RequiredSurrender (2 page)

“Don’t blame me,” he chuckled. “Although I’ve been told
you’re looking to experiment for personal reasons, signing that release was
foolish. And you’re damn lucky I scooped you up before one of our resident
sadists got a hold of you. With your bravado, not to mention your mouth, you
would have been worked over pretty good.”

She bucked and he tightened his hold on her. “It wasn’t as
if I took your best friend’s word for it. Don’t worry. I also read your profile
sheet so I know you’re looking for some exposure therapy.” Searching her
furious face, he sighed. “By the look of you though, I’d wager you’re going to
need intensive instruction, and pissing off the available Doms in one’s
community is no way to go about getting it.”

They stared at one another. The only sound in the room was
her breathing heavily through her nose.

“Now, I’ll get the ball rolling with you tonight.” She tried
bucking again. Clearly she didn’t like the idea of him Topping her, but that
was too bad. Was her ego bruised because he’d previously refused? Not that it
mattered. By her own doing she was free game for anyone who was up to the
challenge and even though he’d sworn off the hard-to-crack subs he’d do them
both a favor tonight. She’d get a memorable experience and he wouldn’t have to
worry about her taking on more than she could handle. She was tough but not
invincible. With that in mind, maybe he’d manage to soften her up a little so
they could pair her with the appropriate mentor. The sooner she was taken in
hand by a competent Dom the better. For him and his partners as Jo Nehr had
been a bone of contention between all three of them for months now. She was
stress that wasn’t healthy for business.

It was easy for David and Ethan to turn a blind eye to her
bratty antics because they weren’t affected by them. But he was. Every time she
showed up at the club his senses went on high alert and he didn’t like it. Not
one bit. Yeah, he didn’t need the kind of drama she brought with her.

“Are you going to behave? Or have you decided you don’t want
to go through with this?”

She stilled. “Good. As I said, I’ll get things started and
then tomorrow you might see things differently and not be such a bitch to the
man who has the means to help you grow. Now…”

He eyed her, then the bed and finally the ropes. It was
going to be a tricky proposition because he’d have to let go of her in order to
do what he intended. He thought about explaining his plan to her before he tied
her up, but then decided against it. This was going to be bad whether he was a
nice guy about it or not. Either way she was going to be difficult. It was her
nature and one of the reasons she appealed to him. If he threw her on the bed
he’d get five seconds as it would take her that long to snap out of her shock
then another two to yank the tie out of her mouth and three to scramble to the
edge. So, the way he figured it? He had ten seconds to gain the rope and corral
her. Yeehaw.

Jo landed with a bounce on the bed when he finally let go of
her. She sat up, gave herself a shake and pulled the tie out of her mouth. She
gained a huge breath of fortifying oxygen, getting ready to yell at him, but
then she saw him turn toward her with a pile of rope in his hands and the air
burst out of her. The guy was fucking crazy. That’s it, she was going to tell
Ethan about this, but first she needed to get free so she could call him.

What’s Ethan going to say to you, Jo? You did it this
time? Didn’t he already warn you not to push a man like Ted?

She made it as far as the edge of the bed when Ted lunged.
Knowing there wasn’t going to be any way to get away from him, she focused. And
when she did she felt the cinch of rope around one ankle and then other, so
that made escape impossible. Instead she jammed her hand in her pocket and
found her cellphone. So what if Ethan said, “I told you so”, at least she’d
have some support. While Ted pulled her across the expanse of the bed she
dialed. Seven…two—

“Hey, give it back.”

“No.”

Without her phone there was no cavalry coming to the rescue,
she was on her own with him.
Isn’t
this what you wanted?
Yeah,
but not like this. Time to fake that black belt she said she had. She flipped
over, snapped up in a seated position and karate chopped him right in the neck.
“Ow!” That hurt her more than it did him. He didn’t even blink. He just grabbed
her throbbing hand and lassoed it in a slip knot.

She still had one free limb left. If she were going to use
it she better be smart about it. If she tried to slap him he’d probably duck
aside. Strategy time. She’d feign a strike and when he ducked she’d connect
with him. When it worked and the red imprint of her hand showed beneath the
white scar on his cheek she was just about to congratulate herself…until she
saw his eyes. Black and soulless.

“That was a mistake.”

“Yeah, so was bringing me up here. I demand you let me go.”

She continued to struggle as he pushed her down on the bed.
There was no hesitation as he hooked the ropes secured on her wrist through the
iron bars of the headboard. Steadily he pulled on them so her arms were forced
up over her head. Not the most commanding position to be in when making
demands. “You’re going to get in big trouble for this. I’m telling Ethan.”

“Quiet.”

“Me be quiet? Go fuck yourself.” With her arms no good to
her she used her feet, trying to angle the spikes of her heels in such a way to
make contact with a piece of him.
So this is your plan? You finally get what
you’ve wanted all along and now, because it’s not being delivered to you the
way you always envisioned it, you’re going to fight him tooth and nail?

She connected and he swore, “Damn, you’re a calculating
little witch. Calm and cool.” He threw himself over her legs, pinning them
until he had them spread two feet apart and tied to the iron footboard. When he
got up he was smiling.

“You won’t think this is so funny when your business partner
hears about this.” He didn’t say a word. That smile slid into a grin as he
reached out and undid a button on her blouse. “W-what are you doing?”

He undid another one. “Every time you open your mouth and
talk I’m going to undo a button and when I run out of them on your blouse, I’ll
move to the one on your belt, your pants and the clasp on your bra…everything I
can find to undo on you. Everything except the ropes. So be a good little sub.”

Jo wasn’t even sure she was a sub. Her only goal since being
introduced to this kind of lifestyle was to get an experienced Dom to consent
to do to her what had already been done. But this time when it happened, the
memory that stuck would be because she made it stick, not because that
motherfucker forced himself on her. She wanted a new image to obliterate the old.
The concept had seemed logical and easy enough until she’d fallen in lust with
one of the Doms. Ted Basel. Him. The bastard. Suddenly nothing was easy because
she was forced to spend time around him. And as for logic? Well, that went out
the window the moment she confided her attraction to him to her BF. Before Jo
knew it her friend had decided Ted was the Dom who should Top her. Only he
refused. Double bastard.

And now that she’d gotten over that blow and accepted his
rejection as a blessing in disguise, she found herself here? Hell no. She’d
consciously chosen Ed because he was safe. Ed didn’t get her pulse racing with
just a look. Ed’s presence in a room didn’t make her body heat and get her wet
between her legs…but Ted’s did. That frightened the hell out of her. Especially
now. “You can’t do this.”

“Actually, we both know this is what you asked for…or more
precisely, me.”

The conceited… “Pig. You’re hurting me.”

His eyes twinkled. “The only thing smarting on you at the
moment is your ego. So do us both a favor and keep that pretty mouth shut like
I told you to.”

“Fuck you.”

Shit, he undid the third button. She only had one left on
her blouse. The evil prick. Even though it killed her, abso-fucking-lutely
killed her, she remained quiet and thought about the situation. Apparently he’d
had a change of heart about her. Or had he? If only she knew for sure.

As if he read her mind he said, “I didn’t want to get
involved. You know that, but with you signing the full release this evening?
How could I leave you to the wolves? Mind you, my original plan was just to
scare some sense into you, but now I’ve changed my mind. You respond too well
to fear and work through it logically without emotion so that tells me I’d be
wasting my time trying to punish you that way.”

“Punish me? W-what are you planning to do?”

Tsk, tsk.
He undid the last button and spread her
blouse wide open. She wanted to scream at him so bad she was biting the side of
her mouth and compressing her lips so hard they hurt. Maybe she wasn’t good sub
material after all because this
not
knowing what was going to happen
when she clearly wanted something to happen was sheer hell.
Jo, you’ve
fantasized about a moment like this for weeks. Just relax and see where this
goes.

“Very nice,” he whispered, dragging the back of his knuckles
across her naked stomach. His touch made her muscles clench and when he saw
that reaction he splayed his hand on her belly and intimately pressed in. “You
have beautiful tone.”

With no verbal barbs to fire and consciously making the
effort to relax, she was free to concentrate on other things. Namely the heat
of his skin against hers. The pressure of his palm as he captured the rise and
fall of her every breath.

“No smart mouth? Very good. That tells me you can be
trained.”

She closed her eyes and swallowed, wanting to hate the sound
of his voice as much as she hated his words, but she couldn’t. His gravelly
tone warmed her inside out. All her anger was melting. What the fuck was
happening here?

“Ah, I can see your confusion.” She cracked a lid. “I’m
going to tell you something I know to be true about you. You liked to be tied
and secured because someone else is in control for a change. More to the point,
I’m in charge. You like that it’s me.”

That wasn’t true. It wasn’t. He could be anyone. She was
over him. She was. “Fuck you.”

He shook his head as he undid her silver belt. “What’s with
all the swearing? A simple no would have sufficed.”

“Bastard.”

He undid the button of her jeans. “I don’t let my woman
swear, princess.”

“I’m not—”

Slowly he undid her zipper and she wanted to kill herself
because now that she stopped mid-denial she couldn’t finish without him undoing
something else and really, what was left? Just the clasp on her bra.

“For tonight you’re under my protection. You need someone
with some sense looking after you since you signed that consent. Dangerous and
reckless.” His gaze held hers. “Never, never do that again. Understood?”

Oh. My. God. She nodded. What the hell?

“Good, now I want to make this clear. I intend to be your
Dom for the night. Only tonight and as such I don’t expect to uncover all your
secrets, but I’ll be happy if we unearth at least one. Will you give me that
much? Will you try?”

She closed her eyes and attempted to steady the erratic pace
of her rapidly beating heart. After a moment she nodded.

“I’m going to take you somewhere you haven’t been. I
wonder,” his one hand was still on her stomach while his other gently brushed
the hair off her forehead, “if you know the difference between heaven and
hell?”

She opened her eyes and looked at him. The red handprint was
still visible and she felt a pang of remorse. Only for a moment and then when
he spoke the moment was gone.

“If you do, you’ll understand when I say, for some women
heaven is hell. With you, my prickly princess, I believe this to be the case.
I’m going to take you to heaven so you can face your hell.”

Those words sank in. His voice was quiet and soft. Even his
expression invited, so why was this the very first time tonight she was scared
of him?

“Please…”

He reached under and undid her bra before he plucked the
discarded tie off the bed and grasped her chin. Pulling, until she was forced
to look at him.

“The next words I hear you say will be thank you.”

She opened her mouth to deny him, but couldn’t as he’d
stuffed the tie between her lips. The last thing she saw before he blindfolded
her was the knife he tossed on the mattress beside her. That was when she
panicked.

Chapter Two

“Look at you, you’re trembling.” Ted was careful to keep his
tone even. “I’m going to use the knife to cut off your bra and panties. That’s
all. The blouse and pants can stay.”

He didn’t waste time with ceremony. He pulled down her
jeans, admiring the flawless bronze skin on her thighs, and reached for the
thin strip of lace stretched over her hip. “Easy,” he said. “Don’t move.”

She stilled and he purposely tugged hard before he sliced
the blade through the material. He wanted her to feel the snap when it came.
“There, that’s one side done.” When she attempted to move her other hip away
from him, he chuckled. “You’re tied. Bound and blindfolded. Give up with the
defiance and let the night unfold.”

He stood quietly beside the bed. Waiting and watching for
several long moments until the tension in her body eased. “That’s right.” He
stroked the curve of one hip. Over and over as she relaxed even more. “I plan
to be patient and thorough. I want to show you it’s good to need.” He continued
stroking. “You have beautiful hips. Curves a man appreciates as they give him
something to hang onto while he anchors your sweet little pussy on his cock.
Shhh.” She started to protest again. Clearly she didn’t like his plain speaking
because she was also making noise beneath the tie. Hm.

“Let’s cut this side open so I can get a good look at that pussy
of yours. I bet it’s tight. Really tight.” He reached across and in one fluid
motion he cut the lace band over her other hip. “Perfect, now to unveil.”

He’d intended to tease her a little. Talk his way through
what he saw, but what he saw took his breath away. “Did you do this yourself,
princess?” He splayed his hand on her belly and pressed her into the mattress
so she couldn’t move and he could get a better look. “So beautiful.” He took in
the light trail of ebony herringbone silk that went from the top of her slit to
the bottom. She was exquisite so before he was tempted to touch her he tore his
gaze from there and examined. “Is it henna?”

She nodded and he was captivated.

The beautiful henna design was stained on her
smooth-as-glass mound in a deep red-brown color. The pattern was similar to a
Spanish coin he’d seen once, except instead of a profile picture of a man in
the center, there was one elegantly presented phrase. “This is my gift to
give,” he read it out loud and frowned. The fact that she’d temporarily turned
this part of herself into a symbolic shrine made him uneasy.

Could be someone tried to force her to give more of herself
than she was prepared to give and this was a reminder. Or maybe her family was
old school and wanted to barter her gift to a man of their choosing? But he’d
been told Jo’s mother was all American and raised Jo that way. Only her father
adhered to his East Indian heritage. Either way, the sign pointed to her being
a virgin, not that it mattered to him. He’d already determined he wasn’t going
to fuck her. But just the thought that possibly this beauty—he ran his index
finger lightly down her center—hadn’t been explored? Got his juices flowing and
blood pooling heavily, weighing his cock to settle like a baseball bat against
his thigh.

He took his time with this treasure. Trailing his finger up
and down that silk-covered line. Over and over. Slow and steady until she eased
and it opened. Just a bit. A scant parting but the little spread was enough for
him to use to his advantage as his broad fingertip slipped in and touched hot,
wet flesh. It was barely a press, more like a rub that he gave her clit to make
her shiver and moan. And when she slickened even more and his finger swirled
through the gathering pool he knew he needed a taste.

Bending, he spread her silky lips wide and licked her only
once, but it was good for both of them. She was trying to get some leverage on
the bed, unfortunately the ropes wouldn’t allow it. Did she attempt to flex her
hips for more of his mouth or less of it? He didn’t know. All he knew was that
she tasted good. Like those apples he loved, bathed in fresh spring rain.

“You taste sweet.” He eyed the intricate henna design. “My
little Indian princess. Have you ever sampled your own honey? If you haven’t
before, you will tonight, I promise, but first let’s see what other surprises
you have for me to uncover.”

He pushed her blouse away then cut the lacy straps of her
bra and pulled it off her. Tossing it to the floor, he examined her perfectly
round breasts. They were a good size but… “Why are you wearing these, I
wonder?” He ran a finger over the nude-colored film that was like a large
rounded-off X directly in the center of each breast. “What are you hiding?”

As gently as he could he peeled first one and then the other
latex shield off, tossing them in the same direction as the bra. No wonder she
strapped these down. Once the tape was gone her nipples spiked up. Hard. Solid
and tempting. The dusky shade of them nearly matched the red-brown henna. He
could barely make out where the areola stopped and the henna began because here
too she was decorated. No words, just the same intricate patterned design that
looked exotic and sexy as all fuck.

“You are spectacular.” He dragged the back of his knuckles across
her left nipple. Although why he bothered was a mystery. She was already stiff
enough to play with. “I wonder how sensitive your breasts are.” He leaned over
and opened the night table drawer. Spying the various equipment within, he
smiled. All new and never used. She was a lucky girl. No matter which kind he
chose they were going to pinch.

He almost selected the Japanese clamps, but then he saw the
barrel clamps with the brass chain and changed his mind. The metal would go
perfectly against her burnished skin.

“Don’t move,” he whispered as he threaded her plump flesh
through the eyelet and turned the barrel three full turns until he got the
squeeze he was looking for. “Very good.”

He kept an eye on her. Her breathing was deep and slow. It
was obvious she was a woman who bore pain well. That thought got his dick dry
heaving. God, she was a sight. Tied, yet half dressed with that henna… “Now the
other one.” She groaned into the tie as he tightened it. Not too much. Just a
little pinch to know it was there. “All done. All right, it’s time for some
answers. All you have to do is nod yes or shake your head no, do you
understand?”

She nodded that she did.

“Good.” He sat on the bed and slowly traced the circle henna
stenciled on her mound. Around and around, as he asked, “Has your pussy been
fucked?” When she remained still with her blindfold facing the ceiling he
grabbed a small section of silky hair. A patch just at the top of her slit and
tugged. “Jo.”

Her shake “no” was unsteady and so was his hand as he returned
to draw those circles. A little Indian princess who hadn’t been explored?
Tempting.

Fuck.

“What about with something other than a cock. Has your pussy
been fucked with a dildo?”

He actually saw her blushing between the tie and the
blindfold before she shook again.

“Do you get yourself off with your hands?”

Again no.

“Are there religious reasons why you haven’t done these
things?”

He was relieved when this too was a no. For a minute there
he was getting worried.

“What about anal? Have you ever been fucked in the ass?”

His hand stilled and he peered at her when she nodded, her
body tensed up and her breathing pattern changed.

“Did you like it?”

The vehement way she shook her head told him many things. It
probably explained why her pussy was a shrine. Someone had stolen a part of her
body before she was ready to give it and no one was going to be stealing from
her again without being put on notice.

“Did it hurt?”

When she answered affirmatively, he scowled. “Were you
physically injured?”

Her response was slow, but negative.

“I’m glad that you weren’t. Now,” he stopped with the
circles and undid the clamps. “You’ll be nice and tingly here once the blood
returns.” He got up and put them on the table then dug through the drawer for
some lube and the string of anal beads he’d seen earlier. He went with the
shortest length. Seven beads in all and left them next to the clamps while he
readjusted her.

After watching her for months, reading her profile tonight
and finding her body purposely decorated this way, he was able to fill in a
number of blanks. More than likely someone had forced her and this was
something she couldn’t get over. That would explain the body art, but not the
mega-bitch-to-men attitude. In his experience, that kind of generalized fury
only came when a woman was betrayed. Had she trusted the guy who did this to
her, or had she trusted someone else who let her down? Both equally devastating
in his mind and a truth too deep to explore with her tonight. He’d leave that
in the hands of her future Dom because that guy had his work cut out for him
dealing with her. Tonight Ted’s only focus was going to be on the act itself.
He’d give her pleasure to replace the pain and hopefully, that would be enough
to sand down some of her rough edges so she could find a Dom to give her some
peace.

“I’m going to reposition each rope to shift you.” While he
moved her, so she was on her side with her hands together across her body, he
continued to calmly speak, “Don’t worry, you’ll leave this room as physically
intact as you came into it. Normally I’d give you a safe word or a signal to
make so you could tell me if things for you were getting too intense, but the
kind of intensity I plan on delivering is something you’ll have to bear. You’re
going to have to trust me. Believe me when I say that I will not physically
hurt you, I promise.” He didn’t add that the territory he was out to claim
tonight was emotional and sometimes that wound up being more painful than a
bona fide flogging.

He finished tying her legs in a scissor spread now that she
was on her side and said, “I’m going to be slow. Slow and patient. I promise I
won’t do anything to you until I know you’re ready for it and nothing I do to
you will interfere with the gift that’s yours to give when you’re ready, I swear.”

He waited for her to nod before he picked up the lube.

The mattress dipped as he stretched out behind her and every
muscle in her body tensed. There was a tiny gap in the blindfold and all she
could see was the sheet and a corner of the duvet.

A rustle and more movement. Then she felt his breath against
her back.

She balled her hands into tight fists and pulled, trying to
bring them down, but it was no use. The silken cord only tightened around her
arms.

“Careful.”

That word blew across her cheek when he reached over to slip
a finger through the rope loop and ease the pressure at her wrists. Mint
settled around her. Mint mixed with subtle spice. Nice.

“You need to relax.”

But how could she do that when she knew what he was going to
do now that they were down to brass tacks here. He’d read her profile sheet, he
was totally up to speed with what she wanted. What she was looking for from
this exchange. And now that it was him Topping her…?

God, why did she write that?

Her eyes slammed shut behind the blindfold and she
stiffened. This was a huge mistake. She’d picked Edward to do this for her.
Nice guy, Ed, who had a crooked smile and barely any stubble on his jaw and
cheeks. She’d chosen him because he didn’t look as though he could hurt a fly.
Not like Ted. The aloof and brooding Dom who had subs shadowing his every move.
Oh she’d heard the whispers about him. How he kept to himself and only worked
with subs already attached. They called him the disciplinarian. The Dom other
Doms sent their hard-to-train and bratty subs for lessons.

And despite knowing all this you still want him. Admit
it.

She sucked in a deep breath as every muscle in her body
flexed. Any moment he was going to be all over her. She anticipated the sharp
stabs of pain and the heavy, unwanted pressure that would make it hard to
breathe. All this quickly followed by the embarrassment of being personally
invaded.

“Easy.”

His firm order got her refocused. This was what she needed.
Face her fear. Gain back the power. Reclaim that part of her that Anjay had
taken away. She could handle this. She would handle this.

“You have beautiful skin, princess. Soft like silk and
smooth like satin.”

She shivered not with his words, but his actions as he drew
tiny circles over her shoulders and walked his fingers beneath her hair to
gently rub her nape. It felt good.
Good?
Why didn’t he just get it over
with? She didn’t need soft, she needed hard.

She groaned beneath the tie when his hot mouth touched
against her shoulder blade. She’d been expecting the worst and here he was
giving her a taste of heaven. He was right. This was hell.

“So sweet. So delicious.”

He licked a singeing path from her shoulder to her neck and
when he forced her head to tilt and opened his mouth over the sensitive spot
beneath her ear to suck, she stiffened. This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be
enjoying this. She was supposed to feel something, but pleasure wasn’t what she
had in mind. Pain was what she’d asked for.

“Stop analyzing,” he whispered in her ear. “Tonight you do
what I want. You get what I want to give you. Your needs are mine to control,
do you understand?”

The concept was basic. Primal. And something that she could
make a connection with.

His big palm splayed over her naked belly and he pulled her
back, as much as the ropes would allow, until her bottom was cradled within the
curve of his lap. The heat and hardness brought home just how well he was in a
position to control, whether she wanted it or not. But she wanted it. Secretly,
she wanted it bad. Pain, pleasure, heaven or hell, his kind of confidence
commanded respect so she nodded.