Tangled Truth(18)

“But you prefer it. The ropes.”

“Sometimes,” Drew offered. “With some people more than others.”

“With me?”

He sighed, a deep, shuddering breath. “Oh yeah. I’ve wanted that since the first time I saw you.”

She considered that, taking a sip of her hot chocolate. Then she said the three sweetest words Drew could ever remember hearing.

“Let’s try it.”

* * * * *

Distraction, Drew reasoned, was the key to success in this endeavor. He also reasoned that working up to full restraint slowly was probably the smartest plan, but then lust threw reason out the window. Drew realized he might only get one shot at this and was determined to make the most of it. Besides, he had never been one for half measures.

Unable to choose between the swift efficiency of a simple tie-down and the chance to try something more decorative but time-consuming, Drew decided to do a bit of both.

“We’ll start,” he explained, “with the rope cage.”

He was already running the chosen rope through his fingers, shaking out the loops. It was plain hemp, nothing fancy. The design of the binding would provide all the visual interest. He also knew he didn’t have enough black rope on hand to do what he had in mind—most of his stuff was in its storage bag at Danny and Sheila’s, awaiting the next photo shoot.

“Doesn’t this one have a Japanese name?”

“Not the version I’m doing. But it’s an adaptation of a traditional karada, a body bind. Okay, stand right here. And take all your clothes off.”

Eva lifted her eyebrows. “That’s…abrupt.”

Drew laughed. “Sorry, sorry. But seriously. This is going to take some time. If I start romancing you right now, we’ll get sidetracked and this probably won’t happen at all. Wow, I can see why a lot of guys who do this are Dominants. That probably makes this part a lot easier.”

“Easier how?” She was shaking her head, but shucking her jeans off all the same.

“If I were a Dom and you were my submissive, I’d tell you to strip and you’d do it.”

Despite his intentions, he couldn’t resist helping with the bra, and taking more time with the job than was probably required. But once Eva stood, naked and stunning at the foot of his bed, Drew found himself itching to start the rope work.

Around the back of her neck first, the center of the bight marking the perfect bisection of the coarse rope’s length. Then the first knot, a series of intertwined loops that pulled tightly together just below Eva’s sternum. While he worked, he could ignore that Eva’s nipples were responding—either to the cool air or to the situation—but when he took a step back to assess the knot’s symmetry, he couldn’t help leaning right back in and suckling one of the tight, rosy buds. Eva sighed and cupped the back of his head, but when she tried to coax him up for a kiss, Drew smiled and resumed his brisk but careful work with the rope.

Another knot over the belly, and his fingers brushed the soft skin there in growing anticipation. The contrast between the rough, prickly rope and Eva’s silky texture was enough to bring Drew’s cock to attention. He had to get on his knees to accomplish the next knot, and he groaned as the movement caused even more constriction in his jeans.

“Are you all right?” murmured Eva.

He looked up to see her smirking at him. Just a tiny bit. Evil as well as beautiful.

“I’ll make it. Lift your foot up.” He tapped on the foot in question, and she obligingly raised first that one and then the other so he could slide the rope beneath. He wound her feet together, finishing with a knot at the ankles, then moved to the rear and began the journey back up her body, weaving the rope from front to back and securing it at each intersection. At calf and knees—her startled gasp when he licked the back of one knee afforded Drew a smirk of his own—and then at the waist. When he passed the rope forward to craft the final part of the harness around her breasts, he tweaked one of her nipples and was delighted to realize it was crinkled and taut.

Her breathing was different too. Slower, shakier. Her fingers trailed over the rope where it crossed her hips, stroking at the fibers of the hemp over and over.

“Eva?”

“Mmm?”

Drew secured the rope, letting the loose ends fall down her back, and gently pivoted her to face him. Though she swayed a little on her bound feet, she didn’t seem distressed at the hindered mobility.

Far from it.

“Oh, honey, you’re doing it again.” Drew could hardly restrain his glee. “Are you with me?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Her eyes held the same sleepy lust Drew recalled from the photo shoot, and her fingers kept up their rhythmic stroking over the ropes.