Fleur de Nuit: Bourbon Street Bondage, Book 1 (12 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Moira walked into school Monday feeling better than she had in a long time. Confident and happy, like the future was finally something to look forward to. Until she walked past the teachers’ lounge.

“No, Darlene said she looked like a hooker or a call girl, between the dress and the way she hung on this guy’s arm.”

Moira froze. Darlene. Dammit. She’d forgotten about the encounter in front of Antoine’s.

“Erica, Darlene Caldwell thinks everyone is a hooker or a call girl. At least, anyone who looks better than she does. And Moira D’Arcangelis would have to work really hard not to look better than Darlene. Frankly, I’m happy for her.”

“Fair point. She thought all of Mazie’s bridesmaids were hookers last year.”

“Exactly. Did she say who the guy was?”

“Some gorgeous Cajun named Adrian Lacroix. Apparently he’s a rich local business owner. Darlene didn’t know him.”

Moira was frozen to the spot listening to them, wondering what the verdict would be. Slut or heroine?

Did it even matter?

“Huh. I haven’t heard of him. Well. Good for Moira.”

Moira smiled and started walking again.
Good for me, indeed.

Standing in Adrian’s office that evening, she wasn’t feeling half so self-congratulatory. The text she’d gotten a few minutes before school let out had seemed simple enough at the time:
Changing things up tonight, mon ange. Bring your kit, dress the part.

There was nothing in it to prepare her for what Adrian actually had planned.

Moira stared at him in shock for a moment before finally managing a response. “I’m sorry, but what?”

It wasn’t exactly the most brilliant response, but it would do.

Adrian smiled. “It’s a simple question, mon ange noir. And one I should have asked some time ago. A question of comfort.”

“I hadn’t ever…”

His eyebrows lifted at her flustered expression. “It’s not a problem, either way. But I do need to know if there should be any restrictions, as to your clientele.”

Moira leaned back against the desk and folded her arms. “I hadn’t ever thought about it. Women, I mean. I’ve never been attracted to any, and we all know how not at all adventurous my sex life was until now. Nonexistent, really.”

“Mais are you open to thinking about it?”

Moira cocked her head and gazed thoughtfully at her teacher. It was a valid question, certainly. And what was the point of being a new person, if she rejected new experiences out of hand? She’d never thought kink would be something that interested her, and here she was, having the time of her life. It couldn’t hurt to try. Worst case, she wouldn’t like it, and that would be that.

So she pushed forward off the desk with a smile and stepped slowly up to him, eyes locked on his. When she was close enough, she reached one hand up to lightly grasp his tie. She bit her lip and pulled him down to her level, waiting until his slow smile crept all the way across his face.

“Let’s try it and find out.”

“I was hoping that’d be your answer, mon ange.” He grinned and straightened his tie. “Follow me.”

Moira followed him out of his house office with less trepidation than she expected. Until he opened the door to what had become their usual playroom.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Moira blinked again, but the scene didn’t change. Kara still sat in front of her, legs crossed, hair pulled back, and in nothing more than a bra and panties. And heels.

“Oh, come on, honey. You didn’t think I’d let you play with just any girl, did you?”

Moira stared for another second and burst out laughing. “You’re right. I should’ve known. I didn’t think.”

Kara rolled her eyes and grinned. “Please. This is me, after all. Damn straight you should’ve known!”

Moira shook her head, her thoughts swirling.
She’s my best friend. Can I even do this with her?
There was no question that Kara was attractive, but she’d never thought of her that way. A flash of memory stole through her, the night that had started all this. Kara’s moans as Master Ian flogged her and brought her to orgasm. And then it wasn’t only the memory that burned in her, but the heat of desire.

She inhaled sharply at the realization.
I do. I want to do this.

“Mon ange?”

“It’s about trust, right?” She didn’t turn to look at him, but kept her eyes locked on Kara’s. “Isn’t that what you said to me that first night? Well, there’s no one in the world that I trust more than Kara.”

Kara’s grin softened, losing the wicked edge for something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

Moira’s chest tightened.
What if this changes things?

Don’t be an idiot. Of course it’ll change things.

Am I ready for that?

She took a deep breath, dropped her kit and strode over to the chair where her friend sat. She could do this. With a single finger, she lifted Kara’s chin. “You realize I’m not going to go easy on you?”

Kara’s eyes flashed. “I wouldn’t have volunteered if I thought you would.”

Searching her friend’s eyes to be sure, Moira found what she was looking for and nodded. “Good.” Her hand shifted quickly, clenching Kara’s jaw almost tight enough to bruise. Her voice dropped. “Then start behaving, sub.”

Kara’s eyes dropped down, her whole posture changing. “Yes, Mistress.”

She pushed Kara’s face away, but smiled to herself at the moment of glee in her friend’s eyes. She slapped Kara’s knee and wrenched her crossed legs apart.

The surge of power was as surprising as the first time Adrian had said those words to her. Moira turned away, stripping off her long coat and taking the moment to compose herself.
Trust. It’s all about trust.
Tossing the coat aside, she looked at Adrian, who had remained silent since they’d entered the room together.

“Participating or watching, Adrian?”

His eyes ran up and down the outfit she’d chosen. Thigh-high leather boots and the short halter-style leather lace-up dress that he’d admired so much on Saturday. Lace-up arm guards completed the ensemble. She’d put her hair back down after touching up the curls and wore her makeup a little heavier than usual. Which, since Kara always complained she could hardly tell Moira was wearing any, meant it still probably wasn’t that heavy.

All in all, she thought she’d done all right, while staying on the simple side. The heat in Adrian’s eyes said he approved.

He smiled when he finally met her eyes again. “You’re the Maîtresse tonight. What would you prefer?”

Moira crossed her arms and regarded him. “Take off the coat and tie. Watch for now. I’ll ask if I need help.”

His lips twitched as he moved to obey. “Oui, Maîtresse.”

She turned back to her kit and started rummaging through it. “Kara. What’s your safe word?”

“Renegade, Mistress.”

Moira smiled. “Our high school mascot? That’s really incredibly dirty of you. Any limits I should know about?”

“Thank you, Mistress. And no, not that I think you’ll pass. My caution word is clockwork though, just in case. For the purposes of tonight’s training, I’ll use it if I want to keep going in the scene, but not with what you’re doing.”

Moira nodded, slightly preoccupied with her thoughts. She glanced up at Adrian, who watched her with his head cocked to the side. She could almost hear him in her head, telling her to do whatever she wished.

Whatever you like, ma chère.

I have never had to think outside the box so much in my life.

God, I hope this doesn’t ruin things.

Moira took a slow breath and stood. It was only a role. And she trusted Kara. She set a few things next to the bed—a length of black cloth, rope cuffs, a lighter and a candle. Picking up the crop she’d set aside, she walked slowly to where Kara sat, eyes down and hands on her knees. Moira trailed her hand lightly over Kara’s shoulder and neck, and was rewarded with a shiver. She leaned in, breathing in the smell of lavender and sandalwood, Kara’s favorite lotion. It sent a shiver through her. With one quick movement, she unhooked Kara’s bra, snagging it with the tip of her crop as it fell forward.

“You won’t need that.”

Her free hand traced up Kara’s back to slowly close around the rear of her neck. She leaned forward as her grip tightened and whispered one word.

“Kneel.”

Kara pitched forward as Moira pushed, and knelt on the floor, keeping her same position. Eyes down, hands on her knees, legs open. Moira shoved the chair to the side, keeping one hand on the back as she placed her boot on Kara’s back, pressing her slowly forward until she felt Kara’s body resist.

“Hands on the floor. Stretch your arms out.”

Kara complied. Moira counted in her head, slow and steady. Her foot was still on Kara’s back, and she could feel her beginning to wonder what was going on, wondering if Moira had frozen, or if she should be anticipating something.

A slight whistle through the air was all the warning Kara had before the crop cracked loudly across her ass cheek. Moira smiled at the half-swallowed yelp Kara loosed, and at the surge of…something. It was like her first night with Adrian all over again, but more. Better, somehow. It wasn’t only power she felt, as she brought the crop down on her best friend again. She wasn’t really sure what it was.

But it set her heart racing.

And as her crop slapped Kara again, and then again, she began to recognize the feeling. The little noises Kara made, the way her skin brightened and her body moved both away and toward the strike. It was a rush, all of it. Better than an adrenaline high, better than being drunk. By the time Kara’s buttocks were bright red under her sheer lace panties, Moira was struggling to admit exactly how turned on it was all making her.

Easier not to think at all.

Easier to do.

With the last strike, she held the point of the crop in place, and then slowly trailed it up the curve of Kara’s cheek and along her spine. All the way up to her neck, and then slowly back down, watching Kara shudder and arch toward the touch.

God, she’s beautiful.

Moira dropped the crop and walked away. Carefully ignoring her trembling hands, she grabbed two things from her pile next to the bed and walked back to Kara. Her hands wove into Kara’s thick hair, pulling her back up to a sitting position. The first item, a length of black cloth, Moira quickly wrapped around Kara’s head, blindfolding her.

She wasn’t sure why she’d picked the blindfold. Maybe something Kara had said, but maybe also that Moira wasn’t sure she could do this with Kara watching. Wasn’t sure she wanted to know what her best friend thought of all of this.

And most of all, she wasn’t sure she was ready for Kara to see what she was thinking.

Moira pulled the knot tight with a tug that was harder than necessary. Then she grabbed Kara by the hair at the base of her neck again, and half-dragged, half-shoved her toward the bed.

She leaned forward to Kara’s ear. “Crawl.”

Moira let go, and Kara crawled onto the bed.

“On your back.”

It was easier to order her when Kara couldn’t see.

Moira looped a pair of rope cuffs around Kara’s wrists and the headboard, so that her arms were above her head. She trailed two fingertips down the center of Kara’s body, only to hook them in the top of Kara’s panties. She ripped them off with one good yank and tossed them to the floor. Reaching down again, Moira pulled up a set of leather cuffs and tethers, which she attached to Kara’s ankles, pulling her legs wide apart.

Moira reached one more time, picking up the last two items she’d brought over, and glanced at Adrian with a grin that belied the pounding of blood in her ears.

“Funny thing about candle wax,” she said, flicking the cheap plastic lighter in her hand and lighting her candle. “Most wax is full of impurities. It’s why most scented candles give so many people headaches and why cheap candles sputter so much.”

She sat on the bed, watching the new wick burn slowly down until it reached the wax.

“Because of the poor wax quality, it melts at a higher temperature. Now, good wax…” she turned the candle slowly, letting the flame reach the wax evenly, “…burns cleaner and at a lower temperature. Good wax is highly refined. Really good candle wax won’t even give you a headache. It also won’t drip if you keep it even.”

She turned the candle straight so it didn’t drip, and held it low over Kara. Moira moved it the length of her body and let a single drop fall on Kara’s forehead, right in the center.

Kara gasped.

“Oops. Guess I didn’t have it upright.”

She moved again, letting a drip or two fall here and there. On Kara’s collarbone. On the inside of her upper arm. Her knee, her stomach, her foot. Kara squirmed, biting her lip and pulling against her bonds. Her breathing came fast, anticipating Moira’s moves, as though her body begged for the next drop.

She moaned loudly when the wax dripped on her nipple once, then again, and again, her back arching upwards.

Moira smiled, fascinated, unable to stop watching the erotic undulating of Kara’s body. “Do you like that? Answer me.”

Kara’s answer was a purr. “Yes, Mistresss.”

Moira dripped wax on her other nipple, and Kara gasped again.

“I’ve always envied your body, you know,” she said, running a finger down the outside of Kara’s breast. “Your perfect curves and your height.” Moira felt a surge of heat push through her as she ran her thumb across the wax on Kara’s nipple. “Such perfect breasts.”

Kara whimpered.

Moira snatched her hand away. She was breathing as hard or harder than Kara.

Don’t think.

Pull yourself together. This is Kara.

Just don’t think.

She took her time, dripping wax from one breast to the other and down her sternum, working lower and lower each time before moving back up. Kara’s breathing grew heavy and ragged, and mirrored Moira’s.

Until Moira allowed a single drop to fall between her legs.

Kara arched up of the bed, moaning loudly. Moira smiled and dripped the candle again, letting the wax fall around and over her mound, letting it drip down to her sensitive places until it covered her. Then she blew out the candle and set it to the side with shaking hands.