Tied Down: He'll see to her needs, if she can tend to his... (6 page)

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Cooper didn’t make it home for dinner. Or breakfast. Or lunch the following day. I explored every part of the estate while I waited, thinking about the future. Cooper had said he would offer me any opportunity I wanted to take. Did that mean working at his company? Was I ready for it?

I had never planned on going to college. I had always thought I was going to marry Billy and start a family right away. In my hometown, that seemed like the only opportunity on offer, so I’d never expected to need a higher education.

Now I had options. I had decisions to make and dreams to think about. I could be anything, do anything. Cooper really had no idea what his offer really meant to me.

I finally decided I would learn about his business. It was important to him and the source of his great wealth. I wanted to know everything it did and work out how I could help it flourish further. If that led me to needing to take some classes, then I would do it. He was right; we were a team now and I needed to play my part.

The clothes I had purchased at Miss Cassidy’s were all waiting for me when I arrived home. I had put them aside to deal with later, but I couldn’t leave them in the white delivery boxes forever.

I pulled each piece out individually, running the material over my hands and feeling the exquisite softness and luxury of the fabrics. Miss Cassidy didn’t stock only underwear; she’d included a silk dressing gown and lounge wear into my mix.

Every item was hung in my huge closet, making it seem not so sparse anymore. Cooper would no doubt fill the space with more clothes over time. I needed to make sure he didn’t go overboard. I wasn’t with him because of the things he could buy me. I wanted to make sure that was clear from the beginning.

The walls were starting to close in on me, so I went for another walk around the estate. The sun was beaming high in the sky, ready to make its way down to the horizon for the end of the day. I hoped Cooper would be home for dinner this time.

When I returned back to the house, I wandered to the kitchen to find all the house staff in a frazzle. All I’d seen from them before was the utmost of professionalism and calm confidence. The room was now a madhouse.

“What’s going on?” I asked Ricardo, who was stirring a bowl with way more effort than was necessary. A thin layer of sweat was forming on his brow.

“The former Mrs. King is here,” he replied, his voice breaking on the name.

My world went into a spin. “Cooper was married?” His ex-wife had just waltzed into the house, and the staff had just let her? What was wrong with them?

And, more importantly, why hadn’t Cooper shared the little fact of his previous
marriage
with me? I felt the sting of betrayal but didn’t let it show on the outside. Maybe he would have told me eventually, but it would have been nice to be fully informed.

Ricardo nodded. “He was, and now she is here, back again to make our life a living nightmare once more. I can’t handle this kind of stress.” He banged the bowl down on the counter, splattering batter everywhere.

There was no way my boyfriend’s ex-wife was going to get away without me seeing her. I needed to get eyes on the kind of woman Cooper would deem worthy enough to marry. Everything I’d read about him on the Internet had said he was a perpetual bachelor. Nobody had ever mentioned a wife.

I followed one of the housekeeping staff through the corridors until I discovered where the former Mrs. King was. They had her waiting in the formal living room, the area decked out in lush furniture and mint-green wallpaper.

There was no way to effectively spy on her from the outside of the room. The mansion had too many doors, and I didn’t want to get caught peering in through the window from the outside garden. Instead of being covert, I was going to have to meet her head-on.

I pushed through the door with a warm smile on my face, hoping I could pull off confidence I didn’t feel. “The chef said we had a guest. I’m Emily. It’s nice to meet you.” I held out my hand for her to shake. She looked at it and then flicked her gaze back up to my face.

“Are you the new housemaid?” she said, somehow filling those five words with disgust and disapproval.

I tried to ignore the first shot she threw my way. After all, I was the one in Cooper’s bed now, not her. I was the one with the prize. “I’m Cooper’s girlfriend, not the housemaid. You must not have been here for a while, because Christine has been the housemaid here for two years now.” I knew talking to the staff was a good idea; they were far more welcoming that this woman.

Her drawn-on eyebrows arched. “His
girlfriend
? You’ve got to be kidding me. You’re merely a child.”

“I’m twenty-one.”

“Cooper’s latest whim, then. When will he be getting back?”

“He’s working, it’s difficult to know. I can pass on a message for you.”

She looked at me with utter distrust, knowing full well a message left with me wouldn’t make its way to Cooper’s ears. The woman sat on the sofa decidedly. “I’ll wait for him.”

I sat on the sofa across the coffee table from her. Perhaps I was a sucker for punishment, but I really wanted to know everything I could about the woman Cooper deemed worthy enough to make lifelong vows with.

She wore a light yellow skirt suit made out of a thick material. Around her neck was a string of pearls and she looked like she would be at home at a fundraising dinner rather than the stables of my hometown.

She was older than I thought she’d be – mid-thirties, if I had to guess. Her face didn’t have a wrinkle on it, but I suspected that was because she was probably on a first-name basis with her plastic surgeon.

As much as I would never admit it to anyone, she intimidated the hell out of me. Every glance she sent my way was judging, able to send even the strongest of people down to their knees.

What had Cooper seen in her? We seemed like complete opposites. He obviously didn’t have a certain type that he was attracted to. His ex-wife and I didn’t even share an eye color.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed, speaking to someone on the other end about her horrible ordeal while trying to get through to Cooper at work. She knew I was listening – it was impossible not to – so it felt like every poisonous word was meant for me.

By the time she hung up, I was completely over her antics. “Why didn’t you go to King Endeavors to find Cooper?”

She sighed pointedly, as if just talking to me was tiresome and boring. “Because his security team has explicit instructions not to let me into the building.”

“But you’re allowed in his home?”

“His security here is laughable.”

“You could have just called him.”

“Ha! Like he returns my calls.” She uncrossed her legs and then crossed them again. Finally, I was starting to see a chink in her armor.

“How long were you two married?” I asked. Cooper probably wouldn’t be too keen on answering all my questions when he came home. Perhaps his ex would be a little chattier on the subject.

“Six months, if you must know.”

Six months was nothing – merely the blink of an eye. “What happened?”

She pulled an emery board out of her bag and started filing her nails. It seemed more like a nervous habit rather than actual grooming. No doubt she would have a manicurist on speed dial. “I’m not going to discuss this with you. Go away and leave me in peace.”

I’d never met anyone before who I’d found so vapid in such a short period of time. I didn’t want to walk out now because then it would be following her order. Instead, I reached over the coffee table and picked up the art book placed on it.

I started reading while she huffed and started playing with her cell phone. Another ten minutes passed before I finally left her.

Cooper was going to have to do some explaining when he eventually arrived home.

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I ate dinner alone and went up to my rooms afterward. Watching television in my pajamas seemed like the best option for the night. As far as I knew, the former Mrs. King was still in the living room. Ricardo had made her dinner after she had complained about the lack of standards in the mansion.

One sitcom into the viewing, the door to my room opened. Cooper finally joined me, dressed in a crisp black business suit with a green tie that matched his eyes.

He kissed me on the forehead before sitting on the couch next to me. He pulled my hands into his lap and held them there while he spoke. “The only thing that has kept me sane today was knowing I would be coming home to you tonight.”

My stomach did its whole fluttering thing again. I wanted to be angry with him over standing me up for so many meals but I just couldn’t. Cooper could never do wrong in my books.

“I missed you,” I replied. Being in the mansion seemed pointless without him there to keep me company. It was a lonely place when he was gone.

Cooper started tugging on his tie, loosening it and the top few buttons on his shirt. He made himself look even sexier without trying. “I’ll make up for my absence tonight. I want you in the playroom wearing some of that sexy new lingerie.”

We’d definitely get to that, but I wanted some answers first. “I met your ex-wife today.”

“I thought you might have.”

“I didn’t know you were married before.”

He slumped back on the couch. “The whole thing was a mistake. I thought marrying her would fix things with my mother.”

“Why would she do that?”

“My mother handpicked her for me. She thought Helen would be the kind of woman I needed in my life to keep me in line and help me discover my full potential.”

“Weren’t you doing all that yourself?”

“Not according to my mother. I went along with the whole relationship, knowing it was a mistake the entire time. Six months was all I could manage before I decided I didn’t need either woman in my life if I was going to be that miserable. Now she keeps hassling me for money.”

So he’d tried to repair the relationship he had with his mother. I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly had driven them apart in the first place. What had Cooper been doing that she’d disapproved of so much? I wondered if I wanted to know or if it was better just being left in the dark.

Cooper squeezed my hands. “Next time I get married, I want to make sure it’s because I can’t possibly live another day without my girlfriend being my wife. Next time I’ll do it right.”

That sounded like a good idea to me. I shuffled over so I could take Cooper in a hug that tried to repair some of the sadness he felt. I couldn’t do anything about his past, but I had a direct impact on his present and future.

Cooper pulled me against him, his hands lingering down to cup my ass. “Playroom, babe. Meet me there in half an hour wearing the red corset and fishnet stockings. I need you tonight.”

“Yes, sir.” Waiting another half an hour was going to be the worst part of the day. Cooper left and closed the door behind him. I rushed to the closet and pulled out the attire that was demanded of me.

Stripping off my silk pajamas, I wrapped the corset around me and secured it with the hooks in the front. It had suspender clips at the bottom into which I could hook the thigh-high fishnet stockings. I slipped the matching red panties over the top, just in case Cooper wanted me to keep the corset on while we played.

I hurried to the playroom only a few minutes early and knocked. Cooper was already waiting in his loose black jeans. His chest was bare, rippling, and ready.

“Kneel down and place your hands on your knees,” he ordered. “That is the way you should always start our play sessions. It is the pose of a good submissive, waiting for her first order from her dom.”

“Yes, sir.” I followed the command and went down to the ground, tucking my legs underneath me and resting my hands on my knees. I looked down, making sure I wasn’t just a good submissive but a great one.

“That’s my girl,” Cooper growled with appreciation. A shiver ran down my spine at the praise. I was going to prove to both of us that I’d made the right decision in agreeing to the arrangement.

I kept my eyes downcast, looking at the polished wooden floors and tracing the grains until they knotted. I could see Cooper in my peripheral vision as he moved around the room. I couldn’t see what he was doing but I couldn’t wait to find out.

His bare feet finally stepped in front of me. “Stand up.” Obeying his order, I stood. Cooper’s hand gently settled under my chin and pulled my gaze upwards. “Don’t be afraid to look at me, Emily. I love seeing your gorgeous eyes.”

My eyelashes fluttered involuntarily as I gazed into his stark green eyes. Instead of the coldness I’d expected, he looked at me lovingly, caringly. If anyone had ever had gorgeous peepers, it was him. His eyes could easily mesmerize me into submission.

His hand fell away while the air charged and crackled with electricity between us. I wanted to touch him, to hold him, to kiss him, but all I could do was wait for my next command. My belly shivered with anticipation.

“Come with me,” he said. My gaze swept the room as we moved, wondering what area of the playroom we would explore today. There were more possibilities than I knew and each of them would be fun discovering.

We stopped at the far wall. A series of hooks were attached higher up than I could reach. They gave away no clues about what this area was designed for.

“Stand by the wall.”

My back was cold as it touched the frigid paintwork. I stood as still as a soldier, awaiting further orders from my dom. He grabbed some items from the top of a nearby cabinet and held them up for me to see.

Handcuffs.

He looped them around each of my wrists in turn before securing them on the hook on the wall. My arms were straight up above my head, just high enough to keep me still but not cause me any pain or discomfort.

Cooper then crouched down and secured my feet with a contraption that was made of a steel bar with cuffs at the ends. When he put them on my ankles, I couldn’t bring my legs any closer together or further apart than the glimmering bar would allow.

“This is called a spreader bar,” Cooper explained as he worked. “It ensures your legs are spread and don’t move. I can then do whatever I like to your cunt and you can’t close your legs. Are you comfortable?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Do you remember your safe word?”

“Yes, sir.”

“What is it?”

“Cherry, sir.”

He smiled with approval. “Very good. I’m going to blindfold you now.”

The blindfold was made out of a soft blue material. He wrapped it around my head and secured it at the back. Everything turned to black around me, forcing my other senses to pick up the slack.

I could suddenly smell the faint scent of flowers mixed with leather that lingered in the air. I could hear Cooper breathing and the rush of my own heartbeat. My skin was tingling, waiting to feel what else Cooper was going to do with me.

He twanged the elastic of my suspenders, sending a sharp tap to my thighs. “I like this outfit you have on. It’s going to look even better on the floor.” I tried to keep the smile from my lips.

I heard Cooper take a few steps away from me before padding back again. When he touched me this time, it wasn’t with his hand. Something feathery and ticklish brushed across my stomach. He moved it upwards, over the curve of my breast, and then up my neck.

Then his body was pressing against me. His lips gave me the softest of kisses, almost caressing me. His hands snaked around my torso and rubbed my back before cupping my ass cheeks. He pulled me against him, his erection more than apparent.

His lips tickled all the way down my neck before he kissed the swell of my boobs. He flicked at the hooks keeping my corset together, but releasing the pressure around my cleavage.

Cooper’s palms cupped my boobs, one in each hand. He pulled them higher than the corset, rolling the nipples between his fingers. His hands were just a tiny bit cold, making the experience even more sensational. I couldn’t see the look on his face but I would have put money on him smiling with the action.

One of the nipples was pulled into his mouth as his tongue ran circles around it. Every little suckle sent a new pulse down to my pussy, making me wet and needing. I wanted his tongue to be everywhere all at once, giving me the kind of pleasure the rest of him couldn’t.

I chewed on my lip to stop myself begging for more. If my legs weren’t being kept apart by the spreader bar, I would be squeezing them together to help ease the ache in my pussy.

Cooper switched to the other boob while his hand dropped lower. He snaked his fingers down the front of my panties, delving into my folds without hesitation. His fingers tickled my clit while his mouth treated my nipple. It was enough to make my knees go weak.

He matched the rhythm in his fingers to his tongue, lapping at me and stoking the fire blazing within. All I wanted him to do was fuck me, tear me apart with pleasure until I forgot everything I ever knew.

A few more hooks on my corset were undone as Cooper pulled away from me. He took both hands away from my skin in order to undress me. He undid the clips of my suspenders, but the stockings stayed up of their own volition.

The next thing I knew, the corset broke free and disappeared with a soft thud on the floor. “I like these stockings, babe. They are definitely staying on.” I pictured myself standing in front of him, wearing nothing but a pair of sheer panties and my stockings. Combined with all the cuffs holding me in place, the image was highly erotic.

I heard and felt Cooper kneel down. His hands skimmed up my thighs, tracing circles all around my private region without actually touching the sweet spot. God, I wanted him to touch my pussy. I wanted his hands everywhere, not just
teasing
me like he was. My libido was in overdrive as I tried to remain patient.

My cunt yearned for his touch, desperate to be rubbed and fondled until the moment of ecstasy when he would allow me to finally let go of everything.

Cooper’s finger slowly slipped underneath my panties. His stroke was long and languid, right up and down my clit before teasing the hole. He poked his finger inside just a little, but it was enough to make me writhe with the happiness of being filled.

I had never realized before how much I enjoyed having a cock inside me. I’d never thought about it before, just took it for granted that it was a part of having sex. But now I understood that being filled with a cock was a sensation all of its own. I needed Cooper’s length to be inside of me.

His fingers tickled me, making my arousal heighten to a whole new level. A cold shower would have done nothing to quell my wanton need. The playroom was being turned into a torture chamber of the worst kind.

“You’re so wet, babe. Wet for me, right?” He snapped the elastic of my panties, making me squirm.

“Yes, sir. Wet for you.”

“Good, I like you like this. You’re a sexy little slut all tied up.”

A sexy little slut that was extremely hot for him, I wanted to say. I chewed on my lip some more, making sure I didn’t break any of the rules he had set down for us. I could only speak when he told me to, apart from the safe word that I could use at any time.

His fingers slid away from me as he stood again. There was silence for a moment before he started trailing something over my skin – the riding crop. He trailed the leather over my belly, tapping it on my nipples and making them even harder.