Excerpt from: Bondage Anniversary

Laura woke up in bed alone. She sighed in frustration. It’d been that way for years, why was it bothering her now? She rolled over and put her hand on her husband’s pillow. Her mood softened when she found a rose and a card. Her husband had been so preoccupied lately, she’d been afraid he might forget their anniversary. She should have known better. Sniffing the rose, she noticed the thorns had been removed. Of course, he would think of everything.

Opening the card, she saw it was more like a pamphlet. The cover was a photo from their high school days. Wow, did they look…innocent, and stupid. The next page was a collage of pictures from back in the day. Goodness how times had changed.

‘My dearest Angel, I suspect looking at these pictures, you were struck by how much has changed since we first fell in love. My rainbow-streaked-hair girl has turned into a stunning corporate executive. Your hand-me-down station wagon with the monkey hanging from the rear-view mirror has been replaced with a car much more fitting your elegant style. Those terry cloth rompers, flip-flops and plastic bangles have been traded for linen suits, high heels and diamonds. We won’t even mention the changes in me. Suffice to say—goodbye cheesy moustache!

Our love has changed and grown too. I was pretty sure we had something special when we married. Now I know you are my life. My world revolves around your smile. Although I try to make sure you know that, sometimes I get mired down in day-to-day crap and I forget what’s really important.

The other night while you lay in bed sleeping, I needed to check something on the Internet. My tablet and laptop were in my briefcase, so I grabbed your tablet. I was pretty shocked to see your reading interests had changed so dramatically. Historical fiction to BDSM is quite a leap. I was even a little pissed off that I’d had no inkling.’

Laura dropped the card. Oh my God! She grabbed her tablet and scrolled through the book section. Nick had gone through her tablet. Her hands shook and a faint, ill feeling took over. Her sweet, vanilla husband had looked through her extensive collection of BDSM books and short stories. Holy crap! She forced her breathing under control and picked up the card again.

‘I took note of the titles, purchased and read them all.’

Holy fucking shit! He read them. Read them all. Every raunchy, hotter than hell scene barraged her mind. That’s it. I’m divorced. Or dead. Our weekend getaway is just a ruse to give him time to hide my body. Her hands shook so badly she laid the card on the bed before she continued.

‘Some I liked better than others. I found a few more I think you’ll like. We can talk about them this weekend.

I see now I have been neglecting you. Like everything else, our sex life needs to evolve. I’m relieved to see every story had the girl as the sub, except that one with the switch couple. I hope you weren’t overly fond of that story. That won’t be happening.’

She read and reread the last part. It sounded like he wanted to play. Now her breathing was really ragged. Hope began to flicker like a little flame. Her husband was a successful attorney. He was Branson, of Branson and Associates. He knew how to take command. Just the thought of him commanding her got her wet. It was a little frightening. He certainly wouldn’t be a wussy Dom. Once he committed to dominating her, she wouldn’t be allowed any wiggle room. That’s just the way he was. Was she ready for this? Oh yeah, as long as he wanted it too… She loved him too much to push him into something he wasn’t comfortable with.

‘Please see the attached form. We need to be on the same page with this. Look over the list, add to it if I left anything out, complete it and bring it with you tonight. I have completed the same list. We will discuss it at the hotel. I’m sure we can negotiate a game plan from there. Be ready at four p.m. Wear a skirt or dress with stockings, high heels and no panties. Your soulmate, Nick.’

Before she could do more than glance at the form, her cellphone buzzed letting her know she had a text. It was from Nick.

‘Did you find your card?’

What should she say? She didn’t want to text about this, but he had to be wondering how she had received his…invitation.

’Yes, Sir, I will be ready,’ she texted back.

’Good girl,’ he responded almost immediately.

Why was that hot? A shiver startled her. It was a freaking text message, yet she felt his whiskers brush her ear. His soft, warm breath caressed her neck as he whispered those two words. Two condescending words she wanted to hear over and over again.

Laura needed to get her imagination under control and focus. Nick expected the list to be completed by this evening. She was a little intimidated by the task. The list was long, detailed and extensive. If he’d had John, his PA, type the form, she would kill him. No doubt about it.

Nah, John would have used a sliding scale. This list was very cut and dried. Each item had three choices—want to try, need more information, not interested. Yep, the form was very Nick. No shades of grey.

Excerpt from: Bondage Celebration

Laura wondered if the breakfast nook was the proper place to discuss building a bondage playroom. It felt so wrong to talk about a rope station at the table where their kids used to eat their sugary cereal before tearing off to school. But of course, their kids were now adults with lives of their own.

“With Frank coming over tonight to discuss the renovations to the basement, we need to make sure we’re on the same page. Today, while you’re at work, I want you to think about what we should include in both the floor plan and the equipment.”

Nick, her husband, didn’t seem to have any trouble discussing sex toys over breakfast. Maybe she needed to lighten up. It wasn’t like he was bending her over the table and eating her for breakfast. Although she had to admit the idea held a certain naughty appeal, it was a little too brazen for her to suggest it. She remembered during their anniversary getaway he’d done just that.

Laura felt Nick’s thumb and index finger on her chin nudging her to look at him. “I was speaking to you, Laura.”

“Sorry. I zoned out for a moment.” She couldn’t help it if she kept thinking about sex. He was just talking about tying her up for heaven’s sake.

“What were you thinking about?” Nick’s tone was sharp.

Her face heated. Damn it. Whenever Nick asked her pointed questions like that, her mind went blank. The only response left floating around her suddenly vacant mind was the truth. The pure embarrassing truth. “I was remembering what we did on the table at the hotel a couple of weeks ago.”

Nick looked amused. “Refresh my memory. What in particular drew your attention?”

He was expecting her to wimp out and use vague terms. He knew she had a hard time discussing sex, but his smirk riled her a bit.

Laura accepted his unspoken challenge, “You fucked my pussy hard and rough just the way I like it, then you left me hanging until we’d finished going over our hard and soft limits contract.” She couldn’t believe she’d just said that. From Nick’s shocked expression he couldn’t either.

To his credit, he recovered quickly. “Yes, I got you aroused then kept you there on purpose. In addition to loosening your tongue, keeping you hot and delaying your climax significantly increases the intensity of your orgasms. Not to mention, it’s a major turn on for me. Deciding when you come is one of the many perks of being your Dom.”

Laura remembered the orgasm she’d had later that evening. She’d never felt anything like it before. Since they’d embraced their Dominant/submissive relationship, Nick had trained her body to crave his touch. She had to earn every climax, but she had absolutely no complaints. He knew exactly how to bring her the utmost pleasure. “Is sending me to work with wet panties part of your Master plan?”

“If we were following my Master plan, you’d never go to work again. You’d stay home and be my love slave twenty-four/seven.”

She thought he was only slightly kidding. They’d discussed this before. He did want their D/s roles extended beyond their sex play, but he didn’t expect her to give up her career. He said he was proud of her work and she believed him. “Be careful what you wish for. If the Feds don’t approve this merger soon, I might just surprise you by taking you up on your offer.”

“Feel free to surprise me like that anytime you wish.” Nick was silent for a moment, he seemed to want to tell her something.

She waited patiently even though she should have left for work half an hour ago.

“Speaking of surprises, I planned one for you today. It’ll arrive around one p.m. at your office. Don’t let it mess with your head. I don’t expect you to give up your career. I know what your job means to you.”

Laura sat there staring at Nick. He looked nervous and apprehensive. Nick was never unsure of himself, that, more than anything else worried her. She had a sneaky suspicion she knew what he had planned and she hoped she was wrong. Ignoring the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, she plastered a smile on her face. “I can’t wait.”

At one o’clock sharp, Jessica buzzed Laura’s office and let her know a courier needed her personal signature. Laura signed for the package, knowing she was in over her head.

Bringing the entire bag into her office, Laura placed it on the edge of her desk. For nearly an hour she let it sit there taunting her. Finally she opened the bag and pulled out a white, gift wrapped box with a scarlet red ribbon and bow. Looking at the box she could guess what she’d find inside. Her heart pounded too fast. She ran her fingers along the bow unable to bring herself to pull the ribbon’s end. Once she opened it, there’d be no going back.

Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it was just a regular necklace or bracelet. Maybe pigs could fly too. Damn it! She’d never been a coward before, why was this scaring the hell out of her? Then again, it wasn’t everyday a girl was a given a slave collar. Her hand trembled as she grabbed the offending bow and pulled. Halfway there.

Nope, she couldn’t do it. Laura pushed her chair away from her desk and escaped to the windows forming the east wall of her office. She longed to be outside, to feel the wind blow through her hair.  There wasn’t enough air in the room. She struggled to keep her breathing slow and even.

Pacing back and forth in front of the window, she acknowledged there was nothing wrong with the air, she was having a panic attack. Had it come to this? Laura Branson, ball-breaker of the boardroom, afraid to open a damned box? Drama queen behaviour was not her normal style. She took a deep breath and regained her composure.

Returning to her desk, with her chin held high, she willed her hands to stay steady. Laura turned the box over and slid her perfectly manicured fingernail under the fold. A tug or two and the crisp, white pleated paper fell away leaving an intimidating red box with delicate, gold scroll staring up at her.

Her head felt like it was in a vice, each beat of her heart ricocheted in her skull. She looked at the window longingly. No more running. She needed to put on her big girl panties and take care of business. Not opening the damned box wouldn’t change what was inside. It wouldn’t change Nick’s expectations either.

Before she could chicken-out, she pushed the lid open. It was both a nightmare and a fantasy come true. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand at the same time. It was beautiful. There was no denying that. Her hand, of its own design, reached out to touch the platinum and diamond clad collar. In mid-air she stopped and pulled her fingernail to her teeth, biting the edge. Her emotions ran the gamut.

What the hell is that? In the middle of the box lay an instrument looking oddly like a miniature golf club. At first she couldn’t figure out what it was for. Then she noticed the collar didn’t have a traditional clasp, just a tiny indention that matched the short end of the fastening tool.

Oh. My. God. Once put on, it couldn’t be removed without that special tool. She stood again and paced back and forth in front of the window. Laura had no idea how much time had passed, but her aching feet inside those four inch heeled pumps told her she’d better get her thoughts together quickly. At the far end of the wall, she leaned against the glass and stared at the box.

The diamonds and platinum glinting in the light were both seductive and abhorrent at the same time.

Could she make this commitment? Was it such a horrendous thing Nick was asking of her? Mind blowing orgasms, physical and emotional attention, sexual excitement that only a few weeks earlier she hadn’t known was possible, all from a man she’d loved for her entire adult life. But at what price?

She loved and trusted Nick. So why was it such a big deal to wear his collar? She proudly wore his wedding ring. Was a collar such a different commitment? Then again, she could take her ring off if she chose too. It didn’t take a special tool to remove it.

While that was frightening, she understood it was more what the collar meant than the actual physical attachment. Relinquishing control frankly scared the fuck out of her. As Nick’s wife she didn’t have to do a damn thing he said, as his collared submissive, she’d be expected to obey his commands.

After a few deep, calming breaths she returned to her desk and rummaged around inside the courier bag. She knew Nick. There had to be a card. Nick always made the most beautiful cards. Before she opened it, she grabbed a tissue knowing the waterworks weren’t far away.