Page 76 of In Darkness We Claim

“You’re safe,” he tells me, and I breathe a sigh of relief, feeling the tension flooding from my sore muscles as I sink into the comfortable mattress beneath me. “But now you’re being punished.”

My eyes spring open as I try to process what he’s saying. “I’m…what? Punished? Why?”

He leans down until his lips are right beside mine, and I’m suddenly grateful for the collar tying me down, as the urge to claim his mouth with mine becomes more overwhelming each day. I’m consumed by thoughts of why he doesn’t want to kiss me.

Instead of kissing me, at the last minute, he turns just slightly and presses his lips against my pulse point, just below my ear. A shiver ripples along the length of my body as his breath flutters against my ear, lighting me up in the most delicious way.

“Not only did you break the rules I set for you, but you also put your life in danger. I’m so mad at you for that, and I’m going to make sure you value your own safety from now on, as well as following every single one of my instructions without fail,” he tells me, his voice deep and husky.

I want to argue, but before I can, Lawson takes a shuddered breath as his gaze rakes over my body. I can’t read the emotions on his face, but he almost seems uncertain.

“I don’t know how much you remember, but after I found you in Nigel’s car, I brought you here and had a doctor look at you. Although you have a couple of minor cuts and bruises, you are otherwise well. We can talk more after your punishment, but for now, I need to remind you why it’s important to follow my rules.”

Lawson reaches up and places his thumbs against my lips, stroking them over my slightly cracked flesh, careful around the cuts he was just telling me about. I want to breathe a little easier knowing Nigel can’t harm me, but my thoughts obsess over what Lawson is about to do.

With one thumb on the top lip and one on the bottom, his swipes become more forceful as he coaxes my mouth open.

“Keep your mouth open wide,” he instructs, moving his thumbs away as he stands up.

The ghost of his thumbs still haunts my lips, and it’s almost like I can still feel him touching me. I run my tongue over the surface, and my stomach sinks when I can’t taste anything but copper, probably from where Nigel cut my lip during my brief time with him.

I keep my mouth open wide, even as the dampness threatens to spill from the corners of my lips, but I daren’t go against Lawson, not with the sharp, biting edge of his tone.

His face appears in my vision once more, and all I can do is watch as he brings something toward my mouth. It’s a round metal ring with black leather straps on either side, which connect them together.

“Open as wide as you can,” Lawson tells me, as he gently slides the cool metal ring into my mouth, resting it behind my teeth.

The ring forces my mouth to open wider than I expect, and I can already feel a twinge in my jaw as I use my tongue to feel along the metal. Although I can still breathe easily and move my tongue, the ring restricts everything else. If I were to hazard a guess, I’m sure I’d struggle to talk too, but I think that’s probably the point.

Lawson smooths the straps over each cheek, reaching around to the back of my head to fasten them together, pulling them tight as he does. The motion of moving my head forward forces me to press against the collar around my neck, limiting my breathing temporarily, but it’s not like I could say anything if I wanted to.

Once the cool ring gag is pressed firmly against my lips, securing it in place, a metallic tang hits my tongue. Lawson lowers my head back onto the cool silk of the pillowcase before softly gliding his thumb across the side of my mouth, wiping away the warm trail of saliva that has escaped.

“You look so pretty all tied up for me like this. This is a punishment, so I will push your limits, but I won’t ever give you more than I know you can handle. However, if you think this needs to stop, you can click your fingers or shake your head three times.

“As my Prize, you shouldn’t even be allowed a safeword or gesture, so think long and hard before you use it. I promised you could have one, but using it will change things between us. Everything will stop. We won’t be able to go back. You’ll have to try to trust that I know your body well enough to be sure of exactly what you want and need.”

A tremor ripples down my spine, but not simply from apprehension or fear; there’s also a thrilling element to all of this, something new I’ve never experienced before. So far, everything he’s done to me and my body has been pleasurable, and I feel he’s earned that trust—for now.

“Okay,” I mumble through the gag, spit slipping off my tongue as I try not to choke on it.

Lawson pulls the covers off me, exposing my naked body to the cool air, as he hovers over me from beside the bed, taking in every inch of my exposed flesh. My nipples harden as the colder air hits them, contrasting against the soft fabric they’ve been rubbing against, making them sensitive already.

Lawson reaches towards my neck and begins adjusting the metal collar, and I pull in a ragged breath when I feel it loosen ever so slightly. As Lawson slides his hand to the nape of my neck, he grabs hold of my hair there and slowly lifts my head.

I wait for the crushing pain of the collar to cut off my breathing, but it doesn’t come straight away as I’m expecting. In fact, I’m able to almost get my head upright before it begins to dig in, and that’s when Lawson lets go of my hair to adjust the collar once more.

“I’ve loosened it a little, so you can lift your head up to here. I want you to watch what I do to your fucking gorgeous body,” Lawson tells me, my heart racing with anticipation.

He trails his fingernails over my skin, starting at my neck before dropping over my collarbones, down my sides, and over my hips. His touch is featherlight, but the sharpness of his nails makes my skin prickle, leaving a trail of heat and goosebumps in its wake.

I feel him trace his fingertip over the cursive lettering on my mound, taking his time as he follows the lines of his own name, and there’s no denying the possessive edge in his gaze as he studies the ink.

Once he’s finished, he moves to the foot of the bed, where manacles attach my ankles to the corners of the bedframe. Lawson adjusts the ankle cuffs one at a time, giving me slightly more leeway on them both, meaning I can move my legs a bit—though I daren’t move under his watchful glare.

As he sits on the bottom of the bed, his molten silver gaze fixed on mine, he grabs hold of my knees and forces me to bend them before spreading my legs further apart. The slack he gave on the ankle restraints was just enough to allow me to bend my knees and spread myself wide enough to expose my bare pussy to him.

The cool air once again hits my heated pussy, sending a shiver through me as my skin tingles with anticipation…and more than a little fear—this is a punishment after all.