list of acceptable options, no one had ever taken him this far other than in his dreams.

Jen suspected he’d have some lovely ones after today.

She kept tying the knots one by one, running almost the full length of his arousal as it bobbed and twitched with every stroke and touch of her hand. Next she drew the long edges of the cord up to the ring in Nathan’s collar. Moisture beaded at the tip of his cock as it rose to full attention, even more now that she had tied the ends to his collar in a tight, stiff line.

Jennifer couldn’t help grinning at her handiwork. She was no shibari expert, but there was nothing wrong with a little knot tying as long as you were careful and did your homework. The emergency scissors lay in her backpack if she needed them.

“If you pull too hard, it’ll come off.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and whispered, “The cord, I mean.”

He chuckled.

She heard the underlying tension in his voice, the restriction pushing his limits. It was a great way to take his attention off his black eye and sore shoulder.

“Time to add a little fun.” She went to her pink backpack and pulled out a large plastic spoon and a ping-pong ball.

The ball she’d poked a tiny hole in and filled with water, sealing it back up with a dab of wax.

It was amazing how you could find a little kink in everything if you looked hard enough.

“Open your mouth.” She carefully put the edge of the spoon in his mouth. “Close. That’s a plastic spoon.” Jen dropped the ball in the bowl of the spoon. “That is a raw egg. Don’t you dare drop it. If you do, I’ll make you lick it up off your lovely hardwood floor, and we’ll have to stop.”

His lips tightened around the slender handle.

She smiled as she retrieved her tablet from the backpack.

“I know you feel you can’t go to the club, so I thought I’d bring the club to you.”

Nathan’s eyebrows rose.

The spoon dipped.

He pressed his lips together, and it steadied, the ping-pong ball slowing to a halt.

She accessed the sound file and placed the tablet on the coffee table.

The noises of a busy nightclub vibrated off the walls, the bass thumping hard and fast.

She’d received permission from Matthew to tape at the club a few months ago, sitting at the bar with the recorder on. Grunts and groans could be heard in the background, along with the murmuring of the Dominants and submissives walking by.

Every once in a while, a cry would ring out as someone was disciplined.

She saw him flinch at the first strangled whimper.

Good.

Get into the scene.

“Focus on my voice. Listen to what I’m saying.” Jen retrieved a long, drooping ostrich feather from her bag. She walked around him slowly and drew the white feather up the back of his right leg. “We’re at my favorite club. It’s a Saturday night, and things are hopping at Boots ’n’ Chains.” She pinched his thigh. “It’s our first night here as a couple, and I’m going to show you off to everyone.”

A sigh escaped through his clenched lips.

She pulled the feather over his ass. “They’re all watching us. You wanted to play in the private room, but I’d have none of that. I blindfolded you in the locker room and brought you out in front of everyone, in front of all the curious onlookers wondering who this new man is, who this strong man is.” Jen paused to let him visualize the scene.

“We first went to the bar where I gave you some water. Then I left you there while I chatted with my friends. They wanted to touch you, but I said no.” She leaned in. “Not yet. I might hand you over to them for some fun later on. Or have them join in.”

Nathan frowned, and she felt his disapproval. His hard limits of multiple partners and sharing were still in place.

Good.

Never hurts to ask.

“There’s a dais in one corner with a St. Andrew’s cross on it. There’s another in the other corner with nothing there, bare for display purposes.”

Sweat beaded on his forehead as the spoon bobbled. The ball rolled around before settling down again.

He’s not sure what to think or how to react. It might be imaginary, but he’s there, he’s in the scene.

“There’s no one on either platform right now, so it’s the perfect time for us to grab the spotlight. I lead you from the bar up on the empty platform where everyone can see us standing under the bright lights.”

She reached out and strummed the taut cord. His hips jerked forward, and the spoon dropped dangerously low before he recovered.

“All eyes turn to us. They haven’t seen you before, and everyone wants to know who you are, where this handsome man came from at the end of my leash. You’re the center of attention, my lovely pet.” She lowered her voice to a sultry whisper. “They can’t take their eyes off you.”

He swallowed hard.

He shifted his feet, standing a bit straighter.

She circled him again. “There’s quite a crowd here tonight.” His back muscles twitched as the feather danced over the bare skin. “Kate’s just come in. She’s sitting at the bar. She’s watching you intently, looking to see if you’re going to justify her hard work with you. If you’ll embarrass me and, by doing so, embarrass her.”

A trickle of sweat rolled down the side of his nose as he gripped the spoon tight.

It dipped for a second in reaction to the increased pressure.

The ping-pong ball bounced against the edge.

His head came up to adjust the spoon, the effort pulling his collar up and tightening the tension on the carefully tied knots.

She caressed his balls with the feather. “Don’t undo my lovely work, Nathan.”

He froze in place.

“Now let’s continue.”

She kept moving around him, describing every aspect of the club as she tickled him with the feather. Jen hadn’t visited Boots ’n’ Chains for a few weeks, but it was easy to add to the illusion, exaggerating certain areas in order to heighten the experience. She added in familiar visitors, detailing what they were or were not wearing, the erotic dances on the floor as Dominants found their subs and took them off to the private rooms. Some stayed in their booths, taking pleasure both from each other and from the exhibitionism. Pairs, threesomes—it wasn’t hard to lay out the scene, adding more bits and pieces as she saw Nathan’s eyebrows twitch and pulled him into the fantasy.

She also knew he was ticklish.

The feather danced over his ribs, swirling at the exact spot she’d found a month earlier by accident during aftercare.

His lips pressed tight on the spoon and she could have sworn a curse wormed free.

Jen laughed and moved on, continuing to tease him.

Nathan was a hot sweaty mess by the time she’d finished, the tension of staying in place under the hot lights for a half hour pushing him near the edge.

The ball rolled close to the rim of the spoon as she drew the feather over his nipples and saw him tense up.

“Control,” she murmured. “They’re all watching you, waiting for you to fail. Don’t disappoint me, Nathan.”

He locked his muscles and became a statue.

A beautiful male statue. Michelangelo would have killed to have such a model posing for him.

Mine.

Jen sighed inside. She’d love to take him to the club and put him up on the pedestal. He’d be so—

Nathan rolled his shoulders, and his mouth tightened on the spoon.

Jen pressed her lips together and listened for a soft chime from her phone, indicating how much time had passed.

You could only pretend so far.

Enough.

Jen went to her tablet and turned the sound down to a low murmuring. “You can’t hear it, but they’re applauding you.” She moved in and stroked his cheek with her finger. “They’re very impressed with you. I’ve already had a few offers to take you off my hands if I ever get tired of you.”

Nathan’s mouth twisted upward into as much of a grin as he could manage.

She reached around and slapped his bare ass. “Don’t let it go to your head. Either one.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You belong to me. Don’t forget it.”

His grunted reply made her smile.

Jen touched his chin. “I’m going to take the spoon now.”

She plucked the spoon free and saw a thin dribble of saliva break loose. It landed on his erect cock, mingling with the moisture already there.

Nathan swallowed loudly and coughed.

“Hold on.” Jen placed the spoon and ping-pong ball into her pack before returning.

She plucked at the cord strung tight down the center of his chest, relishing Nathan’s twitching as he struggled to maintain control. “You’ve done a good job.”

He gave a short nod.

“Such a good boy.” Jen undid the knot keeping the cord attached to his collar. “You’re displaying excellent control. There’s a mistress in the corner telling her sub to watch you, to take notes on how you’re reacting. She’s envious of me, of us.” Jen couldn’t hold back a laugh. “He’s looking annoyed as hell.” She ran her nails down his chest. “I think we’re about done showing you off.”

As she knelt and slowly undid the bonds around his balls, his cock twitched and shook, demanding attention.

So tempting.

In another time and place, she’d dive on it with pleasure, pulling his cock deep into her throat, where he’d whimper and scream until she gave permission for him to come.

Here, it was impossible.

“Behave.” She tapped the head, now slick with saliva, with the coiled rope. “Remember the rules.”

The grunt was in counterpoint to his hips thrusting forward, searching her out.

“Behave.” Jen slapped the loose cord against his balls. “Don’t make me regret choosing you.”

Nathan stopped moving.

“Good.” She folded the cord in her hands. “Everyone’s watching, you know. Kate especially.”

She hoped invoking his first Domme again would help him keep control. A pang of jealousy shot through her at the thought of not being his first, but she tamped it down.