Chapter 13
The loft was dark when Nala turned the unlocked handle. She entered warily, as if the wrong step would get her kicked out of Vincent Lane’s den of domination.
Naturally, he was the first thing she noticed. He stood in the bedroom, overlooking the living area from his high pedestal and surveying the entirety of his kingdom. Of which Nala was a part of. A trifle trinket to be toyed with.
His watchful gaze followed her into the living room, where she stopped, pulled her sweatshirt over her head and tossed it onto the couch. I’m cold now. If the heater was on, he only recently set the thermostat when he came in. Not enough time to make it warm enough to take off the sweatshirt. Thanks, nipples. Although she wore a shirt and a bra, she could still see tiny bumps emerging from the cotton enshrouding her breasts.
Nala kicked off her shoes and socks and sank to her knees. Her hands slowly came to her head, fingers locking together as she glanced back up at Vincent.
He also was not wearing his sweatshirt anymore. Or his shoes. The man watching her with a steady eye wore nothing but his shirt and jeans, both tight enough to outline every muscle beneath. The time of day meant stubble was quick to spread across his face. As he leaned down and crossed his arms across the guardrail, Nala swore she saw a gleam in his eye.
“That was the easy part,” he called down. “I’m not going easy on you tonight.”
Nala didn’t say anything. He hadn’t told her to speak, had he?
“Go ahead and tell me that you’re excited about tonight.”
She looked up again. “I can’t wait, sir.” That was almost impossible to say without sounding sarcastic. Nala could only hope she succeeded in portraying how much she wanted to please him tonight. If that meant pleasing him with her obedience and service? So be it.
“I know you can do better than that.”
Nala cleared her throat, hands still on her head. “I’m excited about what you have planned, Master. I’m sure I’ll not only enjoy it, but in ways I can’t even comprehend right now.”
“Do you like doing that?”
Nala shook on her knees. “Doing what, sir?”
Vincent grinned. “Calling me Master.”
She hadn’t thought about it until that point. I guess so. Every time she did it – when they were in private, anyway – it was like giving up one more care or tribulation in her life. Master would take care of her. Master would make all her problems go away. Master didn’t need Nala to worry about anything ever again. She was his, which also meant her issues were his to solve while she went about her life.
And, boy, did she have a lot of shit she could call issues or tribulations.
“I like putting myself in your hands, sir.”
“What will I do with you once I have you in my hands?”
Nala didn’t miss a beat. “Whatever you please. I’m okay with that. More than okay.”
Without a word Vincent backed away from the guardrail and went to the spiral staircase, treating each careful step downward as if it would be his last. Amazing how one man could be so graceful, so steady as his body moved languidly, almost as if he too had been waiting for this moment for a long time – but didn’t want to make it look like that was the case. After all, he had an image to maintain, even around Nala.
“You stay still so well,” he praised, sort of. Vincent stood in front of her, out of reach, but certainly present. “So far you’re obeying as I told you to. Like I said a few minutes ago, though… this is nothing. This is the easy part. Any woman could come in here and kneel in my house. What is it to me? I’m not impressed.”
What do you want from me? Nala had to suppress a sneer of defiance. That would get her nowhere. I can’t tell if he wants me to make it or not, though. Perhaps he wanted to break and tame her some more. Or maybe he wanted her ready to go out of the box. Nala had a good idea, but… she wasn’t about to attempt the risky guess.
“Do you know what would impress me, Nala?” Vincent didn’t wait for an answer. “Unwavering loyalty. Even if you falter, I will still see your motives. Your intent. If you falter and I can tell you desperately wanted to behave but are still green behind the ears… that’s fine. That’s admirable. So don’t worry about disappointing me. Only worry about that if your heart isn’t into any of this.”
Nala swallowed. “Yes, sir. I’ll give you my all, sir.”
“Good.” Vincent approached, each step its own brand of torture. He’s coming for me, but will he do anything? Will he satisfy me yet? Will I have to satisfy him first? Nala thought of her last night as Nightingale, when she got on her knees and serviced him to climax. She had sensed how much he wanted to savor the pleasure with her. Did he want a mulligan now that they were alone? “I know this doesn’t come naturally to you, Nala. That’s okay. I prefer my women – my girlfriends – to be feisty. I don’t like the demure types of submissives, except for every great once in a while. For everyday life, I like a girl with a lot of punch and power. Do you know why?”
Nala shook her head. At least she really knew now that the woman in the bookstore wouldn’t have been able to satisfy her Master.
Vincent touched her cheek with his knuckles, caressing her skin with a tender touch that brought with it a ton of warning – warning to not indulge in it too much. “Because you’re so much more satisfying to tame.”
She knew it.
Vincent reached around her head, gently pushing it to one side as he surveyed the white of her throat. Then he inspected the other side before grabbing her ponytail and yanking up.
“Ah!” That was the only sound escaping Nala as pain surged through her scalp. It was fleeting, as all Vincent did was rip out her hair tie and force her hair across her shoulders, but it was enough to give her a taste of what was in store that night. He’ll show me no mercy. He’ll make me up to be exactly what he wants before breaking me in. Nala didn’t yet know what it meant to serve or to obey. That night of his bondage practice didn’t count. As hot as it was… it didn’t count.
“You are so…” Vincent shoved his fingers down her shirt, tugging on the front collar of the fabric. “Damn…” He pulled down harder and harder, nearly bringing Nala down to the floor as her balance floundered and she struggled to keep her hands on her head. “Gorgeous…” With a terrifying tear, her shirt came apart. So. Damn. Easily.
Nala stared, aghast, at her bra now on full display. The light gray of her plain cotton shirt was in two, as if the man’s bite and claws was taking her apart. My mother would call him a volk, like her maiden name. A wolf. A terrifying, wonderful wolf making her its prey. Yulia had warned her daughters of such men. Uh oh…
The only reason she didn’t panic about her clothing was because it meant nothing. A simple T-shirt could easily be repurchased, especially by a billionaire. No, the real reason I don’t care is because he can do whatever he wants to me. Like pull her shirt free from her body, tossing the ruined cotton onto her sweatshirt.
“Look at you. If I always had my way, you would spend your whole life on display to me.” Vincent rubbed the tops of her breasts, crouched down so his breath blew hot on her face. “I’ve spent this whole day thinking about what I want to do to you, Nala. I never thought you would give me the chance to express it. Not like this.” He yanked her bra cups down, freeing her breasts and most of all her nipples – which he continued to pinch, as he always did. Oh my God. Here they went. Here Nala went. Pretty soon she would be so suggestible that she would walk on hot coals to get to this man.
“I want only to serve you, Master.”
Her voice shook. For the briefest moment, as Vincent stroked her flowing hair and ripped down her bra straps until the whole thing started to come apart, Nala wondered if she were retreating into Nightingale’s space. But we’re the same person. How can I want to be anyone else but who I am? Nala didn’t need to be any other identity. Not around… the man she loved.
He discarded her clothing until she was half naked, her hair the only thing keeping her modest. Nala shook in the cold, and from the anticipation. I want him to do whatever he’s going to do right now. I can’t stand the wait. She had no idea what to expect. She had no idea what kind of man lurked beneath this kindly shell. For all she knew, Vincent’s true self was using BDSM as a guise for something terrible, like other members of The Aviary.
“Do you trust me, Nala?”
She looked up, catching a flash of concern on his countenance. He’s still the same Vincent. He still wants to protect me. “I trust you,” she said softly. “You won’t hurt me. The only pain I feel will be pleasure.”
Nala didn’t have to read those books. She didn’t need to talk to those girls at The Aviary. She knew these things like she knew her own heart. This is a part of me. This has always been inside of me. Her ex hadn’t been a bad guy. He wasn’t super bad in bed, either, but he never held Nala’s interest, in part because he couldn’t really give her what she wanted. For all her bite and desire to be seen as an independent young woman, she enjoyed this more than anyone had the right to. Every time Vincent took her deeper into his world, every time he made her more and more into his ideal sub, Nala realized that this was part of her true calling in life.
It was exhilarating. It was pleasurable. It was so fucking hot that she thought she would explode beneath his domineering touch.
“If you want me to stop at any time, the safe word is…”
“Tasha.”
Vincent didn’t say anything. He simply touched her chin with his fingers before reaching into his deep pockets.
“Please…” Nala begged, as she saw the nightingale collar emerge from Vincent’s jeans. “Don’t hold back. I can take it, I swear. I trust you, Vincent. Do whatever you want to me. Make use of my body and what I can do to you. Deny me whatever you want. Give me as much as you want. I want to know what it’s like.”
“What it’s like… to be my sub?”
“To be your girlfriend.”
Something glistened on the collar, and it wasn’t the pendant. A silver chain fell from the nightingale’s beak. A leash, one of the most debasing things Nala could have thought up. Even she balked for an instant.
“You’re not a dog.” Vincent slipped the collar around her throat, making sure it was snug but not too tight. “But you need training. You might get overeager otherwise. No matter how much you think you want it like that, I can’t be sure until I’ve made you feel like this.”
He tugged on the leash, bringing Nala down on all fours. What? She couldn’t help it. No matter how she tried to position herself, she couldn’t achieve anything but hands and knees, head pointed up toward Vincent. Her ass was still covered by her jeans, but it stuck out behind her, and her breasts swung dangerously close to the floor. If something touches my nipples, I’m done.
Vincent wrapped the leash around one hand while the other ran down the soft curve of her back and toward her ass. “What are you, Nala?” he asked with a biting tone. “What are you, my darling?”
She knew what she damn well looked like. “I’m a bitch, sir.”
“Is that what you want to be? You can be anything you want. As long as it fits the situation. Now’s your chance to change that statement.”
“Well…” he had said she wasn’t a dog. That was already established. Besides, bitch wasn’t really sexy. Not to Nala, anyway. “I can be your whore, sir.”
“You’ve asked me to call you that before.”
“It’s true, isn’t it? You’re paying me to pleasure you, sir.”
“In a way, I suppose. I have never thought of you as a whore, though. I’ve never thought of any woman that way.”
Noble, but not what Nala was fishing for. “Like you have your needs and desires, sir, I have mine as well. I like to think you can meet me halfway.”
“Fine.” Vincent climbed onto the sofa, but kept Nala steady on her hands and knees. “If that’s what you want to think, you’re free to do so. When I ask you again what you are, you can change your answer.”
Nala nodded.
“First we have other matters to take care of.” His hand was back, grabbing her ass through her jeans, fingers shoving between legs and teasing her slit. Make me shiver, why don’t you. It was still cold in there. Did he turn the heater on at all? No? Well, then. I’ll sit here and suffer with my dying nipples. “Do you know why subs get some of this, Nala?” He patted her ass, enough to let her know that he could go harder – and would.
“Uh…” Here it came. One of the few moments she dreaded since first walking into The Aviary. “Because it feels good?”
“See, my sweet? This is why you need to be trained. There’s still a lot to learn.” He patted her bottom again, almost good-naturedly. “Yes, it feels good. There are some who love it so much that spanking becomes a reward for them, but not purely for physical reasons. Spanking is often a form of punishment. If you’ve transgressed a line and need to be reminded of your place, then a spanking might be appropriate. Now, why might I want or have to spank you, Nala?”
What a cruel game. Let’s play it, already. “Because I did something wrong today.”
“What might that have been?”
Nala said the first thing to come to her mind. “I undermined your power at the bookstore. I told that woman off. I got too possessive. I made decisions on your behalf. I…”
“Yes, yes, that’s enough.”
Nala braced herself for a spank, but it didn’t come. Not yet.
“It’s not enough to understand why. In theory, you could give me a whole list of reasons I, as your Dom, would want to spank this firm ass of yours.” His fingers flicked against her jeans. The more he drew this out, the more Nala… awaited it. That’s his plan. He wants me to enjoy it. Why wouldn’t he? Never had Nala gotten the inkling that Vincent received glee in exchange for anyone’s pain. “But until you’ve felt the sting of a good punishment, you’re not going to completely understand why it’s done.”
His pats grew harder, stronger. He was warming Nala up for the real thing, and her fingers curled deep into the throw rug beneath her. The more this went on, Vincent revving up his touch, the more Nala wanted to hang her head, to bury her face in the rug and retreat into herself. Not out of shame. Not out of fear, but because she assumed this was expected of her.
“No, no.” Vincent tugged on the leash, forcing Nala’s head back up. Her hair slapped against her breasts, parting enough to let her nipples poke through. “Keep your head up and your back straight. I may not be able to see your face from here, but I can feel your pride in your posture. You can close your eyes, if you want, but keep your arms and spine as straight as possible. Tip your chin up if it helps. If we ever perform like this in front of people, this is what we would show them.”
Did he really have to bring that up? I am not doing this in front of anyone but him! Nala wasn’t even sure if she could tolerate it yet! Just because she was adventurous tonight…
Smack!
Nala let out a yelp of shock, surprise, and, yes, pain. The sting of Vincent’s not-so-gentle-hand warped her, bending her elbows and almost sending her torso to the ground. Ow… To think her jeans were protecting her!
“Stay up.” Vincent tugged on the leash again, keeping Nala in the position he wanted. You bastard… His voice may have been firm, but his demeanor was that of a Dom desperately trying to train a sub still wet behind her pretty ears. “Be good, Nala. If you can take three spanks from me without flinching in anything but pleasure, I’ll reward you. Do you understand?”
She grimaced. “Yes, sir.” Nala struggled to remain in position, but she knew what was coming.
A spank. As hard as the first, but this time keeping her in place.
It wasn’t any less shocking or painful. The only thing his spanks did was numb her to the frenzy overtaking her body.
“Tell me why I’m doing this, Nala. Tell me why I have to spank you.”
He continued to smack her ass in between his words, making her tremble, whimper, and wonder how much more her flesh could take. “Because I undermined your authority… sir…”
“Good. Why else?” He spanked her again. This time Nala did not flinch, but she did cry.
When she had control of her voice again, she replied, “Because I got jealous, sir.”
“Why else?” His next spank wasn’t as tough, but still, Nala trembled. “There’s one more reason, not relating to the bookstore.”
Nala searched her brain for any reason Vincent would use to hit her ass like this. He was alternating cheeks, sometimes going hard, sometimes easing up, but always using a firm hand. Am I getting aroused by it? Nala couldn’t tell. “Because I need training and this is a part of it. Every sub can expect to be spanked at some point in her training.” She was bullshitting, but nevertheless, she hoped she was right.
“Very good. You’re catching on.” Vincent massaged her worn flesh with one hand and then eased off the leash. Nala knew better than to think she was allowed to bend down. If anything, Vincent was testing her resolve. How well would she behave? How well did she understand what he had been saying this whole time? “Now can you take three spanks in a row without flinching? Do you want a reward for your upstanding behavior these past few minutes?”
She nodded. “I want to be rewarded, but only if I deserve it.”
“What are you, Nala?”
Her lips turned inward, letting her tongue wet them. She said the same word from earlier. Vincent did not react.
Instead, he spanked her hard enough to make her flinch – but she remained sturdy where she knelt, refusing to buckle. She wanted this to be over after the three spanks she deserved the most. So far, she had made it through one.
The next one came, hitting her in the exact same spot. This should have made her buckle, but she forced herself up, flinching only in the slightest. I hope he didn’t notice that. It would depend on how aroused this was making Vincent. I hope it’s getting him so hard he doesn’t know what to do with himself. Besides fuck me. She imagined him pulling down her jeans, kneeling behind her, and driving himself into her until she came uncontrollably. That would be nice…
Smack!
`Nala almost went down. Almost. As the pain washed across her body, shooting up her spine, tingling in her breasts, and centering in her mound, she felt her knees shake and her arms attempt to move. I won’t. She thought it, over and over again, like a mantra. I won’t, I won’t I won’t. She refused to disappoint him. While Nala could never be the perfect sub on her first real try, she would at least strive for as much perfection as possible. This seemed like the least she could do.
The pain subsided. Nala was left looking at the ceiling, wondering what Vincent thought of her performance. Did I do a good job? Did I pass his test? She had no way of knowing unless she looked over her shoulder. I won’t risk that in case that’s the wrong thing to do. Nala wouldn’t put it past herself.
“That’s good enough. You did very well.” Vincent tugged on the leash, helping Nala lean back on her heels as gingerly as possible. “For your first time, I have no complaints.”
Nala let out a sigh of relief. At least she could say she got through that.
“What now, sir?”
“You don’t have to be so eager. When it’s time to move on, I will let you know.”
Nala sat expectantly, flicking dust off her pants and wondering how long it would take for the pain in her ass to subside. And that was with my jeans on. Did that make it worse? Easier? She had no idea. That’s how inexperienced she was. “I’m sorry you have to put up with me, sir. I must be a lot of trouble for you.”
“You’d only be trouble if you weren’t willing to learn. Since you are, it’s no trouble at all. In fact…” Vincent caressed her cheek and combed her hair with his fingers. “It can be a lot of fun training a new sub. I only wish our circumstances were better.”
Nala didn’t have to ask what he meant by that. She had to force herself to never think of The Aviary, otherwise she would panic and run.
“You’re very obedient for your general personality. Are you enjoying yourself? I don’t want you to force this.”
Nala shrugged in an effort to stretch her arms. “I am enjoying it, sir. You said there would be a reward?”
“Ah, yes…” Vincent leaned back in the couch, looking like any guy sitting back to watch TV or play lazy video games. “Come up here and lie across my lap. I’ll give you your reward.”
Although her leash was still in his hand, Nala was able to maneuver onto her feet and shuffle to the couch, ass beginning to burn in her jeans. Ow, ow, ow… She kept reminding herself that it was better to experience this for the first time with Vincent and not someone like Hawk. Why are you doing this to yourself? Stop thinking about those people for one moment. This was about sharing something special with Vincent. This was about getting closer to him, not distancing themselves with more heartache and grief.
Nala climbed onto the couch and straddled Vincent’s lap, lowering herself until she carefully lay across his wide lap and buried her nose into a throw pillow. Vincent pushed her long hair out of the way so he could stroke the curve of her back, his cock stiffening beneath Nala’s bare stomach.
“You’re beautiful.” His soft voice entered one ear and escaped out the other. Nala sighed, turning her head to one side so she stared at the black TV only a few feet away. “Turn over. I want to see your breasts.”
Did he now? Nala hid a chuckle as she turned over with his help, looking into his shadowy face as she rested her head against the pillow and let her sore ass nestle between his legs. His hand instantly went to her stomach and teased her with his touch.
“Am I only beautiful, sir?” She tried him, that was for sure. “A girl even in my position right now needs to know more than that from the man touching her like this.”
“I’m sure.” Vincent forked his fingers around one of her nipples, stimulating her to the point they peaked again. “I have to admit that right now I’m mostly caught up in your striking beauty. If you want to know more, I also think you’re a very strong woman.”
“Hmph.”
“What is it?”
Nala cracked a smile. “Few people go so far as to call me a woman.”
“Aren’t you? Womanhood is more than your age. It’s what you’ve been through, how you carry yourself, what your goals in life are, your maturity…”
“So I’m a woman then. That’s relieving.”
“I’m serious, Nala.” His fingers came together, gently pinching her nipple as her hands clasped across her stomach. “Why would I be with anyone else other than a woman?”
She wasn’t going to seriously answer that.
“Anyway, your reward. You still want it, right?”
“You mean this isn’t it?”
“Only a taste.” That clean-cut – okay, so his shadow was coming back in at this time of day – guy in a T-shirt and jeans was almost too much to bear as he pinched her with one hand and tugged down the zipper of her jeans with the other. “There’s a lot more I can offer you right now. Don’t be shy to take it.”
“I never would be, sir. I have nothing about my body to hide from you.” Not at this point. Besides, Nala was about as shy as a woman who had been around the block a few times and made a living walking naked down the street. She was sure such a profession existed somewhere in a city like Portland. “Please, feel generous with my reward.”
“Now, don’t get too cheeky…” Vincent pulled the front of her jeans apart and let his fingers touch the top of her mound. “Although I do like a certain level of cheek from you.”
His fingers cut a trail along her skin, sliding between her breasts, dipping into her navel, and coming so close to giving her true pleasure that Nala couldn’t do anything but shudder where she lay. A reward? This was a huge, drawn out tease meant to make her even hornier for him. Okay, so it’s working. Shut up.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he stroked one of her nipples, eliciting a wave of pleasure through her torso and beyond. Now this is what I’m talking about. Nala’s hips slightly undulated against Vincent’s lap, especially when he shoved his other hand down her pants and rubbed her slit through her lingerie.
Nala closed her eyes and let herself slip away into another world, one where they were the only two people to ever exist. Thank God for that. Because Nala was tired of experiencing an existence where she had to rely on people, had to make her own way, had to deal with the unpleasantness that was life. People say I’m so cynical for my age. Growing up, the elders in her neighborhood simply said she had an old soul. An old, adventurous soul that shirked learning how to keep house and do other “womanly” things such as cooking and childrearing. Those were more Tasha’s bag, although she was able to get away with not doing them too much either because she had her studies to tend to. Nala didn’t have an excuse beyond “I don’t want to.” Yulia would drag her in from outside, force her into the kitchen, and try to teach her “practical” skills so her un-academic daughter would have something to fall back on one day. Tasha was guaranteed a good career. The best my mother hoped for on my behalf was a good marriage. That wasn’t happening unless Nala could cook.
So when Vincent insisted that she was a woman earlier, she felt lost. Lied to. Even for a split second, it felt like the biggest farce in the universe. How could Nala be a woman? She was too young, too inexperienced in what really mattered that she still felt like such a girl inside. Sure, she worked for a living. Sure, she took care of herself. Sure, she relied on hardly anyone, because she had run out of people to rely on. Did that really help make one an adult?
Having sex didn’t make a person an adult, like having a job didn’t necessarily make one an adult. Young teens could do both of those things. I’m not a teenager anymore. Every passing day took Nala further and further away from that. Soon she would be forty, looking back on her life and wondering where the years had gone. How had time gone so quickly? How had life without Tasha continued to go on?
Where would she be in twenty years? Would she finally have her revenge? Would she be with Vincent?
Would she be happy, regardless?
Nala came back to Earth when Vincent cupped his fingers around her slit, forcing her lingerie inside her as he threatened to finger her like that. But the cloth of her underwear created an impenetrable barrier, even if it stretched more the wetter it became. You’re going to tease me to death! Her eyes opened, meeting Vincent’s in the darkness of his living room. Nala’s breaths became more erratic. Her hands stretched out, curling around his muscular arm as he slid his fingers deeper into her jeans.
“Will you let me come?” she asked, almost pitifully. “I mean… please sir.”
“I’m sure you would like that. How many orgasms should I let you have tonight? There are two schools of thought when it comes to training a sub and utilizing orgasms as rewards and tools. One says I should let you come as often as possible, as it helps you associate everything that happens with incredible pleasure.” His fingers pulled her lingerie aside and dipped into her wetness. It took all of Nala’s power to not gasp in absolute frustration. “The other school says I should reserve them for only the most pivotal moments. Orgasms have to be earned. The training is in the tease.”
“What school of thought do you belong to, sir?” Her breath was leaving her. Soon she wouldn’t be able to speak at all unless Vincent forced her to.
“I belong to whichever one I feel like indulging in.”
His fingers drew a slow, languid line along her clit, turning Nala into a moaning, almost begging creature that subsisted solely off the pleasure a single man could give her. Oh my God! This coincided with a pinch to her nipple. A very, very delectable pinch to her nipple. I’m turning into a sex fiend because of this man. What a life that would be!
Before she could enjoy the full gamut of an orgasm, however, Vincent pulled his fingers out and patted her stomach. So that’s how it’s going to be? Apparently Vincent believed in the second school of thought.
“You’re doing great, Nala. I couldn’t be happier with your behavior tonight.”
So did that mean she got a treat? Is that what her reward was? Some bones, some scraps thrown in this bitch’s direction? He’s gonna make me homicidal at this rate. Heat had swollen in her stomach, begging for release. So much energy, so much tension… did Vincent know what kind of fire he currently played with? He really shouldn’t underestimate Nala Nazarov. She always got her way… eventually.
“Sit up.”
She obeyed, with his help, sitting up in his lap. Vincent eased her off the couch and back onto the floor.
“Turn your back to me and put your hands behind you. Trust me.”
She already did, but she wouldn’t tell him that… again.
When she was in position, Vincent pulled one last thing from his deep pockets. A single silk scarf. Nala shouldn’t have been surprised… and yet she was.
“Don’t worry, darling, you haven’t misbehaved,” Vincent said, as he secured her wrists behind her back. “I want to see how well you take to being, ah, hands free.”
She had no idea what he meant by that. She was sure she would find out soon enough.
“There. Is it too tight?”
Nala barely noticed the scarf tied around her wrists. “No, sir.” Her fingers wiggled freely. She was secured, but it would take considerable effort to break free. Only if she really wanted to. And I don’t. Just don’t give me a reason to try.
“Good. Let me know if they’re too tight and you’re uncomfortable.”
“I will, sir.”
“Listen to you.” Vincent pulled her hair back, ensuring he had the best view of her body – and her face, of course. Nala did not miss the hard bulge in his pants. Let me guess where this is going. She wouldn’t complain. Yet. “I never thought you would be so compliant, let alone during a training phase. Do you enjoy submitting?”
Nala looked away, studying the creases in the leather couch as if they held some mystical answer for her to consult. Do I? She was pretty sure she did, but she was still new to this world. Yet it felt right. It was something definitely worth exploring. If I’m going to explore it with anyone, it better be someone like Vincent. The man who had the ability to make her smile with one of his own. And, well, he wasn’t too bad in bed.
“I like what I’ve done so far.”
“You say you like it rough?”
“I like both rough and gentle.” Nala held back her smile, forcing her lips to curl inward and make her look even cheekier than usual. “With you, anyway. You do both very well, sir.”
If Vincent were the type of man to blush, surely this would be his shining moment for it. “You flatter me, Nala. I know you can’t be an easy woman to please. Normally I’d chastise a sub for trying to suck up to me, but I don’t think you are. I think you’re telling the truth.”
“I am. I like both rough and gentle with you. The only scary thing is how easily you tell which one I need in any moment.” Nala twisted her fingers in their binds. “Which one do you think I need right now, sir?”
She got the reaction she wanted. Vincent, pulling on her hair and bringing his face close to hers. “I think you need to be put in your place before you get out of hand.”
He kissed her, hard, his tongue prying her mouth apart and diving deep. Both hands clasped her face, steadying her – a happy fact, since she didn’t have her arms to keep her balanced. I love the way he kisses. Vincent never half-assed it. Every time he kissed, it was with true, unadulterated intent. Nala could wrap herself up in his arms if it were possible.
“You know how to rile me up, Nala,” he muttered on her lips, one hand going to his hips and unzipping his jeans. Nala spared a look for the erection coming out of his clothes. The man hadn’t even taken off his T-shirt, and here Nala was, knowing exactly what was expected of her. She only hoped it would be in the manner she wanted most right now. Not that she would tell him. Just as he trained her, she trained him to learn the movements of her body and what it was she wanted. She practically trained him to read her mind. Vincent would not be the type of man to wave away a woman’s whims as “They’re mysterious. Who knows what they’re thinking?” He wanted to know what Nala was thinking. Even when he tied her up, gagged her, spanked her, whatever, he still wanted to know what thoughts ticked in her head. That’s what made him so respectable on the outset.
“Is there something I can help you with?” she asked sweetly, knowing full well what was expected of her. She only had to glance in his lap again to get a glimpse of her imminent future.
He kissed her again, his hardness surging toward her stomach. “Put that wordy mouth of yours on my cock.” His breath soared in her ear, diving deep, deep down into her heart and eliciting a gasp from her throat. “You talk too much for a sub, even one I’m being patient with. Perhaps I should punish your mouth.”
He could have easily done that with his unforgiving kisses, but of course, that would be too easy – and not get him any sexual relief. When Nala’s head was shoved into his lap, she inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of his strong musk and everything that entailed. At this point, nothing else could have excited her as much. Let alone excited her to dart out her tongue and lick his stiffening shaft as soon as possible. The first swear word of relief to fall from his lips nearly tickled Nala to death.
“That’s it. Good. Good.” Now Vincent was the one controlling his breaths, gently guiding Nala’s head over the tip of his cock. Salt and sweat touched her tongue, delightful, delicious. Nala wrapped her tongue around it as soon as possible, showing Vincent how eager she truly was to please him – and be pleased in return. I definitely am pleased by doing this. She couldn’t explain it. She didn’t know why she liked doing this so much. Maybe it was because it was for him. Was it possible to enjoy serving a man so much?
Nala barely had a hold on him with her mouth before he yanked her hair, sending a thousand thrills through her scalp and forcing her eyes up toward his. Until then, her eyes had been closed, savoring the moments as they went blissfully by. Now she was forced to look him in the soul, wondering how much of this came from Vincent the man or Vincent the Dom.
Does it matter?
“Keep it up,” he growled, one hand holding tight to the back of her head while the other continued to pull at her hair. “Inhale my cock, darling.”
Used to be Nala could take or leave that name he called her. Now she came to love it, knowing that it wasn’t a term of endearment he pulled out of his ass on the spur of the moment at The Aviary. He had probably thought about it. “What do I want to call her? What name fits this woman the best?” He had settled on darling, for one reason or another, and now he used that word whenever he wanted to make sure Nala felt special. That isn’t hard to do anymore.
Vincent gave her enough reprieve to reorient herself, steadying her breaths through her nose as she worked her way up and down his ever-hardening cock. Is he going to come soon? Nala was sure that was part of the plan, although now that Vincent had time to enjoy the moment, he would probably hold off until he absolutely could not anymore.
Nala realized that this was a service to her Dom. Even so, there was no denying the pleasure it brought her, in unconventional ways. She enjoyed the challenge of pleasuring him like this without the use of her hands – although she longed to wrap one fist around his shaft and squeeze him, feeling the raw power residing within. It would also make taking him deeper into her mouth easier to bear. Yet without her hands to rely on, Nala had to be more patient, more resourceful. She used her tongue to draw him toward her throat, relaxing whatever stood in the way of her taking him down to places he had yet to explore. Not even his passionate tongue could reach this far into her mouth.
Don’t you dare fucking choke, idiot. Not only would Nala be embarrassed, but it would ruin the mood. He’s expecting me to do this. So do it! Nala rarely backed down from a challenge. A man asking her to practically – no, actually – deep throat him? Yeah, sure, no problem. Or so she told herself.
In reality, it was not an easy feat to do, let alone on her first try, and without the ability to use her hands to steady herself.
Vincent encouraged her, giving her the occasional tip when he had the mind to. Nala was sure that was becoming more difficult as time went on. After all, it could not have been easy to stop his fantasies in order to tell her what she needed to do to not choke or otherwise hurt herself and him by extension. While Nala appreciated it, she was also sure she could have figured it out on her own. Eventually.
When they fell into a rhythm that suited them both, Nala let herself go and rode the wave of power coursing through her. She had given up all control, but she was still a major part of this moment. It could not have existed without her, as it could not have existed without Vincent. We’re both equal in this. Just because he’s calling all the shots… doesn’t mean he doesn’t need me here. Could Vincent have achieved this pleasure on his own? Surely not!
Perhaps he couldn’t even achieve it with another woman. Such a thought took Nala by surprise, but she let it go, choosing to instead focus on the moment before her.
Not that Vincent could let things go on course. He always had to up the ante, which he did the moment Nala let her guard down. Soon enough, her hair pulled at her scalp, her breath pounding through her nostrils and her fingers fighting for freedom as Vincent lifted his hips off the couch and fucked her damned throat.
She cried out, muffled by his body, by the sheer amount of need coursing through the both of them. Nala had to concentrate more than ever, but her heart thumped wildly, accepting what had happened with grace and as much dignity as she could muster. If anyone saw them in this moment, she would not be upset about it. In fact, she would be proud, because not only could she take this, but Vincent had chosen her. That in itself brought her pleasure.
The sounds coming from his throat increased, becoming more intense, threatening to burst from his chest before the rest of him was lost to pleasure. In the last moment of his sanity, he warned Nala. She knew what was coming.
Him.
She could not suppress the alarm going off in her head as Vincent came, one wave after another surging down Nala’s throat and filling her mouth. His cock swelled to unusual size, her mouth working it, draining it of every last bit of his vitality. There was no time to savor his taste. No time to feel the ripples of his body as he shared this moment with her. There was only him, her, and what happened in her throat.
“Fucking shit, Nala.” Vincent sank back into the couch, his cock falling from Nala’s mouth. She gasped, gulping in the first deep breaths she had in minutes. “That was the best.”
The best what? The best oral? The best sex? The best she ever gave him? Nala knew he wouldn’t divulge that detail. Not yet, anyway. So she leaned her head against the couch, panting, some of his seed already dribbling from the corner of her mouth. She was too tired to do something about it.
His hand came for her, stroking the top of her head until she looked up at him with the softest expression she ever felt on her own face.
“You’re adventurous,” Vincent said. “I knew that already but… you surprise even me.”
Nala braved a few words. “What do you mean? Didn’t expect me to like that?”
“You’re not the type of woman a man would take for being a submissive.”
“Yeah, I give off that vibe.” Nala grinned. “Does that make it more fun for you? Knowing that I will do these things and like it?”
“Maybe. Like I told you before, I’m a lot more into the feisty type than the demure. I like a girl who makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something as opposed to being serviced.”
“Accomplishing? You mean like breaking a poor girl in?”
“Over and over.”
“Mm, Mr. Lane, you like a girl with some resistance.”
“Playful resistance.”
“Of course.”
Vincent bent down, tilting Nala’s head back. “I like you, Nala. I haven’t said that to someone in a very, very long time.”
Not since Desirée, I’m sure. “You’re not so bad yourself, Mr. Lane.”
“You’re a mess already.” Vincent lightly kissed her lips. “Something tells me you enjoy being messy.”
“I was quite the tomboy growing up. Always climbing trees and getting muddy.”
“I like it.”
He kissed her harder, delving between her lips and tasting himself on her tongue. That is so hot. There was no shame between them. No thoughts of disgust or ambivalence. If it weren’t for her wrists becoming sore in their binds, she could have easily spent half her lifetime kneeling there in front of him, feeling him kiss her, explore her, and indulge in some of life’s simple pleasures that they so rarely allowed themselves.
“I think it’s time I took you upstairs.”