Legally Bound (18 page)

The general rules of time suddenly failed to exist.
Minutes, hours, days could have passed before Eve regained the ability to form cognitive
thought. Beyond the haze of her mind she heard the brief rattling of chain and
then felt the leather that bound her arms slacken. Without the tension, Eve
lurched forward and a pleasure-induced vertigo struck. The floor shifted and
her sea-legs gave way. Gravity pulled her towards the ground.

“Easy now.” Donavan managed to catch her just
before she fell. The strength of his arms encased her and she was swallowed back
against his torso as he lowered them to the floor. “Before you try moving, let
me get this blindfold off.”

Chest heaving and horribly disoriented, Eve
clutched at Donavan’s leather-clad thigh. He untied the sleeves of his shirt
from behind her head—avoiding the removal of her masquerade mask. Free of the
blindfold, Eve dropped her head back against his shoulder and blinked
repeatedly against the faint glow of light until her vision cleared. When it
did, Donavan’s handsome face drifted into focus and her heart paused.

A breathless, “Hi,” was all she could manage.

“Hello, beautiful.” The hint of a grin tugged at
the corners of his sensual mouth as he shook the twists out of the shirt he
held. When it was semi-unraveled, he draped it over her like a small blanket
and returned to holding her tight. As she welcome the comfort of his arms, Eve
swung a shaky gaze around them. They weren’t alone.

Reluctantly, she met the eyes of some of their
viewers, unsure of what to expect, and surprisingly found respect and admiration
and lust in their gazes. They offered gentle nods and soft smiles and, with
them, a strange sense of belonging filled Eve. It was then she realized that she
did
belong here within the dark shadows of their world. As much as she
had tried to deny it, fight it, lie about it—this was where she felt at home.

Yes, Eve thought silently as the vast audience began
to thin, drifting and retreating to the shadows of the club behind the
billowing curtains of white which surrounded them—she finally felt as if she
had come home.

“Are you all right,” Donavan asked quietly, and she
let out a long breath before she answered.

“Other than not being able to feel my legs?”

Without saying a word, Donavan hooked an arm
under her legs and stood. He wore only his leather pants now and the heat of
his muscled chest, his gloriously muscled chest burned into her. Eve tightened
her arms around his neck and grinned against his shoulder as he began to walk.

“Where are you taking me now?”

“Back to the room.” He put his back into the
double doors that led the corridor they’d emerged from earlier. “I’m not
finished with you yet.”

A thrill danced through Eve yet her body screamed
exhaustion. Laughing softly against his shoulder she shook her head. “I hate to
say this but I’m not sure I can handle another round with you tonight.”

“You’ll be able to handle what I have in mind
just fine.”

“Oh? And what exactly do you have in mind?” She angled
her head back to look at him and noticed the ghost of a smile hovering on his
lips.

“After-care.”

Chapter
Eight

A surreal euphoria came over Eve as Donavan
carried her across the threshold of studio seven then kicked the door shut
behind them. She smiled against Donavan’s shoulder and welcomed the warmth of
his skin on her lips.

Had anything or anyone ever instilled such a
sense of absolute bliss in her? Winning the Langly case was the most monumental
event of her career and the satisfaction she had felt when Judge Marx ruled in
her favor didn’t come close to what she was feeling now.

Slowly, with her in his arms, Donavan crossed the
room. The chamber looked different than how they left it before the gala. The
illumination was comparative to their first night together. Soft. Seductive. A
level of lighting made solely for lovers. Not only did the candles illuminate,
but their flames warmed the air and projected calming shadows along the walls.

“You really don’t have to pamper me like this,”
she insisted and brushed an open-mouth kiss along his collarbone.

“Who says I’m doing it for you?”

Eve tilted her head back and arched an eyebrow. “Aren’t
you?”

“Hmm…gorgeous, half naked woman in my arms with
no means of escape. Sounds more like something I’d do for me.”

Eve laughed so loud she startled herself. By the
time she flung a hand over her mouth to muffle the booming sound it was too
late. An echo of laughter bounced between the walls and axed through the quiet
ambience. So much for the serene setting. Oh, well. She didn’t care. When was
the last time she felt this good? Weeks? Months? Years?

Never.

They entered the bathroom which was also illuminated
by candlelight, though one corner of the room seemed far brighter than the
rest. Curious, Eve swiveled her head, tracking the burst of shimmering gold.
Her breath caught. Her heart paused. She stared in awe.

An abundance of white candles sat staggered atop
the wide outer-ledge surrounding the tub. They had to have been lit for quite
some time. Beads of melted wax rolled and dripped down the warped columns onto
tiles covered in scattered red rose petals. Breathtaking. Romantic. Absolutely
not what she’d expected. Had Donavan arranged this? For her?

Eve’s lips quirked.

“And here I thought you weren’t the romantic
type,” she teased, as he lowered her onto a chair in front of the dressing
table.

“I told you…” He brushed a light kiss over her
mouth. “I have my moments. Stay put.”

He abandoned her to draw the bath and Eve frowned
at the absence of his strong arms around her. She swirled her bare toes along
the floor and fought the urge to ignore his order to
stay put.
The need
to be near him overwhelmed her.

As he leaned to crank the faucets, the muscles in
his back rippled and rolled with his effort and Eve licked her lips like a
wanton tart. She smiled. Oh yes, a change was taking place in her and she had
to admit…she liked it.

“No one has ever drawn me a bath before,” she
commented. “Maybe you should go grab the basket of grapes so you can feed me
while I soak.”

He sent a heated glance over his shoulder but
kept his fingers beneath the hard stream of water under the swan-neck faucet.

“Don’t push your luck, sweetheart.” He gave his
wrist a flick, shaking off the excess water from his hand before he walked back
to her. Eve followed his long gait, her eyes locked on the fine dusting of dark
hair on his lower abdomen where the button and zipper of his slacks carelessly
parted. New arousal moved through her, mingling with exhaustion.

Why did she suddenly feel the desperate need to
touch him, stroke him, be close to him? Was this how all sub’s felt towards
their Dominants? Or was it just how women felt toward Donavan?

“How’re these legs feeling?” He sank onto his
haunches in front of her and settled his wide palms on her thighs. His strong
fingers squeezed and massaged her thigh muscles and Eve nearly moaned.

“They’re perfectly fine.” Noting the lines of
concern etched at the corners of his soulful gray eyes, Eve wiggled her legs. “See?
They still work.”

“Glad to hear it. After being suspended for so
long, you’re going to be sore later, but the warm water will prevent your muscles
from tightening up and hopefully soothe any pain caused from the clamp and
bindings.”

“I’m not feeling any pain now.” She smiled.

“That’s because I haven’t taken them off yet.
Trust me, you’ll appreciate the bath.” He reached up and drew off her wig and
mask then set them on the dressing table behind her. Eve quickly touched a hand
to the messy nest of wisps and pins and her cheeks warmed.

“This will just take me a second to take down.”

He grasped her wrists, gently lowering her arms. “Why
don’t you let me do that?”

At the strange request, Eve’s lips quirked. “Really?”

“Really.”

“All right. But if you accidently tug my hair, I’m
not going to like it.”

He sent another smoldering look. “If I tug your
hair, it won’t be an accident and I happen to think you’ll like it just fine.”

A shiver rolled through her. He was an expert at
making her shiver.

One by one, Donavan drew the pins from her hair
and set them on the dressing table. He took his time, his long fingers working
with meticulous accuracy. It was then Eve realized how completely at ease she
felt with him. The anxiety she normally experienced passing him in the hallway
at the courthouse was gone, replaced by a tranquility she had never felt with
anyone. Though here she sat with her breasts bursting out of her corset cups
and her panties still halfway down her thighs, she was completely comfortable.

She lifted her gaze and studied his face. His
warm gray eyes swept from left to right then back to left as he plucked pin
after pin from her hair. Had she ever seen such a handsome man?

“Keep looking at me like that and the bath might
have to wait,” he murmured with a smirk.

“I don’t think you’d hear any complaints,” she
admitted, unabashed.

“Maybe not tonight but, if your nipples are still
aching a week from now because
these
have been on too long.” He skimmed
his thumbs lightly over the elastics binding her taut peaks and Eve shuddered. “I’m
sure I’ll hear about it.”

Donavan rose in front of her and drew her up from
the chair. Light-headed, Eve fixed her eyes on his tanned chest as he began to loosen
the laces on the back of her corset. Unlike their first night together, he took
his time undressing her. His hands wandered and explored with lazy caress and
she welcomed the slower pace.

After he removed her last stocking, Donavan
pressed a hand to the small of her back and guided her toward the tub. When
they reached the stone steps and he gave no indication of taking off his pants,
Eve tilted her head. “Won’t you be joining me?”

“Believe it or not, I’m not exactly the bubble
bath type.”

“Oh come on now, I won’t think any less of you,
and I’ll try my best not to call you a fancy-boy.”

Donavan’s grin widened and his eyes lifted to the
ceiling.

“Oh? Well since you put it that way.” He jerked
her against him and gave her a hard kiss that stole her breath. “Hell, no.”

He swung her up in his arms and laughter burst
free from Eve’s lips. Can’t blame a girl for trying. He lowered her into the
tub filled with lavender-scented, frothy suds that sizzled with her entrance. She
hadn’t realized how stiff her muscles were until they began loosening with the
heat of the water. The warmth was heavenly.

Donavan sat on the highest step just outside the
tub, elbow propped on the ledge.

“Feel good?”

“Mmm.” Eve closed her eyes and softly sighed “You
have no idea. Though it’d feel even better if someone were feeding me grapes.”
She cracked one eye open to catch his reaction just as he splashed a handful of
water up at her.

“Just sayin’!” She laughed and swiped a damp hand
over her face.

“We’ll talk about who’s feeding who grapes later.
I better get these off of you.” He leaned over the ledge and cupped her
breasts. His smooth palms brushed along her nipples and Eve wriggled a little. “Take
a deep breath then let it out. Slowly.”

She did as he asked and on her exhale he rolled
off the elastics. Blood rushed into her tender nipples that quickly started to
throb. The pain was minor in comparison to the pleasure the toys provided
earlier and his hands cradling her breasts distracted her from the discomfort.

“The pain shouldn’t last long,” he told her and
she welcomed his reassurance.

Eventually, he released her breasts and dipped
his hand lower, skimming the inside of her thigh. She nibbled her lower lip as
his fingers traced a path between her legs. Using two fingers, he pressed apart
her pussy lips and Eve sucked in a sharp breath.

“Stop teasing me,” she whispered.

“You like it,” he returned, and stroked his thumb
up her quivering cleft.

Oh, she did like it. She more than liked it.
Every move he made bordered on sexual and it only made her want him more.
Shivering, she clamped her thighs on his wrist and arched her hips upward.
Water sloshed over the ledge of the tub but she couldn’t have cared less. She
was on cloud nine.

Donavan grasped the dangling jewels between his
fingers and slowly began sliding the clip off. Her clit pulsed and her teeth
chattered with the overload of sensation.

“Better?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

A sudden stillness came over him. The sizzle of
bubbles filled the silence, yet Eve could feel his penetrating gaze on her face
as she toyed with the suds. The longer he watched her, the more anxious she became.
Was he thinking what she was thinking—where did they go from here?