Sweet Surrender

CHAPTER 16

Faith jerked her gaze from the couple and stared at Damon in surprise. “I don’t understand.”

“Would you like to take her place?” he asked, gesturing to the woman being spanked. “Of all the scenes, you seem to be the most keenly attuned to this one. You’re here to explore your desires. What better way than to experience it firsthand?”

“You allow that?” she asked incredulously.

He smiled patiently. “We don’t make choices for our members or prospective members. You’re here to make a decision about whether this is something you want. I merely want to aid you in that decision. Think of it as test-driving a car before purchasing it.”

She laughed. She couldn’t help it. The idea of comparing getting naked in front of strangers to test-driving a car seemed ludicrous. But then as she gazed around at the people milling about the room, no one seemed to put much stock in nudity. She was the only one gaping like a kid in a candy store.

“What do I do?” she whispered. God, could she do this? She wanted to. No doubt about that. But the thought of doing it nearly made her sick with nervousness.

Damon touched her cheek and rubbed a finger down her jawline in a soothing manner. “I’ll be here the entire time. I’ll help you undress, and I’ll stay beside you. You can do as much or as little as you’d like. I’m just here to monitor, to make sure you aren’t hurt and that no one makes you do something you don’t want. Those are the only rules. Everything else goes.”

She swallowed, closed her eyes then opened them again to see him staring at her. Then she nodded. “Okay. Yes. I want to very much.”

He smiled then. “Good. See, you’re already taking control of your desires.”

Again her gaze flitted around the room. To her relief, no one seemed to be paying her any attention. She had this embarrassing image of everyone stopping what they were doing to stare at her.

Damon gestured at the man, who paused and nodded. Then the man touched the woman’s shoulder and helped her into an upright position. To Faith’s surprise, he bent to kiss her before motioning her away.

“I’m not intruding on a relationship am I?” Faith asked hesitantly.

Damon shook his head then put both hands on her shoulders. “I’m going to undress you now. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Oh hell, please, please don’t puke. She inhaled deeply through her nose and nodded.

Damon let his hands trail from her shoulders to the waistband of her skirt. “Turn around,” he ordered softly.

She did as he asked, shivering at the firm tone of his voice. Did he know how much the air of authority turned her on? He must. He’d pretty much been her sole confidant in this venture, which was odd, considering they were virtual strangers. Or maybe they were virtual friends since they’d only talked through the internet. A nervous giggle quivered in her throat, and she swallowed it back.

His fingers fumbled with the button and zipper of her skirt. He undid both and let the material fall in a pool at her feet. She didn’t look down. She wouldn’t look down. She had no desire to see herself standing in heels, underwear and her shirt.

“Back around,” he ordered.

Slowly, she rotated, her gaze cast to the floor.

Gathering the material of her silky camisole in his fingers, he tugged upward. “Arms over your head,” he said.

She complied, and he pulled the shirt free of her body. She closed her eyes and crossed her arms over as much bare skin as she could.

“Arms down.”

Again, his voice sent shivers quaking over her body. Slowly, she let her arms fall until she stood in front of him, clad in only her panties and bra.

“Open your eyes. Look at me,” Damon said.

She pried one eye open then the other. Behind Damon, the man with the paddle stood looking at her, interest darkening his brown eyes.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Faith. Embrace it. Don’t be ashamed of it.”

He tugged at her bra straps until they tumbled down her shoulders. He stepped close to her and reached around to undo the clasp. All too soon, the bra fell away, and her immediate reaction was to cover herself with her hands. But Damon grabbed her wrists with his hands.

“No.”

The one word shot over her, and she stood, knees quaking, waiting for the rest.

“Slip out of your shoes,” he said calmly.

She kicked them off and nudged them away with her toe.

His hands glided down her sides to her hips, where his fingers dug into the lacy band of her panties. Slowly and methodically, he inched them down until they too fell to the floor.

Oh God, she was naked. Was it possible to endure a full body blush? Because she felt red-hot from head to toe, and she bet her skin had to be flushed.

Damon’s hands returned to her hips. His fingers brushed her skin lightly as they climbed higher to her breasts. He palmed the fleshy mounds and rubbed his thumb over the nipples until they hardened to puckered buttons.

Liquid heat pooled between her legs, and more than anything she wanted to slide her fingers down to her clit so she could alleviate the burning ache.

He reached down for her hand then turned to the man standing behind him. “She’s all yours, Brent.”

Faith gulped and waited for the man’s command. Brent’s eyes narrowed as he studied her. She felt his gaze on parts of her body that already tingled and pulsed.

“Come to me,” he said.

She moved forward with halting steps. He pointed to the same apparatus the last woman had lain across.

“Stomach down, arms over the other side, legs spread and lined up with the legs of the stool.”

She bit her lip but complied, moving forward to fit her stomach to the warm leather pad. She leaned forward then felt Damon’s hands on her back as he helped her into position.

“If at any time you want to stop, just say so,” Damon said close to her ear. “I’ll be right here.”

Another hand, one more unfamiliar, caressed her ass. The sheer forbidden quality of a stranger touching her so intimately should be more exciting. Though her legs trembled and felt jellylike, Brent’s touch failed to fire her senses.

Without warning, the paddle met the flesh of her ass in a loud smack. She jumped. It startled her. Then she frowned. While she hadn’t envisioned some stinging, lashing blow, the light pat on her ass had been just that. A pat.

The paddle fell again, this time on the other cheek as he had done with the other woman. Her brow furrowed. Was this all there was to it?

Her nerve endings were on fire with anticipation. She wanted—no she needed—something, though she wasn’t sure what. More of a push, more of an edge. Not this light pat on the butt she was getting.

Another blow fell, and tears of disappointment pricked her eyes. She raised her head, prepared to tell Damon to make Brent stop when her gaze locked on the entrance across the room.

A gasp escaped her that had nothing to do with the blow that landed on her backside. Standing in the entrance, his gaze solidly locked on her, was Gray.