Lorelei James - Bound

Those golden eyes gleamed. “I have willpower, but not that much after a week without you. I can’t promise to keep my hands to myself.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

Without a word Ronin scooped her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom.

THEY stripped down to their underwear and crawled beneath the cool sheets. Entwined together with Ronin in the dark, Amery suspected nature would take its course. And it did, just not in the way she imagined. They fell asleep.

She woke up disoriented and peeked over Ronin’s shoulder to check the time on the alarm clock. Seven a.m. Wow. Neither of them had stirred all night.

Ronin murmured, “Where you going?”

“Nowhere.” She snuggled back into him and closed her eyes.

But now that she’d awakened him, he trailed his fingers up and down her spine. “Guess we both needed rest.” He kissed the top of her head. “I didn’t sleep worth a damn last week.”

“Because you missed me?”

“Could be. Or could be the extra hours working out. Or a combination. How about you?”

“I slept like a baby.”

He made a displeased noise and quickly pinned her arms to her sides. “Is that so?”

“Yes, because babies wake up several times in the night and need comforting. Or food. Since I didn’t have anyone around to comfort me, I cracked a pint of Häagen-Dazs at two a.m.”

“You wallowed in sugar; I wallowed in pain. Why exactly was it we weren’t wallowing together?”

“Oh, a little thing about you neglecting to show me your ropes before you tied me up in them.”

His arms tightened around her. “What now? I’ve got you locked down. Without ropes.”

“Well, I have a weird question we didn’t talk about last night.”

“Which is?”

“Does it always have to be kinky between us?”

Ronin rolled her to face him. “What do you mean?”

She tried not to fidget under his sharp stare. “Will you need to tie me up every time in order to get off?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Oh, don’t try and scare me with that sensei glare.”

“I haven’t even begun to scare you.”

“I’m serious, Ronin.”

“So am I.”

Somehow Amery got the drop on him and was striding into the living room before he could grab her.

He spun her around. “What the hell? You just walk away in the middle of a conversation?”

“I asked you a question and you hedged. Normally that’s not a big deal because you do it all the freakin’ time. Last night I listened to you and I have a better grasp on this part of you. So I deserve a straight answer on whether we can ever have sex without the bondage stuff.”

Ronin stared at her so long she geared herself up for another non-answer. But he curled his hand around her face. “It doesn’t always have to be that way. And you must be aware of that, since it hasn’t always been that way between us.”

“Bondage of some sort has played a role in most of our sexual encounters.”

“I suppose maybe it has.” This being Ronin, he didn’t offer an explanation or an excuse for it. He jerked her body against his. “Understand one thing. I don’t always need ropes or ties, but I am always in charge. That’s one thing that won’t ever change. And I intend to prove it every chance I get.”

That declaration in his sleep-roughened voice made her tingle everywhere.

“You got that?” he asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” He stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Lose the bra.”

Amery unhooked it and tossed it aside.

“And the panties.”

She shimmied the black silk down her legs. Completely bared to him, she wondered what sexual treat he had planned first thing.

“Now let’s have some breakfast.”

“But I’m naked!”

“So you are. Looks like I’ll be frying the bacon.”

“Ronin.” She placed her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “Aren’t you supposed to be proving that you don’t need kink all the time?”

“That only applies to the sexual side of our relationship. Besides, eating breakfast in the buff isn’t kinky.”

“It is for me!”

“You’ll get used to it.” Then he sauntered into the kitchen.

TWO hours later they were lounging by the pool.

Ronin said, “What would you like to do today?”

Amery cracked a lid open. “Besides this? Nothing.”

“Nothing? Not one thing?”

“We could roll around in your big bed. Get ourselves hot, sweaty, and sticky and then jump back into the pool.”

“You have a thing for my pool.”

“No, I have a thing for you. The pool is just a bonus.” She looked at him over the top of her sunglasses. “You up for a tumble?”

“Actually I wanted to talk to you about that.” Ronin reached for her hand. “Since you’ve agreed to let me bind you, I’d like the first time to be a little more formal.”

Her belly made a slow roll. “Can you explain that?”

“I want you in the right headspace from the start. And knowing that you’re in my practice room, waiting for me, will put me in the right frame of mind too.”

“Okay. But what does that have to do with us taking a tumble right now?” She paused. “Oh. Do you want to tie me up right now?”

“No. But as much as I want to build the anticipation of the binding, I’d like to build the anticipation of the sex after the binding, by abstaining from it.”

“You’re serious.”

He kissed her knuckles. “Completely. It isn’t like I expect to hold off for a week, just until tomorrow night. Can you be here at nine?”

Amery smiled. “Looking forward to it.”

“Perfect. I’ll leave instructions for you in the room.”

Instructions. That did sound formal.

“Would you like a peek in the practice room?”

She’d wondered if he’d offer. “No. I’d rather it retain some mystery.”

“Good point.”

“Besides, the room is for you, not for me.”

“Another good point. But I promise we’ll both enjoy it.”

She didn’t doubt that for a second. “So now that I know sex is off the table for today . . .” She stood and whipped off her bikini top, then ditched her bottoms. She threw a grin at him from the edge of the pool. “Let’s swim naked.”

“You are getting bolder.” He shed his swim trunks and moved in behind her.

“Yes, I am. And I’m blaming it on you.” Then she wrapped herself around him and tipped them both into the deep end.

THE following evening Knox let her into the penthouse. If he noticed she was nervous, he didn’t mention it.

Amery’s steady heart rate skyrocketed when she opened the door to Ronin’s secret room.

Spread out across the bench was a satin kimono the color of cherry blossoms—pale pink that gradually morphed into a deep rose at the bottom hem. She picked it up and rubbed the silky fabric against her skin, half expecting the sweet aroma of cherry blossoms to surround her. But Ronin’s scent teased her nose and she breathed it in.

A piece of paper fluttered to the floor. Amery picked it up, realizing it was a list for her. Ronin’s precise penmanship stood out in black, a sharp contrast against the thick white paper. She read:

INSTRUCTIONS

Strip and wear nothing beneath the robe.

Leave your hair down.

Kneel on the pillow in the center of the room.

Close your eyes and allow your mind to drift.

No wasted words. No surprise there.

As Amery ditched her clothing, the balls of nerves knotted in her chest, her belly, and the back of her neck began to loosen. She slowed her breathing and focused on her senses.

The cool robe slithered against her naked, heated skin. The velvet pillow provided cushioning for her knees as she rested back on her haunches. The only scents she could distinguish were Ronin’s and the slightly bitter tang of her own sweat. Her mouth remained dry, but she could taste the remnants of her breath mint. Placing her hands palms up on her thighs, she searched for the quiet place inside her where unease didn’t have a foothold.

Her happy sense of calm wavered when the door snicked shut.

Breathe.

Then Ronin’s hands were on her scalp. Petting her, following the length of her unbound hair to the ends in the middle of her back. His mouth brushed her ear. “Nervous?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Not the response she expected, which caused her to bristle and ask, “Are you nervous?”

His softly whispered “Yes” was there and gone.

She permitted herself a small smile.

He said, “Stand,” and helped her to her feet. From behind he untied the robe’s sash at her waist. He slid his palms up the length of her arms. He peeled back the fabric from her shoulders, and the satin fell to the floor.

Amery had been naked in front of him before, but this seemed . . . new.

Then his lips were on her skin, trailing down the side of her neck in a silent command to arch to the opposite side. Her hair swished against her back in an erotic arc as she complied.

“So lovely,” he murmured, while pulling her arms behind her back. “Is it comfortable for you to grab your elbows?”

She maneuvered her arms into a better position.

“Perfect. I’m going to start tying you now.”

Her stomach lurched in a combination of fear and excitement. She blurted out, “Am I supposed to keep my eyes closed?”

“Up to you.”

“Me watching you won’t bother you?”

Ronin stepped in front of her. “No. The only thing that will bother me is if you’re not honest about how you’re feeling. Blocking your sight will strip away another layer of your control. I can blindfold you if you’d prefer.”