Maya Banks - Sweet Surrender

“Ready?” he asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

She took a deep breath and tried to settle all the butterflies doing somersaults in her stomach. “Ready.”

He smiled and started up the stairs. When they reached the top, she was surprised by the closed door. Damon reached for the knob. “The walls up here are soundproof. It’s to keep distractions to a minimum.”

When he opened the door, the murmur of voices reached her ears. She strained to hear more as they eased down the hallway. They passed several closed doors, and Damon made no move to open those. They must be the private accommodations he’d mentioned. What she wouldn’t give to know what was going on behind those doors.

As they ventured farther down the long hallway, other sounds tickled her ears. Curious sounds. Moans, a few gasps, a slapping sound, like the smack of skin on skin. They grew louder until she and Damon paused inside the doorway to a large common room.

Though there was no actual divider, the room was arranged into several sections merely by the arrangement of various furniture. The decor was also different for the segments.

Women, men, some nude, some not, some indulging in passionate embraces, some in positions she couldn’t quite discern the purpose for, dotted the room.

Damon seemed to realize she needed the time to sort through the barrage of images coming too hard and fast for her to digest right away.

“Let’s start to the right,” he murmured to her. “We’ll make the circle.”

Damon drew up short when someone touched him on the arm and leaned in to whisper in his ear. It looked to be one of the people who worked for him, though she couldn’t be sure.

Damon frowned then put a hand to her back. “There’s a phone call I must take. I won’t be but a moment. Joseph will stay here with you until I return.”

He squeezed her hand with his other one before turning away and retreating down the hallway.

Joseph stood attentively by her side as her gaze again wandered over the room. There was so much to take in that she had a hard time processing it all.

To her immediate right, where Damon had intended for them to begin, two men were entangled in a passionate embrace on a pallet that reminded her of something you might find in a Japanese bedroom.

Though their kisses were wild, rushed, heated, they set about removing their clothes in a slow, measured manner. When she realized how hard she was staring, she looked away, embarrassed and ashamed to have ogled them.

“It’s okay,” Joseph whispered close to her ear. “No one in the public areas minds being watched. Many of our regulars routinely observe such displays. Voyeurism is a very legitimate sexual pleasure.”

Her gaze shot to his face, and heat crawled all the way up her neck and burned her ears. Just the word voyeur sounded ugly and more than a little icky.

Joseph smiled patiently at her as if understanding her discomfort.

But even though she was embarrassed by her close scrutiny of the two men, her gaze drifted back. The sight of two men locked in such an erotic embrace fascinated her.

Her eyes widened more when one of the men pulled at the other man’s pants, freeing his turgid erection. Her lips parted, a little in shock, a little because her breaths were coming in short, rapid spurts.

When the first man gently moved his lips over the other man’s cock, Faith’s pulse began racing. The sight should repulse her. Something told her it should, but just as quickly she discounted that absurd notion.

The man’s eyes cut over in her direction, and for a moment their gazes locked. She should look away, but she found herself unable to do so. A soft, secret smile curved the man’s lips as he worked his mouth up and down his lover’s cock. Then he winked saucily at Faith. She grinned and winked back then promptly scolded herself for being so brazen.

She jumped when Damon put his hand on her arm. She hadn’t even realized he’d returned. He smiled at her. “My apologies. I had to take a call from one of our members. Are you ready to continue?”

Her gaze returned to the two men making love on the silk-covered pallet before she nodded.

The next area featured two couples, one on a couch and the other on the floor, pillows surrounding them. The woman on the couch leaned back against the back, her legs splayed out in front of the man kneeling in front of her. His head lowered to her pussy, and her hand threaded through his hair, urging him on.

The woman on the floor was positioned on her hands and knees as the man behind her thrust eagerly into her body.

“Partner swapping,” Damon said in a low voice.

Faith’s eyes widened. “Oh, you mean like swinging?”

Damon smiled. “I suppose you could put it that way.”

He cupped her elbow in his hand and pointed with his other hand to an area in the corner. “I think the next few might interest you.”

When she looked up and saw what he was gesturing at, her mouth went dry. A woman was tied to a bed, her arms pulled above her head and secured to the bedposts.

She was blindfolded and gagged. A man held her legs apart and draped her ankles over his shoulders as he thrust into her repeatedly. Despite the gag, Faith could hear her moans of pleasure. Mixed with the heavy slap of the man’s thighs against the back of her legs, it sounded incredibly erotic.

A tingle began in Faith’s stomach and worked its way downward until her clit tightened and strained between her legs. Her nipples beaded and formed taut points. She crossed her arms self-consciously over her chest, not wanting anyone to see her visible reaction to the scene playing out before her.

Her eyes were riveted, and she was unable to tear herself away from sight and sounds of the couple. She blinked in surprise when another man sauntered to the bed, one hand wrapped around his jutting cock.

The first man pulled away from the woman while the second settled between her legs and immediately began rocking against her. The first man moved up the bed and began toying with the woman’s nipples, plucking them between his fingers. Then he bent and began sucking and nipping at them while the second man seemed intent on fucking her silly.

All the while, the woman writhed beneath them, her arms straining against her bonds. Faith’s eyes were glued to the ropes around the woman’s wrists, and a peculiar ache settled in her chest as she imagined herself in the woman’s place.

“You like this,” Damon said quietly.

Faith nodded, unwilling to voice her agreement.

“Then come. There’s more,” he said simply.

She followed, though she was reluctant to leave the triad. She wanted to see it played out until the end. Until the men relented and gave the woman her release.

They moved to the back of the room, directly across from the doorway they’d entered. Faith cocked her head in curiosity as she watched a man push a woman to her knees in front of him. He reached for the zipper of his pants and a few seconds later pulled out his cock.

With his free hand, he cupped the woman’s chin and tilted her head up so her mouth brushed against his erection.

“Open,” he commanded.

She dutifully complied.

He arched his hips forward, sliding his cock deep into her mouth. His hand still cupped her jaw, and his thumb pressed into her cheek to keep her mouth open. He slid his other hand to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair as he fucked her harder.

For several long seconds, the only sound was the wet sucking noise as his hips met her cheeks. The image did more for her than the action. Here was a man who obviously exerted control over the woman. He wasn’t loud or obnoxious, in fact, he very quietly uttered his commands, but there was a thread of authority in his voice that sent shivers skirting down Faith’s spine.

The man suddenly pulled back. “Rise,” he ordered the woman.

The woman rose on shaky legs, her naked breasts bobbing as she caught her breath. The man reached for a wooden paddle resting on a nearby table then motioned the woman over with his hand. Faith’s gaze followed the woman as she moved to an oddly shaped object that was a strange mixture of metal and leather padding.

The center had a scooped-out spot that reminded Faith of an inverted saddle. Its use was made clear when the woman bent over it, the notch cradling her abdomen.

Her legs rested against the inverted V that sprouted from the cradle until her body maintained the exact line of the apparatus.

Her head fell over the other side, and her arms dangled, then her hands grasped at the base to steady herself.

Faith’s gaze flitted back to the man, who circled behind the woman, his steps slow and measured. His fingers curled around the paddle that resembled some old-school discipline stick.

His hand cupped and caressed the woman’s bare ass. Then he pulled the paddle back and connected with her ass cheek. Faith jumped as the smacking sound filled the air.

The woman also jumped then let out a small moan as she settled back into position.

“You are to make no sound,” the man commanded. He struck her again, this time on the other cheek.

Blood rushed to Faith’s head, and her pulse pounded hard against her temples. Her fingers shook, and she curled them into balls at her side.

The man continued his show of dominance, and Faith had little time to ponder her extreme reaction to this particular scene.

She was too busy absorbing it, experiencing the confusing thrill.

“Tell me, would you like to try it?” Damon asked.

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.