Bound to be Tested: Emergence, Book 3 Read online

  Jude came around the corner from the hall. “Good. You’re done. Finish eating. You may put on jeans and a sweatshirt to meet with Jason on the front porch. When he arrives, I’ll go out and talk to him while you dress. No panties. No bra. Understood?”

  “Yes, Sir.” Lori headed to the bedroom after she set her plate in the sink. She passed her suitcase and went straight to the adjoining bath to brush her teeth. She knew she’d be permitted that luxury.

  The doorbell rang before she finished. With a fortifying deep breath, she donned the jeans and sweatshirt he’d already set out and ambled back to the living room.

  Lori slipped out the front door without opening it farther than necessary. Jason stood on the porch, hands in his pockets, his hair disheveled as though he’d run his fingers through it. Jude sat on a chair, but when Lori emerged, he stood. “I’ll let you two talk.”

  Lori waited until he was inside, the door shutting behind her with a snick before she looked Jason in the eye.

  Steam came out of his ears. She could almost see it as though it were truly possible.

  “Jason.” She inched forward and took the chair Jude had vacated.

  Jason leaned against the porch rail. “What the hell, Lori?”

  “I know.” She dipped her head.

  “Do you? ’Cause it doesn’t seem like it.”

  “I had to give this a chance.” She lifted her gaze, squinting into the morning sun.

  “Why?”

  “So I wouldn’t spend my life wondering ‘what if’.”

  Jason started pacing. “He left you, Lori. Not a word for two years. No phone call. No messages. No letters. Nothing. Where the hell has he been?”

  She hedged, shading her eyes against the sun. “I don’t know.” The words were barely more than a whisper.

  “You don’t know?” he shouted. “You move back in with the man on a dime and don’t ask for an explanation. That’s fucked up, Lori. I’m sorry. I can’t understand.”

  “I can’t explain it, Jason. It just is. I have to give him a chance. And it would help if you supported my choices instead of yelling at me.”

  “A chance? Why?” He threw his arms in the air. “Why on earth do you need to give him a chance?”

  “I love him, Jason.”

  Jason stepped back as though he’d been stabbed. He paused several moments before he continued. “And Margaret?”

  “I love her too. You know I do, but it’s different.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “There’s nothing to say. I have to figure this out for myself.”

  “I think you’ve lost your mind.”

  “I’m a grown woman. I have to make my own choices. Trust me enough to make good decisions. And I’d appreciate it if you’d give Jude the benefit of the doubt here and stop badgering him. Whatever happened, it’s water under the bridge. He’s here now. This is what I want.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “Give me a week. That was my agreement with Jude. It’s not like he’s going to kill me and hide the body.”

  Jason raised his eyebrows. “You sure about that?”

  “Positive.” Lori smiled.

  “I’m going to call you every day.”

  “Got it. I’m not a hostage here. I’ll be working my regular job and spending the nights here.”

  Jason waited a moment and then spoke again. “I talked to Margaret.”

  Lori assumed as much. “Is she okay?” Her voice sounded small even to herself. She hated what this must be doing to her submissive.

  “She’s disappointed.”

  “Will you help her through this?” She lifted her gaze to his furrowed brow. At least he was no longer yelling.

  “Of course.” He sounded exasperated “Are you okay?”

  “I will be.” There was no guarantee, but she didn’t want Jason to worry about her.

  He paused, running his hands through his hair. “You’ll call me if you need anything.”

  “Yes.”

  “And you’ll answer your damn phone so I don’t have to worry about you.”

  “Yes.” She smiled.

  “I don’t like this.”

  “I know.”

  “If I get even a hint of an idea you aren’t safe, I’ll be at this door without hesitation.”

  Lori rolled her eyes. “Come on, Jason. You know Jude would never hurt me.”

  “I wasn’t talking about your physical well-being.”

  She bit her lip. If he intended to whisk her away for mental instability, he might as well go ahead and do that now. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I thought the last time you were with Jude. Took you a year to come out from under the covers.”

  He was exaggerating but not by much. She couldn’t blame him for being concerned. If the shit hit the fan, Jason would be the one she went to to pick up the pieces.

  “Okay. I’ve got to work.” He took one step forward and then two steps back. Maybe he had thought to hug her. Instead he glanced at the door. Did he think Jude wouldn’t approve? “Stay in touch. I mean it.” He shook a finger at her and then descended the front steps and walked to his car.

  Lori watched as he drove away and then reentered the house with a deep breath.

  Chapter Ten

  The bulk of Saturday was spent being reminded of everything Lori had learned years ago with Jude. As if she would have forgotten even the smallest detail. Nevertheless, he impressed upon her the importance of ensuring she knew every position and how he liked to be served.

  He was different somehow, harder, firmer. He didn’t smile as much as she remembered. And he never slept. She’d been aware of him leaving the bed late in the night and not returning. At first she’d thought he’d been uncomfortable and slept on the couch, but once she’d seen his face in the morning, she’d known that wasn’t the case. If he’d rested, it had been short-lived.

  She found him staring into space several times throughout the day and longed to ask him hard questions. Where the hell had he been? Part of her knew she should be less complacent about him not telling her even one detail about the last two years. However, the longer she watched him, the more she realized he was haunted by his secrets. It softened her. It made her sad for him.

  A few times she caught him staring out the back windows. He fisted his hands and looked at nothing. His demeanor worried her.

  “May I cook dinner for you, Sir?” Lori asked when she’d finished running through submissive positions to his satisfaction.

  He hesitated. “If you’d like. But not out of obligation. You aren’t a domestic servant.”

  “I know that, Sir. But I like to cook for you.” Lori dipped her head as she waited for his response. He’d always enjoyed her cooking, but they’d shared the responsibility or cooked together most nights. He’d never once used her for domestic chores, although she’d done more for him and their home than he’d asked of her.

  “Go ahead then.” He left her standing in the kitchen and wandered to the living area to flip on the television.

  Lori took stock of the refrigerator and pantry and decided on a stir-fry. In minutes she was bustling around the kitchen, and before long, dinner was ready.

  “Smells fantastic,” Jude said as she handed him a steaming plate of food. “Please help yourself and kneel next to me.”

  Lori was accustomed to eating with Jude. He’d never required her to wait for him to finish, unless she was being punished for some transgression or another.

  She filled a plate for herself and carried it in to kneel at Jude’s feet while they ate.

  “You can use the coffee table this time. Kneel and sit back on your feet.”

  The stir-fry was delicious. They devoured it. After a day of working hard to please a former Master, she was s
tarving.

  “Turn and face me,” he said when they finished.

  Lori turned around and settled at Jude’s right leg.

  He stroked her head, running his fingers through her hair as the television droned on behind her. Lori hadn’t paid attention and still wasn’t.

  When Jude lowered the volume and dipped his hands to caress her breasts, she came to attention. She loved how he could make her feel with a touch. He could soothe her with a hand threaded in her hair. She could enjoy it for hours. But when he fondled her breast, she straightened her back.

  “You’re so lovely,” he murmured. “How did I get so lucky?”

  He pinched Lori’s nipple and reached to fondle her other breast. God, how she’d missed this.

  “Let’s move to the bedroom. You’ve had a long day. I think you need to be rewarded.”

  Jude watched as his sub stood and padded down the hall. He loved how her ass jiggled with each step. Such a perfect body.

  It was one of the reasons he’d become a Dom. He loved the female body and had always wished for a woman who would keep hers available to his view without hesitation. When he’d entered his first club at the age of twenty-four, he’d been mesmerized and known immediately he was home.

  “Use the bathroom first. And then join me on the bed.” He took advantage of her absence to pull back the comforter and arrange his bag of toys at the foot of the bed. Then he wandered out to the main room, checked all the doors and shut off the lights. He took a deep breath before returning. He needed to center himself.

  When Lori emerged from the bathroom, he pointed at the bed. “I want you to lie on your back and masturbate for me.”

  She faltered at the word. Good. He wanted her off-kilter.

  When she didn’t move fast enough, he spoke again. “Do you have something to say?”

  She bit her lower lip and then inhaled deeply before meeting his gaze. “Did you mean any of the things you said to me that day?”

  Jude closed his eyes for a brief moment, his heart pounding. “No. Not a word.” She deserved to know that. And it lifted a weight off his shoulders.

  A small smile tilted the corners of her mouth, making his chest swell now. It pleased her, that little detail.

  He feared she would ask harder questions, ones he couldn’t answer, but instead she nodded, accepting his brief response as though it contained far more information than it did.

  He looked at her, waiting for her to come back to herself, and then pointed at the bed. “It’s been a long time. I want to know what gets you off. Your tastes may have changed.” He doubted it, but he relished the idea of watching her. There was nothing more satisfying than watching a woman bring herself to orgasm.

  She climbed onto the bed and settled on her back.

  “Legs wider… Good. Now suck your fingers into your mouth first and then give me a show.” He didn’t get on the bed. He decided to remain standing beside her.

  He tugged his shirt over his head and leaned over Lori, his hands on the edge of the mattress as she sucked her first two fingers into her mouth. She held his gaze for a moment and then reached down between her legs. “Slow and easy, baby. This isn’t a race.”

  Lori stroked into her open pussy with both fingers, bringing her moisture out and circling around her clit in one movement. Her eyes fluttered shut. He preferred she look at him, but he’d let it go this time. He wanted her uninhibited. He wanted her to come without holding back.

  Her hand shook, and her other fist grasped the sheet next to her. She was hesitant under his command. It unnerved her after so long, and he knew it.

  He watched as Lori released the sheet to hold her pussy open with one hand and draw more of her juices out with the other. Her heels dug into the mattress. “So pink and wet, baby.” He leaned in closer, knowing his breath would add to her arousal.

  She lifted her ass off the bed, and he pulled back to keep from touching her.

  “You naughty girl.” He chuckled. “I’m not going to help this time. Stroke yourself.”

  She met his gaze, narrowing hers. She blew out a breath. “It’s been a long time, Sir. I’m not used to taking commands.” She paused. “I’m in the habit of giving them.”

  Jude leaned over her face. “I understand, but you’re here now, and you’re my sub, not my Domme. I know the switch must be confusing, but try to get your mind back in the right place. You did well today. Listen to my voice. Obey my commands. I will guide you as gently as possible, but I won’t be lenient. It’s not in my nature.”

  She eased her fingers back inside her pussy. “Yes, Sir.” She grew bolder, relaxing as she accepted his instructions.

  He lifted his face to hers. “Good job, baby. Just how I remember. Leave your knees open. Do you need help with your legs?”

  “No, Sir.” She spread them wider, but they shook. He knew she wouldn’t be able to hold the position.

  He brushed a long lock of red hair from her face, catching her gaze. She didn’t flinch at his gentle touch. “Show me what you need.” He lowered his face to her pussy once again.

  She pushed her fingers back inside her pussy and dragged them in and out across the top, where he knew her G-spot was. She stiffened and he kept his gaze focused on her open pussy. God, she was sexy. Wanton.

  He lifted his gaze again. “Slow down, baby.” Her legs were no longer open enough for him to see her sex.

  She hadn’t been with a Dom for a long time, but he hoped this environment he’d created was helping her overcome her hesitance. He couldn’t judge where she was mentally by the look on her face, an odd furrow in her brow.

  Jude reached into his bag at the foot of the bed and grabbed just the right toy. When he approached Lori, he commanded her gaze with a touch to her cheek. He didn’t speak a word as he wrapped the Velcro fastener around her thigh and spread her wider to attach the other end of the bar above her other knee. “Now you won’t have to concentrate on your legs. This little aid will keep them spread for you. See how helpful I can be?”

  Lori shivered. He smiled the moment he knew she remembered how helpful he was with a spreader bar. Way too helpful for her taste. She’d be sorry in several hours when she still wore it.

  “Work yourself, baby.” He stepped out of his jeans. “You’re doing good, baby. Pump harder. I want to watch as you shatter.”

  “I…” Her fingers still moved, but she looked at him.

  “What, baby?”

  “I can’t do it. To myself, I mean. I need you.”

  He shook his head. “No. You can and you will.”

  Lori pinched her clit with one hand, repeatedly squeezing and releasing the nub. She let her eyes fall shut again. With her free hand she pumped her open pussy. It was so sexy the way her mouth hung open, her head tipped back. He watched for several minutes as her ardor grew. She moaned finally and dug her heels into the bed.

  “Come, baby.”

  She shattered. Fantastic. She was beautiful when she came. She might have struggled to masturbate for him initially, but by the end she was in control of her body. Her hands slowed as she came down, her body relaxing into the bed. She turned her gaze to him. When it landed on his cock, she licked her lips. “May I, Sir?”

  Jude stroked his length, watching her face. “Not this time.” If she wrapped her sweet lips around his length, he would never be able to control himself for a minute. Besides, he wasn’t done making amends for the past yet. He wanted several days to be all about her, with the exception of the occasional fuck.

  Lori moaned as he grabbed a condom from his bag. He rolled it on as she continued to stroke herself with slow thrusts. She was reaching another peak. Her body was rigid and she held her ass aloft with her heels, lifting and dropping her body, fucking herself.

  Jude watched, gauging her reactions to ensure she didn’t go too far. He didn’t want her to come again y
et. She’d been trained in the past to hold off and had been a model submissive in that area. But time had passed. There was no surety about her control any longer.

  When he didn’t think she could take much more, he ripped the Velcro from both legs and pulled her body around so her pussy hung off the edge of the bed. Her eyes shot open wide as he wrapped each leg over his arms and plunged into her to the hilt.

  He moaned at the tight warmth, gathered her closer, and thrust again. God, she felt good. He’d missed her more than he could verbally describe. How could he explain how much he’d longed for her body beneath his after the way he’d left her?

  Lori reached for his torso with her hands.

  “No, baby. Don’t touch me. Lift them over your head.” He couldn’t endure her fingers on his skin, digging into his abs right then. He wanted this to last more than two thrusts. As it was, he was gritting his teeth against coming too fast.

  He watched her face, and then his gaze traveled to her tits as she lifted her hands. He loved the way they rose and stood higher on her chest when her arms were above her head. They jiggled with his thrusts. He wished he could lick them, but he wasn’t that nimble.

  As he drew close, he closed his eyes and lifted his face, luxuriating in the feel of her tightness around his cock. He wasn’t small. He knew that. But Lori had always been tight. Her frame was petite. And since she’d not been with anyone for so long…

  “I’m going to come, Sir.”

  “Yes,” he whispered. It was the only word he could utter before her pussy grasped his cock firmly, pulsing around him and forcing his own orgasm on top of hers. He drove himself deeper, leveraging her legs higher and pushing them open so that her clit nestled against his body.

  Her arms shook and she flung them forward to grab his biceps as her second orgasm washed through her.

  He watched her face, his own body pulsing in the aftermath as her pussy gripped him harder and squeezed.

  “Goddamn, baby,” he said as he released her legs and leaned over her to kiss her lips.

  She lay limp and he scooted her back, her own energy not enough to care to do the job. He padded to the restroom for only as long as it took to clean himself up and dispose of the condom. When he returned, he eased into the bed next to her and tugged the comforter over her shivering body.