Protege (17 page)

He whipped his hips forward again. “I didn't think you were.” His hands gathered her hair into a ponytail and pulled. “Allow me to help you keep this head up.”

He tugged and her shoulders lifted, her neck stretching as the new angle deepened his thrusts. She cried out every time he penetrated her, until soon she could only breathe his name with each thrust. “Jude. Jude. Jude . . .”

He cursed and suddenly her body was empty and she was turned to face him again. “Open your mouth.”

Her body again reacted as she parted her lips and stared at him. His fist pulled over his hard flesh rapidly as he grunted. His hand gripped a handful of her hair and angled her head back as a ribbon of come spattered onto her tongue. Another landed across her lips and jaw, sliding slowly down her heated flesh.

He exhaled and shivered, his hand gradually loosening in her hair. She looked at him and deliberately licked her lips, savoring the taste of his spent lust. His fingers gently cupped her chin, his thumb collecting a drop and feeding it into her mouth. She tenderly sucked his thumb and moaned. He used another finger to catch another drizzle and dipped the digit deep into her mouth, feeding it over her tongue.

As exhausted as her body was, she could take him all over again. That was how sexy she found this sort of attention. No one had ever met her dark desires to the degree he had, and it was only day two.

When his finger left her mouth for the last time, he smiled at her. “I want you to rest, Collette. We'll have lunch and then you'll retire to your room until three.”

She desperately wanted to nap, her body needing the time to recuperate. “Thank you, Sir.”

He nodded. “I think today we'll eat in the dining room so I can stare at your naked body a bit more.”

She wanted him to be naked too. He had a very nice form and she'd nearly fallen off the treadmill yesterday while watching him lift free weights. “Yes, Sir.”

He continued to smile at her, his eyes showing the expression more than his mouth, as usual. “Go ahead and get everything ready. I'll meet you there in ten minutes.”

He helped her rise and did a quick inspection of her body. “Your knees are a bit red. Before tending to me, take care of yourself and put some lotion on your legs. I don't want your skin damaged or sore.”

His attention to her personal care and comfort again disarmed her. “Yes, Sir,” she rasped, and went to do as he instructed.

“How's it going?” Ezra asked as he lingered in the library.

Jude put the contracts aside for later and sighed. “I keep having sex with her.”

His friend laughed.

“Will you quiet down, she's resting.”

“I bet she is,” Ezra joked, then lifted a brow at her clothing still occupying the chair. “How cute. I remember when we were in this stage, folded clothes, neatly left in a perfect pile.”

“Fuck off.”

“Relax, Jude. She's sexy. It's natural to want to fuck her. Why deny yourself?” He moved the pile and sat.

“Because it's not necessary and you know it. D/s is about more than sex. So is BDSM, for that matter.”

“Yes, but if sex were a drawback, it's not a bad one. Stop being so hard on yourself. She consented.”

“I don't want to mislead her.”

“How will you mislead her, Jude, when she's only doing this to have information added to the system so she can find a
husband
? That doesn't match up with your criteria. Besides, it was spelled out in the contract. Unless you're suddenly changing your stance on marriage.”

“No.”

“I didn't think so. You've disqualified yourself as an eligible partner for her. Just remind her that you don't intend to marry again and calm down.”

“She shouldn't have known I was married once.” He pursed his lips. “You know how fine the line is for submissives during this stage. I don't want her to confuse the overwhelming emotions associated with D/s with love.”

“So tell her that—explicitly.”

He scowled. He shouldn't have to. It shouldn't be such a damn effort to exercise the little bit of control needed to teach a novice a thing or two about the lifestyle.

Jude sighed. “She's absolutely submissive. It's rare to find someone so polarized.”

Ezra shrugged. “Maybe not so polarized. She manages a classroom. That takes some governance.”

He thought about how pleasant their meals had been and how she made his bed each day. “She does a hell of a lot more around here than Tiffany ever did.”

“Well, I'm not surprised, but remember it's only day two. Check back in on that around day twenty. Fuck, there was a time Lea used to color-coordinate my socks. Those days are long gone.”

Jude chuckled. “Thus the need for a second wife?”

His friend smiled, but his frustration was easily read. “None of the new applications are a match for us.”

“She'll show up eventually.” Jude truly hoped that was the truth.

“I wish there were a way for us to find her, let her know we're waiting.”

They could wait a lifetime, which didn't need mentioning. “You know we can't openly promote. The glitch with Collette finding us on the web was one thing. It would be a nightmare for word to spread. We don't need all those
Grey
wannabes knocking on our doors with floggers holstered at their hip and greedy little suppressed egos begging to bully someone.”

“The impostors out there are scary. The moment I hear anyone asking for a BDSM relationship I turn in the opposite direction. They'll never understand that BDSM is something one does. It's not the definitive qualification of a relationship. It seems D/s is as confused as ever since erotic romance took off.”

“People are on sensory overload, their suppressed fantasies saturated with hints of kink they don't understand. You can't fault them for being unclear, Ezra. We were once ignorant too.”

“True. I'm just being bitter. It's hard enough to find one soul mate. Finding two is near impossible.”

“You can't rush it. She could be accidentally opening her first bodice ripper as we speak and wondering where that tingle in her pussy's coming from. Every thirty seconds another pervert's born.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “Shut up.”

Jude chuckled, some of his stress evaporating. “I want Lea to come on to Collette to see how she reacts. I want it to be when they're alone, but we're in the house.”

“When? She's still in trouble from last night. I don't want to reward her bad behavior with a treat like that.”

Jude grinned, reminded again of how the women gossiped. “I assume she confessed sometime after everyone left.”

“That's probably what she wanted, but Jasmine broke. Once she told Malik, we noticed something shift and the rest came clean. I imagine they're all
standing
around contemplating their poor choice right now.”

He chuckled. “Lea loves a good spanking.”

“Not the sort she got last night. She's very sorry, by the way.”

“She's forgiven. Please let her know.” He shifted. “How would next week work?”

“That should be fine. She'll try for a bargain, though. You promised her a favor.”

He rolled his eyes. Collette's opinion on the fact shouldn't matter, but for some reason he hesitated. “I'm rethinking my promise to her.”

Ezra's grin was smug. “I knew you'd take it back. You're not the man you used to be, Jude.”

“Apparently.”

Ezra stood. “What are your next plans?”

“I want to show her the difference between BDSM and abuse.”

“Good place to start.” Ezra nodded. “I have to get going. Lea's waiting for me.”

“Make sure you deliver my forgiveness.”

“I will. As well as your wish to repay her favor with a counteroffer. Good luck with your protégé.”

Jude sat for several minutes debating what would happen tomorrow and how he would begin their lesson. There seemed to be a universal misconception that BDSM equaled fanatical kink, or worse, violence, and he wanted to expel any such assumptions.

Though he was a master Dom, he was not the type to hold a magnifying glass over an ant simply to watch it suffer, as he possessed very few sadistic tendencies. The idea of such cruelty on a defenseless creature actually left him with profuse guilt, beyond what a typical person might experience. But this also didn't characterize him as soft.

He prided himself on being a gentle but stern dominant male. His pleasure stemmed from the mindfuck involved in the D/s exchange, that beautiful struggle a sub faced when trying to surrender her ego in a display of absolute control as well as the challenge it put on the dominant figure to do his or her best while placing the submissive's emotional needs at the top of all priorities.

Yes, he loved watching such a battle, because when done correctly with proper understanding and intense chemistry, there came a glorious moment when the struggle was handed over and the submissive entrusted the Dom with all the worry—a liberating and heady transaction. There was nothing equal to that honor in his book, and it was the driving force behind every sexual encounter he sought. Yet with Collette, it was different, as their encounters were mere puppetry.

It had been a long while since Jude had settled into the role of household Dom. The natural evolutions returned to him without a hitch. He recognized the moment today when his voice lowered and his expression changed, shifting the energy of the room and drawing his sub into her role as he let go of the gentle companion he'd been while conversing with her. And transformed into Sir.

It wasn't always easy, navigating which side of the coin he wanted to show. While he got a rise when she addressed him as
Sir
, there was something potent about hearing her whisper
Jude
. He should push her to use
Sir
more often, as
Jude
was strictly reserved for personal relationships and this was business. But strangely, when she called him by name it had the effect of giving him an honored title, the simplicity somehow swapping significance with the formal.

His body swelled, his presence becoming greater as he accepted the role of dominant, a metamorphosis he'd only ever experienced when deep in a BDSM scene demonstrating a technique for others. But even then he recognized that the thrill had come from so many depending on his instruction.

How had she managed to take him on that Jekyll-to-Hyde ride with only the use of his name? Could her faith in his wisdom be that profound? It seemed too soon, regardless of how it flattered him.

The ease with which they flipped that switch—a switch that generally took months for couples to find—added to his restlessness. Though it benefited him that things were progressing quickly, it gave him pause. This rapid evolution was not entirely from his command.
She
had great command of herself, greater than he'd anticipated. Instinctively, he wanted to pick a fight to break the pull of chemistry arcing between them, but that was beneath him and would only derail their advancement.

The danger of such fluid connectivity was that it opened Pandora's box. When a sub held on to her personality yet evoked the obedient will to please so seamlessly, it removed the need for bondage and took things to a completely psychological level. And psychology had always been his greatest temptation. The mind was indeed the most exciting place to play.

When the balance took shape, an equality developed, like two proportionately powerful magnets facing off, sliding against each other's will without a single touch, filling voids that otherwise appeared to be only empty space, but the strength of push and pull was overwhelming for those involved. The power exchange was purely mental and eventually one would bend to the other's will, not because he was stronger or bigger, but because it was right and surrendering to the natural current would free them both of the struggle.

As he glanced down at his pants, his body told him how much this chemistry was going to cost him. He'd just had her and was already contemplating taking the stairs to her room and waking her with his cock buried deep inside her. Primal need rode him hard as he battled with the lure to claim her and exercise his temporary entitlement.

Would she soften under his rightful—though temporary—authority, or would he see an internal scrimmage as she battled with her will to submit? Something told him she'd surprise him and he'd see a little of both, but the end result would be enchanting, planting them both in ecstasy.

“Shit.” Rejecting that temptation, he put the files Ezra had delivered away for safekeeping and decided to hit the gym a bit earlier than usual. He needed the extra time to burn off some steam.

***

Collette lowered herself to the floor, the tops of her feet pressing firmly into the carpet as her bottom rested on her heels and her hands settled on her parted knees. Jude examined her posture, seeing plenty of aspects he could correct, but not finding this the time to do so. There was a delicate dependence between them, one he intended to cherish and handle with care.

She had primped and prepared herself every day since arriving at Fernweh, and that deserved his acknowledgment. Being that this was her first experience with D/s and he was coming to care for her as an understudy, he wanted to set the bar high for those who followed. Collette, based on what she'd already displayed, deserved a caring Dom, someone who would not take her for granted or overlook her careful efforts.

“What a beautiful display you present me.” Just one compliment and her shoulders lifted closer to where they should be. “I love seeing you open to me, breasts high, knees spread.” Her waist tucked in and her chest lifted. His approach worked and he was glad he'd expressed an important part of presenting without the need to critique her early attempt. “You honor me, peach.”

She smiled and slowly lowered her face, as though attempting to hide the effect of his praise. It boded well for all that his words affected her. Verbal responsiveness was a valuable thing.

His finger tipped up her chin. “Don't feel the need to hide your smile, Collette. I've paid you a compliment. The smile tells me you received it as intended. I say these things because I want you to feel as beautiful as you are and I want you to have the self-respect and grace to take my compliments at face value.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“You're welcome. Today we're going to discuss abuse.”

Her expression fell.

“Have no fear, peach. I never have inflicted, nor would I ever inflict, abuse on another living creature.”

Her breasts shifted as she breathed out a shaky breath.

“First, we'll discuss humiliation. One of your hard limits is that I may not place my hands around your throat during intimacy or outside it. I'm glad for this, as I'm not into breath play. If ever you're in a situation where a hard limit is violated, I want you to get out as fast as you can and call for help.
That
is abuse.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“I understand that some get a thrill from spanking and slapping. I love to see my palm print on a soft ass. However, my likes and dislikes come second to your needs and peeves. In your paperwork, you regarded any strike across the face as . . .”

“To me it's abuse, but I know to others it's a soft limit and sometimes craved.”

“You're doing very well with the terminology, peach, and you're correct. However, as your Dom, I'm only concerned with
your
limits. We can have our own preferences and still respect the vast differences of others. BDSM requires an open mind if anything. Tell me, if a lover were to slap you in the face, but every other touch of his body was appropriate by your standards, what would you feel?”

She noticeably swallowed. “Upset. Probably humiliated.”

He nodded. “Another limit of yours. I take it as my absolute responsibility to protect a sub. She honors me with her trust and submission, and I will never flaunt my authority in ways that demean or humiliate her. While these are fetishes for some, they're debasement to me.”

He paused from pacing as he became aware of his past mistakes. “Collette . . .”

Her gaze lifted to his. “Yes, Sir?”

“The night we arrived and Lea found you in bed . . .” His carelessness, in hindsight, was a lot to swallow. “Were you humiliated? Be honest with me, please.”