Tygers 5: Sweet Redemption
ISBN: 978-1-59632-745-0
Genre: BDSM Multicultural
Length: Novella
Helena Tisdale, a born submissive, has always been eager to please her Master and ready to try new things. But when a run-in with an abusive Dom leaves her scared, she retreats from life, and from the lifestyle that she loves.
Dom TK Holing wants Helena in his life. He knows, though, that to make that happen, he needs to reeducate her about the BDSM lifestyle. To do that, he takes Helena to his home in Florida, where he “holds class” every night, reintroducing her to the pleasures of bondage, and of sexual submission.
He also has her reexamine her choices in life, helping her to come to terms with what she’s done, both good and bad.
Can the BDSM lifestyle be redeemed in Helena’s eyes, or will she leave the lifestyle, and TK, forever?
Excerpt
Helena stretched, then sighed loudly. Sunlight seeped in through the open window and she squinted, then put her arm over her eyes. The clean smell of mountain air drifted inside and she buried herself under the covers, wondering what time it was. Then, she decided it really didn’t matter. She didn’t have any plans for the day. She would get up when she wanted to, read another book, and then go to bed. Sometime in between those things she would find time to eat. She might even give herself an orgasm.
She knew she should call Harper back, but she didn’t have the energy to face her baby sister’s pleas that she come back to Albuquerque. The store was in Harper’s capable hands, and Helena wanted nothing more than to hide from society and never have to face another human being again.
She’d been in this cabin for four weeks now, with breaks to go into town for food and more books. She’d glanced at newspaper and magazine headlines as she’d waited in the grocery store lines, but other than that, the only contact she’d had were brief conversations with Harper. Lately, she’d even been refusing those.
The idea of staying here forever was tempting, even though she knew it wasn’t a possibility. Sooner or later she would have to face people again, would have to go back to her real life.
But what part of her real life was left? Harper’s two Doms, Oscar and Walker, now lived in the house she and her baby sister owned together. The idea of sharing the space with them didn’t appeal to her. She would need to find a place of her own, which was fine with her. She’d told Harper to take the house. She could easily buy another one, since her late husband had left her more than a little bit of money, and her lingerie store, Sapphire’s on the Square, was very successful.
What would she do, though, once she was back in Albuquerque? She could work at the store, sure, but going back to Tygers was impossible. Despite her physical cravings for sex, her mind couldn’t wrap itself around the idea of being topped again. It was too frightening, after what had happened.
She pulled a pillow over her head in an effort to block out the image of Guest’s eyes as he told her she would follow his instructions, or her sister would pay for Helena’s defiance. Of course using the pillow didn’t work, because Guest wasn’t there. His face was burned into her brain. How had she gotten herself into that situation in the first place? She knew how, but she didn’t want to admit it. She’d been reckless for years, allowing herself to play with anyone who asked, and it had finally caught up with her. Now she was paying the price.
When she thought about the things she’d done over the years, Helena knew she was lucky that her bad experience with Guest had been her first. Ty had warned her once about going off with Doms or Dommes that she didn’t know. She’d ignored him. Now, she wished she hadn’t.
A knock at the door made her body tense. She snuggled down into the bed, determined to ignore the unwelcome visitor. She knew it would be Oscar’s friend, Jack, coming to check on her one more time. She had no desire to talk to him this morning. The pounding came again and she groaned. Jack was determined this morning. The last two times he’d been a good boy and left when she’d ignored him.
“Helena, open up!” The voice was deep, and it wasn’t Jack’s. Helena sat up, her heart beating wildly. She had a shotgun in the house, and a cell phone to call the sheriff, if needed. But the voice hadn’t sounded angry or scary, just determined.
She pushed back the covers and stood, pulling on jeans before wrapping her upper body in a thick robe. At the front door she pushed open the curtain and peered out the window, her eyes widening at the man standing on the deck.
“Hey, shorty, let me in.”
“TK.” She undid the locks and opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“Starving. I brought breakfast. Bagels with cream cheese and some fruit. This won’t hold me, though, so we’ll need bacon and eggs too. I hope you’ve made coffee already.” He held up two bags of food.
“No. I –”
“Well, then let’s get cracking. It would be a shame to waste this beautiful day.”
Despite his words, he still stood on the other side of the door. He was dressed casually, in jeans and a Harley T-shirt. She stared up, her shock at finding him on her doorstep racing through her veins.
“May I come in? Or are you going to leave me standing out here on the deck?”
“What? Oh, yes, come in.”
He dominated the room as he stepped inside, and she remembered why he’d struck her so when she’d met him. Despite the shock she’d been feeling at the time, she remembered his size, and the kindness he’d shown her as he’d winked and flirted with her, stroking her hair and cheek when she’d started to cry while Harper had been talking with Oscar and Walker.
In the two days they’d stayed in Florida before coming home to Albuquerque, he’d been very attentive, and had never once made a pass at her, or tried to top her. The five of them had talked quite a bit, and when she’d finally decided not to press charges against Guest, he’d driven them to the airport and given her a hug good-bye, telling her to keep in touch, something she hadn’t done.
“Did they call you? About me?”
“No. I was in Albuquerque for a collaring and I asked about you. They said you’d become a hermit. I came up here to crack your shell.”
Warmth suffused her body and she smiled tentatively. “Thanks, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“I think it’s a great idea. So point me toward the kitchen. Then, we’ll eat and talk.”
Helena thought this was one of those times she should say not just no, but hell no. Her traitorous body was already reacting to the man standing in front of her. Her nipples tingled and her clit throbbed. She should tell him to leave, before she ended up doing something she would regret. After all, she didn’t know this Dom any more than she’d known Guest.
But she knew that wasn’t really true. When she’d been rescued from Guest at M’s Playhouse, TK had been gentle and caring, wanting nothing more than to make sure she was all right.
“Helena? The kitchen?” Even now his voice was kind, yet insistent. She knew that he would leave if she asked, though he would put up a fight first.
She paused for a moment more, her mind wavering, then pointed to the right. “It’s in there. I’ll go and get dressed.”
“I’d rather see you undressed, but I’ll settle for dressed, for now.”