Ann Mayburn - Sodom and the Phoenix

This man could tempt the devil . Her breathing picked up as his hand dipped lower, tracing the top curve of her breast until her nipples tightened into aching points. “Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a perverted friend.”

The low rumble of his laughter did funny things to her body, and a rush of warmth tightened her pussy. He removed his hand from her dress and started to trace tiny, tight circles around her nipple, bringing the focus of her world to that tender nub. “I’d like to be your master for the duration of your stay here, Tanwen.” She started to protest, and he gave her nipple a cruel pinch that silenced her in a rush of desire. “I’d like to be a part of your VR fantasies. In the real world, I’ll be nothing more than a good friend, but I do hope you’ll spend time with me there as well. I would like you to trust me to take care of you and your desires. You need to let go of your careful control and let someone else do the worrying.”

“Why me?”

His gaze softened, and he stroked the back of his knuckles up the side of her neck. “I find you fascinating. You’re such an interesting mix of passion and restraint. I enjoy introducing newbie subs to the pleasures of BDSM and helping them achieve all the satisfaction they deserve.”

The warmth of his compliments pooled in her belly and swelled her heart with happiness. He wove such a seductive image she found herself melting into his gaze even as her body stiffened with want. “Okay.” Her flagging sense of self-preservation rallied, and she added, “But I can call the deal off at any time if it’s not working out.”

The sunlight caught the silver in his hair as he tilted his head, considering her for one long moment before nodding. “Agreed. However once you call our deal off and walk away, you need to be aware that I won’t take you back without some serious begging.”

She almost laughed, but the somber look in his eyes stopped her. “Yes…Sir.”

His smile seemed brighter than the sun, and returning it was as natural as breathing. He leaned in and whispered against her mouth, “Excellent. I’ll see you at dinner tonight.” His breath stroked over her lips, and she inhaled him, drawing his essence into her body. “A woman named Margo will be there to meet you at dinner. She is the wife and submissive of one of my best friends and will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.”

He nipped her lower lip, and her voice came out in a husky whisper. “Okay.”

The sunlight haloed around his head as he leaned back and smiled down at her. “Little flame, we are going to have so much fun together. Pizzarific.”

She gasped as he dissolved before her eyes, leaving her staring at an empty stretch of road. As she rubbed her hands over her face, she could still smell him on her skin. Cupping her palms over her nose, she took in a deep breath of his scent and smiled, then began to laugh. What in the world was she thinking? Telling an experienced, devastatingly handsome dom that he could be her master for the next four days. She eased the Corvette out of the turnoff and took a deep breath of the clean mountain air.

Sexual freedom and exploration was the goal of this vacation, not seeing just one guy. Then again, he had said she could do whomever she wanted. To be honest, the thought of sleeping with a bunch of strangers didn’t arouse her in the least, but she felt like it should. In her fashion magazines, all the articles talked about women having the same right as men to sleep around, but in her heart of hearts, that thought just didn’t appeal to her. She’d always been a one-man kind of girl.

But what if that one man was with her when she was with those other people? It would certainly make things more fun, and Bryan looked like the kind of guy who could take care of her and himself. She must be going crazy, trusting a stranger to take care of her.

A little voice in her mind scolded her for even considering this. No nice girl would ever shame her reputation like she was about to do. The older, more mature part of her told that little voice to shut the hell up. A giggle bubbled from somewhere deep inside and turned into a full-fledged laugh as the pavement sped away beneath the tires of the Corvette.

She could do this. She could embrace her buried wild side, the part of her soul she had pushed down all those years ago when she’d had her first son at seventeen and had to become a mother at such a young age. Maybe she was having a midlife crisis—if women even had that—but if this was one, she didn’t care. It felt so darn good to just let go and have someone else make the decisions for once, to trust herself to some very masterful hands.

The only thing she had to keep in mind was that this was a limited-time-offer type of thing. Four glorious, decadent days with Bryan and then she would return to her life, a sensual woman reborn. The memory of Bryan’s amazing eyes flashed through her thoughts, and she frowned. She had to remember to keep her distance, to think of him as no more than a friend with benefits. Yeah, Bryan was firmly stuck in the friend box, the not-relationship-material box.

With that thought in mind, she turned up the radio and sang along to “Earth Angel” at the top of her lungs.

Tanwen fiddled with the belt of her pink dress, making sure the little jeweled bow lay centered on her waist. The halter neck was tight enough to keep her breasts raised up, and the built-in support that gave her rather nice cleavage was worth the extravagant cost of the dress. While the color of the silky fabric brought out the last of her summer tan, she really wished the frothy material was black instead of cotton candy pink. Right now she stuck out like a pink cloud among all the black leather, spandex, and lace. At least her phoenix tattoo was clearly visible on her shoulder. That had to help her blend in a little more with this crowd.

While everyone was in evening wear, it definitely ran toward the risqué. Corsets seemed to be the accessory of choice. She adored how they made the women’s—and some of the men’s—waists curve in an hourglass shape, but she couldn’t imagine comfortably sitting and eating in one. Then again, that might be a great idea for a new way to diet. Nothing more than a cracker would fit in a stomach cinched that tight.

As she neared the door where two men in black leather pants and black T-shirts stood checking names against a list, she considered making a break for it. The only thing that gave her the courage to continue was that she had promised Bryan she would be here, and she didn’t break her promises. Although if she continued to hyperventilate, then passed out, she couldn’t be held responsible.

The couple before her went through, and she took a deep breath and stepped forward. The bouncer, door guard, whatever he was certainly intimidated her as his dark eyes swept her from head to toe. He gave her a charming smile. “Name?”

She cleared her throat and was proud her voice didn’t squeak. “Tanwen Evans.”

As he ran down the list, a lovely and very pregnant African American woman with her hair in thin braids placed a hand on his biceps. She wore a green and black patterned sarong dress that wrapped around her neck and waist but left her swollen belly bare. Her belly itself was decorated with glittering gold body paint in swirling designs that reminded Tanwen of twirls of smoke.

Her voice was husky and held a trace of a Caribbean accent as the doorman looked down at her with raised eyebrows. “I’ve got this one, Master Henry. She’s a guest of Master Bryan, and he asked me to keep her company.” The silver collar gracing her throat had a little gold padlock on it, and Tanwen let out a silent sigh of relief. Michelle had said she could trust anyone wearing that piece of jewelry.