Protecting Her Heart Read online

  Emma shrugged her shoulders. She’d never heard of it but it sounded intriguing. Luke shook his head in mock disbelief and chuckled warmly.

  “I’d ask if you were living under a rock, but we both know the answer,” he teased, taking another swig from his beer. “I can only imagine what Andy would have said if he found you reading that spicy piece of literature.”

  “I don’t even want to think about it,” Emma said, shifting her stance from one foot to the other, her libido still highly charged.

  She took a sip of her beer and looked around the room. Some of what she saw was actually quite erotic, and some of it was well outside her comfort zone. Everything from gentle spankings to full on floggings. She thought that it must be painful and told Luke so, but he assured her that if done well, it could be quite erotic. Toeing the line between pleasure and pain could be quite seductive, he said, and from the expressions on the faces displayed before her she didn’t have any cause to doubt him. She had to admit, she was intrigued and wondered what it would be like to experience that kind of kinky seduction herself. Would it appeal to her? Perhaps, with the right partner.

  Emma felt someone’s eyes on her and cautiously looked over her shoulder. She saw several couples talking quietly amongst themselves, not particularly interested in anything but their own conversation. She slowly panned the room, certain that it was just nervous energy triggering her intuition. Then she saw him.

  He was a nice looking man, older than her, with a strong build. He was dressed in a very expensive grey suit which complimented him perfectly, and with a full head of salt and pepper hair he appeared distinguished and confident. A quintessential silver fox.

  He was leaning against the wall, his left hand resting loosely in the pocket of his slacks, his suit jacket unbuttoned, revealing a toned body underneath. He smiled kindly, nodding his head to acknowledge her. Emma smiled back nervously, not quite sure how to respond.

  In spite of her curiosity, she turned back to Luke, whose attention seemed to be on a scene unfolding in the middle of the room. A woman, maybe in her early thirties, was sitting in a chair, her arms bound behind her back. Her unbuttoned blouse hanging loosely off her shoulders exposing everything from the waist up. She was blindfolded and her long blond hair was pinned loosely in a bun on the top of her head. She appeared to be completely at ease, almost trance-like, while a man teased her flesh with different objects; a feather, tassels of silk, a leather flogger, and some sort of mitten that looked like fur. He was stroking her methodically and tenderly while whispering in her ear, occasionally biting her neck or pinching her nipples, drawing out tortured moans from her.

  Although it seemed quite voyeuristic, Emma couldn’t pull her eyes away, completely aroused by the scene.

  “What they’re doing is called sensation play,” Luke whispered in her ear, “it can be tender but it’s also a lesson in submission, a power exchange between the top and the bottom.”

  “It’s making me fucking hot...” Emma blurted before she could filter herself. She turned to look at him, raising a hand to her mouth, momentarily embarrassed by her admission.

  “It can do that to you,” Luke laughed, his eyes showing no sign of surprise.

  “Sorry, that was meant to stay in my head,” she blushed, turning her head away, “I guess when I’m with you I just feel so brave, so exceptional.”

  Luke laughed softly beside her, encouraging her to turn back to him. He looked at her warmly for a moment or two before saying, “that’s funny, because when I’m with you, I often feel the same way.”

  His words surprised her. Luke always seemed to have so much confidence and almost never needed validation of any sort, unlike her ex who needed constant adulation. She looked at him curiously, drawing a shrug from him.

  “So is this your thing, Luke?” Emma asked, her eyes returning to the scene in front of her.

  “My thing? Hmmm...I wouldn’t say that. I have, on occasion, enjoyed exploring the lifestyle but I’m not hard-core or anything,” he admitted. “It’s been a while.”

  “Why did you bring me here?” Emma asked curiously, turning to meet his eyes again. “You asked for the tour, this is part of it,” he offered casually. She nodded softly, accepting his answer.

  “So have you ever participated...”

  “In a scene?” he asked, finishing her sentence. She nodded, surprised by how turned on she was by the thought of it. She blamed it on the chastity belt.

  “Sure,” was all he offered.

  “Like this one?” she asked, gesturing back to the woman in the chair.

  “Sometimes, yes. Sometimes more.”

  She looked at him curiously, wondering exactly what kinds of scenes he enjoyed. Would she enjoy being out there, coloring outside the lines too? Exposing herself? Being vulnerable and lovingly dominated? It was intriguing she had to admit, but also terrifying. Curiously, both of those thoughts seemed to have the same juicy effect on her libido.

  Emma was quiet for a moment, her thoughts swirling with possibilities while trying to process everything around her. She looked up at Luke and grinned.

  “What?” he asked with a suspicious smirk, regarding her carefully.

  “Nothing,” she shrugged.

  “Seriously, tell me what’s on your mind.”

  “I’m just wondering if you’re a top or a bottom? A spanker or the spankee...” she chuckled, teasing a grin out of him.

  “What do you think?” he smirked again, leaning back against the bar.

  “Hmmm, I just don’t know, it could go either way I think,” she said playfully, mining for a reaction.

  “Do I need to turn you over my knee and show you?” he growled, his wink challenging her.

  Emma giggled and gave him a playful shove, “you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  Luke looked her up and down, a smile slowly forming on his lips, hesitating as if momentarily speechless. Emma thought for a second she might have taken their teasing too far, made him uncomfortable, until he finally spoke up.

  “No,” he smirked, nodding his head yes, his brows raised impishly.

  Emma laughed, “You horn-dog.”

  “You know it,” he shrugged, taking another deep swallow of beer.

  Emma turned back in the direction of where the man she had noticed earlier was standing. He was still there, speaking to a woman who appeared to be propositioning him. His body language was less casual than it had been earlier, standing straight with his shoulders back, arms crossed comfortably across his chest. He was tall, over 6 feet for certain. He glanced in her direction but Emma quickly averted her eyes before he could catch her looking again.

  “Luke,” she whispered, gently touching his forearm, “do you know who that man is? By the door over there?”

  Luke looked in the direction she indicated. He shrugged his shoulders passively and grinned.

  “Yes, I do. That’s Arran Barlow, English guy. He’s an ok fellow, I guess. I’ve seen him here and there.”

  Emma stole a quick look over Luke’s shoulder, curious to see him again now that she knew his name. He was actually better looking and quite possibly younger than she had first given him credit for.

  “Do you want to meet him?” Luke asked, shifting himself as if to walk toward the man. Emma felt her heart quicken in her chest, both excited and anxious all at once.

  “Luke!” Emma blurted, pulling him back towards her.

  “What? Come on, It’s just an introduction,” he urged gently, his eyes meeting hers, comforting her. She bit her lip, nodded at him, and he took her hand before she could change her mind.

  They crossed the room to where Arran was standing. He looked up at them as they approached, his eyes playfully landing on Emma. He looked pleased that they were coming over and gently placed a hand on the shoulder of the woman speaking to him, kindly ending their conversation. She was gone before Emma and Luke approached him.

  “Arran,” Luke greeted him the way men do when they are measuring one a
nother, confident, cocky, and cool, assertively offering his hand to shake. Arran accepted the gesture, smiling warmly while he pumped Luke’s hand.

  “Luke, nice to see you again,” he said, his strong English accent smooth as butter. He stared warmly at Emma, as though waiting for an introduction. He was definitely younger than she had originally thought, perhaps just a few years older than she and Luke. His silver hair, boasting an expensive, stylish cut, made his blue eyes stand out dramatically. He was quite stunning and smelled delicious, his spicy aftershave perfuming the air between them. It was the same cologne that Luke always wore, she observed curiously, Obsession by Calvin Klein.

  “Who is this enchantress?” Arran teased, taking Emma’s hand and raising it to his lips. He gently kissed her knuckles. A girlish giggle slipped through her lips before she could catch herself. His accent added considerably to his appeal, making him almost irresistible.

  “This is my good friend Mimi Maguire,” Luke said using her maiden name. He placed a hand on the small of her back, perhaps for reassurance.

  “Lovely,” he purred, squeezing her hand gently before releasing it back to her. “Arran Barlow. I haven’t seen you before.”

  “No,” she admitted, grateful that she was able to find her voice quickly, “Up until recently I was a married woman. I’m just getting reacquainted with the single life.”

  “Now who would be foolish enough to let you go?” Arran teased, his eyes bright with curiosity. Emma smiled at him sweetly, grateful for the flirtatious compliment.

  “Exactly,” Luke jumped in, looking back and forth between them, as though assessing their attraction.

  “Are you together?” Arran asked thoughtfully, reading Luke’s face carefully.

  Emma shook her head slowly, as Luke quickly chimed in, “No, no. We’re just good friends. I’m here looking out for her, keeping undesirables away.” He grinned and offered Arran a look that made Emma wonder if there had been some unspoken signal between them.

  “Well then, I appreciate the introduction. Glad I made the cut,” Arran teased, looking back at Emma. “I really wish I could stay and get to know you better, Mimi, but sadly I was just leaving before you came over. I have a conference call from Dubai in less than an hour, time zone difference you see. I really need to head back to my office. Hopefully we’ll meet again?”

  “Oh,” Emma replied, trying to hide her disappointment, “I’d like that.” She would have enjoyed spending a little more time with the handsome stranger, learning more about him. He took her hand once more, holding it delicately between his own strong hands. His touch sent an unexpected shiver through her.

  “Until next time,” he assured through his gallant smile. He nodded gratefully at Luke before turning to go. She watched him take his leave, walking through the room with quiet authority as people on either side of him parted the way. She looked back at Luke who was staring at her, brows raised.

  “What?” she grinned sheepishly, knowing exactly what Luke was thinking.

  “Wasn’t he charming?” she whispered under her breath, hoping that “next time” would be sooner than later.

  Chapter 13

  She squirmed in the passenger seat as Luke drove her home, watching the city lights pass by, every bump and pothole keeping her acutely aware of the toy penetrating her delicate lady parts. She held her breath over and over again to keep from moaning out loud and displaying her pleasure to Luke.

  It hadn’t been a late night. Most of the house guests filtered out by 11:00 pm, probably anxious to continue their playtime at home. Luke had introduced her to only two other people, Mario and Lucia, a married couple who seemed happy to see him after a long spell. They chatted for a while and Emma was surprised by how ‘normal’ they seemed. No horns or scales under their clothing from what she could tell. They were just a fun-loving, open-minded, kinky couple that enjoyed spicing up their marriage. The truth was, she really didn’t know what to expect but it was very reassuring that people just like her and Luke sometimes had colorful sex lives and weren’t ashamed of it. She thought it was beautiful how they had such an honest, trusting relationship, something she never had with Andrew, a foreign concept to her.

  Luke had asked her if she wanted to play, promising to introduce her to a patient, gentle dominant, but the truth was, she was perfectly happy just being an observer. It wasn’t that she ruled it out, quite the contrary actually. The party had piqued her curiosity, made her comfortable enough to tease out her own fetishes, mild as they were compared to some. She just wasn’t quite ready to explore them so publicly, and certainly not with a stranger. She wondered if she ever would be, or if she would ever be fortunate enough find herself in a partnership like Mario and Lucia’s, exploring fantasies together, safe in each other’s arms.

  She thought again about Arran and wondered about what kind of man he was. He was obviously open-minded, maybe even a little adventurous, otherwise he wouldn’t have been at the party. He’d made an impression on her for sure, as short as their encounter had been.

  The vehicle bounced and shifted over another pothole. Emma looked at Luke and grimaced, drawing a chuckle out of him.

  “What’s so funny?” she grinned.

  He laughed again, and shook his head, “Just wondering if you’re comfortable.” “Not in the slightest,” she admitted playfully, giving him a stern look.

  “Your face is flushed,” he observed, his eyes lit with glee. Emma looked at him thoughtfully, wondering if the chastity belt was meant for her pleasure or his.

  “You might be enjoying my suffering just a little too much, are you sure you’re not just a little sadistic?” Emma asked, shifting her position again.

  “Probably,” he winked, turning into her parking lot. He found a vacant spot and put the car in park. “Come on, Mimi, let’s get you home before your pie turns into a pumpkin.” “Haha, very funny.”

  Chapter 14

  Luke escorted Emma to her apartment, amused by her obvious discomfort. He thought it would be a trip giving her the chastity belt, a joke of sorts. In truth, he thought she would have laughed and tossed it back at him, but she hadn’t. She continued to surprise him with her commitment to it all. It was sexy as hell that she put it on and it played on his mind all night. It had to be driving her mad with desire.

  “Are you coming in?” she asked casually unlocking the door. “It’s still early.”

  Luke shook his head, certain it would be a very bad idea. His mind shifted inappropriately as he imagined carrying her to bed and burying his face between her legs, knowing her pussy was probably aching, sweet, and dripping wet from being tenderized all night long. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about her that way.

  “No, I need to get going,” he insisted, shifting from one leg to the other.

  “Really? I hoped we could chat for a bit.”

  “Raincheck?” he said, smiling warmly at her. She pouted playfully and shrugged.

  “Fine, leave me hot and bothered,” she teased, opening the door and slipping past him.

  He swallowed hard, certain her comment was just innocent flirting, the way it always was between them.

  “Sorry,” he shrugged, “I’m going to hit the hay.”

  Before he could do something stupid, he gave her a kiss on the cheek and turned to leave.

  “Luke,” she sang sweetly. For a moment he wondered if she might be trying to convince him to stay and thought for a split second he might even agree. He turned around slowly, meeting her eyes. “Are you forgetting something?”

  “What would that be?”

  “The key?” she grinned, pointing at her crotch. He looked down at her nether-regions and then quickly back up, noting the smirk on her face.

  “Oh, the key...” he purred, “you want the key?”

  She nodded at him, a blush rising to her cheeks. He smiled impishly and reached into his pocket, enjoying the power he had over her, even if it was short-lived.

  “Tell you what, you can have this key i
f you guess the safe word...”

  “Come on, Luke, stop kidding around...” she chirped, reaching out to grab it. He pulled it away quickly, before she could take it from him.

  “Oh, I’m not joking,” he growled, dangling the key on his shaky index finger, “safe word...”

  She looked him over carefully, as though trying to read his mind, then smiled sweetly at him.

  “Rumpelstiltskin.”

  He shook his head, a grin spreading slowly across his handsome face, then tossed the key at her. Fuck, she knew him so well.

  Back in his car he checked his text messages. The one that caught his attention right away was from Maggie, a woman he had met six months back, a feisty little Puerto Rican with a penchant for punishment.

  I’m lonely, let’s hook up.

  She was a firecracker, that one, and smart too. Unfortunately, she withheld a very important piece of information from him. She was married. While they enjoyed their short fling, it ended approximately six days after it started when she told him her husband was due home from a business trip in approximately 20 minutes. He hightailed it out of there without so much as a kiss goodbye. One thing he wasn’t was a cheater, and it pissed him off that she had put him in that position. A shame really, because he kind of liked her.

  He looked at the time of her text, noting that she had sent it just a short time earlier. She would be waiting for his response. He texted back.

  With your hubby’s consent? Otherwise I don’t hook up with married women.

  Her reply came back instantaneously.

  That you know of. Don’t be naive Luke.

  He tossed the phone on the seat beside him, shaking his head. Another reason to be cynical about marriage.

  Chapter 15

  A week had gone by since Luke had taken her to the kink party. She was still whirling from the whole experience, her imagination fueled by the naughtiness of the night. After Luke dropped her off, she carefully unfastened the chastity belt and peeled it away, her hole aching for sweet release. She had never felt so churned up, so desperate to be fucked. She needed to release her need with a vengeance and wished she had a man to share her newly-found confidence with, maybe even Arran.