Page 47 of Forty Days and One Knight
He gestured to an oversized, burgundy pillow on the other side of his chair. Thankfully, Kristen and Angie had told her to expect this. Skirting around Darius’s legs, Tahira lowered herself to her knees on the pillow and found a comfortable position.
“You learn fast, Batman,” Devon said with a chuckle.
Grinning, Darius shrugged. “I picked Shades’s and Duracell’s brains earlier.”
The other women had told Tahira that Cain had been practicing the lifestyle for years, while Tristan had started his training not long after he’d started working for Trident. She might be seeing them in the club at some point and would have to remember they would be there as Doms, not her bodyguards.
“Relax, Tahira.” Ian held out his hand to Angie as she joined them and pulled her onto his lap, resting his hand on her large belly in a possessive manner. “We’re just going to talk today and get you used to the D/s atmosphere. I looked over your limit list with Master Darius ...” His gaze flickered to Darius for a moment. “By the way, I won a $100 bet with Boomer that you’d get that title someday. And I know that, as a couple, you’ll never be hard-core. You have very few green and yellow limits, which is not uncommon for those new to the lifestyle, and you both can renegotiate as your D/s relationship grows. Both Trudy and your Dom think dipping your toes into BDSM will help you deal with your abduction, Tahira.” And her unmentioned rape, of course. “And I agree with them. So, I’m going to ask you one last time—are you here under your own free will? Are you willing to hand over control to your Dom as you’ve negotiated already? And are you willing to follow the protocols of this club while you are here? That includes calling the Doms Sir or Mistress or their preferred address.”
She got the obvious hint. “Yes, Sir, I am here under my own free will and agree to everything you said.”
“Good girl.”
If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a proud tone in the man’s voice, and it made her feel more confident. She could do this.
Darius placed his fingers under her chin and turned her face until she was looking in his eyes. They were filled with warmth and adoration. “Are you comfortable?”
She shifted onto her hip and nodded. “Yes, thank you for asking.” He raised his eyebrows at her, and she added, “Sir.”
Beaming, he said, “You’re welcome.”
Ian had told her the truth; the six of them just talked for the next hour and a half. A few times, the Sawyer brothers had demonstrated something on their subs, to make sure Darius and Tahira understood the different types of play—with none of them involving sexual intercourse. Ian had managed to steer the conversation away from the topic anytime Tahira started getting uneasy—the man could read body language and expressions better than anyone she knew with the exception of Amar. As if he’d also sensed her bouts of apprehension, Darius had taken the opportunity to touch her and ground her to him each time. She was amazed at how in tune he was with her, even without her vocalizing her fears or concerns. She’d heard and read about the kind of connection many couples had, but this was the first time she’d experienced it, and she loved finding out it was real and possible.
They’d told Darius how to check her extremities if he used any of the restraints she’d agreed to try—if they were too tight, they would cut off her circulation. With Kristen draped over his lap, Devon had shown Darius how to administer a non-punishment spanking—only striking his wife’s rear end and upper thighs lightly and never in the same spot twice. Tahira was grateful they’d all stayed clothed—Kristen had been dressed similarly to Tahira, while Angie wore a cute, maternity sundress.
She got the impression the other two couples had given them a very vanilla introduction into the lifestyle. They’d gone over all the protocols and ways that Darius could help Tahira relax and relinquish control to him during a scene. By the time they parted, Tahira had felt more confident she and Darius were doing the right thing and couldn’t wait to get home to discuss things with him in private. Maybe they’d practice a few of the new things she’d learned.
36
Darius stared at the ass with a combination of amusement and sense of being creeped out. He’d thought Ian was kidding when he’d handed him the “Butt-in-a-Box,” as the head Dom had called it. It was a silicone covered “ass” that reminded Darius of the same stuff that CPR dummies were made of. He was supposed to use it to practice spanking his sub. If he hit it too softly, a digital female voice would say “harder,” while a red light lit up on the attached control box. If he hit it too hard, he’d get an “ouch” and the red light again. Just right, and the damn thing would moan while giving him a green light. Seriously? Who thought up shit like this? Someone with too much time on their hands, probably.
“Are you going to take it out of the box or just stare at it all evening?”
Tahira had joined him in a sitting room attached to his bedroom after they’d shared a nice dinner while discussing what they’d learned at the club. She seemed much more comfortable talking about it when it was just the two of them. While they would need to continue to train at the club, Darius knew most of their D/s relationship would take place at home. Neither of them was an exhibitionist, although they were both, apparently, a bit voyeuristic. He’d been surprised when Tahira had confessed to getting turned on when Devon had spanked Kristen, which he’d admitted he’d found arousing as well.
He glanced at her to see a cheeky grin on her face. She loved this. “Keep it up, Princess. Soon this thing will be replaced with your backside.”
“I am willing to try that after you practice a bit. Are you going to name ‘her’?”
He snorted loudly. “Not.”
Sighing, he took the life-sized ass out of the box. “You’re going to watch me do this?”
Her giggling warmed his heart. She was putting the rape further and further from her mind as time passed and was laughing more lately. While he knew she was still having some nightmares and some waking flashbacks—she was coming to him for comfort now when they occurred—she was getting back to her old self. Well, not really. Her old self had been cute and nice. This newer version of Tahira was someone who stirred Darius’s heart and soul. He was falling in love with her—hell, he was already there. Did she feel the same? In another place and time, could they have made a marriage work? It would be difficult to let her go when the time came, but it would be even worse to see her fall in love with some jackass who Darius would want to kill for just breathing the same air as Tahira.
“Of course. As you said, it is my ass that will be replacing it soon, so I think watching will help me prepare for it.”
She’d been tittering her way through her words, and Darius couldn’t suppress his own laughter. Taking a seat next to her on the small sofa, he set the contraption on his thighs. Tahira grabbed the control box from where it had been hanging down the side of his leg by its cord, stood, and plugged it into the wall next to the couch. As she sat beside him again, she flipped the “On” switch. “She is ready when you are.”
He glared at her. “You’re having way too much fun with this.”
Her smile dropped, and sadness filled her eyes. Darius wanted to kick his own ass when she said, “Before my abduction and rape, I enjoyed all the fun in my life. I want that back, Darius. You make me smile and laugh. You make me remember the joys in life. I will not let those bastards win. I am taking back everything they tried to strip from me. You have helped me with some of it, but I must take control of my life in for me to live it like I wanted to before everything had changed. I am grateful I only remember bits and pieces of what was done to me. I wish Lahana was the same—she said she remembers everything.”
“You spoke to her again?”
She shook her head, sadly. “No. She is still refusing to answer my calls or texts. Nala told me. She said Lahana is still angry that you rescued me in time and no one stopped him from raping her.”
“But I wasn’t in time.” He moved the artificial ass from his lap to the floor, then shifted his hips to face her. He cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry I—”
