Discovering Pleasure (18 page)
“You will let go of me and leave immediately,” she said quietly.
“Awful uppity for a submissive, aren’t you?” he sneered.
“What I am is none of your concern. I will say this only one more time. Release my wrist and leave,” she instructed, her voice hard as steel.
Rather than taking the rather direct hint, Dark Hair pulled her wrist, forcing her over the bar. Without thinking, Rose smashed the wine bottle down onto the bar mere centimetres from the man’s arm, the glass shattering and the wine splattering over both of their skin.
“Whoa,” Blond Hair whispered, stepping back slightly, the smirk leaving his face.
Dark Hair jumped and released his grip.
“You crazy fucking bitch,” he screamed. “Someone needs to teach you some manners.”
In a flash, Rose saw Dark Hair’s head smashed tightly against the bar and Nathan’s strong arm pressing against the man’s neck. Blond Hair was face first on the ground, her father kneeling on his back.
“You got that backwards, asshole. It’s you that needs the lesson in manners,” Nathan ground out. “You hurt, baby girl?” he asked without taking his eyes off the man.
“I’m fine,” she answered.
“Apologise to the lady,” Nathan instructed.
“You’re all fuckin’ crazy. The bitch is a submissive. She’s supposed to do my bidding,” Dark Hair snarled.
Nathan grabbed the man’s hair and pounded his head onto the bar.
“Try again,” he warned.
“Okay, okay. I’m sorry,” he pleaded.
Nathan yanked him upright by his collar while her father forced Blond Hair to his feet as well.
“Listen, you son of a bitch,” Charles said, giving the man a good shake, “that lady your friend just insulted is my daughter and if you or he ever come anywhere near this place or her again, I’ll fucking kill you. Got that?”
Rose saw the fury on her father’s face and knew he wasn’t bluffing.
“Now both of you, get the fuck out before I let Nathan beat the shit out of you. Neither of you are welcome here again,” he warned as he pushed the man towards the door.
“I ever find out you’ve bothered any woman, let alone mine, you will regret ever having taken your first breath. Understood?” Nathan added to Dark Hair.
“Yeah. I got it,” he answered, holding a hand up to his bleeding nose.
As Rose watched the two men stumble out of the winery, she realised she was still holding the broken wine bottle. Slowly, she lowered her arm and let the jagged glass drop to the floor. Before the shaking began, strong arms enfolded her and pressed her head gently to a quickly beating heart.
“Rose…” her father whispered, kissing the top of her head.
“I’m okay,” she assured him.
“God, child,” he rasped, his voice catching in his throat, “I just found you. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let any harm come to you now.”
“Dad, really, I’m fine,” she said, pulling away slightly so that she could look up at him. Concern and love had replaced the fury in his eyes. Rose stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek.
“I can take care of myself, but I gotta admit,” she grinned, “I was happy to see you two.”
“Goddamn, girl,” Nathan swore, “that whole incident took about ten years off my life.”
Rose giggled. “Well now, we can’t have that, can we? After all, I want you around for a very long time.”
“She laughs,” Nathan whispered as he slowly sank down into a chair and rubbed a hand over his face. “Scared the shit out of me and she laughs.”
Seeing his paleness, Rose went to him, sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Oh, Nathan,” she murmured, “I love you.”
Chapter Twenty
Sparkling Rosé—
A sweet pink ros
é
filled with tiny sparkling bubbles to tickle the nose and the fancy. Best shared with a friend.
“It’s splendid,” Maverick announced decisively.
“Glad you approve,” Rose answered. “I think it is too.”
The winery glowed with soft candlelight. Fresh flowers graced every white cloth-covered table, filling the room with a heady scent as patrons sipped wine. A popular rhythm and blues tune pumped out of the speakers, causing many people to sway or dance in time to the music.
Owing to local regulations, fetish wear was acceptable in public areas of the winery, but total nudity and penetration were strictly limited to the privacy of the cabins. Rose looked at Alicia with awe and marvelled at her friend’s beauty. Her long hair hung loose, reaching all the way to the soft curve of her lower back. Her luscious breasts spilled over a tightly laced lavender corset and the bottoms of her cheeks could be seen peeking from beneath her short black skirt. A rosy glow accentuated the skin and Rose knew Alicia and Maverick had enjoyed a pre-party soiree. Rose raised her eyebrows in amazement that Alicia could not only stand upright, but walk gracefully in the five-inch heels. The only pieces of jewellery she wore were a slave anklet, which she never removed, and a diamond-studded choker. Attached to this choker was a silver leash that Maverick held loosely in his left hand, identifying her slave status. Before meeting Alicia, Rose had believed a collar and leash would degrade a woman, but now, she thought the adornments added to the confident, gorgeous woman’s dignity and allure.
Hearing a familiar laugh, Rose turned and caught sight of Vincent lifting Joe off her feet, kissing her soundly, slapping her ass then placing her back on the floor. Rose had known Joe for years and couldn’t remember a time when she’d seen her friend happier than during the past last year. Tonight, Joe radiated happiness. She had spiked her short blonde hair and tipped the ends with a bright blue, which matched her outfit perfectly. Her form-fitting, sapphire-blue dress hugged every curve and nuance of her body, making it obvious that she wore nothing beneath the silky fabric. Vincent looked equally handsome in a pair of black slacks and a dark blue, long-sleeved shirt. He’d left a few buttons open, showing off a bit of masculine hair on his well-formed chest.
Continuing to glance about the room, Rose noticed more corsets, leather and shiny vinyl clothing than she’d ever seen before. Many men and a few women had floggers or paddles attached to their belts and several others sported collars and cuffs. She grinned at one woman who appeared to be required to either stand or sit on her Dominant’s lap but never on a chair. The plump woman blushed and giggled happily while her man gently patted her bottom. Another man held his lady’s glass for her when she sampled the sparkling ros
é
. What struck Rose as most interesting, however, were the relaxed, happy expressions everyone in the room wore.
“Checking out the competition?” a deep voice asked.
“Yep,” Rose answered, tucking her arm around Nathan’s waist, “and I gotta say, some of them are quite hot. I mean, did you see the guy over there wearing the black leather pants and vest? Oh my God! His muscles have muscles!”
Nathan scowled down at her and ruffled her thick hair.
“But none, my Lord, as sexy or handsome as you,” she acknowledged as she held his hand and kissed his palm adoringly.
“Girl, you keep that up and we’ll be missing the rest of this party and heading back to our cabin. Besides, I can’t really attack you like I want with your father manning the bar right behind us,” he warned.
“Promise me later then?” she asked, brazenly sucking on each of his fingers, enjoying how his eyes darkened with need.
Nathan groaned. “Promise. But not until we see the show.”
“Show?” Rose asked, suddenly confused. “What show?”
“The one Alicia and Maverick are about to put on,” he explained. “Now don’t worry—they know all the rules about public play here and will stay within those boundaries.”
“Does my father know about this?”
“Sure does. We just wanted it to be a surprise for you. Now behave yourself and watch.”
Maverick tugged gently but firmly on Alicia’s leash. She bowed her head and knelt before him.
“Greet me,” he commanded.
Alicia, mindful of her surroundings, nuzzled and kissed his crotch until he reached down and grasped a handful of hair. She then sat back on her ankles and looked up at him.
“Are you ready, my love?” he asked.
“I am, Master,” she responded.
“You know your safe word?”
“I do, Sir.”
“And do you swear to use it if necessary?”
“I do.”
“Then we shall begin.” Maverick motioned to Joe, who adjusted some dials and the driving sounds of heavy metal music reverberated through the room.
Alicia stood and followed Maverick, her head bowed, to the centre of the room where a single rope dangled from a pulley. Alicia meekly waited while Vincent brought out several lengths of neatly coiled rope. Maverick unrolled one silken coil and pulled Alicia’s arms behind her back. Carefully and neatly, he secured her wrists with an intricate set of knots that looked more like lacing than bondage. Next, he snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor. Alicia immediately dropped to her knees and crossed her ankles. Rose wondered at her grace and balance, fascinated by the performance.
Again, Maverick laced another rope around her delicate ankles, firmly but gently securing them. Alicia didn’t move while Maverick checked to make sure her bonds were tight, but did not cut off circulation. She knelt with her back perfectly straight, her arms and ankles bound together. Maverick stood before her, lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her deeply. When he raised his face from his slave’s, Rose could see the pride shining in Alicia’s eyes. Next, Maverick nudged Alicia’s knees further apart and placed a cushioned spreader bar between them, buckling it into place. He continued his ministrations by attaching the centre rope to her bound wrists, walked jauntily to the wall where the opposite end of the rope was secured to a hook and slowly pulled. Inch by inch, Alicia’s arms went up, forcing her to bend at the waist, her hair falling forward and creating a curtain that hid her face. When her head rested on the floor, her arms pointing upward, Maverick secured the rope, thus holding her in place. Then, he stood next to his wife, bent down and gently patted her head. He whispered something to her and she wiggled her fingers and toes. Rose assumed Maverick was again checking for pain and proper circulation. Finally, Maverick waved his hand over Alicia’s bent form and bowed.
Rose added her applause to the rest, marvelling at Alicia’s flexibility and endurance. She looked perfectly beautiful.
“Why is he holding her hand?” she asked.
“To make sure she doesn’t lose blood flow or feeling to her hands. Also, it’s a bit loud in here so if she does say her safe word, he may not hear her. This way, she can squeeze his hand if she needs to and he’ll be able to respond immediately. Within seconds, he can loosen every knot. If he thinks she’s in any real danger, he has a quick-release knife hooked to his belt,” Nathan explained.
“How do you know all this?”
“Maverick and Alicia outlined the whole scenario to your dad and me beforehand. That way we’d know what was going on and could help if needed or if anyone else had questions. Ingenious, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but how long will she stay like that?” Rose whispered.
“As long as Maverick chooses or until she uses her safe word, I’d imagine,” he answered.
“That’s amazing. Almost like a living sculpture,” she responded.
“It is,” he agreed, “but what’s even more amazing, girl, is you.”
“I am pretty amazing, aren’t I?” Rose stated smugly. “A year ago I was completely alone and struggling to survive against the loneliness. Now, I’ve discovered a family I never knew I had, new friends and the love of my life. That is amazing.”
“You ‘bout ready to blow this gig and head to our cabin for our own show?”
Rose smiled, “Why yes, my Lord, I believe I am.”
Nathan threw his head back, let loose a loud, roaring laugh and swung her up into his arms. Rose caught Joe’s wink and waved to her just before Nathan carried her out of the building.
Also available from Total-E-Bound Publishing:
Conquest of a Fairy
Marie Haynes
Excerpt
Chapter One
Saoirse gazed at her own reflection in the crystal lake, mesmerised by the sadness deepening her emerald eyes. Then she sensed a presence next to her and saw a second set of eyes shadowed with concern, shimmering in the depths just behind her own. She gave a watery smile as her mother’s hand came to rest upon her shoulder.
“I feel a great loneliness in my spirit,” Saoirse sighed. “An incompleteness.”
“I’ve sensed it, my daughter,” Morganna commented as she sat beside her daughter. ”You are now twenty years old and are embarking upon the age of Love. From now on, your body will age very slowly, allowing you to experience and enjoy life for a very long time. Why, in the world of the mortals I would be quite old—at least to some. I’d be fifty!” Morganna laughed. “Nonetheless,” she continued seriously, “you have reached a difficult time for any Sidhe. I don’t know how to assist you, but I feel something within that frightens me. I want only your happiness, but for that you must follow your own path, as we all must.” Her slim hand gently stroked Saoirse’s long hair. “For you, though, that path will be rocky, uneven and filled with danger.”
“How do you know?” Saoirse cocked her head, furrowing her brow.
“Because, my darling, a prophecy was told at your birth.” Morganna gently rubbed Saoirse’s back, offering what comfort she could.
Saoirse could only stare at her mother.
“Today I have finally been given leave by Cerdiwen to share that prophecy with you.” Morganna wrapped her arms around her daughter and laid her cheek atop the fair hair.
“How I wish for a different path for you, Saoirse, but what is to be, will be. For you to understand, I must tell you a story.
“When I wasn’t much older than you, I wanted to take a journey to other world, the world of mortals. I went to Cerdiwen to ask permission. But she cautioned me that the attraction to a mortal man, a human, could be an awesome force, powerful enough to cause me to forget my home, this beautiful land. I only laughed. How could a mere mortal ever compare to our fairy men? Cerdiwen continued her warning of possible sickness, hardship, hunger, even death, all of which I waved away. I wanted adventure, danger. I wanted it all. Finally she gave her permission and I was off.
“I walked through the mist that separates our worlds and entered theirs. I found myself standing beside a small stream. It was incredible. The greens of the grass shimmered with morning dew and a small waterfall gave music to the birdsongs that filled the air. I laughed and began to walk, following the stream. Suddenly I saw a man before me. He had been walking his fields and stopped there for a quick drink of the sparkling water. He stood up slowly, staring at me as if he’d seen a ghost. Make no mistake, daughter, by the standards of the Sidhe he wasn’t handsome. His hair was brown and shaggy and he had stubbly whiskers on his face. Dirt was on his hands and under his nails. He reeked of sweat. Yet there was something appealing about his awestruck expression.
“‘My lady,’ he said to me, ‘are you harmed? Please let me assist you’.”
At first I didn’t understand why he thought I needed help. Then I remembered that humans wore clothing. There I was, standing before the first mortal I had ever met, and I was quite naked. The poor man was shocked but also plainly quite excited to see me.
“I assured him I had simply gone swimming and lost my way, that I had no idea where I was or where my clothes were. He removed his own shirt—reeking though it was—and placed it around my shoulders. I shivered when the homespun cloth touched me. Something deep inside me responded to this man.
“Let me assure you, Saoirse, that while humans are indeed formed imperfectly, their imperfections hold much charm. The man’s naked chest was covered in a light brown down but was muscular and tanned golden. There was something dangerously appealing even in the smell of him. He took me to his cottage, a tiny hovel really, and offered me a simple meal of bread, cheese and mead. Then he gave me his bed while he himself slept on the floor. Then sometime during the night I awoke with the strangest feeling.”
Morganna fell silent, staring into space. Saoirse looked up at her questioningly, sensing her mother’s unease.
Morganna shook herself before continuing her story. “I’m sorry, my daughter, but the next part of my story disturbs me still. It might disturb you even more since your very existence is entwined in it.” She took a deep breath and continued. “I’d heard of her, of course, but had never seen her. But there she stood before me, clothed in mist. There is only one, you know, but she can send out her spirit to any number of women—human or fairy. Not a word did she speak. She simply held me in her gaze. I knew I belonged to her. My spirit and her own commingled, hers being dominant.”
“Who was she?” Saoirse asked.
“She was the One. The Love Fairy. She was Lianhan Sidhe.”
Saoirse’s eyes widened with shock. “Oh, Momma. How frightened you must have been.”
“Quite the contrary, my little one,” Morganna said with a sardonic smile. ”I was empowered. I was invincible in my sensuality. I looked across the room and there, lying before the peat fire, was the man who believed he had rescued me. I’d already felt an attraction to him, but now I wanted him. I craved his body, his mind, his soul. I would not rest until he became my slave. Of course it wasn’t really me. As you know, once the Lianhan Sidhe’s spirit is released, there’s no stopping it. This poor man was doomed and I was helpless to stop his damnation. I was also helpless in my role.
“I won’t bore you with the details of my pursuit of this man but I will tell you this. Once the spirit of the Lianhan has set its mind on capture, only a man of extreme strength could deny her. While my rescuer was indeed strong, he wasn’t strong enough. Eventually he pledged his body, his soul, his heart to her—or rather my—service if he could but lie with me. Naturally he had to cross over the mist for this to happen, for the Lianhan Sidhe will never lie with a man in the world of the mortals. To do so would weaken her power and the poor fairy to whom she had attached herself would become the human’s slave—unless of course he chose to release her. But it would be an extraordinary mortal indeed who would give up such a gift.”
Morganna ran a hand through her hair, twirling a strand around her finger. Saoirse almost smiled. Her mother always played with her hair when she was nervous. “Anyway, once he crossed over to our world, he and I lay together. It was glorious. When he entered me, the stars and moon glowed brighter. The things he did with his hands, his tongue, his…well as I said, I won’t bore you with the details. After our union, though, the Lianhan Sidhe left me. The poor man is now her slave, his Shade doomed to follow her spirit and do her bidding. He did not want to go. He wanted to stay with me, but no human can actually live here. Only his spirit remains. His body has turned to dust.” Morganna wiped a tear from her eye and held her daughter’s hand.
“I tell you this story not simply to entertain you but to prepare you. That man, that beautiful, strong, kind man. He was your father.”
“What?” Saoirse gasped.
“‘Tis true. You’re half human. That’s why their world is calling you. It’s time for you to know and to choose.” She reached out to grasp both her daughter’s hands in her own.
