Rules And Rewards Read online

  Rules and Rewards

  Kallysten

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2008 Kallysten

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written consent of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  The right of Kallysten to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  First Published September 2008

  All characters in this publication are purely fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Mary S.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Rules and Rewards

  Grace’s heart always started beating wildly on those last few steps before she reached the fifth floor and Ray’s apartment. It wasn’t about the number of steps; her job as a Special Enforcer required her to remain in perfect shape, and a few flights of stairs didn’t tire her. Instead, it was the prospect of seeing him again that left her a little breathless so that she needed to calm down before she knocked. She didn’t doubt he would like to know how excited she became when she was about to see him, but she couldn’t allow it, just like she couldn’t allow anything that might hint she wasn’t in complete control of herself and everything else, including him.

  She stopped at the top of the staircase, her hand tight on the cold metal railing, and took a few deep breaths. Usually, when she reached this point she reviewed in her mind what she had planned for their time together. This time, though, she needed to tell him something. She had wanted to tell him the previous night, but he had been in no state to hear her when she had accompanied him back home from their favorite club, Carte Blanche. She couldn’t stay very long because she had a plane to catch before night fell, but she was glad she had needed to come back for this.

  Getting herself under control at last, she took the last few steps to his door. She knocked twice sharply and had to wait a few moments before the door opened, revealing a shirtless Ray, his blonde hair tousled, his blinking eyes still full of sleep. Maybe because he had just awoken, it took him a second or two longer than usual to drop to his knees when he saw her, and when he did, the perfect kneel remained obscured by the shapeless form of his baggy sweatpants. She didn’t miss the slight wince when his ass made contact with his heels, though.

  “Good morning, Ray,” she said warmly, stepping in and closing the door behind her. She quickly got rid of her jacket and, standing in front of Ray, tilted his head back so that she could see his face. “You were still in bed?”

  “I was, Mistress. I had a long night.”

  A small smile touched his lips on the last words, and she answered it in kind, acknowledging the scene they had played at the club. It had been one of their most intense scenes in the almost eleven months since they had met. Ray had needed the pain, and Grace had taken care of him with the steely warmth a caring Dominant showed her submissive.

  For a few seconds, she remained in front of him, simply watching him as the sleepiness left his features. His usual guard was down, allowing his emotions to pierce through: surprise that she was there so early in the day; happiness too, and that made a tendril of pure warmth wrap around Grace; and on top of it, the same gratefulness he had shown just hours earlier, when they had finished the scene. All of it mixed together only made Grace want to kiss him. The good thing about being a Dominant was that most of the time she got exactly what she wanted.

  “Stand up,” she commanded, “sit on the sofa with me.”

  He rose lithely and followed her to the sofa, just a few feet away. She gestured for him to sit first. His face, now that he was fully awake, didn’t show any pain when he sat down on the firm cushions, but the slowness of his movements revealed that he still hurt. It had taken Grace a little while to figure out how his vampire physiology affected his pain threshold and healing speed, but she had a pretty good idea of what she was doing now.

  Without warning, she kicked off her low-heeled shoes and sat on his lap, one knee on either side of him on the sofa. He blinked in surprise, then again when she wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him to her for a gentle kiss, but he soon caught up. She had given him no instruction, which for them meant that he could do as he pleased, within their usual limits. A little hesitantly, he rested his hands on her waist and pulled her a little tighter against him. She hummed her approval against his lips before giving them a quick flick with her tongue. He opened his mouth for her, and her tongue slipped in to find his, teasing it lightly until he responded. Slow fire spread through her body, awakening the lust she never failed to experience when she was in his arms.

  He started squirming in that particular way of his, just enough for her to notice that he was trying to restrain himself. His cock had grown hard, trapped between them, and Grace moaned quietly at the feel of it. She yearned to touch it, touch him, feel him beneath her and inside her. It had been all about him, the previous night, but the satisfaction of knowing she had taken good care of her submissive did not cancel out her own needs. She didn’t have time for this, but she wanted it too much to deny herself. They would have to be quick.

  Pulling away from his lips, she gave him a mock glare.

  “You should be ashamed, Ray. It’s very bad of you to make me this horny when I only have a few minutes to spend with you.”

  “I’m sorry, Mistress,” he said meekly, but didn’t sound apologetic in the slightest. “May I take care of your needs?”

  She stood up from his lap and immediately started working on the buttons of her blouse.

  “You may. Lead the way to your bed, then.”

  He hurried off, already scrambling out of his sweatpants. When she joined him, having undressed as well, he had straightened the bed sheets and slipped to a kneeling position at the foot of the bed. With his thighs slightly parted and his hands at the small of his back, Grace had an unobstructed view of his cock as it strained toward his stomach. Her mouth watered at the sight. If only they had the time…

  “On the bed,” she asked, glad that her voice remained steady despite her arousal. “Hands behind your head.”

  He was very tense when she joined him on the bed and climbed onto his lap, his entire body locked as though waiting for a blow. She settled on his thighs and lightly ran her fingers over his chest. Could he be so close, already?

  “Mistress,” he replied when she asked, a strained grin pulling at his lips, “I was having a very nice dream when you arrived.”

  “If I had more time I’d ask what I was doing to you in that dream. Will you be able to control yourself?”

  A nod was all the answer she needed. Raising herself onto her knees, she took hold of his cock and gave it a few fast strokes before guiding him inside her. She was so wet already that he slid in easily, but she hissed at the feel of him stretching her. She stilled for a couple of seconds when he was fully sheathed, enjoying the sensation. Beneath her, Ray was clearly trying very hard not to move. She leaned forward, letting her hardened nipples trail over his chest as she kissed his chin, lips, and right cheek.


  “Ready?” she asked, and before he could answer, she sat up and started riding him fast.

  A couple of times at first, his cock slipped out, and she had to break her rhythm to guide him back in. She soon found the perfect pace and angle, however. Single-mindedly reaching for her orgasm, she let her hands simply rest on Ray’s chest. She didn’t think he could have taken any more stimulation.

  Thrusting herself hard onto his cock, she tried to keep her gaze on his face. He was biting down on his lower lip, and his eyes were narrow slits, but his attention remained on her the entire time, drinking in the sight of her like a thirsty man who had found an oasis in the desert. Being so important to another person was still something new for her, and in the end it was what pushed her over the edge and into breathtaking pleasure.

  Panting, she stopped moving with his cock deep inside her and threw her head back, letting her orgasm engulf her. Her body was shaking, sparks running along her spine and limbs, making her crave more, even now. Ray’s hands were always so cool, so gentle… She shook her head at the thought, spoiling her enjoyment a little as she reminded herself that she couldn’t stay much longer.

  With a sigh of regret, she lifted herself off Ray and sat next to him. He shuddered, and his hips rose from the bed for a second as though searching for contact. His cock was bobbing lightly on his stomach, glistening with her wetness.

  “Would you like to come, Ray?” she whispered, not trusting her voice to remain even, if she spoke any louder.

  His voice rasped as he answered, no louder than a murmur. “Yes, Mistress.”

  She couldn’t help grinning. “I thought you might. Give me one good reason why I should let you come.”

  She watched him as he thought. She could only imagine how hard it was to find an argument that would satisfy her when he was on the edge of an orgasm and had been kept there for far too long already. In the past months, she had tried to test his limits and denied him pleasure for longer and longer periods of time. She had yet to find the point where his submissive stance broke. On the contrary, his enjoyment seemed in direct correlation with how long she made him wait; hers as well, in fact, since she loved to watch the pure gratitude and abandon on his features when she finally gave him permission.

  “Mistress,” he said at last, a small quiver in his voice betraying his tenseness, “I think… I think you like to look at me when I come.”

  She thought about his words for a moment, a little amused that she was so transparent to him. His tongue peeked out to lick his lips as he waited for her answer.

  “I do, yes. You’re very pretty when you come.”

  If she had not kept such a close watch on his face, she might have missed the flash of triumph that passed there. She couldn’t help reminding him that even if he was right, she still had the reins.

  “Although you’re very pretty when you hurt, too.”

  She pretended to consider the thought while continuing to observe him. With his need so great, Ray wasn’t keeping his expression under as tight a control as usual. His eyes widened, just a touch, and he blinked fast a couple times, but there was no fear on his face. Whether she chose pain or pleasure for him, he would be content.

  “Yes, I think I’ll let you come.”

  Even as she said it, she took hold of his cock and started stroking it, her hold tight, her movements fast, just the way she had learned he liked. Yet again, she could only regret that she didn’t have more time to make this last. She leaned back on her left arm, her face coming closer to his so she could watch the play of pleasure on his features. He turned his head to look at her and blinked rapidly, moaning very low, his pupils so dilated that the black swallowed entirely the green accents of his hazel eyes.

  “Go ahead,” she murmured.

  As much as she wanted to look down at his pulsating cock, she kept her eyes on his face as he came. The shock of orgasm always made him appear so open for a second, all pretenses, barriers, fears, and hopes stripped away to leave only him. She’d never tire of watching him come.

  “Very pretty, yes.”

  He didn’t reply to that, but looked at her through foggy eyes and, just barely, smiled. Holding his gaze, Grace ran a finger across the stripe of semen on his stomach and brought it to her lips. He blinked furiously as she sucked on it with barely exaggerated relish. A low moan passed his lips, and he jerked again, as though the last of his orgasm were wrenched out of him.

  “Pretty,” she said again, “and very tasty, too.”

  He squirmed a little: embarrassed or pleased, she couldn’t have said.

  “Thank you, Mistress.”

  With a little sigh, Grace slid back from between his legs and stood. She had stayed with Ray longer than she had planned already, and while her mother was home with Laura, she had to go finish preparing their trip.

  “No, thank you,” she said as she dressed, looking back at Ray. “You were good today. Very good, indeed. And I’ll know you’ll be just as good while I’m gone.”

  At once, he sat up on the bed, his blissful expression vanishing in a blink. Regret flashed through Grace. She should have told him earlier, as she had originally planned, rather than rob him of his afterglow. She had let herself be caught in their games, however, and she had almost forgotten what she had come to tell him.

  “Mistress?” he said, all the questions he had all too clear in that simple, shaky word.

  Letting her blouse hang unbuttoned over her chest, she sat back on the bed next to him and gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

  “I promised Laura we’d go to Orlando after we moved to the new house. We’re leaving tonight.”

  He bit down on his lower lip again, but while earlier she had known it meant he was fighting back his orgasm, now she couldn’t tell what thoughts the unconscious gesture revealed.

  “What’s on your mind? Tell me.”

  He lowered his eyes and hunched his shoulders. He looked as though she had just promised him punishment, which she couldn’t understand.

  “I’m trying not to ask if I can come with you, Mistress.”

  An inkling of what was going on in his head brushed Grace’s mind. She sometimes envied vampire senses. Ray had once told her he could know, with just a whiff of her scent, if she was angry, scared, excited, or anything else. It would certainly have been a useful skill to possess when dealing with him. All she had to rely on was what he had told her of himself, and she had gathered only tidbits of his fears and desires over the months. This fear, though, she thought she knew.

  With a finger beneath his chin, she made him raise his head again until he was looking at her, and gave him a warm smile.

  “I wish you could come along, but this is a girls’ outing. Laura, my mom, and me.”

  He nodded. “Yes, Mistress.”

  Her finger slid from his chin to his cheek. He leaned into her touch, a kitten seeking more petting.

  “That doesn’t mean I won’t be thinking of you,” she murmured. “Will you be thinking of me?”

  “Yes, Mistress.”

  She could always tell when he wanted to roll his eyes at her. He never did—of course not, he knew better than that—but the twitch in his eyebrows and the too carefully controlled look he gave her was enough of a sign. The first time they had played—a smile floated up to her lips at the memory—she had punished him for wanting to roll his eyes at her. She hadn’t done it since, giving him credit for controlling himself well enough not to do it, but sometimes she wanted to. She tapped her fingers to his cheek, nowhere near hard enough to be a slap, just a gentle reminder to behave himself.

  “I hope thinking of me will be enough to keep you occupied, since you won’t leave the apartment.”

  He looked surprised at that, and his brow furrowed in confusion. “Am I being punished?”

  “No. I’m just in a jealous mood. I don’t want this—” She ran her fingertips over his hand. “—or this—” She leaned in to kiss him lightly. “—to touch anyone else whi
le I’m gone.”

  From the corner of her eye, she could see his cock twitch. She smiled. She knew he liked it when she was possessive, and she never missed an opportunity to assert her claim on him. She kissed him again, barely brushing her lips against his, before forcing herself to stand. She had only stayed too long already, and if she wanted to have time to freshen up and change before her flight, she needed to leave now. She started dressing again, aware as she did that Ray’s eyes followed her every movement.

  “You’ll get a nice reward if you follow the rules,” she said after a moment.

  He nodded absently. “Thank you, Mistress. Are there any other rules?”

  “That’s about it. No leaving the apartment. No touching anyone with any part of your anatomy, and that includes no touching yourself.” She thought for a second and added a rule on a whim. “And no talking to anyone. Not even me, unless I talk to you first.”

  She grinned at his disgruntled grimace. She might be pushing things a little, but she was sure he would enjoy the game she had planned for him. All she hoped was that he followed her rules so that she could reward him as promised when she returned.

  * * * *

  It was only a few hours after Grace had left that Ray realized she hadn’t told him how long she would be gone. Night had fallen, his usual feeding time. He stood in front of his open fridge and contemplated the near emptiness dejectedly.

  “Damn.”

  It would have been easy to call and order fresh blood from the deli, but he wasn’t supposed to talk to anyone. He would have to ration himself, he decided. He doubted that was what his Mistress had had in mind when making up the rules, but he was intent on following them to the letter just the same. Not only he didn’t want to disappoint her, but she had also promised him a reward if he obeyed. She was a wonderful Dominant, always fair, and he didn’t doubt that the reward would be on par with the difficulty of the task she had set.