Page 34 of Joined By Magic

He gestured to the spot in front of him. His face relaxed as he watched me stand, moving into the look of calm, intense focus he always showed when he commanded me. The stress seemed to melt from his body as he settled into his role, and I felt an answering sense of rightness as I obeyed.

“Yes, Lord Commander.”

The briefest of smiles touched his lips at my use of his title.

“Very good. Now, kneel and spread your thighs for me. Hands at your sides. Arch your back. Hold the position.”

Different. I complied, running my fingers down my body before letting them fall to my sides. The position left me exposed, everything on display in the bright living room light, but I’d mostly gotten over my shyness where Leo was concerned. He’d examined every part of me, from every angle, over and over.

Leo stood in front of me and stared until I fought the urge to squirm. He smiled again, but it was the dangerous one that meant trouble.

“You’re beautiful. So perfect.” He held something up, and it took me a moment to realize what it was. A camera.

I squeaked, snapped my thighs together and threw my hands over my chest on instinct. “What are you doing?”

He frowned. “I told you to hold that pose. Spread your legs. Hands down.”

“Are you going to take a picture?” Shame burned me at the thought. Leo had shown me a few pornographic magazines he’d collected in Atar. They’d fascinated and horrified me in equal measure, but I didn’t want to emulate the models.

His voice fell, dangerous and stern. “Get back into position now, Liv.”

That tone was hard to disobey. I inched my knees apart as my face burned, and forced my hands down, exposing myself. He took my chin in his hand and lifted it, then stroked my nipples until they hardened. I let out a low whimper. Quick as a flash, he stepped back, raised the camera, and snapped a few shots.

He knelt beside me and showed me the screen. “Look at yourself. Look how stunning you are.”

I didn’t want to. So different, somehow, to seeing myself in a mirror. But I looked and drew in a breath at the image. The vulnerability of my naked skin and the expression on my face, my parted lips and wide eyes. Pure desire. Was that what Leo saw every time he took control of me?

“I can’t show you off in public anymore, but I’m going to make a private collection. Just for me.” He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Imagine how you’ll look at the end of a hard session. Ruined hair, beautiful marks, covered in my come. Will you enjoy looking at those photos?”

“No!” I gasped, but a tiny thrill ran through me at the thought. He laughed as if he knew it and set the camera down. He took my hand, raised me from my knees, and led me into bed. I sat on the edge at his nod, and he opened his drawer, pulling out a couple of items.

“Do you have any idea what these are?” I stared at the objects. In one hand, a silver chain with a jeweled clip at each end. In the other, a metal object a little longer than a finger, with a jewel at one end, a narrow section in the middle, and a thicker section coming to a rounded point at the other.

“No. What are they?” He was bright-eyed, excited. Looking forward to this, whatever it was.

He held up the chain. “These go on your nipples.” Next, he brandished the metal object. “And this goes in your ass. Which would you like me to use first?”

I took in a sharp breath. The clips I could understand, but the other? How would it fit? And why would he want it to?

“But . . . I can’t see how it’ll go in?” Zantus. I could hardly stand the amusement on his face. How could we be discussing this?

“Don’t worry, I’ll stretch you out with my fingers first.”

He watched my reaction, lips curving up as I blanched at his words. He was having fun shocking me, telling me his plans for the most private part of my body.

“But why?”

“Because in a few days, once I’ve got you used to it, I’ll fuck you there. I’m told it’s an experience unlike any other.”

He was serious. It was going to happen. The pure, unadulterated ownership his words implied set me alight. My body belonged to him, and he’d discovered something new to do to it—molding me to accommodate his pleasure.

He tweaked my nipples until they grew hard and aching. “The clips first.”

The cold metal slid over my sensitive skin as he teased me with the closed clip. Desire spiraled through me at the gentle touch. He opened the clip and stared right into my face. “This might hurt.”

It did.

I yelled as the clip snapped shut, a solid, alien pressure so different to the feel of his fingers. I moaned, breathing hard as my brain adjusted to the pain.

---