With This Collar (Mastered) Read online

  A Total-E-Bound Publication

  www.total-e-bound.com

  With This Collar

  ISBN # 978-1-78184-223-2

  ©Copyright Sierra Cartwright 2013

  Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright January 2013

  Edited by Rebecca Douglas

  Total-E-Bound Publishing

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.

  Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

  The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.

  Published in 2013 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.

  Warning:

  This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-melting and a sexometer of 3.

  This story contains 167 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 10 pages.

  Mastered

  WITH THIS COLLAR

  Sierra Cartwright

  Julia Lyle will have nothing to do with domineering men, no matter how tall, dark and sexy. But Dom Marcus Cavendish will be satisfied with nothing less than collaring the fiercely independent Julia.

  Nothing could have shocked her more…

  Julia Lyle is invited to her best friend’s wedding and is stunned when Lana kneels to accept her husband’s collar. When Julia starts to object, firm, relentless hands land on her shoulders. The man behind her threatens to turn her over his knee if she interrupts. She’s outraged, but there’s no doubt he’s serious.

  After the ceremony, he offers her a glimpse into her friend’s lifestyle, if she’s brave enough to accept.

  Master Marcus Cavendish is everything she doesn’t want in a man—dominant, self-assured and arrogant. So why can’t she resist him?

  Telling herself that learning about the lifestyle will make her a better friend, Julia agrees to submit to Master Marcus, but only for the evening.

  Firm and unrelenting in his handling of her, he introduces her to his tawse and the pleasure/pain of a spanking delivered by a competent Dom.

  The experience unnerves her, making her question everything she thought she knew about relationships, and his forced orgasms leave her shattered.

  No doubt the scene seduced her, and that makes her doubly determined to avoid him. She has fought hard for her freedom and vowed only to date nice men, and Master Marcus is anything but safe.

  Marcus is undeterred. Julia is a natural sub. The way she responded to his touch, his voice, his punishment proved it. Now he has to convince her to yield to him, submitting to his tawse as she kneels to accept his collar.

  Dedication

  For a great fan, Marie Hall!

  And for the girls—Liz and Tiff

  Always for BAB

  And for my own very special hero…

  Chapter One

  “And now, friends, Lana will offer her submission to her new husband,” Damien Lowell said.

  Julia scowled. Submission?

  Lana and Julia had chatted on the phone earlier in the week to discuss the final wedding plans. Lana had warned that the union would be a bit untraditional. She’d been vague about the details, but she’d made Julia promise to say nothing during the ceremony.

  They’d been friends since they were ten, and there was no way Julia would miss the festivities, even if they were a bit odd.

  Until now, everything had been what she’d expected.

  Lana and Ben were being married at their friend Damien’s mountain home. Damien was also performing the ceremony.

  About two dozen of the couple’s closest friends had gathered in the great room and, at dusk, Lana had descended the stairs of Damien’s picturesque home, carrying a single, beautiful, white rose to match her full-length gown.

  The only gift requested had been a candle. In a romantic gesture, the pair had said they wanted all their friends to light their way into their future.

  As Ben and Lana had joined hands and faced Damien, fat snowflakes had fallen from the cloudy sky. The vows had included the word obey, which was somewhat unusual among their circle of friends. But everything else had been normal. Lana had placed her rose on the mantel behind Damien before she and Ben had exchanged rings.

  “Lana?” Damien prompted.

  “Yes, Sir,” Lana said.

  ‘Sir’? Until tonight, Julia hadn’t met Damien. She knew he was a friend of the groom’s, and he was drop-dead, movie star handsome. The man had rakishly long, dark hair that curled at his nape, and he wore an indefinable air of command as easily as he filled out his charcoal grey suit. But still, for her friend to call him ‘Sir’…?

  Lana cast her gaze at the floor and gracefully turned her back to her new husband.

  Ben undid the row of tiny buttons that held her gown closed.

  What the hell?

  Ben drew the material from Lana’s shoulders and let the dress fall to the floor.

  Lana, wearing stacked heels, a merry widow and stockings, stepped out of the dress, and another man scooped it up and laid it across a chair.

  Like Damien, this man was also ridiculously tall. That was where the resemblance ended. This man had an olive complexion that hinted at a Mediterranean background. His head was shaved. He wore black jeans and a black T-shirt that revealed a number of tattoos. A thick, knotted silver bracelet adorned his left wrist, and a silver stud pierced his right earlobe. He could have been a pirate in a former life.

  Suddenly unconventional took on a whole new meaning. Julia had never been more distressed. Part of her wanted to make an escape, and a bigger part of her wanted to shake some sense into her friend. But she was riveted in place by her promise to remain silent.

  With a grace that spoke of practice, Lana knelt.

  Jesus. All through college, they’d each vowed to keep their independence. They’d pushed against the glass ceiling, and they’d fought for their positions in corporate America. And now her friend was kneeling in front of her husband, almost naked, for their guests to see?

  Julia wondered if she was the only one who was frozen in shock.

  Lana spread her legs a bit farther apart, and she leant forward to kiss one of Ben’s shoes.

  Julia gasped.

  From the front of the room, Damien looked over his shoulder at her, his eyebrows raised.

  Firm, relentless hands landed on her shoulders. Her heart rate increased with her panic.

  “Be quiet,” a man whispered harshly into her ear.

  “I—”

  “I said be quiet.”

  She gritted her teeth. The man’s tone was commanding.

  He pulled her back a bit, and she inhaled the unmistakable—and sexy—scent of leather.

  In that same rich and rough, for-her-ears-only voice, he added, “Or else I’ll haul your sweet ass out of here and turn you over my knee.”

  For the first time in her life, she was rendered speechless.

  “Lana’s doing this of her own choice,” he continued.

  She struggled agai
nst his grip, but he dug his fingers deeper into her flesh.

  “Surely she told you to expect some unconventional things.”

  “But—”

  “Trust her,” he urged. “Like she trusted you.”

  When Julia had given her promise, she’d had no idea what that had meant or how difficult it would be to keep her word. Julia spent her entire life in control, and she hung out with women like herself. And now a powerful man had her imprisoned while her friend was on her knees in front of a roomful of people. The experience was surreal.

  With unshakable force, the man pulled her back a few steps so they were several feet away from the rest of the guests. He held her firmly against his body.

  She still hadn’t caught a glimpse of her assailant.

  “Do you really want to make a scene and embarrass yourself as well as your friend?” he asked softly. “Nothing you do or say will stop tonight’s proceedings. So I recommend you behave yourself.”

  “Damn you.”

  “Last warning,” he said.

  His tone rang with an authority she didn’t dare question. He was speaking quietly, but that made his words all the more terrifying. He’d threatened to turn her over his knee, and in that instant she believed he’d do it. She stopped fighting. “Who the hell are you?” she demanded in a whisper.

  “Marcus Cavendish. A Dominant, and friend of the groom’s. I met Lana about six months ago. She’s come a long way in the lifestyle. Ben’s a lucky man to have earned the submission of such a lovely woman.”

  Julia felt as if Marcus were speaking a foreign language.

  “If you promise to behave yourself, I’ll explain what’s happening.”

  She nodded.

  At the front of the room, Lana stood and faced Ben.

  “Would you like to offer your submission?” Ben asked.

  Lana tipped back her head. “Yes, Sir, I would.”

  Damien picked up something from the mantel and offered it to Ben. Julia stood on her toes, trying to get a better look.

  “To the vanilla world it looks like a silver necklace with a lock on it,” Marcus said. “But those of us in the lifestyle recognise it for what it is. A collar.”

  “Collar?” Julia repeated. The word startled her so much that she didn’t think to ask what he meant by lifestyle.

  “Some people use dog collars from the pet store,” he said.

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “Deadly.”

  She wrapped her arms around her middle. “In this case, it appears to be an ordinary piece of jewellery, but it likely has a hex screw so that she can’t remove it.”

  Ben accepted the necklace from Damien and passed the chain through the flame of an enormous candle.

  “He’s purifying the metal,” Marcus explained. “And then he’ll ask her again if her submission is given of her own free will.”

  Ben looked down at Lana and captured her chin before saying, “I offer you this collar as a symbol of my love, and as a promise to be a kind, consistent and honourable Master. In return, I will demand your servitude. I will enforce the rules we have agreed to, and I will never touch you in anger.”

  Lana linked her hands at the small of her back, while she continued to meet her new husband’s gaze. Firmly she said, “I accept your gift. In return, I offer my humble devotion and a promise of my servitude.”

  To Julia, the words sounded just as practised as their traditional vows had.

  “We’re here in front of our friends and mentors, and I want everyone to hear your assurance that you are willingly agreeing to be my slave.”

  The blood chilled in Julia’s veins. As if Marcus sensed it, he tightened his grip on her. Oddly, the touch reassured and grounded her rather than annoyed her.

  “I am joyfully agreeing to be your slave, Sir.”

  Even from the distance and in the dim lighting, Julia saw Lana’s smile.

  “In fact, I’m begging for the honour. Sir, please collar me.”

  “Lift your hair,” Ben told Lana.

  Lana did. As Ben secured the lock in place, Lana looked up at her husband with an expression of surrendered bliss. Julia wondered what had happened to the woman she used to know. The two of them had sat on their dorm room couch eating popcorn, drinking wine, and making fun of old 1950s television shows where the wife cooked dinner in high heels and a dress. And now a man was placing a collar around Lana’s neck, and she’d asked him to do so.

  Without being instructed, Lana knelt again. She cast her gaze at the floor. Then Ben gently placed his hand in her hair and eased her head back. Lana looked up. “Thank you, Master.”

  “Master?” Julia whispered, more disturbed than she ever remembered being.

  “Not all couples use that term, but they have elected to do so.”

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Damien said, “May I present Master Ben and his slave wife, Lana.”

  “Slave?”

  Marcus again tightened his grip on Julia’s shoulders, silently warning her to be quiet.

  Ben pulled Lana to her feet and kissed her deeply. It wasn’t a friendly peck, it was a hot French kiss. He had one hand on Lana’s bare bottom, and the fingers of his other hand were spread wide across the middle of her back.

  Lana shamelessly rose onto her tiptoes and pressed herself against Ben. Julia had never seen anything so sexy at any other wedding. Her friend was showing pure, unadulterated happiness, and no one seemed to notice she was only half dressed.

  Some people applauded, others hollered and gave catcalls, but Julia kept her hands wrapped tightly around her middle.

  “A toast!” the man who’d picked up Lana’s discarded gown called out.

  On his cue, several servers moved into the room, bearing trays filled with glasses of sparkling wine. Their attire shocked her. Men wore bow ties around their necks, but no shirts. One had on a tight-fitting pair of shorts, the others wore slacks at least one size too small. The women wore aprons with thongs, stockings and garters.

  “What the hell is this?” She turned to face her nemesis.

  “A toast,” Marcus said drily. He snagged two flutes from a passing server and offered one to her. “And you’re going to continue to behave.”

  A sense of self-preservation didn’t allow her to challenge him. Truthfully, looking at him had sucked the oxygen from her lungs. Rugged and broad, he looked at ease against the Rocky Mountain backdrop. His hair was dark, cropped short to emphasise his bright green eyes. He wore black boots and slacks, a crisp, white shirt and a soft, black leather blazer. His scent spoke of raw masculinity.

  “They’re half undressed,” she said.

  “Are they?”

  Was she the only one who had noticed how bizarre the event was? No one else even blinked. She accepted the offered glass and wished it wouldn’t be unladylike to gulp its contents.

  “Face the happy couple,” Marcus instructed.

  When she opened her mouth, he raised his eyebrows. Having had a look at the size of his hands and their assorted nicks and abrasions, she wouldn’t put it past him to follow through on his earlier threat to turn her over his knee.

  His air of authority annoyed her as much as her instinctive response to him. She was a modern woman who ran an entire department at work. Julia didn’t have a problem with a man being in charge. She had definite problems, however, with domineering men—like the one she was looking at.

  “Do it now,” he told her. “I will not tolerate your rudeness.”

  Rude? Her manners were impeccable. Or, rather, they had been until this evening.

  Bristling, ready to make her escape as soon as possible, Julia faced the front of the room, the impossible Marcus Cavendish standing next to her. She couldn’t help but inhale the sexy scent of his leather blazer and, this close, she noticed other subtle undertones. He smelt crisp, like the Rocky Mountain air. There was a layer of something spicy as well, maybe from his soap.

  He was all man, with a capital M.

  She tri
ed not to let him overwhelm her. But something elemental in her responded to him.

  “To a long future filled with happiness,” Damien said. He was standing next to the duo, and all of them were facing their guests.

  Damien raised his glass and everyone, including her, followed suit.

  The bride and groom clinked their glasses together then sipped.

  After she’d taken one drink, Ben took Lana’s glass and placed it on the hearth.

  Julia clenched her teeth.

  But no matter how much she might want to deny it, the truth was, she’d never seen Lana look more radiant. She didn’t appear concerned by her lack of clothing, and she’d barely taken her adoring gaze from Ben’s face.

  For a moment, Julia stared before shaking her head. She’d never have suspected Lana would be such a doormat for any man. When the three of them had met for dinner two weeks ago, Julia would never have suspected Ben would be capable of this kind of behaviour. He’d been solicitous of Lana. Sure, Julia had found it a bit odd that he’d ordered Lana’s meal for her, but he’d consulted her first, and the two had touched constantly. Julia had found their relationship endearing. She’d never suspected what went on when others weren’t around.

  She couldn’t make Lana’s choices for her, but Julia was sure of a few things—she’d never allow someone to determine when she’d had enough to drink. She would never kneel for any man. And she would certainly never let anyone put a collar on her.

  “Refreshments are available in the dining room,” Damien said. “The bride and groom will join you shortly. In the meantime, please, make full use of the house.” He flicked a glance, she was sure, in Marcus’ direction before adding, “The dungeon is available should anyone need it.”

  The crowd began to move away, some people towards the dining room and others towards the stairs, obviously accepting Damien’s offer.

  She intended to speak to her friend then make her excuses and leave. Marcus placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her in place. She was reeling from shock. “This house has a dungeon?”