Australian Affairs: Taken. Miranda Lee
do you have in mind? We’ll see Glen and Heather in the morning before we leave. We can say goodbye to them then.’
‘But we won’t see the bride’s parents in the morning. We should say goodbye to them. It’s only polite.’
Ben grimaced. ‘You can, if you like. I can’t stand either of them. I’ll wait here for you. Don’t be long.’
She whirled away from him and raced back into the marquee, taking less than five minutes to say the appropriate goodbyes and collect her bouquet. He was still looking impatient when she returned to his side.
‘What took you so long?’ he growled as he steered her in the direction of the main house and her parked SUV.
She could not contain a surge of exasperation, shrugging off his bruising hold and grinding to a halt. ‘For pity’s sake, Ben, what’s got into you all of a sudden? You’re acting like a jerk.’
He sighed. ‘Sorry. Just impatient to be alone with you, that’s all.’
‘Oh.’ Trust him to say the one thing guaranteed to defuse her anger.
‘Do you have your keys with you?’ he asked when they approached her vehicle.
‘Yes, of course.’
‘Good. Now, get in and drive.’
She got in, tossed her bouquet in the back, then drove, all conversation between them ceasing during the five minutes it took to negotiate the short trip back to the cottage. By the time she pulled up in front of the small porch, her stomach was churning and her heart was pounding behind her ribs.
Was she really going to let him spank her?
Oh, Lord, she thought, and let out a panicky rush of air.
Ben heard her ragged sigh and recognised the reason behind it.
‘Don’t be nervous,’ he said gently.
‘I am a bit. I’ve never been spanked before.’
‘I gathered that. Have you ever been tied up before?’
Her eyes went like saucers. ‘No. I…I thought they only did things like that in books and in brothels.’
‘Lots of real people like to play erotic games. Which is all I’m suggesting. Nothing serious. I’m not into humiliation or pain. I just want to give you pleasure, Jess. You can say no at any stage to anything you don’t like.’
‘But…but I might not know that I don’t like it till you’ve done it.’
‘I see.’ God, but she was delightful. And delicious. And he wanted her like crazy. ‘I promise to take things slowly, then. Give you time to say no before things go too far.’
‘Oh. All right.’
‘Let’s go.’
He took her into the bathroom first where he undressed her—slowly, as he’d promised. The sight of her fiercely erect nipples revealed that she was genuinely enjoying herself. So far. She gasped when he tweaked one of the pink peaks, then groaned when he did the same to the other one.
‘Still a little tender?’ he enquired as he quickly disposed of his own clothes.
‘A little,’ she confessed shakily.
‘But not too tender,’ he said, and she shook her head.
‘Good. Here, I think I should take off that diamond pendant as well. We wouldn’t want it to get broken, would we?’
Her head whirled whilst he undid the clasp, then placed the pendant on the vanity along with his expensive looking wrist-watch. He hadn’t taken his watch off last night, she recalled. But then he hadn’t spanked her last night.
Oh, God.
Her heartbeat went up another notch.
‘We’ll have a shower together first,’ he said. ‘But no touching from you, beautiful. You are way too good with your hands.’
Ben turned her back to him whilst he washed her, making her moan when he rubbed the soapy sponge back and forth between her legs, her peach-like buttocks clenching tightly together when he moved his attention to them. By the time he switched off the water and turned her to face him, he knew she was ready for him to do whatever he wanted. Her eyes were glazed over and her lips had fallen apart as she panted for breath.
Ben thought she had never looked more beautiful or more desirable. He almost decided to bypass the foreplay in favour of straightforward sex but he suspected Jess was by now looking forward to the experience. Ben could only hope that he would be able to control himself during what was usually a lengthy game.
He stepped out of the cubicle and reached for the two white towelling robes which were hanging on the back of the door. After putting one on, he handed the other robe to Jess.
‘Put that on,’ he ordered.
When she did so without question, he wanted her all the more.
‘No, don’t do it up,’ he said, and reached for the sash, sliding it through the side loops before wrapping it around his left wrist.
He had to take her hand and lead her back to the bedroom. By the time they got to the side of the bed, she was trembling. But he felt certain it was no longer from nerves.
‘You should be dry by now. So you won’t be needing that robe.’
‘But you’ve still got yours on,’ she protested.
‘That’s the idea.’
When she hesitated, he bent and whispered in her ear. ‘Yours is not to reason why, Jess. Yours is just to lie back on that bed and let me give you pleasure.’
His breathing quickened as she obediently took off the robe and lay down on the bed, her head on the pillows.
‘No, not that way,’ he said and she just stared at him, sucking in sharply when he turned her over onto her stomach.
‘Just say no if you want me to stop,’ he said.
She didn’t say no, but she did bury her face in the pillow.
Gently, he took both her hands and placed them in the small of her back, then looped her wrists together with the sash from the robe. Not tightly, but enough so that she would feel bound and helpless. Which was the point, of course. That was what would excite her to fever pitch. Finally, he removed the pillow from under her face and slid it under her hips, raising her buttocks in the most erotic and inviting fashion.
When Ben stepped back to examine his handiwork, the sight of her like that took his breath away. Dear God, she was just so sexy looking. And totally at his mercy! It was a heady combination. And, whilst he was fiercely erect, all of a sudden Ben wasn’t so concerned about his own satisfaction but how Jess was feeling. He hated to think she might be afraid to say no at this stage.
‘Are you all right, Jess?’ he asked softly. ‘Do you want me to continue?’
WAS HE INSANE? She would die if he didn’t continue. She’d never been so excited in her whole life!
‘I’m fine,’ she said, her voice high-pitched and raspy. ‘Please don’t stop.’
He laughed a short, sexy laugh. ‘Your wish is my command.’
Now that was a laugh, Jess thought. He was the one doing the commanding. But didn’t she just love it!
No touching from you, beautiful… Put that on… You won’t be needing that robe…. Just lie back on that bed and let me give you pleasure…
‘It’s just a game, Jess,’ he said. ‘You can stop me at