Chapter 18

"I know you've been kind to me, and angry on my behalf. That's more than I need."

Zane was half tempted to call a halt to this right now. Again, he wondered if he was losing his mind about to indulge in some D/s play with a sub he'd never met before who was obviously traumatized? If anyone he knew had told him they were planning this, he would have chewed his ass out. But this was not a normal situation, or normal circumstances. Zane saw himself as damaged goods, too. Maybe the coming together of two traumatized people was what impelled him to do this. If he could be her savior, maybe she could serve the same purpose for him.

But he'd have to be careful about what activities he chose. The most important thing to him right now was giving her pleasure, however he had to do that. He zipped his jeans but left the button undone and gave Dara an intense look.

"The first thing for you to do is take off those clothes."

Her eyes widened. "But - "

He knew she was thinking about the scars. "We hide nothing here. Understood?"

She nibbled her lower lip, but then with trembling hands removed the garments he'd found for her, folded them, and placed them on the couch. Then she returned to stand in front of him, head bowed, hands folded, waiting for his instructions.

He had a hard time holding onto his temper as he scanned every inch of her body. There were scars everywhere, scars from the whip and what looked to be burn scars. Fuck, fuck, fuck. When this storm was over, he ought to hunt this bastard down and tear him limb from limb. But, for the moment he had to put it out of his mind, or his rage would consume him.

"I liked your mouth on my cock. You pleased me."

"Thank you, Sir. I would enjoy pleasing you more."

Damn! Was she actually teasing him in the middle of this fucked up situation?

"Did your Master tie you up?" he asked. "Restrain you?"

"In the beginning."

"Did you enjoy it?" He needed some basic information to know how to proceed.

"I think so. But - "

"But what?"

"But it was so long ago, I'm not sure." Tears filled her eyes. "Was that the wrong answer?"

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"There is no wrong answer, Dara." Zane blew out a breath and squelched the murderous rage that kept surging through him. "This is supposed to pleasure both of us. I enjoy rope play. Done properly, it enhances sexual arousal."

"Oh."

He couldn't figure out if that aroused her or frightened her, but this was the mildest play he could indulge in with her. If he could find what he needed in the cottage, that is.

"Yes. Sometimes the purpose is not just to reach orgasm but to hold back as long as possible so when it comes the result is explosive." He glanced toward the bedroom. "I'm going to see what we have that's appropriate. Until I return, submissive mode."

At once she dropped to her knees, hands clasped behind her back, head bent. Zane let his eyes travel once more over her body before he headed for one of the two bedrooms. If he was lucky, Derek sometimes brought subs here to play and kept toys for just such a situation. Rummaging through the drawers in the main bedroom, he found an extra-long length of softly woven rope, silk scarves, a flogger, and other toys, as well as creams and gels.

Why, Derek, you naughty son of a bitch. Thank you for all this.

He carried his treasures into the living room to where Dara still knelt in submissive pose. He knelt beside her, the images already forming in his mind of how he wanted her bound.

"I'm going to blindfold you," he told her, folding a silk scarf. "Pleasure is always greater when sight is taken away. You can feel everything with a greater intensity."

She licked her plump lower lip with the tongue that had just worked such magic on him and in an instant his cock leaped to attention again. With ruthless determination, he suppressed the quickening desire in his body. This was for her. He had to remember that and focus. But maybe afterward -

First things first, jerkwad.

"Whatever you desire, Sir."

"Good. Stand up and face me." He looked around for a place to put her, somewhere she'd be just uncomfortable enough while he twisted the rope around her.

She moved at once, facing him and waiting for his next orders. Again, he had to force himself to blank the signs of abuse all over her body. If he ever saw this guy, murder would be too good for him. He focused instead on the gentle curve of her hips, the slim lines of her legs, the proud tilt of her breasts that would be more than a handful for him. Breasts tipped with plump, rosy nipples that just begged for his mouth.

Nestled between her thighs, her cunt was bare and smooth. Waxed, he was sure. Shaving would not do such a clean, perfect job. He wanted to spread wide the lips of her pussy and tug at her clit with his teeth. Then he'd attach a tiny vibrator to it that he controlled with a remote. She'd never know when the sensations would hit her, and he'd make them last long enough to push her toward orgasm, but not enough to give her relief.

Zane took a moment to let his gaze roam over her body one more time before he took the first length of rope and began to create an intricate design. He took his time, making each coil of the rope specific and each knot settle in a specific place. He worried that confining her this way might frighten her, make her think she had no escape, so he reminded her she had a safe word to use.

"I won't be angry if you use it," he reminded her again and again. "In fact, if you don't use it and your pain level goes beyond what gives you pleasure, then I will be angry. Do you understand?"

She nodded.

"Let me hear you say it," he commanded.

"I will use my safe word if you exceed my tolerance level."

Zane swallowed a sigh. That wasn't exactly what he meant, since he had a frightening feRafeng her tolerance level was higher than it should be. However, he'd take what he could get and watch her with great care.

He moved slowly, placed each twist and loop of the rope just so. The pattern he was using was one he'd employed often. He knew from experience that he could push his subs to a high level of sexual pleasure with this one. That's what he wanted for Dara - sexual pleasure, not fear.

By the time he finished, her hands were tied behind her back, a ladder-like pattern winding up that led to her front. Her breasts were encased in the rope, all except for her nipples which he tasted frequently as he wound the silk around them. They were plump, swollen buds, and when he closed his teeth over first one then the other, they pebbled against his tongue. By the time he'd pulled a length of rope between the cheeks of her ass, with a knot resting firmly against her anal opening, the pulse at the hollow of her throat was beating wildly.

He stopped for a moment to caress the swell of each cheek of her ass then applied a light slap to each. He smoothed his hand over her ass again and applied another series of slaps, this time a little harder. Dara rocked a little and made a tiny whimper but Zane was sure it had nothing to do with unwanted pain. He'd been a Dom long enough to know exactly how to apply a spanking to give maximum pleasure. While Dara's buttocks might now be a faint shade of red, the sounds she made weren't those of agony. Sure enough, when he slid one hand between her thighs and dragged two fingers the length of her slit, he found her sopping wet. He wanted nothing more than to suit up and plunge his cock deep inside her, but this was for her, not him.

Well, maybe a little for him. For the first time in weeks, he wasn't wrapped in a black cloud of pain and despair. If he could lose himself in her for a little while, and at the same time show her the good side of D/s, well, a win/win situation, right?