Cherise Sinclair - My Liege of Dark Haven

But she needed this place for her fieldwork. Needed to keep her job. Publish or perish . If she ever met the academic who’d invented that phrase, she’d shove his papers down his throat until he choked.

“Abby.”

She opened her eyes.

Xavier stood in front of her, looking down. Why did he have to be so tall? His warm hands massaged her bare shoulders. “Any strain in your joints?”

“No, sir.”

He studied her silently.

She shifted her weight, trying not to think about her lack of mobility. If she didn’t move, she wouldn’t know—much like closing her eyes during gory movie scenes.

“Pull on the tape, Abby. How does it feel?”

Her arms jerked involuntarily, and just like that she knew she was restrained. Couldn’t defend herself. That her body was available to the impassive-faced Master. Alternating waves of heat and cold rushed over her as if she stood in front of a rotating fan. She pulled harder, and panic squeezed her throat.

“Easy, pet.” He cupped her chin with one firm hand. His fingers curled around her arm, creating a warm place on her skin. His movements showed how easily he could touch her…yet the contact was comforting. Settling. “Eyes on me.”

Panting, she looked up and into eyes the color of darkness, but the specks of golden brown made them warm, not cold.

“Good girl.” He stroked his thumb along her jawline. “You know you can’t escape, but I’m not going to do anything you won’t enjoy. We’re here in a public place, and you have a safe word that will summon every monitor in the dungeon. Now slow your breathing down before you hyperventilate.”

Oops . His gaze never left hers as she pulled in a measured breath and let it out.

“Better. Another.” His grip on her upper arm was unyielding but not painful. A man’s hand.

Why did his touch seem different from Nathan’s? Why didn’t she get that horrible dread?

“Little fluff, I want you to remember how you’re breathing now. When I tighten a clamp, it will hurt for a few seconds. I want you to inhale through the pain like you did with your fear.”

“Pain? But—”

“Do you get flu shots?”

“Yes.” When his eyebrows pulled together, she added a hasty, “My liege.”

“This is the same level of pain, although people rarely get turned on by vaccinations. Whereas nipple clamps…” A crease appeared and disappeared in his cheek.

She nodded to say she could handle that much pain. But could she handle these disconcerting flares of heat? Her nipples actually tingled as if anticipating the touch of those powerful fingers.

Was this the kind of thing Nathan had wanted to do with her? Guilt pressed on her chest. Considering he had dumped her, she shouldn’t feel as if she were betraying him. But she did. And she’d let a complete stranger restrain her. Alice had fallen down a hole into Wonderland; Abby had fallen into quicksand and was sinking fast. What am I doing here?

Xavier hadn’t moved, was simply watching her. “What’s the matter, Abby?”

“I don’t know you at all. You’re talking about…” Nipple clamps . “I don’t know you.”

“I see.” His hand was still curved around her upper arm as he moved closer. With his fingers under her chin, he lifted her face and gave her a light kiss. His lips were firm but velvety. Gentle. How could someone with such a merciless face kiss so sweetly?

When he lifted his head, she whispered, “Why did you do that?”

His aftershave was totally masculine with a hint of the exotic, like a pirate who’d visited India. He rubbed his thumb in a circle over her cheek, his lips only an inch from hers. “Because I can,” he whispered back. Then he smiled. “Because I’m going to be touching you much more intimately in a moment.”

Heat roared through her at the thought of his hands…elsewhere.

“Think of this as an introduction. I’m Xavier.” He covered her mouth with his, and it wasn’t a gentle, sweet kiss any longer. He took her lips, demanding a response. When she pulled at the restraints and gasped, his tongue swept in. She couldn’t move, couldn’t escape, and…

He stepped back, grasping her arms to keep her steady. Ravished by only a kiss, she stared at him. Her lips felt swollen, and she ran her tongue over them.

A flicker of heat lit his eyes, followed by amusement. “Are we better acquainted now?”

Her voice came out sounding as if he’d strangled her instead of kissing her. “Yes, my liege.” If he introduced himself like that at a faculty party, the floor would be littered with swooning academics.

“Very good.” With far-too-competent hands, he undid the first hook on her corset. As he worked his way down, his long fingers brushed the skin between her full breasts. Each undone fastening exposed more of her body, and coolness wafted over her damp flesh. When he finished, he set the corset to one side, leaving her bare from the waist up.

She bit her lip. Really, this is nothing . In France, beaches were filled with women wearing no tops. Not that she had joined them, but… She took a mental step back. Observe . With a determined breath, she checked out a noisy spanking in the center of the room.

A warm hand cupped her breast.

She jumped, tried to pull away. “What are you doing?”

He grasped her arm with his other hand, holding her in place. “Did you think you could get clamps without being touched by the Dom?” Even as he spoke, he stroked her breasts, one then the other. His palm was calloused, slightly abrasive. His thumb circled the areola, and her nipple bunched hard enough to create an ache.

She tried to dissociate, to observe the other scene.

“Eyes on me, Abby.” The softness of his voice didn’t negate the command.

The intensity of his gaze sent a shudder up her spine. He tugged on her nipple, and she inhaled hard at the reverberating sensations—the rush of pleasure at his touch, echoed by another in her groin.

“You have beautiful breasts.”

She blinked at the sweet compliment.

He didn’t look away as he said, “Rainier, as with most play, you should warm up the skin first. Get the blood circulating. Especially with your submissive, you want her aroused first, or she’ll only feel the pain.” He rolled Abby’s nipple between his fingertips, and the sensation almost sent her up on her toes.

“You can massage or suck nipples to long points. Be aware that with smaller breasts, wetness can cause clamps to slide. I prefer either tweezer clamps or adjustable alligator clamps, until I discover the sensitivity of the submissive’s breasts and the amount of pain she enjoys.” He picked up what looked like a metal spring clothespin with a screw in the center. The ends had a black coating.

When he chuckled, she realized she was staring at the device.

He put the clamp on her nipple.

Oh, that’s not so bad.

Then he played with the screw, and the jaws closed more tightly. “If you know your submissive well, you can simply watch her for clues.” Another slight turn and the sensation increased to a pinch. He brushed a finger over her compressed lips.

“However, at first, you should check verbally.” He lifted her chin with a finger and held her gaze. “On a scale of one to ten, where ten is unendurable, how much does this hurt?”

The pinching sensation was easing. “Four, I guess.”

“Very good.” To her horror, he tightened the clamp, and she squeaked as the pinch turned to a bite. “Breathe through it, Abby.”

She tried to get her hands around, to pull the damn thing off, only her arms were restrained behind her back. She couldn’t do anything. Her breast hurt. Then the pain diminished. The pinch gradually changed to throbbing, and her nipple felt…bigger, tighter. Every movement made her more aware of the sensation—and the way her clitoris had begun to ache as well.