Page 2 of Tie Me Down (The AfterGlow #1)

olivia

My heart raced as I shifted from foot to foot. Nico’s powerful hands landed on my shoulders, stilling my movements with his gentle touch as he sidled up behind me. I reached up and grabbed onto his fingers.

“Sorry,” I whispered. “It’s like my insides are vibrating.”

He chuckled, low and rumbly, against my ear. “I thought you might be excited.”

The light in the room was bright, but not harsh, so the riggers could see what they were doing.

The dusky violet walls were usually calming, though I was a bit too amped up for it to take any sort of effect.

The black cushioned pads on the floor were undoubtedly there for us to work on, and the display of ropes tied up in intricate knots in the center was absolutely breathtaking.

Like a spiderweb weaved from rainbow nylon, stretching from anchor points in the ceiling all the way to the ones in the ground.

The metal hoops spaced throughout told me Bridgette would suspend either herself or a model for our class today.

Would I get to be suspended, too?

“Spaces always fill up so fast in Bridgette’s demonstrations. How did you manage to get tickets at the last minute?” I asked.

“Lilah’s boyfriend may have owed me a favour.”

“Adam? He never owes anyone anything.”

He shrugged. “I helped him out with a little secret.”

I laughed at his coyness. “Are you going to actually fill me in?”

“Not tonight. Tonight is about you, me, and this rope.” He held up the bundle of carefully wrapped bamboo cord in his palm. “Nothing else.”

The energy in the room was palpable. I counted ten different couples, including us.

Some I recognized from the beginner class we took two months ago, some were new faces.

Most rope bunnies, or models as some people liked to be called, were in some form of athletic wear, though others—including myself—were in lingerie.

I’d picked out a nude lace number just for tonight.

But we were all here for the same reason—to advance what we knew about rope play.

When I suggested we check out the club Lilah and Charlie work at, Nico did his homework and found something that piqued his interest. I didn’t think I’d be into rope play, but here I was, weeks later, buzzing at the prospect of participating in another lesson.

I toyed with my hands, spinning the silver rings around my fingers.

“Are you nervous for the class, or is there something else going on?” he asked, engulfing my hands in his own.

Lacing my fingers through his, I couldn’t meet his gaze. “Today was the last day of the open call for portfolios at Daisy and Mae.”

“You told me you decided not to submit yours…”

I took a deep breath. “Yeah. I may be kind of regretting it now. ”

He dropped my hands and tipped my chin up. “Oh, Liv. Is there anything I?—”

“It’s fine,” I assured him. “I wasn’t ready to switch careers, anyway. Not that I would’ve gotten an interview to be an editor at such a big publishing house.”

“That’s not true, and you know it. Confidence, carissima .”

I smiled at the pet name that rolled off his tongue in his native Italian— dearest— and gave a firm nod while I pushed back my shoulders.

This evening was about me, him, and new experiences together.

Not that I’d been stuck in a dead-end job for the past eight years when all I actually wanted to do was put my degree to use and become a full-time editor at my dream publishing house.

Instead, I’d been too scared to take the leap.

Every time the opportunity came, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

But the time to doubt my life choices could come later.

Doing my best to shove the thought to the back of my mind, I smiled and said, “Let’s just focus on the class, okay?”

Bridgette walked into the middle of the room with her shoulders back, chin raised, and dressed in the most gorgeous set of navy and gold lingerie I’d ever seen.

Metallic threads woven throughout in star and moon patterns glinted in the light of the room.

The shiny clasps on her waistband and garters sparkled against her deep brown skin.

Her long, black locks were half tied up in two buns on either side of her head, almost like a pair of powerful horns.

She was like a fallen angel who ruled over the night, and all I wanted in that moment was to be her someday.

That confidence. That power. That fearlessness.

“Thank you all so much for coming to spend the night with me,” she started, making herself at home in the center of the crowd.

“This evening, I’ll be showing you some great ways to build on beginner ties to increase intimacy and satisfaction between you and your partner.

Then, I will move into my self-tie demonstration.

After that, you are free to use the space to practice while I move on to a private session.

” She looked in my direction and winked.

Wait.

Was she actually looking at me ?

I glanced up at Nico and the smug smirk on his face was all too telling.

“We have a private class with her tonight?” I managed to squeak.

He kissed the top of my head and said, “I told you: tonight is about you.”

“Please find a space on one of the cushioned mats,”—she gestured to the floor—“and we’ll begin.”

It took all I had in me not to hyperventilate. Bridgette was an ethereal figure, and the notion that I would be in a private room with her was insane. I was nowhere near cool enough or experienced enough with ropes or?—

“I can hear you thinking, amore . Don’t worry about anything but being here with me now, okay?”

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”

“ Bene .”

“We are starting with the Unchastity Belt. If you’re in this class, you should already know what a Lark’s Head Single Column is. We’ll be using that to create the belt, along with a clever use of the tail, which will create a feature that teases your partner. ”

“Is it a happy knot?” a woman from across the room asked.

Brigette smiled. “It is. Very good. The way we tie off the belt around your partner will create a knot specifically designed to make them…happy.” She raised an eyebrow.

“I like the sound of that,” I whispered to Nico.

“Me too,” he murmured back.

“As you become more familiar with this tie, you can vary the happy knot. This will help you distribute a bit of extra elation over a larger or smaller area, whatever you choose. A figure eight knot or a chain stitch would both create different sensations. For tonight, however, we will stick with the basics.” She nodded before unfurling her length of jute and extending her hand to her model, who joined her for the demonstration.

Bridgette held the rope between her delicate fingers. “I will lead you through the tie. Please follow along. Riggers—if your rope model has a penis, the tie will need slight variations. I will show you the modifications for that as we go.”

Some partners sat high on their knees, leaving space between their legs. Others preferred to stand. I remained on my feet beside Nico, who was copying Bridgette as she began the tie on her model. His calloused hands ran around my waist with the pastel rope I’d picked out weeks ago.

“Wrap the cord along your partner’s waist, like so, and form a Lark’s Head at the front of their torso. Reverse the direction of the working ends and wrap it again. Be sure to keep it above the previous wrap,” she directed, her fingers moving deftly around her model’s waist.

The pads of Nico’s fingers trailed along the bare skin of my stomach as he worked the ropes just so.

His gaze flicked back and forth between my body and Bridgette’s tutorial.

Whenever he got into a tie, his focus zeroed in on me and the knots.

He was nothing if not a perfectionist, and this new little hobby of ours was one way he got to exert his need for excellence and control.

She led everyone step-by-step through the tie. The way she worked was awe-inspiring. Nico’s rough fingers dragging along my skin gave me shivers. I loved that they weren’t soft. The way they scratched me always got me worked up .

“Riggers—please be mindful that your partner needs to breathe. When you are cinching their waist, take into consideration how tight your ropes are. You don’t want to strangle their diaphragms into submission.”

He dressed the cords as he finished the waist tie before moving on to the tail. Bridgette showed everyone how to tie the happy knot before circling the room to help couples one-on-one. The way Nico fit the overhand knot right against my pussy had me tingling with anticipation.

Whenever he pulled the rope against itself, it rumbled my body with delicate vibrations. I basked in the flirty trembles as he worked his magic.

He guided the rope through my legs, threading it gently against my thong, and held it tight.

“How does that positioning feel?” he asked.

“Perfect.” I wiggled my hips slightly, and the knot pressed against the fabric covering my clit in the most delicious tease.

Running the rope between my ass cheeks, his fingers pulled at the wrap around my waist, locking it off as he waited for Bridgette to continue her instruction.

He leaned down and ran his nose up my neck before whispering in my ear, “You could wear this under a dress so easily, carissima . Tease yourself while you’re out and about during the day.”

“What if someone noticed?”

His hands rested firmly on my hips. “No one would notice. You’d just seem like a woman in a fantastic mood.”

“Would you like it if I tried that?” I asked, pressing my backside against his pelvis.

A growl rumbled in the back of his throat. So deep, so intense, it almost sounded more like a purr. “Yes, I would. Very much.”

I laughed softly. “Then you better remember how to do this tie.”

“Believe me, I will.”

Bridgette resumed her instruction, and he finished by weaving the rope between each side of the belt, alternating back and forth.

The effect on her model was simple, but stunning.

I attempted to glance behind me to see if Nico had done as good of a job and caught a glimpse. He had. Of course he had.

After everyone finished the Unchastity Belt tie, Bridgette led the class through four more ties.

Many used the same basic knots as building blocks.

The final two served to hobble me and the other rope models.

Our elbows had been bound slightly behind our backs, forcing us to keep our arms at our sides, and the range of motion of our ankles had been reduced the same way.

“If you experience any numbness or tingling, please tell your rigger immediately. There are many sensitive nerves in and around your elbows. Being bound this way can put unusual pressure on them. Communicating any discomfort is key to having a trusting and safe relationship with your partner and with the rope,” Bridgette stated, pointing to various places on her model’s arms where the tension and pressure were the highest. “You can always try moving the arm cuffs up or down an inch to see if that helps resolve the feeling. If it doesn’t, I recommend you untie. ”

“How are the ropes?” Nico asked, standing in front of me, running his palms down my arms.

“They’re restrictive, but good. Nothing hurts or feels wrong. ”

“I like the idea of having your arms bound and out of the way, unable to touch me. I could tie you up like this and do whatever I want.” A playful glint flashed in his eyes.

“I like the sound of that, too.”

“Although this would impede a lot of our fun,” he said, slipping a finger inside the waistband of the rope belt.

“Do you have a different tie in mind?” I asked with a grin.

He pulled me against him. “You know I do.”

“The harness you mentioned?”

Nodding, he smoothed his hands across the rope at my back. “And Bridgette is going to lead me through it with you.”

“I can’t wait.”