Saving Sophia Read online

  Instead of an easy dismissal like Bella had promised, Linc’s ominous glare bit into her deception, and he crossed his arms while leaning back in his chair. “Are you sure? Does Marcus know? He asked to switch supervisory weekends with me because he wanted to play with you.”

  “Yeah. It’s okay,” she continued while her gaze moved involuntarily to the floor.

  “It’s fine with me as long as I don’t get any whining or complaining from you later,” he added with a shrug. “I’ve had so many people request the weekend off, somebody will be thrilled that you stepped up.”

  “No, I promise. You know I want the money, and I can do the play thing later.”

  Linc’s eyebrows shot up, and Sophia’s blush expanded. She stumbled as she backed out of the room. “I should go now. Marcus has me planting vegetables today… and I need to get some cut flowers for the kitchen… and it’s a lot to do… so see you later.” When she closed the heavy door behind her, she collapsed against the frame with a relieved sigh.

  It took less than an hour for Marcus to join her by the tool shed. “Linc says you’re going to work this weekend. I thought you wanted to negotiate a scene with me?” It might have been easier if he was angry, but the confusion was all too clear.

  Her gaze went to the ground. “Somebody has to work,” she lied with an uncomfortable shrug. “I thought I’d let the others go to the party since I was new. Besides, I really need the money.”

  His disappointment was obvious, and he rubbed her cheek with a quiet groan. “Damn, Sophia. I love it when you get all shy on me. Next time, you’re mine. I’m not going to take any excuses.”

  She needed a deep breath to continue. “Sure, Marcus. Next time.” The regret almost hurt, but she already planned the sore throat and stomachache that would keep her safely engrained in her own world.

  Most of her weekend responsibilities rested in the comfortable kitchen. Bella and Jack were both playing and when Bella came downstairs in her costume, Sophia had to hold back a gasp. Her black one-piece was cut like a bathing suit but revealed the perfect amount of tender skin peeking through the lacy fabric. Some women looked stunning in stilettos, but Bella had chosen black ballet flats as a perfect accompaniment to her diminutive size. A black leather collar with pearl studs was fastened around her neck to complete her sexy look. Sophia couldn’t help but comment, “Bella, you look adorable.”

  When Bella blushed deeply, Jack answered, “My little wolf isn’t speaking tonight. If she opens her mouth, I’m gagging her.”

  He pulled Bella into his arms, and Sophia expected him to smack her bottom with a grin. Instead, he planted a deep and romantic kiss, bringing his wife closer to his side than any games she’d read about in a book…

  “Are you ready, Bel?” he said quietly. She nodded and grabbed his hand to wander toward the main house, leaving Sophia deep in thought.

  During dinner, Meg sent her to the dining room a few times to check the buffet. She saw a lot of skin and leather and tried hard to avert her eyes to anything that revealed nipples or crotches, but her mini-educational seminar the night before had left her slightly prepared. A lot of happy people accompanied a few butt-reddening spankings, but she stayed clear of the big dungeon in the basement and the temporary sunporch mini-dungeon. The evening left a tickle of need between her legs, but the effect was not overwhelming.

  Marcus even pulled her onto his lap for a quick, innocent hug while strangers looked at them with respectful acceptance. He worked her back and bottom with an innocent touch, and her mood grew to an easy comfort while the nagging from her most private spot grew in slow, methodical twitches. He let her go with a whisper, “Mine, Sophia. You’re playing with me next month, promise?”

  With a quick nod, she ran to gather dirty glasses in the living room where a small crowd had assembled around Tami and her husband, Kyle. He was younger than the three Cloudcroft doms, but his hardened body was just as demanding. The room’s subtle lighting created a sensual backdrop, and despite Sophia’s personal commitment to avoid erotic scenes, Tami’s sexuality made turning away impossible.

  Far removed from the conservative couple she knew in Jackson, her friend wore only an expensive pair of panties. Firm breasts were exposed to the air, and her nipples had formed into hard little peaks. Normally confident, Tami was clearly nervous, She was under no physical restraint, but after a slight wiggle, Kyle ordered, “I told you to be still, little girl.” With a quick pinch, her nipples rose to a firmer stand, and she steadied herself with a quiet whimper.

  He pinned her wrists behind her back with one powerful grip and used his free hand to move along her curves to accentuate their design while Tami’s eyes closed in appreciation. She gave a nervous moan, but the wiggle was almost imperceptible. By the time he worked his way down her belly, she arched her back slightly but another sharp pull on her wrists took her back to position. Her muscles quivered, and he slowly slid his fingers around the elastic of her black lace panties.

  With her own nervous system awakened by a rush of endorphins, Sophia’s gaze remained glued to the couple as Tami stepped out of her panties to reveal a freshly waxed smoothness. His hand moved between her legs to tease her labia and the sounds emanating from her wet readiness made her ache apparent. Pulling back lightly on her wrists, Kyle used his fingers to provide a glimpse of her swollen, wet clit to the appreciative crowds. A few circling touches on her tiny bundle of nerves, and Tami shuddered openly with a small cry of pleasure.

  With a barely audible whimper, Sophia leaned a little closer to form a tighter connection to the erotic couple than simple sight, but a distant voice cut into the scene. “Meg’s looking for you in the kitchen, Sophia. She’s been waiting to hear what they need at the dinner buffet.”

  Sophia shook her head to focus on Carly, but could not find a verbal response. Carly continued with a giggle, “They’re damn hot, aren’t they. I never get tired of watching them. Come on. Meg’s going to murder you if you don’t hurry.”

  Concern over Meg’s temper forced their quick return to the kitchen, but she spoke honestly. “I’m sorry. I was watching Tami and Kyle and just got caught up in the moment.”

  Meg sighed, “I’m surprised any work gets done around here with what goes on out there. Start on the dishes, girls. The pots all get hand-washed, but the plates and glasses can go in the dishwashers.”

  Carly added another giggle. “But even if we have to work, we still get a pretty good show.”

  Tami and Kyle’s images burned in her mind while the girls chatted about the games going on just a few feet away. Camaraderie and excitement were intoxicating emotions and fed her enthusiasm with a relentless augmentation. Presented with mind-boggling physical evidence, the whole scene didn’t appear nearly as difficult as she’d feared. When Carly began to describe an event she’d attended in Jackson a month earlier, Sophia imagined Marcus’ strong hands on her own quivering body in the living room.

  Hours later, the kitchen was on the verge of closing when Marcus sauntered in with his easy grin and trusting eyes, but Sophia’s heart skipped a guilty beat. She’d assumed he’d hook up with an extra this weekend, and his missing partner was clearly her fault. But guilt didn’t last long when a jealous twinge took over at the thought of him playing with somebody else.

  To defeat the conflicting emotions, she tried to busy herself next to the big wooden table to sort out the pastries for breakfast when Marcus wrapped his monster arms around her from the back and whispered, “Next time, Sophia. Next time, it’s you and me.”

  His already familiar touch sent small shivers down her spine to connect her nervous system to the achy void deep inside her body. When the twirling network reached the tingling between her legs, she shuddered openly and leaned further into his comfort at a weak attempt at relief. He didn’t let go and rejecting him was impossible. With a quiet chuckle, he massaged her nipples through the white work shirt to further overwhelm her senses, and her body continued its electrical response to feed
one inevitable goal.

  Still holding onto her, Marcus turned to Meg. “Where’s Carly? Some of the guests wanted to see a whip demonstration, and she’s done one before.”

  Meg shrugged as she turned off the overhead lights. “She left as soon as the dishes were done. Some vanilla date in Marion. Sorry, Marcus. We were done, and I didn’t think you needed her anymore.”

  The thin nighttime illumination of the normally busy room provided a romantic backdrop, and Sophia remained snuggled in Marcus’ arms. The familiar space was far removed from any sex games and held the backbone of family and trust that she had come to appreciate. Without warning, Marcus snapped his fingers. “Hey, Sophia. Why don’t you do it?”

  She couldn’t help but return to the blank stare that Bella had deemed creepy, and the only sound she could manage was a dismal, “Huh?”

  “Come on, we can negotiate right now. It’s a lot faster if we just do a list of allowable things rather than the taboo list.”

  Every voice in her head instructed her feet to run as fast as they could, but the tingles inside her vaginal walls demanded their appeasement and forced her to listen. She still couldn’t speak, but nodded a slow approval.

  “It’s a simple whip demonstration. I’m pretty good with the damn things, if I do have to say so myself. I use a bull hide flogger, and a lighter one made from deer hide. They demonstrate the difference between sting and thud pretty nicely, but I won’t leave anything other than a red mark that lasts a few hours. Of course, I’ll honor your safe words, and I’ll want to restrain you so I don’t wrap you if you accidentally move. I’d need you to lose your clothes, and there’d be an audience, but I don’t have anything else.”

  It was way too much information and about the only things she understood were safe word, restrain, and whips. Before she could process any intelligent line of thought, he added, “Is any of that a hard limit?”

  Surprisingly, instead of scaring the shit out of her, the images fueled the pressure between her legs, and those needs became her entire focus. Bella in her adorable outfit and Tami’s frozen obedience under Kyle’s touch still burned in her short-term memory. The BDSM books and even Marcus’ attention the past few hours lent her voice an aura of confidence she didn’t know she had. “Sure. It sounds great.” She crossed her arms with the belief she might actually jump out of her own skin.

  He sat her on a chair with a small frown. “What do you need to add? You know how to negotiate. Is there anything I should know about? Have you ever played with whips before?”

  Facing his thinly veiled suspicion, she swallowed hard. For a second time, her heart told her to take the out and run, but all she could envision were Marcus’ hands and whips running over the sensitive nerves atop her naked skin while her arms and legs were restrained by his toys. Her body would quiver like Tami’s, and their connection would resemble the strength of Bella and Jack. The damp spot between her legs grew wetter, and she clenched her thighs together.

  She trusted him. “I can do all that. I… I’ve used them before. I’m good.”

  Her thoughts moved to what would happen when he was done with his whips, and she allowed herself the fantasy of his cock buried deep inside her while she rode him without reservation. Her skin tingled with excitement, and she fought the nagging anxiety back to its hidden spot. When his stern gaze settled on her, she offered him a genuine smile.

  Marcus kissed her on the forehead. “Are you good with red and yellow for safe words?”

  She nodded absently, and he added, “Meet me on the sunporch in ten minutes.” He left before she could nod her head.

  Meg’s suspicious voice woke her out of the fantasy. “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t look very enthused.” Meg and her husband were both players with years of experience, and the dominant scowl kicked her anxiety back to the surface with a snap.

  “No, it’s fine. I’m just… getting a cold, that’s all.” It was the only thing she could think of that didn’t sound wrong.

  “Why didn’t you tell Marcus? You have to tell your dom everything. You know that. Go clear it up right now.”

  The negotiations had sounded like a good idea in the kitchen, but they didn’t become a great idea while she made the long walk through the house to the sunporch. Surrounded by scantily clad strangers far removed from the comfort of the family wing, her anxiety and sexual need worked in converse ratios, and her stomach rolled in giant waves.

  When she got to the doorway of the crowded room, dozens of prying eyes turned on her in one simultaneous move while Marcus said, “Here’s my sub for the evening.”

  The darkened room slipped into slow motion and both Bella and Tami stared at her with disbelief while their doms looked a little hungry. Linc had joined the crowd, but his grin did nothing to calm her. The presence of expensive bondage equipment nestled under hundreds of little white lights was the least erotic thing she had ever seen. Even Marcus’ beautiful orchids failed to offer comfort.

  Bella spoke first. “What the fuck, Sophia?”

  Even before she could clap her hand over her mouth, Jack took control. “Really, Isabella?”

  He pulled a small ball out of his pocket, and Bella closed her eyes and opened her mouth. There was a large hole in the middle to allow easy breathing, and he didn’t fasten it on, but Bella was effectively gagged. The action and the hard slap on her soft bottom took temporary attention off Sophia, but the extra few minutes did little to calm her nerves.

  Tami tried next. “Marcus. I’ll do this for you. Why didn’t you ask me? You know I like your whips.”

  “Did you just interfere with somebody else’s scene, Tami?” growled her husband.

  Apparently, this was also bad. Kyle snapped his fingers and pointed to the floor by his side. “If anybody would like to see a different sub get their ass paddled, wait around cause there’s going to be another butt warming.”

  Tami hesitated before she knelt, and Sophia thought she might have seen a small sign of a prayer.

  Marcus’ stern tone made it clear that negotiations had ended in the kitchen. “Come here and get those clothes off. I have the cross all ready for you.”

  He pointed to a frightening looking contraption, and even Sophia’s limited imagination had no trouble picturing her body under Marcus’ whip. Unfortunately, the image wasn’t calming, and her fears bubbled into a cauldron of fire.

  She remained frozen until Marcus spoke with a frown. “Mind what I tell you, Sophia.”

  In a necessary attempt to postpone the inevitable, she slowly took off her shirt and pants and carefully folded them into a small pile. An impatient snap of his fingers, and she slipped off the last remaining articles of privacy to add her panties and bra to the rest of her clothing. Her naked body became the focus for the crowded room, and every single muscle tightened in fear until she shivered uncontrollably.

  Marcus frowned, but his movement came without warning. He grabbed her hand and ordered, “Let’s get you fastened in, little girl.”

  Something finally broke deep inside as the reasoning part of her brain was lost to the survival instinct. His whips on the small table mocked her churning emotions while the evening shadows danced among the small white lights bouncing off the abundance of windows and the black and white tiled antique floor. Prying eyes of cold strangers examined her nude body, and she remained exposed on every physical and emotional connection she could identify. The room closed in on her, and the panicked need to escape grew exponentially.

  Despite the crowds, Sophia had never felt so alone in her life and terror dictated her next move. She broke away from his grip and ran from the room screaming, “Red! Fucking red!” Her clothes and an open-mouthed dom were unceremoniously left behind.

  The men turned their glare on Bella and Tami but didn’t have to say a word. The girls’ guilty looks spoke for themselves, and their gazes dropped to the floor. Under the weight of obvious disapproval, Bella broke the silence and mumbled behind her gag, “Shit,”


  Jack simply held his hand out, and she spit the ball into his palm. The saliva-covered mess removed any residual sexiness from the evening.

  Chapter Six

  The four doms moved to the private study with two unhappy subs close to their heels. Nobody said a word until Marcus turned on the girls with a frightening glare. “Would anybody like to explain why Sophia is upstairs in the bathroom with the door locked?”

  Bella looked at the intricate pattern on the rug, and Kyle had to repeat the question before Tami mumbled, “She… uh… I think she got nervous.”

  Jack tapped Bella’s chin to force her to look at him. “And why would a player freak out over a negotiated whipping that fell within their accepted scene, Isabella?”

  Linc was the only dom who had no cards in the game. He simply smirked, “I haven’t seen a sub pull their safe word that quickly since Jack proposed to Bella.”

  Bella scowled and moved subtly away from Jack’s touch. “That’s not fair. I didn’t know he was going to propose. Don’t be an ass, Linc.”

  “For God’s sake, Bella,” snapped Tami while she rolled her eyes. “Shut up. Are you trying to piss them off even more?”

  “Well, it isn’t my fault. She got scared. It happens, guys. It’s nothing to worry about.”

  Jack took a step closer to his tiny wife. Trapping her into a corner with his muscled arms acting as a mini prison, he said, “What aren’t you telling me, Isabella, and I suggest you consider your next response very carefully.”

  She swallowed hard but no words could come out, and her guilty gaze returned to the floor while an ominous silence filled the room.

  Marcus lost what little patience he had left. His belt left the loops of his jeans with a resounding hiss, and he folded the soft leather into his right hand with a scowl. “Somebody needs to start talking… one way or the other. Now.”

  Anxiety caused Tami’s voice to rise a little higher than normal, but she spoke quickly. “Sophia isn’t a BDSM player, guys. She… she just said she was so she could work here for the summer.” Bella sighed and closed her eyes to the inevitable reaction.