Bind and Keep Me, Book 2 (12 page)

“Ow!” She leaped away, her hand at her side. “Oh, fuck. That went in.”

I’m sure all my blood ran away to my toes. I’d hurt Jodie. Klaus would come home and kill me. A bunch of swearwords did a traffic jam in my head. When she took away her hand, there was a grape-sized splotch of bright red blood on her cream shirt.

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit.” Tears pricked my eyes. “Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry! Let me see. Please?”

“No.” Frowning, she backed away a step.

When I followed, I made sure the knife was pointed floorward.

My only warning—a stern, “Steph.” Then she pirouetted and rammed her foot into my side. Pain exploded in. The room went hazy and I dropped, clutching my hands to my stomach. While I was gasping and retching, she plucked the knife from my fingers. I stared up at her and attempted to speak without spewing up lunch. “What. The. Hell?”

She placed the knife out of my reach on top of the fridge then stood, hands on hips, studying me. “I mightn’t be a black belt in anything, Steph, but Klaus is like the nitpickiest of men and once he found out I was clueless about self-defense he made me do lessons. I can kick your ass, girl. Do not mess with me again. Got that?”

Anger spilled. “No, I do not
get
that! Let me go. Look…” I was sprawled on my ass still, with my legs askew and tucked under me. I stared at her feet. “I’m not your puppet. Let me go. Please?”

She merely shook her head. “I can’t. You know why. And you’ve just set our trust of you back ten steps. What am I going to tell Klaus?”

Shit. “Nothing? I’m sorry. You know I never would have hurt you…except by accident.”

“You don’t understand. I won’t lie to him. I never do. Now, give me your wrists, Steph. I’m going to tie you up downstairs until he comes home.”

“Look. No. No, no.” I held up a hand to fend her off, and scooted backward until I hit the kitchen cupboard behind me. “Can’t we—”

With no hesitation, Jodie took a stride, grabbed my waving hand, and twisted it until I had no choice but to flip onto my stomach. Feeling like my muscles were tearing, I was shrieking as she clicked the cuffs together. “Hurts! Hurts!”

“It’s done.” She released the grip. I heard her panting and I put my nose to the cool tile and shuddered through the residual pain. “I’m fair, Steph. I’ll tell him it was a mistake. I know you wouldn’t hurt me. That’s why this was stupid though…wasn’t it?”

I sniffed then felt a kick on the sole of my foot.

“Steph. Answer me.”

“I guess.” Humiliation at my position and how easily she’d subdued me was vying with a draining despair. What would Klaus do to me? I’d hurt Jodie and I knew that was one of his triggers. Last time he’d been so angry. And I was so frigging dead.

“Hey, pet. It won’t be that bad.” I heard the rasp of cloth. When her hand stroked my back and then meandered down to pat my ass, I’d guessed that she’d squatted behind me. “I’ll help you as much as I can. Okay?”

Defeated, I breathed a few times and closed my eyes before I replied. “Okay.”

I smiled ruefully down at Stephanie, getting my pulse rate to settle before I tried doing anything else. I’d been all gruff and authoritarian with her, but hell, I’d never kicked anyone for real before. I hadn’t wanted to hurt her either but she’d left me no choice. This was getting so fucked up.

My gaze tracked to where my hand was resting…the little dress was so short that half her bottom peeked out from underneath. Pale skin, gorgeous, biteable ass with a distinct view of everything between her legs. As I examined her, I became aware of my clit throbbing in time with my pulse. Seemed I had a thing for her lying down showing me her ass. Bewitching view. I’d love to see her get off again, right now. I
so
wanted to be the one to make her.

Such a submissive posture. And incredibly wrong, staring at her. Though it pained me, I took hold of the hem and started to pull it down.

“What are you doing?” she whispered.

“Making you decent.” But my hand stopped moving, almost before my thoughts caught up. “Oh, baby,” I breathed. “You so tempt me.”

I think I heard her make a tiny noise. Though I listened, she was silent, but her thighs rocked, once. Did that idea stir her?

I stroked her again, struggling to remain…to become calm.

Why had I never felt this way before? Klaus, ass up before me…me dominating him.
Uck
, no way. Ditto when I thought of Kat. I had zero desire to do that to either of them. It was just Steph then? Or this whole fucked-up situation? If it was that, oh my, I was a closet psycho.

“Jodie?”

I looked up. She had her face to the other side and couldn’t see me. Did she not want to see? Afraid to? Was there something in her that matched my own desires? I fucking hoped so. I squeezed my thighs together and kept on looking at her…her everything. The posture, the peekaboo baring of her ass, her lack of protest… It fairly screamed at me to do her.

I swallowed and stood, despite the tractor-beam-like pull that made me want to touch her again.

“So…you won’t let me go?”

The plea in her voice was so pitiful yet also so ridiculous considering what had just happened that I chuckled. “No.”

“Can you at least tell Thom? That I’m okay? Please?”

What the hell? Thom was her stepbrother. Was she insane? Tell him and he’d do what? Ignore us? Though my gut twisted at the idea we were causing her family grief, this had not begun with
my
bad choices. I shook my head. “No. Hell no. Get through your head. You’re here now, until we decide to let you go. Us. Not you. Not anyone else. Us.”

I caught my breath, staring down at her, cuffed and subdued. This was power. Having a girl at my feet I could do all this too. And wrong, surely, to get a thrill from it?

“I’m getting your leash.” I bent and clicked her ankle cuffs together. “Don’t you dare move until I get back or I will cane your ass myself, pet. Understood?”

Her yes was tiny and inaudible; it might have been a mouse squeaking.

As I walked to the bedroom, my groin was aching so much that as soon as I went through the door I had to press my hand against myself down there. I sucked in a huge breath.

Surely, wanting to do this was wrong. I recalled feeling the same guilt back when I used to read erotic BDSM romances and capture fantasies by the truckload—before Klaus and I worked out our relationship. I’d felt dirty and ashamed, like I was a freak. I’d been wrong about myself, of course. That was completely normal.

Was this normal then? Wanting to sexually dominate a woman who…was tied up and couldn’t get away. Who couldn’t say no?

I covered my face with my hands, sagging against the doorframe. This was freaky. But I still wanted her.

If she was screaming
no
at me, I’d not do it. I frowned. That would be so ugly. That would horrify me. So, I guess I had limits. I knew I liked seeing her get pleasure from my touch. That was at least half the enjoyment for me. Thinking of making her climax sent my thoughts racing for that memory. Yeah, I liked that, a lot.

So, maybe this was just slightly wrong? I groaned. Fucked if I knew. Long as I knew my boundaries. Long as I had
that
. Yes. I pushed off from the wall and went in search of the leash.

Getting her down to the room had been an exercise in safety. I wasn’t game to cuff her hands at the front. But we’d made it, and I chained her wrists to a wall ring with them still at her back. She had the mattress to lie on and could shift and turn if she wanted.

“What if I need to go to the toilet, Jodie?” She pleaded with those big brown eyes.

“You can hang on. It’s two o’clock.”

As I marched back to the door, I ignored her protests about it being three more hours. Then I shut the door behind me, and leaned against it to gather my composure. I was so horny I wanted to use the vibe, but Klaus had long ago forbidden me to do that by myself. I too had to wait. Damn her for making me like this. And yet, I also loved that she could arouse me.

I shut my eyes and relished that heavy aching feel between my legs. It made me so aware of being a woman.

“God.” I whispered. “I
have
to get you to help me with this soon, Steph.” Her tongue down there…

I roused myself from my lustful stupor. I should go do some sweeping and stop having wet dreams about getting her to…”
Stop, stop, stop
. “Fuck. I’m such an idiot.”

It was going to be a long three hours. I think I’d found the definition of delicious agony.

Klaus arrived home at a quarter to five. The crunch of gravel and the engine sound from the front of the house gave him away. He must have left work early—an unheard of occurrence. Guess he was worried. Though he did have reason to be. I’d texted him and said there’d been a small incident. His reply:
Be at the door. I’ll get Chinese for dinner
.

And so, I waited at the front door, kneeling, head down. He loved me doing this, waiting submissively, and though he hadn’t ordered it, I felt the need. Steph had wrecked my idea of who I was. At work I was perfectly capable of ordering people about. Was happy to, really. But here, at home, it didn’t fit so well. Besides, I’d been thinking about what had happened, and I’d been at fault too.

After the door closed, I greeted him and waited. From the plastic bag hanging from his hand came the aroma of Chinese take-out.

“Look at me,” he demanded.

I peeked up.

“It was more than a small incident, wasn’t it?” Klaus’s eyes narrowed. Uh-oh. Mr. Mind Reader had arrived. I missed the evil though amused tweak of the corner of his mouth that often accompanied that sort of loaded question. The man looked as if a rock wouldn’t dent his face.

“Yes, Sir.”

“Where is Stephanie?”

“She’s cuffed and secured in the room, Sir.” Saying Sir a lot seemed wise considering the thunderstorm brewing.

“Right. Let’s go. Downstairs.”

“Wouldn’t you like to eat first?” Unease unfolded, creeping darkly. This was so unlike him. Plus, I figured if he was hungry he might get an urge to bite way more off than I was comfortable with. Klaus had control in his bones, but sometimes he still nudged close to the danger zone.

“Now, Jodie.” Oh my. No “sweetheart” or “love” or “gorgeous”. I sighed, climbed to my feet and after putting the take-out in the fridge, I followed him down.

The excruciating look on Steph’s face reminded me of her last plea. Klaus hefted a chair inside then shut the door. He arranged it so it faced the mattress. When we’d arrived, Steph had struggled up onto her knees. The bodice of my blue dress made her bosom look about to spill any second. No wonder Klaus liked me wearing it. She looked warily out at us from under her dark mess of hair. Hard to control where your fringe goes when your hands are stuck behind you.

“May I speak, Sir,” I ventured.

“Yes.”

“Can we let her go to the toilet? I wasn’t game to uncuff her before. Not after…” I cleared my throat.

His eyebrow nudged upward. “She can wait. Tell me what happened.”

He reversed the chair and sat, his forearms resting along the back. Though his dark suit and shirt were tidy, the lines of weariness on his face shocked me. This was worrying him as much as it had me. More than me, today. I’d had Stephanie to distract me and talk to and ogle. Guilt niggled at my conscience.

“Would you like a drink, Sir? A beer? Scotch? Surely you need food?”

“No. Was that all you wanted to say? I think it best I’m sober. I want you to kneel, Jodie, and tell me what happened today.” He took off his coat and folded it over the back of the chair.

Steph hadn’t said a single word. She must be dreading what was coming.

I kneeled, thought for a few seconds then launched into my account. I didn’t hold anything back. We were always honest with each other. I knew he might get angry, but I valued his decisions. He wouldn’t go too far, or not so far that it would horrify me. Part of us, our to and fro, was him pushing. I liked that. When I was done, he studied both me and Steph, then swung his leg off the chair like a man dismounting a horse and headed straight for her.

Before she could do more than stiffen in fright, he spoke. “I’m just freeing you so you can go to the toilet. Jodie will be coming upstairs with me. When we return, be on the mat, kneeling. I already have very good reasons to punish you. Don’t disappoint me. Clear?”

She nodded. I think both of us expected harshness, but he freed her, took her hands and drew her to her feet. The difference in their build and height even made me blink. Nothing set off my submissive genes more than seeing a man dwarfing a woman. They were both so lust-inducing I was ready to lick them both all over at the slightest prompt. If only I could get them in our bed, together.

Whatever Stephanie thought of this, he’d certainly stunned her. When I looked back into the room as Klaus locked her in, she was still standing there, staring after us.

“Living room.” He pointed upward.

Nervous, I went first. What did he think about Steph sticking a knife in me?

On reaching the living room, he sat on the couch and beckoned to me to stand between his legs. “Show me the wound.”

I lifted my t-shirt. “I cleaned it and used antiseptic. It scared her more than me. The bleeding stopped quickly.” I peeled back the square bandage. The point of the knife had only slid in under the skin on my side and left a small bruise. The tiny cut was dark red. Clean. I inspected it myself as he gently manipulated my skin. “See. It’s nothing.”

He pursed his lips, shook his head. “You’re sure it’s shallow?”

“Yes.”

“Lucky. Damn lucky. She could have tripped and put it inches into you, then where would we be? Hmm?” He looked at me. “Should you have uncuffed her?”

Sadness hit unexpectedly. My mouth wobbled. “I’m sorry. I know you said to be careful and I wasn’t. It’s my fault, isn’t it?”

He put his hands to my waist, and on the uninjured side, he rubbed his thumb back and forth. “Partly, yes, sweetheart.” His thumb stopped moving. “I need to punish you. Okay? More than her. She’s stupid and at fault but if I do to her what I would like to… It wouldn’t be good.”