Bound by Love Read online

  She remembered when she’d asked Autumn to watch her film a scene of Tono and Lea together. That was the beginning of it all…

  Upon meeting Autumn, the gentle Dom had pulled her veil away without asking. Looking back on it now, Brie thought it was the perfect metaphor for their relationship—Tono exposing Autumn’s beauty to the world—and to herself.

  “It’s time we begin,” Tono stated, transitioning from sitting cross-legged to standing in one graceful move. He held out his hand to her.

  Brie’s movements were the opposite of his as she struggled to her feet, laughing as she did so. “Pregnancy is a real trip,” she confessed.

  He led her to the tantra chair, saying, “I believe this will be the most comfortable place for you.”

  She looked down at the sexy chaise lounge and smiled, recalling the first time she had lain on this piece of furniture, having no idea what its purpose was.

  “An excellent choice,” she agreed.

  Tono covered the entire chair, as well as the surrounding floor, in a light plastic sheet that had a cloth lining on one side. Brie appreciated his thoughtfulness as she lay against the soft material.

  “A little jute,” he said, holding up a length of natural jute to her nose so she could take in its alluring scent.

  Tono bound only her wrists this time, lifting them over her head and securing them in that position. He then pulled out a white strip of cloth. “Your experience will be enhanced with the blindfold.”

  Brie’s heart fluttered, grateful that Tono knew her preferences well. The blindfold would add an extra level of connection between them as her other senses were forced to take over. She lifted her head and purred as he placed the cloth over her eyes, tying it tight.

  “I am going to paint your torso in a thin layer of wax made with a blend of botanical oils to begin. It will aid in the removal of your cast,” he informed her.

  Her heart began beating more rapidly in anticipation as she listened to him gathering the materials and smelled the odor of the match as he lit each candle.

  It had been a long time since she’d felt wax against her skin, and her body longed for its warm caress.

  Tono turned off the soothing flute music before he began, and the room suddenly became heavy with silence. He commanded in a tender voice, “Concentrate on the experience. Don’t let any detail go unnoticed.”

  “Yes, Tono,” she answered, eager to consume every morsel of this scene with him.

  Brie giggled when she felt the first light stroke of warm wax on her skin. “It tickles.”

  “Shh…”

  She bit her lip, trying to stay silent while he applied the second stroke of wax. The touch of it was light enough to cause a tingling sensation that made her toes curl. Tono had chosen a wax that melted at a temperature that felt warm and did not burn.

  With time, Brie grew used to the ticklish feel of the brush as he coated her entire stomach in a thin layer of wax. Once completely covered, she heard him set the brush down and pick up something new.

  Brie squeaked and then giggled when the first drop of wax made contact. It was much hotter, but the initial layer protected her skin.

  “Color?” he asked.

  “Green. Oh, I like the challenge of it.”

  “Good,” he replied warmly.

  Soon, he had Brie’s heart racing, not knowing where the next drop would fall, her whole body anticipating it. Tono played with her, alternating candles and temperatures, so she never knew what to expect.

  She loved his play!

  Brie was grateful that Tono continued, building layer upon layer—the hot wax rolling down from her stomach, making ticklish trails on her skin as it dripped onto the cloth.

  When he set the candle down on the tray and didn’t return to her, she wondered if he was done and called out to him.

  Tono chuckled. “Patience. I’m not finished yet.”

  “Good, because I don’t want it to ever end,” she confessed.

  He returned to her side and began painting with the wax again. With a thick layer of wax covering her entire stomach, there was little she could feel, so she concentrated instead on the sound of his breathing as he created his art.

  It was an intimate connection, being a canvas for his masterpiece, and was something she cherished.

  When he was done, she heard the paintbrush handle clank against pottery.

  “May I see it?” she asked breathlessly.

  Brie could actually hear the smile in his voice when he answered. “Not yet.”

  She lay there, acutely aware that he was staring at her. “What is it you painted?”

  “Something that has deep meaning in my culture but is also significant to you and me.”

  “An orchid?” she offered as a guess.

  “No.” Tono’s light laughter filled the room.

  He knelt beside her and unbound her wrists before lifting her from the chair and placing her on her feet, careful not to disturb his work. With his hands on her bare shoulders, Tono guided her down the hallway and into the bedroom. Once he had her positioned, he removed her blindfold, but told her, “Do not open your eyes yet.”

  Brie kept them closed, smiling as she waited for his command.

  He whispered in her ear, “Open.”

  What she saw when she opened her eyes took her breath away. On a black background of wax, he had painted a cherry tree in full bloom, individual pink flowers painted with meticulous precision. A red bridge with a stream running under it completed the scene.

  “Tono, it looks like a real painting,” Brie said in awe. “No wonder it took hours.”

  “I wanted to create something worthy of the canvas it was painted on.”

  Tears filled her eyes.

  “No need to cry,” he softly chided her.

  Brie smiled through her tears and nodded.

  Tono looked at her in the reflection of the mirror. “As I told you, this has great significance.”

  “This is the tree you visited after your father died.”

  “Hai. It is important and connects you and me to it. In my culture, the cherry blossom has profound meaning.” He placed her hand on her belly so she was touching the painted tree covered in flowers. “The cherry blossom represents the fleeting beauty of life, but also renewal and hope.”

  Brie nodded, too moved to speak.

  He placed her hand on the bridge. “This symbolizes us transitioning from the physical world into the realm of the spirit.”

  “The death of your father…”

  He nodded. “That is part of it, yes. However, the bridge also references the journey you take whenever you answer the call of the rope.”

  She looked at him, grinning. “I like that symbolism very much, Tono.”

  He returned her smile, continuing, “And as far as the color red, it denotes that which is sacred, as well as representing wisdom and metamorphosis. To me it speaks to Sir Davis’s transition from death back to the living world.”

  She looked at her reflection in the mirror in awed silence.

  Tono placed his hand over hers. “The fact that the canvas for this is your pregnant belly has the greatest meaning of all. Your love and fearless determination has brought new life into the world. Renewal and hope personified.”

  Brie leaned her head against his shoulder, completely captivated by this gift and the many layers of meaning behind it.

  “Tono, this is truly a masterpiece.”

  “I am honored you like it.”

  Brie looked down at her belly, still in awe. “No, Tono. I absolutely love this.”

  I’m Not a Masochist!

  Brie whimpered softly, trying to keep up a brave face when the doctor walked into the room. “Let’s see how much you’ve progressed, shall we?”

  He slipped on a pair of gloves and slipped his fingers inside. Brie felt a sense of hope when she saw him smile this time.

  “I don’t know what you did, but you are fully dilated, lass. Are you ready to push the wee
one out?”

  Brie nodded vigorously. She had no idea how painful it would be, but no matter what happened, she knew she could do this and make both men proud.

  The nurse instructed Sir to lift her leg and cup her heel, holding it up and out to help with delivery. When she took the position on the other side to support Brie’s other leg, Rytsar stood up.

  “Nyet, that is my job.”

  “You can’t. Please sit,” Brie protested.

  “Radost moya, it is important that I be the one.”

  Brie looked to Sir.

  Sir answered her silent question, “It is his decision.”

  She looked at Rytsar with concern, but nodded in understanding.

  The nurse stepped back and explained to her, “They are here to support you. Don’t push against them, but allow the angle to aid you when you push.”

  “Okay,” Brie answered, looking to Dr. Glas for further guidance.

  “Now, Mrs. Davis, we are going to be working with your contractions, not against them. When you feel one coming, I want you to push as hard as you can down here.” He put pressure on the area he wanted her to concentrate on when she pushed.

  There was an excitement in knowing the time had finally come. In a couple of minutes, if she pushed hard enough, not only would the pain end, but her little girl would be in her arms.

  Brie looked at Sir and Rytsar, fortified by their strength and love.

  When the next contraction hit, Dr. Glas encouraged her, “Push, push, push.”

  Brie closed her eyes, holding her breath as the pain invaded her every thought. She tried her best to push through it.

  When the contraction finally ended, Dr. Glas ordered her to rest.

  They followed the same routine for the next several contractions, but Brie could tell that, despite her best efforts, her pushing was ineffective. She laid her head back, exhausted and disappointed with herself.

  “This is your first time, lass. It takes a bit of practice,” Dr. Glas assured her.

  Brie nodded, ready to give it another try. When the next powerful contraction hit, she closed her eyes and imagined her entire body pushing the baby out, but this pain was on a different level than before, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, “I’m not a masochist. I’m not a masochist!”

  Afterward, she lay back, feeling discouraged.

  “I think the entire hospital now knows your limit,” Rytsar teased.

  She covered her eyes with her arm, completely embarrassed.

  “Think nothing of it, babygirl,” Sir told her. “With this next contraction, I want you to transform the pain into action. Harness it.”

  Brie took a deep breath, wanting to have control over the pain. When the gut-ripping contraction started up again, she focused on it, inviting it to hurt her. The progress was slow, but at least there was progress.

  “That’s it, lass. Now we’re getting somewhere.”

  That small success gave her courage, and she readied herself for the next one.

  “Push,” the doctor commanded.

  Her body shook from the effort, but she felt something give and pushed even harder. Suddenly, the room filled with the sound of an alarm.

  “What’s wrong?” Sir yelled.

  “The baby isn’t getting oxygen. I’m going to reach inside and try to relieve the pressure around her neck.”

  Brie cried out in pain as he tried to manipulate the baby from the inside, but the alarm kept sounding. She felt a cold chill run through her when she saw the look of fear on Rytsar’s face.

  “Mrs. Davis,” Dr. Glas stated calmly, breaking through her growing panic. “We’re going to rush you to the operating room. We need to do an emergency C-section.”

  Both Sir and Rytsar let go of her and stood back as nurses rushed around them, disconnecting tubes and wires, before releasing the brakes on the bed. They pushed her out of the room with Brie crying in fear, “My baby…”

  “She’s going to be fine, Brie,” Sir shouted from behind her.

  “Moye solntse is strong like her mother!”

  Brie closed her eyes as she was pushed down the hallway, shutting everything out, including her fear, as she tried to connect with her baby.

  I’m here, little girl…

  To keep her mind focused and calm for her child, Brie replayed a memory that brought her hope now.

  “Sir,” she giggled, “I don’t know if it’s the whole nesting instinct kicking in or not, but I’m seriously feeling the urge to get the baby’s room ready.”

  “I suppose now is as good a time as any.”

  “There are just so many things to get.”

  “Such as?”

  “Oh, you know…decorations for the baby’s room, all the tons of equipment and cute little baby doodads.”

  Sir smiled, pulling out his wallet and handing her cash. “Shop to your heart’s content, my dear. Have fun with it.”

  Brie hesitated before taking the money from him. “But…”

  “Yes?”

  “I was hoping to do it with you. I’d like everything to reflect both of us—as a couple. From the way her room is decorated and the type of baby carriage we buy to the music she’ll fall asleep to.”

  He sounded amused when he told her, “Actually, I’d planned on leaving that up to you. Wouldn’t you have more fun calling one of your friends, or even your mother, to help with that?”

  Brie shook her head, feeling it was too important. “I want her to have the kind of environment that will encourage her growth and happiness. Your input will help to ensure that.”

  He smiled but did not seem convinced.

  “Sir, it weighs on me knowing our baby has been through so much stress during the pregnancy. I really want her first months to be peaceful and calm, yet stimulating for her growing brain.”

  It was obvious by the look on Sir’s face that he felt responsible for the stress the baby had endured. She heard the sorrow in his voice when he said, “You both have suffered far too much.”

  Brie looked at him with compassion. “This isn’t about what’s happened, but her future will be. One that I want us to create together.”

  He nodded thoughtfully. “Then understand I will not have an opinion about everything but, if I do, I will express it.”

  “Great! Let’s start with the baby’s room first.”

  Sir chuckled as Brie ran down the hallway to get her tablet. When she returned, she showed him the different rooms she’d already picked out. “The baby’s room is a place we both need to feel comfortable in since we’ll be visiting it so much. So, I have three examples here to kind of guide us along. What strikes your fancy?”

  He looked them over with a critical eye.

  Brie had never forgotten how Sir had felt about having a Christmas tree cluttering the aesthetics of his apartment, so her money was on the stylish brown one she’d chosen. She pointed to the screen and said, “What do you think of this first one with the chocolate brown theme? The stripes on the walls and brown rug give it a more adult feel…”

  He surprised her by saying, “Much too formal. Looks like a dining room, not a baby’s room.”

  Curious, she immediately cued up the next one. “Okay, how about this? The fun, playful animal theme?”

  “I don’t care for anything cartoonish.”

  “Are you leaning more toward the whole ‘You Are My Sunshine’ theme then?”

  Sir’s tone became serious. “While the moye solntse theme makes sense, the song itself has a negative connotation, considering Lilly is now associated with it.”

  Since she had shown him her top three choices, she asked, “Do you have any suggestions, Sir?”

  “Yes. I think melding the animal theme with the sunshine might work. More of a nature-themed decor. More realistic than what you showed me, but still colorful to stimulate her senses.”

  “It’s perfect, Sir.”

  Brie adored the idea and was grateful she’d asked for his input.

  “As far as lar
ger items such as the crib, car seat, stroller, etc., I can research those, if you would like, while you take care of the smaller things. But it would help me to know if you are more concerned with quality and functionality or general aesthetics.”

  “Hmmm…actually all three,” she answered with a giggle. “I want something that will last, is easy to use, but still looks good.”

  “Like you, babygirl.”

  She smiled at his unexpected compliment and gave him a peck on the lips.

  He let out a low, seductive growl that sent shivers down her spine as he grabbed the back of her neck and planted a long, drawn-out kiss on her lips.

  “Had I known planning for the baby could be romantic and sexy, I would have started this long ago.”

  Sir laughed, looking back over her long list of baby items. “As far as the other incidentals, make a day of it with your friends. Personally, I don’t care what diaper pail you get as long as it keeps the odor sufficiently contained.”

  Brie was suddenly struck by the oddness of their conversation. She stared at him with a wistful expression. “You and I are in for some major changes—a life full of dirty diapers and burp rags.”

  “It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.”

  “In some ways, I can’t wait, but I’m also terrified,” she confessed. “I have no idea what I am doing. I really wish there was a six-week training course on being the best parent.”

  Sir chuckled. “We’re no different than any other couple starting a family. Luckily, you have your mother to turn to for advice when needed. Her wisdom will prove invaluable to us.” Sir placed her tablet on the table and opened his arms to her.

  Brie settled into them, sighing with contentment. Nothing felt better than being here in Sir’s arms.

  “It’s important we enjoy the journey ahead,” he told her.

  Pulling away to gaze into his soulful eyes, she said, “It’s also important that we don’t lose ourselves as a couple…”

  “I won’t let that happen, babygirl.”

  “But how can I serve you as a submissive without involving her, especially as she gets older and begins to notice things?”

  “It will simply take thoughtful planning. We’ll make it a point not to pressure our daughter into living and participating in the lifestyle until she is old enough to make that decision herself.”