Suddenly, she wasn’t so scared of him. If he was truly disinterested, there wouldn’t be a huge erection in his slacks. He’d only been in the room with her for moments, but his cock had stiffened and pointed at her. She made a move of her own. She wouldn’t win Talib al Mussad with shyness. She let her body brush his. “You made your points very clear, Tal. You know I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know nothing of the sort.”
“Only because you’ve been avoiding me for days.”
His eyes flared and he backed off slightly. “I have not. I’ve checked in on you. I could not spend every moment with you. I had business to attend to. And even if you have made your decision, there is no reason for you to be in this room.”
She turned, surveying the dungeon. It was a huge space for just two people to play in. She would bet Rafe and Kade had spent a little time in here, too. She could picture them in leather pants and nothing else. She couldn’t help it. Ever since the spanking Tal had given her, she’d been unable to stop thinking about it. “I think I have every reason to be here. Unless you’re planning on a very open marriage, I should be the only woman in this room. I like it. I want to play in here.”
She stepped away, letting her hand touch the fine leather of the spanking bench. It was beautifully made, completely unlike some of the manufactured ones she’d seen on the internet. This one had been lovingly crafted with hand-carved wood. The leather straps had been lined with soft cloth so the submissive’s wrists never chaffed. These were men who would take care of a woman, even if they didn’t love her.
Tal followed her. “Damn it, Piper, you don’t even know the meaning of that word. Play means something different in this room. You should leave. I plan to have this room redecorated as a family room.”
She turned her head, looking at him over her shoulder. She winked his way. “I can imagine what the family will do in here. And I know quite well what it means to play.”
She headed over to the wall. The dark panels had gilded doors in the center. She slid one open. Her eyes widened. It was a wall of sex toys. And someone had arranged very tasteful lighting to illuminate the plethora of vibrators, handcuffs, paddles, and whips. There was a whole drawer full of jewelry. They looked a bit like earrings.
She picked up a particularly lovely set. They looked like emeralds but she noted they dangled from the end of small clips. She opened the clip, pressing down on the tops. Little biting notches covered the sides, like an alligator opening up to take a bite. “You torture a girl’s ears?”
He stared at her, keeping some distance between them as though he didn’t trust himself to come closer. “They aren’t for your ears, Piper. They’re nipple clamps.”
She nearly dropped them. “Nipples? Why?”
He sent her a nasty smile. “They make the nipples exquisitely sensitive. And they’re a form of erotic torture.”
“Did you buy these?” They were gorgeous, diamonds and emeralds. The idea of adorning parts of her body no one but her husbands would ever see held a certain appeal.
“I did, though no one has worn them. I enjoy clamping my subs. I like the way the jewels swing and how they glow against a sub’s skin. Or I did. This part of my life is over now. I have no intentions of this lifestyle entering our marriage.”
She replaced the jewelry on its velvet-lined drawer. Rafe had been right. This was a huge piece of Tal’s sexuality. He’d carefully chosen everything in this room. He’d likely designed the interior himself. According to his brothers, he’d once spent hours in here playing with subs, women who trusted him with their pleasure. Since his capture, he’d lost this part of himself. Piper suspected he wouldn’t be whole without it. “What if I want to try it?”
His voice came out as a low growl. “Get out of here, little girl. You have no idea what you’re doing.”
It was time to prove she did know a thing or two. As gracefully as she could, she sank to her knees, spreading them wide in a slave pose. Her skirt pooled around her. She hadn’t expected to see Tal, so she wasn’t dressed for the occasion. She’d come here merely to get a lay of the land, but now that Tal had followed her, she wasn’t giving up this chance. She let her head drift down in a submissive position and waited.
The waiting was the hardest part. Silence reigned. She could hear the sound of her own breath, the roar of her heart, and the movement of Tal’s shoes against the marble of the floor. It was hard and cold against her skin, and she was pretty sure that was why Tal had installed marble, not for its beauty but for the way it would keep a sub deeply aware of her surroundings.