Thread: In a Twisted World {Prince x LeatrixSage}

Well then, Im glad youre not a stickler, Aislinn spoke ruefully as Brents laughter soothed her more deeply than she had an explanation for. It was honest and came to him easily, even if it did sound something more like a devious chuckle that was loaded with sinful promises. It combined with the soothing movement of his hand against her skin and seemed to leach the nervous tension right out of her bones. Then suddenly, she was standing on a wire in a delicate balancing act. If she breathed too deeply, she felt shed fall into a dreamy relaxation. But, if she held her breath just a moment too long, shed tip the other way and fall right back into the intoxication of nervous anticipation. And it was Brent that held her there, poised on the edge, and it was this stranger that held the ultimate power of which way she fell. The realization hit her with the clarity of a sharply rung bell - crystal clear, unmistakable, and undeniable. The suddenness of understanding was a shock, and yet she couldnt seem to be bothered by it. And that was stranger than all the rest. Emotions thoroughly confused, Aislinn put her mind back to the conversation at hand. And no, I dont think Ill be yelling stop this time, well unless you want me to? she teased him, and then shook her head. My poor brain cant come up with anything better right now, and Non-con wasnt something I had in mind, anyway. Its your art Im curious about. Lair, a little voice in her mind hissed. It wasnt the art that was influencing her ludicrously impulsive choices, it was the man behind the mask. She understood that Brents statement that he was going to begin was in some part a warning of what was to come as much as it felt like request at her readiness. Her eyes flicked over to him as he came to her side and back into her field of view and she watched strong, sure fingers gather up a coil of rope and then wrap it around one of her wrists. Honest curiosity kept a lingering feeling of warning at bay as the rope settled against her skin, but her breathing seemed to simultaneously deepen and quicken anyway. She was admiring the way the knot looked something like a cute little box when he took the looped end and used it to pull her hand up to the back of her neck. Aislinn straightened automatically, her body turning slightly toward Brent, and her other hand came off the table. It was a startled response more than anything, but some part of her mind understood that her free hand wasnt really free and was supposed to still be on that table. Again, thankful for her mask, Aislinn tried to ignore the heat in her cheeks as she purposefully, slowly set her free hand back on the table where it belonged. It wasnt so much worry of Brents disappointment that made her do it, or even that thought that was in control. It was her own annoyance at being so easily startled and unsettled by those demandable blue eyes that insisted on seeing her weakness even when it was hidden behind the apparent safety of her mask. Palm flat against the table top once more, Aislinn made herself pay attention as he explained the knot. She focused on his words so that her mind didnt have time to worry about the heart beat hammering away in her throat, the never-ending blush in her skin that refused to leave, the almost painful tightening of her nipples, or the tingling at the juncture between her thighs that had started some time ago and was becoming insistent about receiving some kind of attention. He moved behind her again, but was closer this time. He reached around her to capture the wrist of her free hand in a grip that was gentle and yet as unyielding as steel. As he did the length of his body was pressed against her back. The firm muscle of his chest and torso pressed against her shoulders and back for only a second, and suddenly Aislinn felt far too small by comparison. The heat of his skin scalded her, and then her mind was dragged down to where the fabric of his pants brushed against her bare backside. Some lecherous creature inside her wanted badly to arch her back and grind herself against him. The urge welled up out of nowhere and stole her breath. Aislinn closed her eyes against it, and then a fresh bit of rope was secured against her skin. Tied as she was, her back was pulled straight and her chest lifted high, and the urge faded as she became more sensitive to the rise and fall of her breasts with each breath. Those lips almost touched her skin again as he whispered to her, and a fiery chill shot right down her spine. Aislinn made herself take a slow, deep breath. The word captive stuck with her a moment longer than it should have. It struck a chord that was just part and parcel of the paranoia that built half the rules and guidelines that brought order to the underground world she called home. Behind her he laughed, but the sound wasnt as honest as it had been before. The statement that followed wasnt quite right, either. It was flippant in the way of someone that spoke to fill a silence. His heart wasnt in it, his passion was missing because his mind was somewhere else. Something beneath her skin shivered, and Aislinn took another deep breath, the honeyed tips of her breasts raising and falling at a steady, even pace as she took control back over her senses. The stranger in the mask stood quietly behind her, waiting for what? It took an effort to push back the ingrained understanding that everyone was an enemy to be feared for Aislinn to allow herself to gently pull against the ropes without a sense of panic. She tested them slowly, pulling this way, then that, twisted her hands, her arms, and sure enough, those ropes were not coming loose. I am not yet defenseless her mind whispered, denying the fears that threatened to take over. I am not going to live in fear. His hands left her wrists and settled high on her ribs where his fingertips just brushed the warm skin of her breasts. Aislinn sucked in a gasp as they slid down her sides to rest on her hips, and then her eyes closed again. She was a bundle of raw nerves, her skin crying out for contact, and somehow it made the sense of vulnerability deepen when she realized she couldnt do anything about it. His thumbs pressed into tense muscles in her lower back, made them relax and release, and then he would play with the string of the thong she wore and make them tighten again. She was standing back on the wire, ready to fall one way or the other, and he was her balance. His chin brushed her shoulder, his cheek nudged against her hair, and then his breath fanned against her ear and neck as he asked her how it felt. Electricity arched from that tiny contact all the way down to her toes and back again, and the breath she held left her lungs in a rush. Confining, it was the first word that came to mind, so it was the first word past her lips. There was more to it, but she couldnt get the thoughts from her mind to her tongue. It was confining, but she felt comfortable in it, not controlled or defeated by it. Somewhere beneath the tension he was brilliantly rebuilding, she felt stronger than she had before the first knot had been tied. Now, with the full length of his body so close to her own, and yet held so carefully away, she felt far more like she was the dangerous predator in the room. One that had to be handled with care and yet met on an equal playing field to enjoy as well as survive encountering. Yes, a second question, a second answer, but one that was stronger than the first had been. Of course, more could mean many things and her mind was working out a great deal of more that didnt include adding more ropes and knots, but instead the removal of every stitch of fabric that separated her skin from his. I dont know, it was as honest as she could be. She hadnt started any of this with a clear plan of what she meant to accomplish or where she meant to end up. There were warring factions in her own mind that fought over a building duality. It was her responsibility to look out for her own well-being, and if she couldnt come up with an answer for him, she was putting them both at risk. A clear boundary, something to give her peace of mind, and Brent a safety-net to avoid causing her harm. He was looking out for her wellbeing, and as she realized the truth of that thought, one faction over took the other. Her lingering paranoia vanished, and a little smile played about her lips as she felt it go. Aislinn couldnt remember the last time someone had looked out for her well being because they cared about her instead of what she was worth. Brent, the stranger in a mask that stood behind her, was carrying the weight of her trust and her wellbeing on his shoulders as if they weighed nothing at all. And yet - while Aislinns mind was swarmed with sexual tension and fantasies her trust and wellbeing where at the forefront of his concerns. There was an ache in her chest that opened up. It was an empty place that threatened to swallow her, but Aislinn closed up and put it away. She'd deal with that emotion some other day. This wasn't it's time or place. It wasn't going to take this away from her. Help me decide, she whispered back to him after a moment, her voice sure and even despite how out of breath she felt. Tell me what you have in mind for me, and I will tell you what I think I can handle. Does that sound fair?