Page 15 of Raine

“I’ve not been yours for a very long time, Raven. What is this about?”

“If you’re not mine, then why did you agree to come with me?”

That’s a good question — one I don’t have the answer to. I needed a release, and she could give it to me. So I decide to lead with that and figure out what the fuck she wants from me.

“Because you can give me what I need right now.”

“Good girl. Now, as a reward for you answering honestly,” she says, looking away, and it’s the first sign of vulnerability I’ve seen on her face in all my years of knowing her.

“I’m worried about you.”

I groan and turn toward the door to leave.

“Don’t you fucking dare, Raine. Get your ass back here and kneel for me. You’re right about one thing; I can give you what you need, so get on your knees and show me your pretty eyes.”

The command in her voice has my knees threatening to buckle. Slowly, I move from the exit and toward her. I look to the floor and back to her, and she shakes her head.

“Bad girls don’t get cushions to kneel on. You’re lucky I didn’t line the floorboards with rice.”

Sighing, I lift my burlesque dress up that I didn’t get a chance to change out of and kneel on the floor in front of her, peering up at her once I’m settled.

The cool floorboards aren’t kind to me, but I take the discomfort and swallow it whole. When our eyes collide, I see the question swirling in her mind, and I wonder how long she’s been watching me.

“Why do you think you’ve been a bad girl, Raine?”

I suck my lip into my mouth and chew on it until I taste blood. I know what she wants me to say, but I don’t want to admit it. Once I put it into words, I can’t take them back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Lady Raven.”

She sighs dramatically. “Very well. Don’t move.”

I watch her walk away; her curves accentuated by the tight, wet-looking skirt she has on, and it makes my pussy clench with anticipation. It’s at this moment that I really question if I have bipolar disorder because my emotions are like a damn yo-yo and I can’t regulate the damn things.

Her heels clicking on the floorboards announce her re-arrival, and my head swivels in that direction. She’s dangling a collar and chain in her hand, and my belly nosedives.

When she’s in front of me again, I open my mouth to protest, but she pulls a mouth gag from behind her back, causing my mouth to snap closed. I fucking hated them, and she knew it.

“Good girl.”

Raven leans forward, moves my hair to the side, and places the black leather, diamante encrusted collar around my neck.

The leather feels cool at first but warms after a few seconds. It’s tight, but not tight enough to hinder my breathing.

“How does that feel?”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

She attaches the lead and pulls on it, her expectations loud and clear, but the slice of humiliation locks me in place. I loved a little humiliation as much as the next person, but after being estranged from Raven for so long, I felt like I was giving her more power than she deserved. Then again, I did agree to this.

“Now, Raine,” she snaps, and it pulls me from my inner rambling.

I assume the cat cow pose on my hands and knees and follow her as she tugs on the lead, heading toward her bedroom.

The floorboards are unforgiving on my knees, and I know she’ll watch this later, saving it for her spank bank when I’m gone.

Wind slices across my ass, and I turn to look over my shoulder to find the French doors open and the sheer curtain billowing in the breeze.

Raven tugs on the lead again, and it tightens a fraction, and a part of me wonders that if I keep stalling, she’ll pull it tighter, and I can bask in the heady feeling of oxygen deprivation.