Steel Dominance Page 7

  “Sofia, it appears you may be a little discomforted. There’s a regulation regarding slaves here that someone has decided to police. You will have exemption, I’m sure, but it may take some debate to convince them.”

  To convince the janissaries? These men were renowned for their fanatical devotion to rules. Whatever did Dankyo mean by discomfort?

  “Present her.” The rough order was stated by a man behind her.

  “You may look,” Dankyo said. “So that it won’t surprise you.”

  A woman squeaked, and cloth rustled.

  At the sight of the slave lying half naked and legs spread on a cleared table, Sofia tensed.

  Oh-oh. Not good. This is not a friendly game of doctors and nurses.

  The girl’s Master placed a hand on her abdomen. “See. It is all in order.”

  The man peering at her crotch adjusted his spectacles, then rubbed his beard. “Yes. Let it be recorded as so.” His blue robe nearly swept the floor. Tucked into the cloth wrapped about his waist was a small curved knife. Beyond him, and a few yards back, were three armored soldiers. And past them, she glimpsed the female guard of the emperor-bey as she paced a step closer and stared.

  They turned to her. All her blood rushed somewhere else. On her knees with men staring down at her, make that three with Dankyo, and they had some sort of inspection in mind.

  “Present the slave,” snapped the janissary.

  Dankyo stood. The bulk of him unfolding next to her both reassured and frightened her. She dug her fingernails into her palms. Don’t annoy this official, please.

  Clearly there was some rule to do with slaves, and they expected her to qualify.

  “I am not from Byzantium and am merely visiting with my slave. She does not have the clitoral ring as do your slaves.”

  Cold dread danced down her spine. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what they intended.

  “Ah. I see.” The janissary frowned while tugging at his beard. “I understand, but you must go through the correct procedures. First the inspection. Then the form will be reported, and thence and thereafter you may ask for your slave to be excused. Yes?” He sneaked his eyebrows upward as if asking, but already he gestured at her. “I see she is collared at the neck, so that will be recorded. The table is best. Have her lie back. I may not handle your slave, so you will please arrange her body.”

  Desperate to see some way out, she shot a look at Dankyo.

  He shrugged. “She will do this. Then it will be over, and you may go your way.”

  “Of course, sir. Thank you for being reasonable. First, though.” He handed a clipboard over. “Fill in the details, names and so on.”

  As Dankyo scribbled details on the form, she fought off a rising tide of panic.

  Oh God. My clitoris? They want to look at that? Stay calm. Ride the wave of serenity or something. Calm, calm, calm.

  If she found out later that she could have avoided this, she would do something dreadfully fatal to Dankyo.

  Having handed back the form, Dankyo sat on the divan once more, then said coldly, “Lie back.”

  His tone speared panic into her middle until she remembered they were pretending. He couldn’t reassure her, not properly. Couldn’t be seen to be other than her Master.

  Have I fallen into some hole that leads to hell?

  The table had been cleared and cleaned long ago. Feeling like the next meal for a pack of wolves, she lay back on it, then realized she had to take off her harem pants for them to see whatever it was they had to inspect. Her face heating with a raging blush, she made to wriggle off her pants, but Dankyo flattened his hand on her stomach.

  “Let me help.” He placed a finger on her forehead to make her stay prone, then waited, searching her face. “Are you ready?”

  The others vanished from her sight. Not wolves, just one man, Dankyo, a man who desired her. Everything would be fine. If she trusted him. If.

  In that moment, she understood, this had become so much more than his surface question. She slowly nodded.

  Then he reached under the jingling silver chains at her waist to roll down her pants. His fingers brushed her bare skin, sketching in wisps of lust that writhed deep. He touched her again as he skimmed the cloth over the curve of her ass and down the front contour of her thighs. His sharp fingernail grazed her inner thigh. The scoring between her legs set her throbbing. She moistened. Such a primitive reaction to a man’s skin on a woman’s. Her lips down there engorged.

  She watched him and wondered if a Master should do this—help his slave undress. The others, she refused to let them disturb this moment. She didn’t see them, only him. She drew up her knees to show how she lacked the metal ring. When Dankyo asked, she parted her pubic hair to expose her most private parts.

  She never let her eyes stray from looking into his.

  When they left after marking down the facts, she barely noticed.

  To her, it had been a revelation. Having Dankyo care for her in this way elevated him from just a man to her lover. His careful way with her body had woven some magic spell. She stayed on her back, waiting.

  Dankyo again placed his hand on her naked stomach, pressing lightly, then murmured, “Sofia, tell me. Tonight, are you mine to do with as I wish?”

  Her toes curled. Her heart thudded. His eyes were dark.

  “Yes.”

  Chapter Eight

  The sight of Sofia lying before him, mostly naked, on her back on the table, waiting for whatever he might choose to do… God help him, it was a heady sensation. Kirsten had been totally different. They’d never found common ground. The few others since then had not meant anything to him. He’d never had a woman truly offer herself up to him. This was not something he would rush.

  But he didn’t mind how long it took him to discover where he and Sofia’s needs and wants intersected. Not at all. The journey would be as worthwhile as the destination.

  As she breathed, her belly pushed at his palm where he held it flat against her soft skin. Sofia was delicious. A woman waiting for his decision. And her secrets waited also. The subtle yet full curve of her upper thighs led his gaze up to where they met, to her dark triangle, to the hint of a split where her sex was partly concealed from him by the way she half closed her legs.

  He placed his other hand on top of one thigh, letting his fingers drape into the inner curve. Her breathing quickened.

  “I like that you don’t speak, Sofia. It lets us both savor this.”

  Blinking her lids over those wonderful green eyes, she nodded.

  Could it be that exposing herself aroused her? When she slightly closed her thighs together, he stopped her.

  “No. Leave them.”

  The little freeze in her movements and expression made him wonder. But her mouth opened more, and then she let out a long tremulous sigh. He moved his hand up her thigh, over the taut muscle, feeling her flex and relax, flex and relax. When his fingertips were an inch from her slit, he found her moisture and halted. She strained a fraction upward. He firmed his grip. Ahh. She did like it.

  “You’re causing quite a stir. Don’t look.” Quickly he lifted his hand from her stomach and V’d it under her jaw. One hand gripped her there, the other wrapped over her thigh and almost on her pussy. She shuddered.

  Damn. His cock quivered too.

  “Byzantine women remove their pubic hair. So you are different. They look and watch you because of that and because of your beauty.”

  Even just this, holding her down, was enough to keep his cock standing at rock-hard attention. Nothing he’d done with Kirsten could compare. Nothing.

  How far would she let him go? No. How far would he go? She’d said yes. But…

  He pitched his voice low, so no one else could hear.

  “You said you’re a woman where yes means yes and no means no. From now on, I trust you to keep to that. But you must trust me not to hurt you. Yes?”

  She nodded.

  “Or not to hurt you any more than you des
erve. Or need. And when I say deserve, I mean I intend to reinforce my decisions with pain if I have to, or want to. I expect you to obey when we are like this. When we are playing. Disobedience leads to punishment. Agreed?”

  He concentrated on her face. This was so crucial. She seemed to like what he wanted to do to her. Him in command, and her surrendering. But perhaps not. Perhaps not. He knew that without this, their relationship would be hollow. This, he needed, absolutely.

  She stayed silent, then swallowed a few times and shut her eyes. Under his hands he felt her shift as if testing his grip.

  “Sofia? If you refuse, I am still your protector. Whoever falls under my protection is precious. They are my responsibility, and I move heaven and earth to keep them safe. This does not change that.” He shifted closer and said quietly, “But this will mean that you are mine, in all other ways.”

  Those green eyes opened, and she stared up at him, then spoke so softly he had to lean in farther. “I like you…like this. In charge of me. Yes, tonight only. I have…fantasies, but I don’t know… I’ve never really done anything like this.”

  “Shh. I understand.” He flicked a glance around the room. Men and women were watching, but only to see what happened. None could have heard. He’d never done much in public. But Sofia—somehow all his instincts called him to display her. He could play this by ear. See where it led.

  Some of the other women were restrained with their hands behind their backs while their Masters toyed with them.

  “I—” He’d almost told her what he was planning. But no. “Put your hands here.” He released her neck and patted her tummy, then raised his hand and clicked his fingers.

  A servant arrived quickly.

  “Do you have ankle and wrist restraints and some rope I could use?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  Within minutes he had a set of locking metal manacles with inner leather and fur padding. The slaves here were well pampered. No bruises for them. Or none worth quibbling over.

  He picked up her hand and slipped on the first manacle, tightened it until it was firm, locked it, then looked at Sofia while still in possession of her wrist.

  Eyes wide, nostrils dilated, tongue tip on her upper lip, she looked stunned.

  He kept the amused twist of his mouth to a minimum, took her other wrist, did the same, then swiftly attached the ropes to the table legs behind her head. The more forceful his actions, the less give he allowed her, the more she seemed aroused.

  She likes me ruthless. So be it.

  This time, as he manacled and fastened her ankles to the other table legs, he made sure to do it fast. She was his, and he took that gift and ran with it. His muscles versus hers equaled no contest.

  Oh, yes. One spread-eagled woman with her legs separated enough to see and do what he liked.

  “Now I can see your cunt properly.” He tugged the curly point of pubic hair at the base of the triangle and twisted it into a spiral.

  “Mmm.” She wriggled her ass. “Dankyo—”

  “Shh.”

  A stray breeze skittered past and sent the fabric tails on her nipple jewelry flipping across her breasts. Such pretty breasts—heavy enough to be attractive and perhaps to tempt him to try decorating or flogging. Making her breasts and her ass red could wait for another day. There would be another, because for this to be a once-only exercise for them, he’d have failed to please her. He almost laughed out loud at that thought.

  He sent her a slightly evil look. “How many orgasms shall I extract from you, Sofia?”

  Her strangled gasp boded well for the night.

  Hmm. Where to start?

  He eyed her upper leg where his hand had been a few minutes ago. So edible. Slowly he leaned in and put his mouth there, then opened up so the stubble on his chin scraped her thigh. The scent of her pussy thrilled him. Then he bit her hard enough to mark. Her squeal almost made him come.

  THE SPIKE OF pain from his bite crashed through her. When it zinged to her clit and wire-clasped nipples, the pain shot straight into pleasure. Writhing away only made him hold her down, and God, that did things to her. Everything sank. She shuddered, feeling the helplessness and the power he had over her flip the world.

  I can give in. Let him take me wherever, however.

  For a wonderful moment she did, oh God, she did. Her muscles relaxed. She hummed.

  The world came back. Dankyo was staring down at her.

  Again she felt the way he’d bound her. Arms tied somewhere behind her so her elbows were beside her head. Ankles fastened at the other end of the table with her feet flat on the floor. The way he’d dragged her limbs into place, given her no chance of escape. Yesss. Her pussy clenched at the memory.

  She could move side to side, but not when he held her down, like he did now as he knelt between her legs. Then he propped his elbows either side of her stomach. The man was between her legs. Not knowing what he intended ramped up her excitement.

  “If I had feathers”—he reached and took hold of one of the tails of material trailing from her right nipple—“I’d tease you here.” Then he took one from the left also and tugged them both. Her nipples pointed down at him and stayed that way since he didn’t release the pressure.

  The spark of tingling pain and the heat, the easy possession of those parts of her, made her wriggle.

  He cupped each breast, squeezed them together, and bent down to lick each nipple, one after the other.

  God. She bowed up, wanting more. Moaned.

  “You can speak if you wish, Sofia. Though I like your other sounds also.”

  He licked both areolae and sucked, drawing a nipple into his mouth and pulling hotly on it for a long, delicious time. Wetness leaked from her cunt. She tried to wriggle, but he pinned her with his weight. The pressure of his body flared into her clit. She panted and writhed under him and got precisely nowhere.

  Her whimpers filled her ears. “Please. Inside me. Please, please.” The simple words meant she stayed low, inside his power. Thinking wasn’t good. She wanted to feel. Wanted his possession of her body and mind.

  Dankyo chuckled. He slid down her body, steadied her with his forearms across her belly, and licked her clitoris from slit end over the top and into her hair. Then again, and again until she was crying out for release. Lick, licking. Umm. With a bite now and then. His body kept her open. The climax built, thudding into her. Driving her up. Liquid hot heaven. She arched and panted and tried to struggle. Muscles strained. But he held her, controlled her. Oh God. Oh damn. Pleasure erupted, and she jerked spasmodically, orgasming, gasping, and knowing he was there, still licking, licking. Molten wet tongue.

  Oh…heavenly gods and demons.

  Her pulse hammered at her chest and temples.

  The table was hard under her back. She pried open her eyelids.

  “I am never forgetting that.” His stare was hot. “You just fulfilled a singular need of mine.”

  “Oh?” she said weakly and drew her tongue across her lips.

  “Yes. Seeing a woman I own climaxing.”

  Uh. I own? I should be protesting. But Dankyo’s words just seemed so right.

  That he planned a second orgasm was obvious when Dankyo plunged his fingers into her cunt. A gasp broke from her.

  She wanted him inside her, but not just his fingers. She raised her head and watched, enthralled, feeling the rhythmic dilation, then spasm inward as he thrust in and out.

  “I’m…I’m…” Oh, that felt so great. She shut her eyes. The pause as he wriggled another finger in made her grunt. Then the shove of all of them up, up, up. Heat rippled outward. Her head dropped back onto the table with a thud. Something cushioned her. A cloth of some sort. Damn.

  “I’ll let you move more, Sofia. Let me see you move.” His words sounded thick and rasping.

  He was watching her, getting aroused by this. So would be the others in the room. And that fact slammed into her at the same time as he fed his fingers up inside again. The delicious str
etch made her want to arch. He’d said she could, so she gave in to what her body desired. She arched—head back, neck tensed, body in a curve that led to where he pumped in and out of her slit. Yet she managed to push more, and thrust a little toward him with each shove of his fingers into her. Her wetness made thick squelching sounds—loud declarations of her arousal, of her lust.

  “I like your taste, Sofia.”

  He set his mouth on her again and sucked her clit in. His teeth caged the nub, and his tongue swept across and toggled it to and fro. The slip and slide made her concentrate on that, made her climb into ecstasy territory yet again. Inevitable. Couldn’t stop. Tied and controlled by Dankyo, and the man had a dangerous tongue.

  Her groans and gasps came louder this time. She opened her mouth as wide as it could go, dragging in air. A tidal wave smashed through her, obliterating thought. As everything peaked, blackness screamed in, her mind disintegrated, and she fell, convulsing with pleasure, into soft, gentle darkness.

  Chapter Nine

  She wasn’t non compos mentis for long, but she remembered. Or thought she did.

  Did I have an orgasm, then black out?

  And someone big was carrying her. His coat rubbed against her hair and made scratching sounds right next to her ear. When she peeked up, she saw it was Dankyo. The rocking motion as he walked made her thoughts slow again.

  “What happened?” she mumbled.

  “You fainted.” He smiled down at her.

  “Oh.” She frowned. “I’m sorry. I’ve never—”

  “Don’t be. It’s fine. I take it as a compliment. It happens sometimes. We’re leaving now. Close your eyes.”

  Such a casual dismissal? But she did what he’d said—closed her eyes. Being right next to his chest, with his arms around her and with his heart thumping under her ear—it was so relaxing. When they reached the vehicle and slid into the backseat, she cuddled up to him again. By the time they arrived at their destination, she’d recovered a little but stayed in his arms.