My Tye
My Tye
Kristin Daniels
For years, Laine Morgan has fantasized about being bound and taken. After a night of testing the waters at a BDSM club, all her erotic dreams shatter when she’s assaulted and kidnapped. Tossed into a hell she never expected, she’s forced to succumb to the protection of Sheriff Tye Carter—the star of her most vivid bondage fantasies.
Tye’s hidden his desires from Laine for over a year, but not anymore. She’s hurt and scared, which throws the Dom inside him into a rage. He’ll do anything to protect her, even move her to his ranch. But having her all to himself sends his control into a tailspin. And when Laine finally reveals her sexy secrets? He knows he’s the only man who can give her everything she needs.
But there’s an enemy on the loose, one whose personal brand of hatred has put Laine’s life on the line. In the span of a heartbeat, Tye’s is too. To save them both, he’ll have to surrender control to the one woman who might not be ready to accept it.
A Romantica® BDSM erotic romantic suspense from Ellora’s Cave
My Tye
Kristin Daniels
Dedication
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
Ernest Hemingway
As an author, I typically have more than one story running through my head at any given time. I started writing My Tye in early 2011, along with another book my mind couldn’t let go of. I spent several months of that year hopping from story to story, but it was My Tye that captured all of my attention once fall arrived. Many hours were spent snuggled up on the couch in my living room in front of a roaring fire, writing Tye and Laine’s story. I had given myself a deadline, and come hell or high water, I was going to meet it.
Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned.
My Tye is the story that bisects my life. The first part was written in 2011, before my breast cancer diagnosis. The second part was written during the tumultuous year that followed.
So many people stuck with me during my fight. They held my hands—both physically and figuratively—during all the treatments and tears I endured. They lifted me up and wrapped me in their warmth. They made me feel so overwhelmingly loved, and no amount of thank you’s—in my mind, anyway—will ever convey my love and appreciation in return. But you know I have to try.
To my husband Wayne and my children, Megan, Lauren and Adam—Words cannot express the love I have for all of you. You four are my light and my life. You are my treasures and I will hold you in my heart forever.
To Mari Freeman, who talked me off more than one ledge this year—Your wisdom and compassion never fail to center me. I have felt your love every day this year, and it means more to me than you will ever know. I love you, babe.
To Mary Erwin and Samantha Kane, who were never more than a phone call or a text away—I love you girls so much. Thank you both for always being there for me, whether I was sharing good news, bad news, or just because I felt like chatting.
To my editor, Raelene Gorlinsky—Thank you for your patience and understanding. I’ve always been the type of person who jumps in, head-first, with my emotions. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you wading through all of that to come up with the perfect thing to say to me. Hugs and love to you.
To Jaid Black and Patty Marks—A simple thank you to you ladies will never be enough. Your generosity has floored me more than once this year and I can’t begin to express how deeply you’ve touched me. I love you both.
To Syneca Featherstone—You have such a loving and caring way about you. Our chats always left my mind lighter and left me feeling freer. You simply rock. Love you.
To Grace Bradley—For giving me love and sunshine. Again, I find it hard to convey how much your generosity means to me. Love and hugs.
To my neighbor, Cindy—For taking me to appointments and sitting with me during chemo when my husband couldn’t, and for being there with me every other step of the way. You’re simply the best. Love you.
Tye and Laine’s story will always be very special to me. It’s my sincerest wish that people love reading this book as much as I loved writing it.
XOXO,
Kristin
Chapter One
Laine Morgan didn’t know what she expected, but the ordinary red-brick exterior and the plain black wooden door was the furthest thing from what she had in mind. Nothing about the façade of Club Euphoria remotely alluded to the goings-on taking place inside. In fact, the silver letter “E” illuminated by a single spotlight above the door was the only indication that she’d even found the right place.
In the ten minutes she’d been staked out in her car across the street and halfway down the block, only two other people had entered the building. The pair—sexy, young and from the way the woman had practically been draped over the man’s lap as they drove past in their Mercedes, obviously very into each other—had parked in the club’s lot, close to the door. As the two walked arm in arm to the black door, kissing and stroking each other on their way, Laine battled a fresh spike of doubt—one that begged an answer as to whether or not she really belonged there.
Her uncertainties weren’t anything new. She’d been flipping back and forth, questioning herself and then reasoning it out for a while now. This time though, she quickly arrested the thoughts, just as she’d been doing since she backed out of her driveway and started her drive over. But even as she bolstered herself again, something inside her couldn’t help but wish that she, too, had someone to share in this new experience with her.
She knew exactly whom she wanted that person to be. Hell, she’d known for close to a year. Since her first introduction to Sheriff Tye Carter, she’d fantasized about him. Fantasized about doing things to him, about him doing things to her. Things like the very ones she imagined went on inside this club.
Not that she would ever clue him in on what those secret fantasies of hers entailed. Sheriff Carter had a reputation for being an intelligent, stoic man, one who took his responsibilities as sheriff and peacekeeper to heart. She’d rarely seen him out with a woman socially, and had heard rumors when she first moved to the county seat that he was, in essence, the lone wolf type and pretty much married to his job.
Lately, though, she’d been questioning all that nay-saying Tye Carter gossip. The man was fit beyond reason and possessed a smile that never failed to launch her stomach into somersaults. And every time they ran into each other lately, whether it be during business hours at the county courthouse or the occasional after work drink she shared with coworkers at the pub across the street, he’d catch her off guard with his charming personality and easygoing style. That, combined with the unexpected, flirtatious banter he’d teased her with more recently, had her subconscious in an uproar. She’d finally come to the conclusion that all those people she’d listened to before were dead wrong. Tye, as he told her to call him on more than one occasion, simply didn’t fit the bill of a one-track-minded, workaholic man. Focused and intent while on the job? Absolutely. But someone who never wanted to have any fun? She wasn’t so sure anymore.
As Laine watched the groping couple pause a moment before entering the club, she wondered for an instant what Sheriff Carter would think about her being here, then slammed the door on the question just as quickly. She didn’t want to know, didn’t want her presumptions to influence her decision—a decision that had taken her so long to make.
Plain and simple, she was here because she could no longer not be here. She wanted to experience firsthand the types of things she’d only dreamed about. She’d spent her entire adult life curious, had researched and read and fantasized, but had never found that one person she felt comfortable enough with to take a leap and confess her desires to. After waiting for what seemed like for
ever, she found herself growing restless. Restless enough to take matters into her own hands.
Domination interested her, but bondage enthralled her. The idea of giving up control, of handing that control over to another person for a snapshot in time… She wasn’t sure if she’d love, hate, take or receive it. Both sides of the coin fascinated her and her curiosity had reached such a level that she could no longer look the other way.
If only her curiosity conquered all those nagging doubts rattling around inside her brain, she’d be golden.
Still, she’d made her decision to come here and she’d be damned if she wasn’t going to follow through with it. With her newfound chutzpah giving her the push she needed, she grabbed her clutch purse off the seat beside her, opened the door to her little pearl-white Audi A4 and climbed out. She accompanied her first step toward the nondescript building with a deep breath. The next was joined by a tingle in her stomach. By the time she walked to the entrance, a buzzing excitement had taken over her entire body. The unknown thrill, the anticipation of what was to come, went a long way in crowding out the majority of her flip-floppy doubt. And as she pressed the blue door buzzer, she pushed her shoulders back and reveled in the empowerment that gave her.
So why, then, did she nearly jump out of her skin when a voice sprang from the speaker next to the door?
“Euphoria.”
Her finger hovered over the red intercom button, yet she hesitated to answer. She felt a little like Neo in The Matrix, momentarily torn between the red pill and the blue pill. The blue pill, or button in her case, would change nothing. If she pressed the buzzer again, only another annoying noise would be repeated. Everything in her life would stay exactly the same. But the red speaker button? That one represented an escape from the mundane. A whole new world would open up for her to explore.
If she looked at it that way, the choice was an easy one. Mundane wasn’t working for her. Mundane left her feeling empty, alone, and the thought of continuing her life down the same old path… She didn’t want that anymore. She didn’t want to be alone. Or lonely.
Closing her eyes to reinforce her nerve, she pressed the small red button next to the blue one. “Um, hi. I’m Sara. I’m a visitor tonight.”
The email she’d received from the owner earlier in the week had informed her that the name she gave could be real or made up, and she figured, considering the position she held, that a fake one would be best. Even though the club was a good forty miles from her home in Lake County, the possibility someone may recognize her name never left her thoughts. Lord knew it’d been spread across enough bylines since her official appointment, popping up frequently in not only those newspaper articles but in a scattering of evening TV-news snippets as well. It wasn’t a secret that she’d busted her ass to win her appointment as Lake County Public Defender. To this day the accomplishment stood out as the single most significant highlight of her career.
Now, eighteen months later, she couldn’t wait to introduce a little of the same type of thrill into her personal life.
“Come on in,” the voice replied. “Office is off to the right, just through the double doors.”
When the lock on the heavy door clicked and gave way, she pulled it open and stepped into a dimly lit foyer. The walls in the small area were painted black and the only light shone from the half dozen wall sconces adorned with old-fashioned, flicker-flame bulbs. Even the aroma, a subtle combination of blackberries and vanilla, added to the provocativeness of the space. The atmosphere left her feeling like she’d been transported into some sort of vampire lair—sexy, seductive and clearly over the top. Good to know the owners didn’t take themselves too seriously. This was a place to let yourself go and have fun, after all.
The double doors the man behind the voice referred to were black as well, complete with crystal rosette doorknobs. The feel of the silvered glass, jagged yet cool in her hand when she gripped it, sent a shiver straight up her arm.
Behind the doors, she found a gathering room of sorts. Couches, chaise lounges and overstuffed chairs of different styles and eclectic fabric patterns scattered the area, which conveyed a classic chicness that spoke to her in ways few other rooms ever had. There was a casualness to the space, one that lent itself to an easy and essential comfort. This was a room where the members could come to relax and enjoy themselves.
True to her first impression, people were doing just that. Men and women in various stages of undress milled around together, some chatting, some laughing, some engaged in other more in-your-face activities.
A couple stood in the corner—the couple from the parking lot, she thought—kissing and groping and grinding against each other. Backed up against the wall, the woman had her legs wrapped around the man’s waist and her fingers spiked through his hair. Even though they were both fully clothed, he moved his hips slowly, sensually against hers. Instantly entranced by their passion, not to mention their blatant sexuality, Laine’s heart rate quickened. She could hardly believe she was really here. She could hardly believe she was finally going to explore her dream.
To the left of the absorbed couple was another set of doors. One was labeled “Dom”, the other “sub”. A skinny man dressed only in leather short-shorts and a thick, studded collar tossed a wink her direction before disappearing through the sub door. Coyly she wriggled her fingers back, but she’d been too late. He didn’t see her. Nevertheless, a smile touched her lips as another flutter filled her belly. This was going to be one hell of a night, that was for damn sure.
Suddenly anxious to get started, she looked to her right and found the office. The door stood open, yet she knocked anyway.
“One sec.”
Laine couldn’t help but stare at the man sitting behind the desk. Wide shoulders met bronze skin, which lent its way to a whole lot of mouthwatering drooliness. He sat there shirtless, and something inside her couldn’t help but entertain the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he was completely naked behind all that cherry wood. When he stood and revealed a pair of skin-tight blue jeans instead, she tried not to analyze—at least for very long—the tinge of disappointment she felt that he wasn’t.
Naked or not, the man was a sight to behold. In a way, he reminded her of Tye. Or, more accurately, in many ways. He stood just as tall, maybe even a smidge taller than her mysterious sheriff. They both had the same dark hair that was just beginning to gray at the temples, along with similar penetrating, downright soulful eyes. By their builds, they could’ve been confused for twins. Their lips were comparable in color, and they both sported the tiniest of dimples. The only difference there being that Tye’s graced his chin instead of his cheek like the man in front of her.
They both exuded a bigger-than-life, powerful presence combined with the same down-to-earth sincerity. She loved that about Tye, and seeing this man in the same light only made her think about and, oddly enough, miss him even more.
“Evenin’… Sara, was it?”
She nodded. “Yes, um, Sara.”
He grinned at her as if he knew the name wasn’t her real one as he held a hand out to the chair in front of the desk. “Welcome. I’m Jack. Please, have a seat.”
She stepped to the chair he offered and sat on the edge, still staring at him as if he were a Hollywood movie star and she some sort of whacked-out groupie. “Thank you,” she said, trying, yet failing miserably, to snap herself out of her trance.
He reclaimed his position behind the desk, leaning forward slightly to rest his forearms on the surface before folding his hands together. “So tell me, Sara, what brings you to Club Euphoria?”
Okay, nothing like getting to heart of the matter. His bluntness, along with the question, caught her off guard, and she thought for a long moment on how to answer. To actually do so would mean she’d have to verbalize her innermost desires, those wants and needs she fantasized about almost nightly yet never had the courage to put into words. “Well…” she started. “You mean specifically?”
“If you’d
like. Or generalizations work, too. Maybe it would be easier to start with your motivations?” He leaned back in his chair and relaxed his position somewhat, a move that only wound her up all that much more. “The drive one has to come to a place like this can run far and wide. I’m just looking for a little insight into how we can provide whatever it is you’re looking for.”
“My motivations…”
“Not an easy question to answer, is it?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not that. It’s just that I’ve never had to say them out loud before.”
“Mind if I try?”
She stared at him harder. “Sure.” This ought to be good…
“You have a need. One you don’t fully understand.” His voice, low and deep, flowed over her senses. “It keeps you up at night, and no matter how hard you’ve tried to fight it, it’s something you can’t shake.”
“Go on,” she said, drawing that last word out.
He chuckled at her prompt. “You fantasize, maybe even touch yourself while you’re doing it.”
Heat rushed to her cheeks and pooled between her thighs. God, she’d done that more times than she could count.
“You don’t know where your desire stems from, and let me put you at ease by telling you that most people don’t. This is a lifestyle not chosen, Sara. It’s a lifestyle born into you, born into us. We live it because we have to.”
Because we have to. The way he said it made so much sense.
“Am I close?”
Was he close? He read her like a damn picture book. “Nail, meet head,” she said.
He laughed outright. “We’re all cut from the same cloth. Question is, who’s your tailor?”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, which areas interest you more? The term BDSM encompasses many avenues, Sara. I can help you figure out which road might be best for you to travel on.”