Beyond 10 Nights (Forbidden Desires Series) Read online

  Not only had he been fired, but he had been humiliated, and his ex-boss had made it impossible for him to get a job in the area, forcing him to leave the city. Because of that experience he had had no qualms whatsoever with buying the company simply so he could get rid of the man who had fired him.

  “I assume since you said you’ve moved back, that you’re going to run the company yourself?” He could only imagine the satisfaction his friend had felt when firing the man who had made life so difficult.

  “I am.” Grinning broadly Alex stretched one long arm over the back of the couch. “I’ve got one of my agents looking for a new property, I’ll be glad to get out of the hotel, I hate staying in those places for any length of time.”

  “I have plenty of room here; why don't you stay with me until you find something you want.” Rhett had no problem with Alex living with him, they’d lived together for years in college; he figured it would give them an opportunity to catch up properly as well.

  “If you’re sure it’s no inconvenience I’ll take you up on that. Damn sure beats living out of a hotel for the next month.”

  “None whatsoever, it will be great having you here.” Movement, as Leah shifted to try and avoid discomfort, reminded Rhett that she was there. “Alex, this is Leah.” Reaching his hand down to her chin, he lifted her face so he could give her a smile.

  Alex knew he hadn’t seen his friend in many years, but he couldn’t remember Rhett ever introducing a submissive in any way other than to call her his pet or slave. “Nice to meet you.” He nodded his head in greeting before turning to look at Rhett, confusion in his eyes.

  “Stand up, sweetheart.” Rhett knew her knees were probably getting tired and sore since she wasn’t yet used to kneeling for long periods of time. “Leah has agreed to be my wife,” he told his friend.

  Leah stood, grateful for the opportunity; her legs trembling as the blood flow slowly returned to normal. Once on her feet she found herself able to get a better look at her fiancé’s friend. In her previous position she hadn’t been able to do much more than see his legs. Embarrassed to find herself thinking that he was quite something to look at, she quickly lowered her gaze. “Nice to meet you, um, Sir?” She turned to Rhett, hoping that calling his friend Sir had been the right thing for to do.

  Seeing the question in her face Rhett remembered how new she was to his world and smiled encouragingly. “Yes, sweetheart, when we’re in the dungeon you call every Master, Sir, and every Mistress, Ma’am.”

  “I take it she is very new to our world?” Alex knew there was a story in the situation before him; his friend was engaged to someone who appeared to be a complete novice in their world. The story was almost certainly an intriguing one, and he looked forward to hearing about it when the two of them were alone.

  Running his eyes over the petite figure standing before the two of them, he saw what had attracted his friend. Leah was gorgeous, as close to physical perfection as it was possible for a person to be. He could only imagine that her personality was equally perfect if she had somehow claimed Rhett’s heart.

  The feel of his eyes on her body made Leah turn to Alex, but the look on his face made her quickly turn back to Rhett. She didn’t like the way she was being eyed so boldly, especially since his expression suggested he was at a restaurant looking at a dish he very much wanted to sample.

  “You would probably kick my ass if I told you how new.” Pulling Leah down into his lap Rhett wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her to him possessively.

  Burying her face in Rhett’s chest Leah felt her face burn. There was something decidedly humbling about being talked about as though she wasn’t there. All she wanted to do was go upstairs and be alone with her man, she didn’t like being the focus of the conversation, especially when she was there to hear it, but wasn’t a part of it.

  Alex had never seen his friend act in such a manner. He supposed it could simply be that his friend had changed since the last time he saw him, but he didn’t think so. He couldn’t wait to get the story from him; the way he was holding on to his girl suggested that Rhett was exceedingly possessive of her, not only that but there was something about his demeanor that spoke of deep feelings.

  "We obviously have a lot to catch up on,” Alex remarked, giving Leah a significant look. “But that can wait. Do I get to watch the Master at work tonight?” He asked after running his gaze around the dungeon at the various couples enjoying themselves there. “It has been ten years.”

  Leah tensed in Rhett’s lap at Alex’s words, she wanted to sink into the ground and become invisible at that moment. She hoped that Rhett would say he was too tired to play, or give some other reason for them not to participate, and she held her breath in nervous anticipation of his response. It was one thing to kneel at his feet in front of so many people, she could just about cope with that, but to play in front of them? She honestly didn’t think she was ready for that.

  “I would like to break my sweet Leah in; this is her first night in public.” His arm tightened around her waist briefly before he removed his hand.

  “How fortunate for me that I came tonight then.” Standing, Alex waited expectantly.

  Chuckling Rhett stood too, with Leah in his arms, and allowed her to slowly slide down his body until she found her feet. “It has been a while since I broke in a new submissive in public, I might be rusty.”

  Alex threw back his head and laughed aloud, making his thick blond mane whip about, and causing several people nearby to turn and stare for a moment before they returned their attention to their partners. “I sincerely doubt you have lost your touch.”

  Seeing the smile on Alex’s face, Leah found herself struck by the urge to slap it away; his expression suggested he was looking forward to seeing her dominated, and she didn’t like that. It might be all fun and games to him, but she was nervous as hell, especially since she was sure everyone there would want to watch how the Master of the dungeon performed. Her legs began to tremble anew, and she looked up at Rhett, a plea for a reprieve in her hazel eyes.

  Lifting his hand to her beautiful face, Rhett skimmed her soft skin with the back of it and smiled. “Just remember who you’re here to serve, sweetheart,” he told her.

  As if she needed more pressure put on her, she thought as a fresh tremor moved through her body. “Yes, Sir,” she managed to whisper; though her mouth was so dry she had no idea how the words came out.

  Giving a curt nod, he walked over to the St. Andrews cross, certain that she would follow, even without instructions from him. He wouldn’t make tonight too hard on her, he decided; teaching her the pleasures of flogging would be enough for her first time in public.

  How she made it to the cross without her legs giving out beneath her, she had no idea. It certainly didn’t help that Alex was following close behind her. She was a jumbled mass of nerves by the time she reached the cross, where she stopped to await Rhett's command.

  Lifting her chin, he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her gently. “I promise you will feel no pain tonight, sweetheart.” Normally he wouldn’t have given her such reassurance, he enjoyed it when his submissive's had no idea what he intended. With Leah, things were much more personal, and he wanted her to enjoy their time together so she would be eager to scene with him again.

  Biting her lip nervously, Leah nodded, her dry mouth now making it all but impossible for her to speak. She’d seen what the other Masters and Mistresses had done to their pets in the dungeon and it terrified her, even with his reassurances that nothing would happen to force her into using her safe words. For reasons she didn’t want to linger on, the thought of having his friend watch while she did whatever it was Rhett had planned made her all the more nervous.

  Rhett’s fingers moved swiftly to the buttons on her shirt, knowing that she was going to have issues with being undressed so publicly. He gave her little time to think about it though as he quickly undid her shirt and slid it from her shoulders. The startled look that appeared
on her face forced a smile to his lips.

  Her bra was removed just as quickly, and her hands moved immediately to cover herself. Although he found the way she did that adorable, he wasn’t about to let her defy him.

  Moving her closer to the cross, he grasped one of her slender wrists, lifted it, and secured it to the dangling fur lined cuff. The other wrist was encased just as securely, leaving her unable to cover herself. The soft whimper that escaped her lips gave him pause and he lowered his head to her ear. “Trust, Leah,” he whispered.

  She had never felt so exposed, not even when he had taken her on the desk in the office in Mexico in front of all his colleagues. She had been aroused before he started that game, and she knew that was the difference then. She wasn’t turned on at all, she was just downright terrified. Struggling against the cuffs, she whimpered again.

  “She’s a beautiful slave, Rhett.” Alex smiled as the petite woman struggled helplessly in her bonds.

  “Yes she is.” Rhett agreed proudly as he stood with his friend, the two of them admiring the sight of his beautiful Leah. Her flawless back arched to and fro as she tested her bonds and his body responded to the sight. He knew he was pulling her out of her comfort zone, once again, by not standing close to her, but it would heighten the sensations more if she felt alone, so to speak, for a few moments.

  “Walk with me to my toy closet.” Rhett spoke to Alex, but lifted his voice so that Leah could hear him.

  He was leaving her alone, she thought in panic. All the people around her would know she was alone, and trapped on the cross. She couldn’t breathe. Panic filled every inch of her body as she focused on drawing in air and releasing it. She tugged frantically on the chains that held her cuffs. She wanted out of there; it wasn’t part of the deal.

  From across the room Rhett watched for a few moments as Leah struggled. He then opened his toy closet and took out a butter-soft leather flogger with long, thick strands. With the flogger in hand, he took his time returning to the cross.

  The room had come to a virtual standstill by then, as almost everyone in it watched either him or Leah, and he found himself beset by an unfamiliar concern about his performance. It wasn’t that he didn’t know how to wield the flogger expertly, he did, but it was his woman on the cross and her experience under him that night would most likely shape everything she expected of him when they were together in the dungeon.

  Shaking his head at his own thoughts, he walked back to Leah and grasped her chin firmly in his hand so he could kiss her quickly. “You do this because you trust me,” he told her in a commanding tone.

  The kiss was more like an act of possession, her racing mind thought. He had branded her with his body, and now he wanted to do the same with this act he planned. Tensing her body she waited for the pain, her breath held in anticipation of it.

  He could see just how tightly wound she was, and knew just what was going through her mind. He was determined that her expectations would not be met however; she would not feel the pain he knew she thought was coming. With the skill of years of experience, he lifted the flogged and flicked it forward, allowing the leather strands to graze her skin. It was enough for her to know she had been touched, but that was all.

  At the first touch of the leather against her back, the breath Leah had been holding escaped her. The pain she had been expecting didn’t come, in fact the touch of the flogger was not even as bad as being spanked, and with that knowledge she relaxed, allowing herself to breath.

  Alex chuckled softly at the sound of her sigh and crossed his large arms over his chest. She undoubtedly was new to the dungeon if she had never known the touch of the flogger. It was one of the most sensual toys a master possessed, in his opinion, and the most versatile. It could be used to almost tickle the submissive, or to bring pain, if the Master was skilled enough.

  As Leah relaxed, so did Rhett’s worries and his natural instincts took over. She was the orchestra, and he the conductor, allowing the flogger’s strands to find her flesh again and again, with increasing intensity as he made her body move to his direction. She danced so beautifully for him, he thought, and a smile of appreciation found his face.

  Whatever she had been expecting, it certainly wasn’t this incredible pleasure he was giving her. The pressure of the flogger against her back was not in the least painful, it was strangely almost gentle and caressing. As it landed again and again, she found herself aching for the next kiss of those sweet leather strands.

  Her earlier fear was gone, and with its disappearance she found herself left on a strange high that had her aching for more. It was the oddest sensation, but she arched into each fall of the leather, eager to feel it again. The sounds escaping her lips were unknown to her; she was too lost in a world of pure sensation to hear them.

  Rhett knew what she was feeling, and continued the dance, watching carefully as her soft moans rose to a crescendo. The Master in him couldn’t wait until she reached the peak and so the dance of the flogger continued, building in intensity.

  Her body ached for an unknown sensation she was reaching toward, and when it came she lost herself in the utter bliss of the moment. It was like floating out of her own body, she thought as she gave herself over to it utterly and allowed the world to slip away from her in that brief instant. She never wanted it to end; the ecstasy was unlike anything Rhett had shown her before then.

  Lowering the flogger, Rhett walked forward and carefully removed the cuffs from her wrists. Gently he lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the couch, where he sat, her limp form in his lap as he whispered words of endearment and stroked her hair gently. He was so proud of her for allowing him to show her another side of his world, and for handling it so well.

  Minutes, or perhaps hours later, Leah wasn’t sure, time had lost all meaning to her, she came to herself and looked up into his face. “Thank you, Sir.” The words were the smallest of whispers as she stared into the depths of his eyes.

  “Thank you, sweet girl.” Lowering his lips to hers, he kissed her softly. She had gifted him with her trust, the most precious thing she had to offer in his opinion, and the bond he already felt with her was intensified by that gift.

  Without knowing why, tears fell from her eyes, and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. The feeling of euphoria was leaving her, and its departure left her empty and uncertain.

  With a tenderness he felt only with her, Rhett slowly wiped away her tears before holding her tight against him. “We’ll talk about this later tonight, sweetheart.” He knew it was a natural reaction after such an intense period of arousal, but he was sure it confused her and she needed time to come to grips with it.

  Her energy depleted, all she could do was nod against his chest, her eyes closed wearily. It felt as though she had just run a marathon, which she found strange since Rhett had been the one exerting himself. “Sir, I’m so tired,” she whispered softly, surprised at the exhaustion she felt.

  “I know you are, baby.” He grinned, enjoying the softer side of her that expected him to take care of her. This was why he loved being a Master, he thought, and if he had it his way, it was how she would always be with him. “I think my girl has had all she can manage tonight, Alex.” He laughed softly. “Would you like to do a favor for an old friend?”

  “It does seem as though you wore her out quickly.” Alex joined in the laughter. “Let me guess, you want me to close down the dungeon later?” He couldn’t blame Rhett, if he had a sub like Leah he would want her all to himself too, he was sure.

  “Thanks and yes, you can crash in one of the guest bedrooms after you’re done if you’d like.” The smile on Rhett’s face was one of anticipation, and he was sure Alex understood just what he had planned.

  Rolling his eyes good-naturedly, Alex nodded. “Go, take care of your little pet, I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

  “I owe you one.” Standing, Rhett carried Leah from the dungeon, holding her in his arms all the way up to his bedroom.
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  Leah had no idea why she was so physically fatigued, but she found she lacked the energy to do anything more than rest in his arms until he laid her carefully on the bed. Her muscles felt like jelly, and she remained still as she tried to understand the strange sensations she had experienced.

  Rhett undressed quickly and slid into bed with her. “It’s called sub-space, sweetheart,” he told her, knowing just what was going through her mind. “It’s not something you can explain, it’s a feeling you have to experience.”

  “Does it happen every time, Sir?” Leah asked softly, turning on her side to look up into his eyes curiously.

  “No, and it doesn’t happen to every submissive. For those lucky enough to experience it, the body is so overwhelmed by the pleasure pain scenario that it releases a massive rush of endorphins. It’s akin to being a runner in a marathon.” He reached over and gently brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes.

  “So to feel that way again I would either have to start preparing for a 10k run or let you bring me to that place again?” At his nod and smile she giggled. “I think I’ll leave that up to you then, Sir, I’ve never much fancied long distance running.” She was coming down from her high and was already craving a repeat of it.

  “Something tells me I might have created a demon here.” Chuckling Rhett pulled her into his arms and held her tight. He couldn’t help the wide grin that found his face; her enjoyment of the scene stroked his ego considerably.

  “I like seeing you smile, Sir.” Lifting her head, she rested on her elbow as she looked up at his beautiful smile. Raising her fingers, she allowed them to trace over the strong contours of his gorgeous face.

  He allowed her a few brief moments for her gentle exploration and then grinned wickedly. “I do believe you’ve caught your second wind, princess.”