Surreal (Divine Trilogy #3) (31 page)

The appointment with Dr. Ellison the day before had gone well. Jayden had even arrived early, eager to show her what he’d come up with. She’d been impressed, but she still made a few notes for adjustments to the scene and suggested a couple of different toys that he didn’t have in his arsenal. After the appointment he’d called Landon, and then with his friend’s permission, Paige, prior to going shopping. He wasn’t going just for what Holly had recommended, but for some additional items Jayden would need to bring his plan to fruition. After visiting the lingerie store Thursday night, he’d stopped at the florist on his way home from work Friday to pick up the last few items.

Erin had been napping when he got home, so he was able to sneak everything into the playroom and get it set up. It was safe to assume she wouldn’t go in there, given she didn’t expect to step foot in the room before the babies came. She had been adorable, and pouty, since Dr. Ellison had played her part and told Erin a little white lie—that it was in Erin’s best interests to ride the pregnancy out and resume intimacy with Jayden
after
the delivery and post-partum recovery.

Her poutiness reached the point at which he was itching to put his naughty girl in the corner and flog her, tease her into oblivion . . . then fuck her senseless. Of course, the last he would have to wait for. He had every intention of heeding Dr. Ellison’s warnings to the letter. His sexual satisfaction would not come before the safety of his family.

With an audible groan, he adjusted the growing bulge in his pants and looked around one last time. Satisfied he’d done all he could for the time being, Jayden grabbed the bag with his lingerie purchases and a red rose, then he exited the playroom. Next, he stopped by the submissive bedroom and arranged her outfit on the bed. The final touch was to put a couple of fluffy towels onto the warmer in the bathroom for later and text Landon that it was okay for him and Paige to head over.

Though excited to get this long-awaited evening underway, he left Erin to her nap. She would need to be well-rested for their session. He might also have been convincing himself to go forward with this.

After checking in with Kaitlyn—Katarina’s girl, who’d continue to help out with Matthew during the day so Erin could stay in bed—and letting her know that Landon would arrive soon to take over with Matthew for the night, Jayden retired to the kitchen to prepare their dinner. Holly’s final warning blared in his head.
“If you follow through with this, Jay, be ready to start being a dad. I can’t promise this isn’t going to put her into labor. Know this as well. My staff is the best, and your babies are strong and healthy. Remember, the odds of survival if delivered now are considerably high—in their favor.”

But did he want to take that gamble?

*~*~*

Waking and feeling quite refreshed, Erin was shocked when she looked at the clock and realized she’d been out about four hours. She’d needed it, though. All morning she’d felt anxious and achy . . . and exhausted. By the time the lunch hour had crept around, she’d managed to eat the grilled cheese Kaitlyn had fixed her before giving in and crawling into her big, luxurious bed.

Wait! Four hours? Jayden should be home, and I haven’t even planned dinner, let alone started it!

Erin wriggled off the bed and waddled to the bathroom to relieve her bladder, which was threatening to burst. She washed up while deciding that tonight would be soup and sandwiches. She’d make it up to him tomorrow with a big country breakfast. Landon had given her his momma’s recipes for sausage gravy with buttermilk and honey biscuits, and she’d been looking for a reason to try them out.

She’d throw dinner together and then go see how Matthew was doing. Feeling like a tortoise, Erin waddled downstairs and toward the kitchen, continuing to plan breakfast in her head.

It’d be an excuse to use the new juicer to make a fresh pitcher of orange and pineapple juice, and of course a pot of French-pressed coffee for Jayden is a must. Scrambled eggs with a sauté of green pepper, mushrooms, and onions folded into them would be delicious. Oh, and pears poached in their favorite chocolate port since the alcohol would cook off . . .
her stomach growled, and she snickered at how hungry thinking about all that food had made her.

“Hello, sweet girl. Did you have a nice nap?”

Distracted by her mental menu, she’d made it to the kitchen without realizing it, but now she gave her husband a stupid grin and nodded. Her gut instinct began screaming at her. There was a gleam in his coffee-colored eyes, like he was up to something.

Jayden strolled toward her, then kneeled and placed his hands on her humongous stomach. “Hi, babies. Have you been good for your mommy today?” His lips pressed against her belly while he mumbled the words, and the babes started kicking and squirming in response.

Her stomach growled again, making Jayden laugh and rise to his full height of over six feet. He wrapped his long arms around her girth until his hands rested on her lower back, just above her ass, and began kneading. She groaned.

“Are you hungry, Erin?” They both knew the question was rhetorical while he applied pressure to her back, pulling her in against him.
When hadn’t she been hungry in the last few months?

Erin moaned once more under the onslaught of squeezy goodness, and her tummy let out yet another rumble that made both of them laugh. He kissed her nose and led her over to the table, where several covered dishes sat.

“What’s all this, and why are you home early? Where are Kaitlyn and Matthew?”

“So many questions.” He laughed. “Can’t a man come home early to his wife without needing a reason? You, my beautiful lady, looked so peaceful upstairs that I decided to fix dinner and let you rest. Matthew has a babysitter for the night, so you and I can enjoy a quiet evening.” Lifting the first cover, he went on, “These are just some light finger foods. However, the way your belly keeps going off, I’m now wondering if I fixed enough.”

“Hey! I’m eating for three . . . I can’t help it!” A pretend pout turned her lips down.

“Well, far be it from me to keep my family waiting. Let’s eat, and then I have a . . . request to make of you,” he said with a mysterious air, pulling out her chair.

Hungry and curious, she got settled into her seat and watched while he removed the remaining covers and served up their plates—avocado slices drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper, followed by bruschetta and shrimp cocktail. As if that weren’t enough, there were also fruit kabobs made up of grapes, melon, pineapple, and banana slices, all speared together on sugar cane. The food had been meticulously prepared and presented with class. Erin couldn’t wait to dig in, and she licked her lips while rubbing her belly.

It was while he poured sparkling water into their crystal goblets that she noticed the vase with a single red rose in full bloom sitting in the center of the table. In the soft light, the petals reminded her of crushed velvet. An involuntary tremor hit her when an image came to mind of being teased by those soft petals while they circled her nipples, then trailed down over her stomach and pussy.

“That blush tells me you’re thinking dirty thoughts. Or are you just cold, sweet girl?” he asked in a deepening voice.

Jayden’s words refocused her, while her skin warmed at being caught in her mental wanderings. She tried to play it off and act cool. “Maybe. Not that it matters right now, Mr. Masterson. Can we please eat? I really am starving,” she declared, and her stomach rumbled once again in agreement.

“By all means, Mrs. Masterson.” He gestured for her to begin, and she dug in with gusto.

They made pleasant conversation while snacking on the small feast he’d prepared for them. Their discussion meandered from how his workday had gone to the separate phone calls they’d gotten from their parents regarding coming to Dallas to help with Matthew and the twins after they were born. Jillian wanted to get there beforehand, if possible, so that Erin would stay off her feet and rest up for motherhood, while Woody would have to arrange time off to be away from the Flying M Ranch. Malcolm had promoted him from a ranch hand to one of his managers.

Once she’d thanked him for the meal and pushed back from the table, groaning while her head fell back, Jayden replied, “So glad you enjoyed it, because it was my pleasure doing it for you,
A rúnsearc
. Now, stay put while I get the table cleared.”

It sounded good to her. With her hunger sated, she was more than happy to chill. He bustled back and forth for the next ten minutes, clearing the plates and putting away the leftovers, while she sipped her water. When he came back to the dining room after starting the dishwasher, his stance had changed. His posture was straighter, and his eyes had darkened.

If she didn’t know better, Erin would have sworn her Master had entered the room.
A girl could dream, couldn’t she?

He moved to stand by her and took the rose from the vase. Erin held her breath when the tips of the petals touched the top of her hand that rested on her swollen belly. With an agonizing slowness, he moved the flower up her arm, dipping it along the front edge of her top and then back down the opposite arm. She was ready to start panting, and anger toward him began to simmer for the teasing—for starting something they couldn’t finish.

“Catherine, I’d like you to go to your submissive room and prepare yourself to be in the playroom in one hour. Your outfit for the evening is on the bed.”

The woman found herself speechless when He leaned down and gave her the kiss to beat all kisses—deep, hot, and breath hindering—and then strode out of the room.

Did he say playroom?

The second Jayden cleared the kitchen doorway, he let out the breath he’d been holding. Part of him, the part that was Erin’s husband, had wanted to stay and gauge her reaction to his instructions, except if he’d done that, it would’ve broken the mood he’d set out to create. Staying would’ve been akin to calling a time-out on the ever-present mind games that were so crucial in a D/s relationship, so he’d played his part and left.
Maybe the kiss had been overkill.

In the end, he’d given in to the temptation for two reasons—one, to give her a taste of what to expect tonight, and two, to convey his love to her one more time before assuming their Master and submissive roles.

He should’ve known letting down the wall they’d put into place these last months, even just a little bit, was going to send him into overdrive. The man now sported the hard-on to beat all hard-ons, and they hadn’t even started. Knowing it would be an hour before she’d join him and that he would need complete, total control to avoid giving in and ravaging her like a nefarious sex fiend, Jayden headed upstairs to shower and relieve himself. Perhaps knocking one out before they started would help him keep the beast at bay.

Positioning his body under the hot spray, he squirted a dollop of body wash into his hand, wasting no time wrapping it around his cock and going to town. Considering he’d become an expert at the quick wank in his efforts to get back to Erin’s side each night, all he needed were a couple minutes of tight, steady strokes, and another batch of his spunk was washing down the drain.

With that out of the way, blood flow returned to the rest of his body while he washed. In his head, he went over his plans for the night one last time. When it was time to get out of the shower, his erection had returned in full force.
Fuck
. It was going to be a hard night—pun intended.

Though ready to get out, Jayden stood under the spray for a few more minutes, willing his cock to deflate. He refused to give in and stroke out another one, not when he was so close to stepping into the playroom with his jewel. With a sigh of relief, he felt the swelling relent at last, and his cock began softening.

It took him moments to get dried off and go to his closet. Jayden opted for Catherine’s favorite Dom outfit for him—a pair of low-rise black jeans, a fitted black tee, bare feet, and commando underneath it all. Tonight was about appealing to her senses—all of them. Taste already had been handled with the dinner he’d prepared.

He intended to fill her sight with his image before putting the blindfold on her. Once Jayden took away her vision, he’d then begin easing her into the proper headspace, encouraging her to place all of her trust in Him, thereby bringing her total submission forward.

After a final look in the mirror, the Dom headed downstairs, pausing outside Catherine’s room to listen at her door. A moment of wistfulness came over him when it dawned on him this was the first time in months that they’d not been attached at the hip when in the house at the same time. Sighing, he rested his forehead against the door and tried to picture her on the other side. That’s when he heard it, a faint
“Jayden . . .”

The Dom in him raced to the surface, and he grappled with his uncertainty.
Surely she isn’t in there pleasuring herself? Taking what was His before they even got in the playroom?

Like you just did, Jayden?
A smug, small voice whispered in his mind, making him step back.

“Master,” she cried out, louder that time, and without a hint of pleasure in her voice. There was plenty of panic, however.

Jayden threw open the bedroom door and rushed into the room. Her outfit still lay on the bed, untouched. Spinning around, he noticed the closed door to the en suite and hurried over to it to push it open, scared of what he might find on the other side. He relaxed at the sight of her grinning in the tub with her abundant red hair atop her head in a messy pile.

“Erin? Sweet girl, are you okay? What’s wrong?” When she started giggling, Jayden’s jaw dropped and he gaped at her.

“I’m so . . . sorry, Jay–Master,” she stammered out while trying to regain control of her adorable giggles. Her green eyes glazed over while they roamed his body.

“Catherine?” The surprise of his appearance was now blown, but he’d be damned if he wouldn’t keep up the Dom façade. “Why did you call me in here when you are supposed to be in the playroom in,” he looked to the clock on the wall to verify, “fifteen minutes?”

At his question, she had the grace to lower her eyes. Her lip started quivering, and the smile vanished. “Well, your girl wanted to shave and, um, that was a fail because she can’t even reach the lower part of her legs.” Her lip trembled while she waved at her feet.

Jayden let his gaze follow her hand to see that her ankles sported a set of stubble cuffs. Suppressing a sympathetic grin, he asked in a soft tone, “So you called me in here to help you finish?”

“Well, that would be lovely, Master, but this girl thought you would be understanding and wouldn’t hold it against her. This girl actually called for you because . . .” she trailed off, and looked away in a coy manner, causing his cock to react.

“Because?” He quirked an eyebrow at her to continue.

Her smile was sheepish. “Because I realized I can’t get out of the tub,” Erin whispered.

Jayden wanted to smack himself for not thinking of that possibility when he’d been so meticulous in planning everything else for this evening. He should’ve known that when he instructed her to prepare for the playroom, she would include shaving.
Way to be attentive
, Jayden, he chastised himself in silence, then he knelt beside the tub.

With a gentle shushing to allay her embarrassment, he picked up the razor and finished for her. Once he’d rinsed the area clean of small hairs and soap, he stood. She accepted his arms under hers, and he helped her rise out of the water and step over the edge of the tub. When he had her firmly on her feet, he released her and turned to grab one of the warm towels.

“I love you,” she whispered near his ear while Jayden dried her swollen body, caressing every one of her curves with the soft, warm cotton.

He couldn’t contain his smile when he swiped the towel over her belly and a small foot stretched the skin outward. Moving quickly, he kissed the little appendage before it retreated, then looked up to find Erin gazing down at him with a look of complete adoration on her face.

“As I do you,
A rúnsearc
.” He stood to kiss her plump lips, which were turned up in a smile.

Their tender moment over and knowing she was okay, Jayden moved behind her to guide her out to the bedroom. He gave her ass a quick swat, earning him a small squeak followed by a low moan while she wiggled her derriere at him.

“Get dressed, Catherine. I will see you in the playroom shortly,” the Dom instructed, reclaiming the mood with his departing words.

Jayden let his guests in when he passed the front door. Landon went to relieve Kaitlyn, while Paige accompanied Jayden to the playroom, where he lit the candles before they retreated to the shadows to await his jewel’s arrival. He couldn’t wait to see Catherine’s reaction.

*~*~*

No one but me. Only I could get stuck in a bathtub. I feel like a cow, and I can’t believe Jayden finds anything remotely attractive, let alone sexy, about me right now.

On instinct, Erin had called out for Jayden when she realized she wouldn’t be getting out of the tub by herself. She’d been so excited that he was taking her into the playroom that she hadn’t thought ahead before lowering herself into the warm water.

The look on his face when he’d barged into the bathroom had been priceless and endearing. In response, the giggles had poured out of her until she really looked at him and saw what she’d been missing for so long—her Master.

But it was her husband who helped her, making her believe with his simple touch that he found her beyond beautiful. He’d been so tender while finishing her hack shaving job, and then getting her out and dried off. However,
His
final reminder of what was to come—his hand smacking her ass—had left her standing there with a throbbing pussy.

Let’s not keep the Dominant waiting, Erin.

She went to the bed to see what he’d chosen for her. White and lacy, Erin first picked up a scrap of material meant to pass for panties and slipped them on. They sat just beneath her belly, and when the material confined her, a sexy awareness began taking over her. Next, she lifted the matching gown from the bed and slipped it on like a coat, since it was open in the front. The wide straps were lacy, as was the rest of the top. She drew the sides together and tied the satin ribbons in a pretty bow to keep her engorged breasts from being bared. Beneath the ties, the top flared open, framing her swollen belly in virginal lace. The satin-finished hemline swished over her calves and sent goose bumps skittering over her sensitive flesh. The final item had been hidden beneath the gown—Catherine’s play collar.

It had been too long since her throat had been enclosed. Their Skype session about four months ago had been the last time. Matthew’s tendency to latch his chubby fingers onto anything he could these days was still keeping her black pearls stored until the boy had outgrown the grab-and-yank phase, whenever that would be. With a content sigh, she buckled the leather around her neck.
To serve is divine
, the words echoed in her head with her actions.

Her reflection in the mirror amazed her. Like a seductress, Erin looked bewitching, and she felt incredible. The messy up-do didn’t detract from the ensemble but rather added to it, so she left her scarlet locks alone. With a deep breath, a feeling of excitement, and an air of confidence long absent,
Catherine
descended the stairs to meet her Master.

Stepping into the playroom, the submissive inhaled deeply and was overcome by the smell of leather, fire, and wax. She shivered and glanced around, discovering a white rosebud sitting under a low light near the door, like it was spotlighted for her. Low music pulsed through the speakers, not loud enough to demand her focus, but enough to add an erotic heartbeat to the dim room. Shadows from the candles danced along the wall.

Catherine picked up the rose, pausing with the thorny stem half out of the vase to see if there would be a reprimand. When none came, she brought the pearly bud closer to her chest and turned to face the center of the room. There was a single bright light over her kneeling area.

However, instead of bare floor or even a pillow waiting for her, centered under the light was a Z-shaped chair. She recognized it as one of those ergonomic office chairs that let a person kneel, but with support. Her eyes grew misty at the sentiment. Master had found a way for her to safely be on her knees.

Next to the chair stood another table, housing a small collection of items—flickering candles, a length of chain, and a square of white satin. She’d just walked to the chair and was preparing to settle into it when first His voice, and then her Master, came from the shadows.

“Good evening, my jewel.” In his fingers, he held the velvety rose from upstairs.

“Hey, sweetie. Aren’t you looking gorgeous tonight?”

Catherine startled—open palm landing on her chest—at the appearance of her friend at Jayden’s heels. “Oh, my goodness. Thank you, Paige, but . . .” her confusion stalled her words.

“Paige is here tonight to act as witness for us.”

“Witness?” Her gaze dropped to her hands, then moved to the table, Paige, and finally, back to him while she put the pieces together. Everything was set up for a private ritual of some kind.

With a gentle smile, he extended the rose in his hand, “Catherine, will you partake in the Ceremony of the Roses with me?”

She glanced down to the white bud in her own trembling fingers and began blubbering. “Aye, Master Jayden.” It was the first time she’d ever reconciled his two halves as one, and she knew they’d both felt something shift inside.

*~*~*

She was breathtaking.

He wanted to run to her, gather her in his arms, and get lost in her, but he refrained from such overzealous actions. In an almost enchanted state, Jayden stepped forward, and placing a modest kiss upon her lips, he murmured a reverent, “Thank you.” Before pulling back, he reached behind her neck to unfasten the collar and begin.

Pivoting toward the table, he ran the leather choker through the candle flames, then returned it to her neck, buckling it. Jayden choked on his emotions when trying to speak, but he pressed forward, needing to get the words out. “By fire, this is my promise to you, Catherine. For now and for always, it will be my greatest honor and duty to protect and guide you. Like fire untethered, my desire for you rages on, burning away the negative influences of your past.” He stole another kiss, then took one of her hands in his and turned her palm up.

Before she could think about it, he’d pricked her middle finger with one of the thorns on his red bloom. Catherine let him move her bleeding finger over the rose bud in her other hand, and they both held their breath while two crimson drops splattered onto the white landscape, symbolizing the giving of herself—her pure self.

The tears trailed down her cheek, unbidden yet welcome while she wordlessly proffered the bloodied flower to Jayden. He turned a thorn on himself and hovered his finger above the bud, letting his own life force drip and blend with Catherine’s. Pressing their fingers, and thereby their open wounds, together, their union extended, making them flesh and blood—making them one.