"Tell me what's going to happen."

"You're going to punish me, Sir."

"For what?"

"For forgetting to call you Sir. For not a.s.suming the right positions. For not keeping my gaze down." She paused between each sentence, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.

"What do you need to do?"

"Keep my nipples erect."

"And if you don't?"

"You'll...clamp them...Sir."

"What's this form of punishment called?"

"Edging, Sir." She bucked her chest. It was so hard to concentrate with him touching her. He knew that. She'd never be able to keep it up. He knew that too.

"How long do you think you should be forced to hold off?"

G.o.d, how she hated when he asked her that question. And he always did. He often let her partic.i.p.ate in the selection of her own punishments. If she chose well, she would be rewarded. If she chose poorly, she would regret the decision.

So the question now was, how long should she suggest for today's transgressions. Too little and he'd make it worse. She looked into his eyes, trying to judge his mood. It was hard after two years of living without him.

"Half an hour, Sir." She swallowed and held her breath.

He raised an eyebrow. "Okay. This time. That's not long enough, but I'll let it slide. I want it to be intense, though." He held her gaze while he kept moving that d.a.m.n finger.

Jude twisted his finger around in circles, switching back and forth between her lower lips and the sensitive area above them. He stroked across her l.a.b.i.a and then up around her c.l.i.t.

Lori took a deep breath. She would have to do that a lot to sustain the tension. Jude knew how to get her off. He knew too well. And surfing was his specialty. He could judge how close she was to o.r.g.a.s.m better than anyone. And the man would ease off the pressure at the last second without hesitation.

He didn't touch her c.l.i.t. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, exposing her neck to his gaze as she tried to get control. She wanted him to flick over her nub at least once, although she knew that wouldn't happen. She was way too close to coming.

Jude caressed her exposed neck, resting his hand above her chest. "Lori, what's your job?"

Lori flinched, searching around in her mind for an answer. She couldn't think about anything except that finger between her p.u.s.s.y and her c.l.i.t, the one dancing around the sensitive area of her opening. She held her b.r.e.a.s.t.s with both hands, but her fingers were rigid on the undersides of her globes. s.h.i.t.

"I'm sorry...Sir." She tried to pinch her nipples, but the challenge was more than she could handle. The sensation of trying to rub one's belly and pat one's head came to mind. She didn't have the coordination to fondle herself. Her fingers wouldn't cooperate.

And then he dipped back into her p.u.s.s.y to stroke the lower wall, avoiding her G-spot. Dammit. This kind of punishment was the worst she ever endured. Jude could control her completely with just his words.

Jude shifted around next to her. He reached behind him and grabbed something from the bedside table. She didn't make eye contact. She opened her mouth to protest what she knew was coming, but her lips wouldn't form words and that was probably just as well.

"Lift your arms over your head, baby." He whispered the words close to her ear, his breath making her shiver.

She obeyed, amazed at her ability to control her arms.

"Higher."

She reached farther, clasping her hands together.

Jude plucked one nipple. She flinched at the first contact with his fingers, larger and rougher than hers. "Hold steady. I don't want you to come from the clamp." He took his time, knowing she would need a moment to come down from so high before he attached anything to that nipple.

Finally he pinched her nipple hard, too hard to make her come. The pain would bring her down another notch.

Lori moaned. She gritted her teeth against the pain.

"Clamp going on now, baby. Don't come."

She held as still as she could, biting down hard as she waited. He pinched harder and pulled her nipple out from her body. When the tweezer-style clamp grabbed her offended bud, she was almost relieved for him to release her with his fingers. She knew by the feel and the way he held her breast what clamps he'd used.

He repeated the action on the other side quickly, leaving her panting as her breast was released and the clamp bounced against her chest.

"Keep your p.u.s.s.y open, baby. I want you close to o.r.g.a.s.m without going over the edge."

Lori opened her eyes a slit to see her irritated nipples. They were swollen and deep pink. She lifted her head to see Jude watching her face.

"Stay with me." His voice was stern, but the tone was f.u.c.king s.e.xy. He had a way with his words that no one could compete with.

After spending two years with him, she'd almost reached the point where he could order her to o.r.g.a.s.m on command. The idea had made her very nervous at the time. It had been so long, but his voice still made her squirm.

Jude pressed his finger back inside her as she watched. They didn't break their gazes. He held her lips open wide and stroked in and out, enough to make her breathing increase again, but not enough to get her off.

Lori tried to remain still. Squirming would only make things worse.

"Don't come yet. Twenty more minutes."

Oh G.o.d. She hated when he pointed out how much time was left. It increased her anxiety level. She gripped her hands tighter above her head and pulled her legs together involuntarily.

"Uh uh." Jude tapped her thigh. "Open, baby. All the way."

Lori tried to relax her legs. She'd endured many punishments under his gaze without being restrained. He liked that. He preferred she give herself up to him, using her own free will to remain open to his gaze. She was mindful of the cuffs on her wrists, though. He wouldn't hesitate to use them if he needed. Restraining her would only drive her closer to o.r.g.a.s.m at this point.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to concentrate on anything but the way he rimmed her p.u.s.s.y with that d.a.m.n finger. Her nipples, unused to being clamped, pulsed in protest. The clamps dangled down the outsides of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, pulling on the tight buds. It hurt, but only enough to heighten her arousal. Which Jude knew.

She went into her own s.p.a.ce, separating herself from the scene. The growing need in her p.u.s.s.y made her ponder her situation. G.o.d, it had been so long. She'd been topping for over a year and experimenting as a Domme longer than that.

Lori hadn't felt this alive since...Jude left. She wanted to come worse than she could remember, but she wanted to see the pride on his face even more.

He'd been so stern since he'd returned to town. She'd only seen glimpses of his jovial side. Would she see a part of him she remembered from years ago after she endured his punishment?

She breathed steadily. Jude set one hand on her thigh while the other hand tortured her into insanity. Her c.l.i.t pulsed, begging for contact. He avoided the nub. He pulled the hood back, he circled the delicate flesh, but he didn't give enough direct contact to send her soaring. And she would have flown off the bed if that had been the case.

"You're doing so well, baby. I'm proud of you." Jude's voice came from close to her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck. And then he kissed her, his lips covering her earlobe and nibbling down behind where her skin was so sensitive.

"I'm going to remove the clamps, baby. They've been there long enough. You aren't permitted to come." He released her p.u.s.s.y.

She tensed. No f.u.c.king way could she endure that.

Jude released the first clamp and she flinched. The second followed and she had to squeeze her p.u.s.s.y tight to keep from letting go. She held her breath for several seconds, wishing Jude would leave her tender nipples alone instead of soothing them with his tongue.

She dug in with her heels as he licked first one and then the other. Her only saving grace was his finger was no longer stroking her p.u.s.s.y. There was no way she could manage both onslaughts at the same time.

"So pretty," Jude murmured against her chest as he lifted his face. "Love the deep shade of pink they turn when I clamp them, baby." He flicked them in succession.

Lori moaned. She was losing ground fast.

"I'm going to f.u.c.k you now, baby. Hard and fast, because after two years there's no way I can do otherwise. Okay?"

"Please," she gritted out. She couldn't think of anything she'd rather have him do.

Jude spun her sideways on the bed. He spread her legs wide. "Look at me."

Lori let her eyes flutter open. Jude's gaze was intense. He hovered over her body. When had he taken off his jeans? He already wore a condom.

He reached inside her with two fingers as he held her gaze. His face stiffened. "So tight, baby. How long has it been since you've had c.o.c.k?"

She stared at him. Her lips wouldn't move.

Jude moaned. "Oh G.o.d." He dipped his head when he read her expression. She hadn't f.u.c.ked any man since him. Not in the traditional sense at least.

"I'm going to try to make it good, baby, but..." He pushed into her to the hilt and held himself buried between her legs.

Lori gasped. She reached out with both hands and grabbed his biceps. She never wanted him to move and she wanted him to move at the same time. It felt so good, so right, having him inside her. But the desire to add friction to the mix overruled.

She lifted her torso the inch she could, pleading with her body.

Jude finally exhaled and slid almost out of her before pressing back in. Again. Again. He moaned around each thrust, or maybe that was her.

When he leaned closer to her, and his chest brushed against her nipples, he spoke the one word she longed to hear, "Come."

She shattered. There was no way to stop the tidal wave of emotion that swept through her body.

Months, years, of pent-up frustration all raced out of her at once, her entire body shaking with the pulsing of her p.u.s.s.y around his c.o.c.k.

Home.

Chapter Nine.

Jude stared down at the woman sleeping in his bed. She lay on her belly, her arms above her head, her gorgeous red hair spread across his pillow.

He'd climbed out of bed carefully, without waking her. She was exhausted after what he'd put her through last night.

He'd been harsh, but she'd needed to know how things were going to be under his direction.

Lori knew, if she remembered correctly. He wasn't a Dom to be reckoned with.

But was she the same submissive woman he'd dreamed about night after night since he'd left her?

He'd never forget the look on her face when he'd told her he was leaving, that he didn't want her anymore. It had been the single hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. And he'd done some very difficult tasks, both before and since.

He'd hurt her. Destroyed a piece of her. He knew he would never get that back. All he could do was hope she could find it in her heart to forgive him and let him back into her life.

She would be starving when she woke up, and he reluctantly turned to leave her in peace and start breakfast.

Coffee was first on his list. Until he swallowed the elixir, he was no good to anyone. He got the machine going and then turned on the burner to start frying bacon and eggs. He liked his submissive well fed. No one could keep up with his demands without enough energy.

When he had everything cooking, he stared out the kitchen window at the backyard. He'd barely thought about what happened to him yesterday in this same spot. Panic welled up inside him as he considered the possibility of someone being out there, lurking in the woods behind the house, waiting to stamp out his happiness.

Sweat beaded on his forehead at the unreasonable thought. There was no one out there this morning, any more than they'd been there yesterday. It was all in his head. Lack of sleep drove him to imagine things.

He set the spatula on the counter and grabbed the edge of the sink with both hands to steady himself. Deep breaths, Jude. Shake this off.

Even after spending several weeks in Washington, DC debriefing, he was no closer to chasing the images from his mind that consumed him every time he wasn't busy doing something, anything. The staff at his debriefing center had mentioned PTSD many times in the weeks following his return. He'd rolled his eyes at them and pretended to be perfectly adjusted.

He was a Dom, dammit. Men at his level of command, both in and out of the military, didn't let a little thing like post-traumatic stress get in the way of plowing forward with their lives.

Jude squeezed his eyes shut against the images in his mind and then blinked several times to adjust his gaze to the backyard again. Nothing out of place. That was good. As long as he wasn't seeing things, he considered himself safe.

A phone pinged on the counter, jarring him from his self-pity. It belonged to Lori.

He turned the burner down, swiped the cell off the counter and headed back to the bedroom.

Lori was dragging herself to sit on the edge of the bed as he entered. "Hey, baby," he whispered.

She turned to face him. "Is that coffee and bacon I smell?" She inhaled deeply.

"Yep. And your phone rang." He held it out.

"Ugh." Lori reached for it.

"Expecting bad news?"

She lifted her gaze to him. "What do you think? I didn't exactly race over to tell Jason I was slipping back into your fold."

"Oh." Great. He'd nearly forgotten that hurdle for twelve hours.

Lori looked down at the text as the phone rang. "Yep." She flopped back onto the bed and answered. "Jason."