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“You are so beautiful, Lark. Perhaps the most stunning creature I’ve ever set my eyes on.”
His words alone kept me teetering on the edge of pleasure versus madness, but his command felt right, his nurturing exactly what I needed. He was breaking down my walls not with force or demands, but with encouragement.
He was my tutor, my master, and the man who’d consumed my thoughts. I allowed the over-processing to slide away, replaced with my own growing desire.
Lachlan’s breathing was no longer labored, the man in complete control. When he slipped a finger under my chin, lifting until I was able to gaze into his eyes, the respect and admiration I noticed was as shocking as the feeling of utter freedom.
“Perfect in every way. Stand for me, sweet Lark. You’re everything I need.”
Kneeling before him was strangely normal, but standing in his command was bliss. Why? Why were the feelings so strong? Why did the small part of my mind also think they were wrong?
My father was a cruel man by nature, powerful enough the fact Lachlan had beaten him in a game of chess would antagonize him to the point he’d go after the Scottish hunk with a vengeance. My questions around what had happened to Claire Kenwright would be exploited, used to get what my father wanted.
Absolution against his own dark needs.
I was no fool. I’d learned a long time ago my father had no respect for my mother. He’d enjoyed the perks of being in office several times over the years. My mother had looked past his extramarital affairs, acting as if she was the true love of my father’s life. Perhaps his behavior had tainted me into being unable to trust men on any level.
Now this.
Now Lachlan.
As he guided me to the cross, gingerly easing my left arm over my head, taking his time to secure the leather band, I held my breath. When he brushed the tips of his fingers across my bottom as he shifted to the other side, I let it out, a moan accompanying the hushed sound. This was everything I hadn’t wanted yet everything my heart and soul required.
Lachlan had determined that after being in my presence for a short period of time. How? Did I exude submissive tendencies? I’d wanted to believe he was only doing this to get back at my father, but after spending the delicious, sinful days with him, I’d learned otherwise. Still, it was a dangerous game to play, especially with the pending murder case remaining hot news.
He finished shackling my other arm, rolling his fingers down my spine as he moved directly behind me. I instinctively yanked on the bindings, the wrenching sound of the leather whispering in my ear. Apart from his footsteps and the rapid beating of my heart, the room was entirely too quiet. I took several shallow breaths, staring up at the shackles, wishing my pulse would stop racing.
He won’t hurt you. You’ll be fine.
Even as he slipped his hand against the inside of my thigh, widening my legs, I couldn’t process what was about to happen. I’d asked for this. I’d pushed to experience a taste of his dark and dangerous world. I’d heard gossip about just how many influential men hid behind the cloaked setting of the club, making deals and destroying lives in the process. I’d overheard my boss discussing the benefits of membership with a client, which I’d forgotten about until now.
Trent had been the one to recommend I handle the case to protect Carnal Sins as well as his secret membership. In a town where most people looked the other way when a crime occurred on the street or a friend allowed knowledge of a mistress to slip, scandals meant a rise in the ranks. The old boys’ school of things still applied even though hundreds of women in the city outranked them.
Don’t ask, don’t tell had an entirely different meaning.
I’d learned that the hard way from my father.
As Lachlan eased one leg against the wood, placing the cuff around my ankle, another visible shudder exploded throughout my body.
“You’re doing very well, my beautiful pet.” It wasn’t like his voice had changed, the deep bass resonating through every muscle, but there was a distinct difference in his tone. He was in full control, comfortable in the surroundings. Every touch of his hand ignited another fire, his diligence in attempting to make me comfortable as he stripped away my defenses admirable.
I closed my eyes, refusing to fall prey to my heightened fear, taking several deep breaths. Once my second ankle was shackled, I stretched against the bindings, tiny moans slipping past my lips.
There was such intensity, the air thick with desire and anticipation. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath, my mind drifting into the same quiet space I’d found as a kid. When he slid the flogger down my back, it was as if the thin material of the corset wasn’t there. Every inch of skin was scintillated, tingling from the light touch.
He brushed the thin leather tails from one side of my bottom to the other before moving down the inside of one leg. Then without notice, I heard the snap of his wrist, and the flogger cracked against my buttocks. While the sting was intense, there was no blinding pain, just a moment of blissful release.
“Often pure ecstasy can only be achieved after experiencing pain,” he said quietly before repeating the previous action.
My anxieties melted away, my panties already damp from heightened anticipation. I jerked against my bindings, fisting my hands, longing to see his expression, the darkness of his eyes. Yet my gorgeous sadist was hidden from view. Panting, I pressed my face against the cool wood as he issued four strikes in rapid succession.
He was calm in his demeanor, but I sensed the buzz of the electricity coursing through him. This was the kind of exalting power that he craved, taking what he wanted for no other reason than sheer pleasure. With every snap of his wrist, every lash crisscrossed against my skin, the tether between us only strengthened.
I lost count of how many he delivered, but I was floating free, the trepidation and anxiety slipping away.
Seconds later, I heard his labored breathing as he caressed my heated skin, shifting his hand between my legs. The moment he pressed his fingers against my swollen folds, I jerked hard against the bindings.
“Relax, my sweet pet,” he muttered, his gravelly voice smoothing out the rough edges of the increasing desire.
