Bind Me Before You Go (Entangled Brazen) (Serve) (8 page)

Then he began. He introduced himself, explained what kind of gear he would be using, and gave a quick drill on basic knots.

All the while, she stood there under the light, with her back to the audience. She still had her clothes on, and the idea that they’d be coming off soon spiked her adrenalin. Her heart beat wildly, like a caged bird flailing inside her chest.

“Close your eyes.” His voice was low but rough. Like gravel. Then he took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the crowd. Even though she couldn’t see them, her breath hitched, stuck in the space between her lungs and her throat.

“You ready?” he whispered again.

“I’m a little scared,” she admitted, still keeping her eyes closed.

She felt the pressure of his hand on her neck, and his mouth came even closer to her ear.

“Cassidy, you are the most intriguing, naturally beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. No bullshit. It takes balls to come up here and embrace your sexuality in this way. And you’re in the perfect place to do it, because everyone in this room is searching for the same thing you are.”

She nodded but didn’t reply.

“I have to admit,” he continued, and even with her eyes closed, she could sense his gaze growing more heated for her. “I’m beyond pleased that you’re letting go like this with me. But only as long as you’re not doing this
for
me. Do it for
you
. Trust me enough to help you let go…okay?”

She kept her eyes closed and whispered, “Okay.”

His hand skimmed the length of her spine then touched the clasp of her top. Then he stopped, and she realized he was being mindful, that he was getting her consent every step of the way. She nodded, and he flicked the tips of his fingers on the hooks and the clasp came undone.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he groaned, seeming almost in pain over the sight of her. She gave him a smile, and it was a sincere one. She felt cherished and lovely and surprisingly intimate, in spite of knowing there were dozens of people watching them.

“I’m ready,” she whispered.

“All right.” He turned to the audience. “Welcome to our Shibari demo, everyone. I’m going to start off with a classic fixed knot double coin harness.” The crowd remained eerily silent. “As you wrap the rope around your partner, it’s critical you learn to read her signals. Is she stiffening up or relaxing the muscles under the bindings? Is her face grimacing or does she appear aroused? That’s what makes this kind of Shibari all about mutuality. The rope serves as the conduit between you and your partner, like a cord of energy, of your desire, weaving from your hands onto her body. It’s like a dance between equals.”

His fingers and his rope skirted under her breasts and around her back. She didn’t know if he was going slowly because it was a demo or if he was using his slow touch to tease her, but it didn’t matter. Her entire body came alive at his touch. His calloused fingers lightly stroked the outside of her breasts, around her sides, and across her spine.

“Hold the rope on her back by the running ends,” he continued. “Hold them in place right by her shoulder blades.” He swiftly turned her around so that the crowd could see what he was explaining. The turn threw her off-balance for a moment, but his hand along her spine brought her back to her center. “Come back around over the chest, and start to make a weaving pattern.”

His fingers danced feather light on her skin, but when he gripped her, it was strong, coarse even, and he tugged at the ropes around her ribcage. The fibers bit into the velvet softness under and around her breasts, like a serpentine vice. It was just enough to alert her to their presence, but not enough to really hurt her. It was amazing how he knew exactly how much she could take.

“Don’t let the rope slack,” he warned the audience as he cinched the weave even tighter. “You’ve got to make sure your partner is secure, that she knows you’ve got her. She needs to feel safe, feel bound to you, in order for her to let go.”

Cassidy opened her eyes and saw David’s gaze, waiting to meet hers.

“Ready for more?” he murmured, only meant for her ears.

Her lips parted and her stomach fluttered. She felt completely aroused by how much he wanted her. She didn’t care about the crowd of people in the room anymore, and she found she was actually getting off on being tied up, having him in control. Because she trusted him.

“Yes,” she mouthed.

“Good,” he muttered, and just then he lightly scraped the harsh fibers of the rope’s length across her nipples. Once, twice, then a delicious pinch between his calloused fingers.

A reward. An unexpected, but well-deserved, reward from her lover.

His hands came up to her waist and cradled her sides. Their heat seared her skin. They drifted down to her hips, and his thumbs hooked onto the sides of her underwear . He raised an eyebrow at her, and she understood he was silently asking her permission to take her further. She ran the tip of her tongue along the bottom seam of her lip, excited about what was coming next.

She gave the hint of a nod and, without hesitating, he ripped the underwear right off her body.

Some people in the crowd gasped, but David didn’t miss a beat. Before grabbing the rope, he ran both hands up her calves and thighs then dove his fingers between the folds of her sex. He gave her clit a couple of strokes—a taste of what would happen between them when they were off the stage—but then his touch was gone.

He hooked more rope onto the upper harness he’d woven and wrapped the extension around her thighs and in between her legs. He positioned the bonds around her sex and teased her by stroking her lips with his fingers and with the rope. She blushed as she realized she was already drenched.

“Shibari is not just about tying up your partner,” he said. “And the rope is not just an implement to immobilize. This is not domination the way many of you think of it. The rope is an extension of you and, through each knot and tie, you are wrapping yourself around your partner. You are binding yourself to her in that moment, and with her body and her trust, she binds herself to you.”

By the time he was done, she was intricately wrapped in rope around her breasts, tight through her middle, and down and around her legs. He’d even managed, somehow, to maneuver the ropes so that they opened her sex, exposing her entrance and clitoris—a vulnerability he took advantage of with scant but heady touches.

Then he told the crowd he was going to make something called a “Swiss seat” and would suspend her in a maneuver called the basic “inverted Y,” or as he further explained, “a standard suspension design, similar to
Kinoko Osada gotes
.”

Of course, she had no idea what he was talking about, but she was just as fascinated as the audience was.

He took more rope from his bag and started hoisting it through the large wooden ring hanging from the ceiling. He continued to talk, to wrap, and weave, totally in his own head this time. It wasn’t until he’d completed most of it that she felt him coming back to her.

“Once you’ve woven a secure enough seat for her, then you can begin to work on suspending her legs. You must make sure not to tie around any major arteries or nerve centers. You are in charge of her safety as well as her pleasure.”

As he wrapped the rope around her ankles, he caressed and rubbed her calves, her inner thighs, then scored his nails along the sensitive skin on the backs of her knees, making her shiver with desire and longing. The only time he looked away from her was when he went to pull and secure the lines, hoisting her body into the air as if she weighed nothing. It was like when she’d been a little girl on a swing.

In the air.

Weightless.

Ready to fly.

As if knowing her thoughts, he actually came behind her and gave her a slight push on her back, and she gently swayed back and forth. She was surprised how secure her body was in the contraption he’d woven around her, like she was in a cocoon. Her head lolled to the side, and she closed her eyes. The motion felt incredible.

She heard his voice. He was talking to the crowd. But between the heat in the room and the rhythmic cadence of the swing, she couldn’t focus on what he was saying any longer. She wanted, no,
needed
him to touch her.

She craved his tongue between her legs. She wanted his cock to drive into her, and she didn’t want him to be gentle. She wanted him to lose control, to use her body as a vessel for all his desire and rage and heartbreak. She wanted him to fuck her so hard that she’d feel him there days later—

The room burst into applause and whistles. The demonstration was over. David stayed on the stage with her, and while Cassidy could tell many wanted to approach him, they must have sensed he wasn’t up for additional company and conversation.

The spotlight shut off, and people filed out of the room, in their own daze, it seemed. Leo was the last one standing there on the other side of the room, but Cassidy couldn’t see him that well because David had been blocking her body from view since he’d ended the demo.

He might have had no trouble tying her up naked, but she figured he wasn’t too cool with giving everyone a long, extended peek. It sounded crazy, but in a strange way, she thought it was chivalrous of him. And if she was going to be brutally honest with herself, she’d have to admit she absolutely loved every minute of it.

“Best demo I’ve ever seen. Hands down,” Leo said, his voice taking on an almost reverent, hushed tone. “An honor to watch you work. And the two of you together? It was like…like watching a choreographed dance. Fucking unbelievable, the chemistry you two have.”

David didn’t answer, and she wondered what was going through his mind. Had he felt the same thrill on stage as her? Of course she had no prior experience to go by, but what had just happened was transcendent.

“You and your woman saved my ass. I owe you one.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“All right, I’ll see you two around.” He shut the door, leaving the two of them alone together. Finally.

David grabbed a handful of the rope over her head and proceeded to cut the rope down from the wooden ring, followed by the bindings around her ankles, wrists, and middle. He worked lightning quick, and before she knew it, he had her cradled in his arms and lying on a blanket on the floor. He rubbed oil into her skin, along the various areas where the rope had bound her. It was heaven, and it took a while for her to come back down to earth.

She was also a tad, well…disappointed. She opened her eyes to find him staring down at her.

“You good?” he asked while he studied her reactions.

“I am, it’s just, well…” She cast her gaze downward, only to have him cup her chin to keep eye contact.

“What is it?”

“I guess I thought that after the people left, you and I would….”

“Fuck?” he answered for her.

“Something like that.”

A wicked smile spread across his handsome face.

“What are you up to, Cavill?” she teased him, pretending to wrestle away.

He let out a laugh—deep and sonorous and exhilarating to her ears—and tightened his grip around her.

“Oh, I’m gonna fuck you all right,” he finally offered. “Just not here. Not our first time. That needs to happen back home.”

She licked her lips and reached out for him. “I can’t wait,” she whispered.

He tipped her chin up. “You okay?”

“Just a little out of breath. That wasn’t a typical date.”

She realized the truth of what she’d said. She was out of breath and a little tired.

He hoisted her onto her feet and then grabbed her clothes. “Get dressed. We’re going out.”

“Where, though? Back to your place?” she asked while slipping on the outfit she’d been wearing all day.

A fleeting thought raced through her. When she’d woken up this morning and laid out her skirt and blouse, bra, and panties, she was just getting dressed for a typical workday. And yet somehow, with David now in her life, she ended the day in the same clothes, but at a sex club. Now, she was off to somewhere unknown.

These next two weeks will be the adventure of your life. Savor every second.

“Bet you didn’t have anything for dinner,” he finally offered, throwing on his Ramones T-shirt. “I need to feed my girl if you’re going to have the strength for the rest of the night.”

And then, right on cue, her stomach growled. Loudly.

He gave her that crinkled-eyed smile that made her heart melt, and she let out a laugh from deep inside the same belly that growled at her.

“Well, then, you better feed me. Because I want to see what you’ve got in store for me.”

Chapter Seven

David parked on MacDougal Street and dismounted from his bike in one of his favorite New York neighborhoods, Greenwich Village. Cassidy got off the rear of the bike and took off her helmet.

“Ever been here before?” He took their helmets and locked them up with the motorcycle.

“Never. Where are we going?”

He pointed to a restaurant on the corner of the street. “Delacroix’s is a French bistro, a good one.”

“Delacroix? Any relation…?”

“Yep. One of Leo’s siblings owns the place.” He grabbed her hand. “C’mon, I’ve got an unusual surprise for you.”

He led her into the small restaurant. It had been so long since he’d been there, he thought they would have changed its appearance, but he felt a familiar comfort come over him as he stepped inside and saw the same red walls and sweet pea flowers in finger vases. The place was packed, mostly with couples huddled close together, in spite of the air outside being heavy and balmy. As soon as they cleared the threshold, a tall, stunning woman with a mane of corkscrew-curly hair and bright pink lipstick swarmed them and greeted them both with kisses on the cheek.

“David!
Bievenue. Donc bon de vous voir
.” She turned to Cassidy. “Welcome to our restaurant.”

David threw his arm around Cassidy, laughing full and deep. “Aveline, this is Cassidy. A very special guest. Cassidy, this is Aveline, Leo’s sister and the owner here.”

It was easy to see that Aveline was related to Leo. She had the same tawny, amber-colored eyes and radiant smile, which lit up the room much better than the small, painted chandeliers overhead. She also had that same gorgeous, cocoa butter smooth, caramel macchiato skin as Leo. And she was tall. She was wearing ballet flats, but even without heels, she still easily stood at five-foot-eleven.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cas-sa-dee,” she said in her heavily accented English. “Has David given you a hint about what you will experience tonight?”

“A hint? Um, I assumed we’d eat. Am I missing something?”

She gave an impish grin and winked at him. “Follow me,” she commanded, and then proceeded to sashay through the restaurant and into a small room in the back and off to the side. There were only a few tables, but the room was empty of other patrons. The only light inside the section came from a few votive candles.

Aveline handed him a small blue box and then bid them farewell, closing the door behind her. They were now all alone in the private dining room.

He pulled out her chair. “Have a seat. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

She pretended to give him the stink eye but sat her butt down as she was told. “All right, what are you up to, Cavill?”

He came up behind her and moved her hair off to the side to expose the nape of her neck. Her floral scent invaded his senses. He couldn’t help himself. He brushed his lips against the sensitive skin, making her shiver, then used the very tip of his tongue to trace along her pulse point.

“Not much here that’ll taste as good as you do,” he whispered next to her ear. Her skin flushed at his words. “But thought we could do something a little different.”

Then he showed her what Aveline had handed to him earlier. He opened the small blue box. Inside was a blindfold.

“Up for dining in the dark?” he asked her.

She swiveled in her seat. “You have finally lost your mind! What will they think when they come in here and see me blindfolded? What’s next? Hooks and rope falling down from the ceiling? You feeding me all tied up and inverted?”

“Hey, that’s a great idea!” he teased—at which she playfully slapped his arm.

“David!”

“I’m kidding! I’m kidding!” he said while laughing and grabbing her hands. He placed a series of quick kisses on her palms. “They won’t think anything because they host dining in the dark events all the time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Besides…” He reached out and smoothed down her hair. “I’d never do anything to embarrass you.”

Her features softened with the sweet smile she gave him. “I know.”

“Good, then we can begin,” he said while standing up. “May I blindfold you now?”

She took a deep breath and bit the side of her bottom lip while narrowing her eyes at him. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“You’re going to love it,” he reassured her.

“Okay, go ahead.”

He wrapped the blindfold around her head, making sure it was tight without being too constricting.

“The whole point of dining in the dark is to experience something we do all the time—eating—in a whole new way. Kind of like what you’re doing now with me, don’t you think?”

She just nodded.

There was a small brass bell in the center of the table. He rang it three times, noticing that Cassidy jumped slightly in her seat.

“Just the bell to signal to the staff we can begin.”

He watched her breathe a small sigh of relief. “Oh, okay,” she answered.

The doors opened and two wait staff brought to the table a bottle of wine and a couple of dishes, typical starters in French cuisine, with flavors he suspected she had never experienced before. The idea of introducing another world of experiences to her brought him a warm sense of satisfaction deep in his gut. After the wine was uncorked and poured, the staff left.

He took a dollop of the first appetizer and smeared it on a crostini wedge small enough to be consumed in one bite. “Ready?”

She rubbed her lips together. “Yep, absolutely. I’m totally hungry by the way.”

He brought the morsel to her lips and she opened for him. Even with the blindfold on, he could read her reactions like a book: at first surprise, then confusion, and finally delight as she let the flavors permeate her mouth.

“Describe to me what you taste,” he gently ordered.

“I don’t know where to begin,” she said.

“Just try. You’ll find the words.”

“Okay.” She paused. “It’s delicious. I love how the crusty slice of bread balances out the smooth spread. It has a rich yet delicate flavor. I know it’s some kind of protein, but I don’t know what. What is it?”

“Nope…” He shook his head, although he knew she couldn’t see him. Or catch him staring at her, with all his newfound, escalating emotions for this woman in plain view. Jesus, just watching her eat turned him on. “Forget about what everyone else would call something. The rule is you eat and drink and decide what it means to you.”

Next, he gave her some wine, which she also loved, as was evident by the way she practically moaned when it went down her throat.

“Okay, ready for the next one?”

“Yes, please,” she answered, actually bouncing up and down in her seat a couple of times.

Now it was his turn to groan. “You’ve got to stop being so adorable, otherwise we’ll never make it through the rest of the menu.”

She cocked her head and shrugged her shoulders. “I can’t help it. It’s a curse I must live with every day.”

“Yes, I can only imagine,” he said on a laugh. He took a forkful of the next bite. “Okay Ms. Sass, pucker those lips and blow, ’cause this next one is still hot.”

Goddamn, her luscious pink mouth formed a perfect “O” as she cooled the bite. Then he placed it on her tongue and watched her reactions again.

“Oh my God!” she moaned. “This is incredible. Buttery, garlicky with a touch of some herbs I can’t recognize. It’s a bit chewy, but so good.”

He took a few bites here and there along the way, but surprisingly, he wasn’t that hungry. Watching her experience the world through her palate was enough for him.

He had expected that maybe one or two of the courses wouldn’t be to her liking, but she loved everything. Just like she had tonight at Serve. Once Cassidy made up her mind, she was in. All in.

“Last course, my brave woman,” he said with a touch of pride in his tone. He took a generous spoonful of the Bistro’s signature dessert and fed it to her.

“Jesus, you’re killing me,” she said as she rolled the flavors through her mouth. “I’m getting vanilla…some kind of tart fruit and, if I’m not mistaken, something almost…floral? Whatever it is, it’s soooo good.”

“Well, it’s not dark chocolate with hazelnut—my favorite—but not bad,” he teased.

Listening to her practically moaning over each bite, watching her swipe the corner of her mouth with her little pink tongue, was undoing him.

“Fuck, Cass…I can’t…I need a taste of you…now.” He thrust his hands into her silky, golden hair and fisted it close to her scalp. She let out a whimper just as he slammed his mouth onto hers, tasting her and France all together.

She ripped the blindfold off and crawled right into his lap. He loosened the grasp he had on her as she straddled him, her arms going around him, cradling his head in her hold.

“I’m sorry,” she said breathlessly. “But I just couldn’t
not
see you anymore.” Then she assaulted his mouth with all the fervor he had just given her. He clutched her to him as she rubbed herself against his lengthening cock. He was getting harder with every touch and taste of her.

“We’re going back home,” he said. “Now.”

He placed a few hundred-dollar bills on the table and practically carried her out of the restaurant and onto the back of his bike.

“Tonight was the most fun I’ve had in my entire life,” she confessed, looking up at him through her lashes. Not as a flirty young girl ploy to grab his attention, but as woman shy when it came to sharing how she felt. He might be introducing Cass to sides of herself through sex and cuisine, but he knew right then and there that he could spend the rest of his time on Earth trying and never discover all her shades and flavors.

“Night’s not done yet. We’ve got a lot more to taste.”

She smiled as she climbed onto the back of his bike. He fucking loved seeing her there.

“C’mere,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and brought her forehead to rest on his chest.

“I barely know you and you’re already under my skin,” he grumbled. He cradled her head in both his large hands and lifted her face to his.

He expected to still find her smiling, but instead her brows were furrowed, pointed into a small V.

“Hey, what’s that look all about?” he quietly asked her.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” she countered. “Because when you tell me I’m under your skin, instead of seeing a man happy to have found something he didn’t even know he was looking for, I see pain in his eyes that I’ve only seen in people mired in grief.”

He just stared into her bright, green eyes. She was assessing him, but not like an interrogator. More like someone who truly cared about him.

If she only knew the truth, she’d run. She’d run like hell.

“When you look at me,” he said. “What do you see?”

“A brave man who served as a Marine, trained to kill in order to protect. A man whose primary purpose is the security and safety of others.”

“Don’t make me out to be something bigger than life,” he countered. “Don’t fall in love with a man like me.”

He started to let go of her body from where it was tucked against his, but she strengthened her grip.

“Look at me,” she urged, placing her palm on his chest. The heat from her body warmed him. “What is it that haunts you?” Slowly, he opened his eyes, and she sucked in a breath. “Is it PTSD from when you were in Afghanistan?”

He shook his head. “Worse, if you can believe it.”

“Something with your family?”

He paused, taking her in, assessing. Then, he gave the briefest nod.

“Okay,” she answered. “Are you ready to tell me what it is?”

He pressed his lips together. Hard. As if the secret would fall out if he didn’t physically restrain himself.

She could have pushed, but she didn’t. “You tell me when you’re ready, okay?”

He nodded again, but this time his face seemed more relaxed.

“It’s enough for now,” she continued. After a beat, she added, “You’re more than enough.”

His eyes searched every nuance of her expression. Was she real? He couldn’t help but feel she was about to disappear in a puff of smoke. Then he honed his longing gaze on her lips and kissed her.

That was when he realized that this was what he needed. Not for the same reasons as her, but he needed the fire and passion of their bodies together all the same. He’d lost the ability to connect with anyone unless it was through sex. And he knew they both needed to be in his ropes again, right now, in order to connect. To make him feel whole.