The Challenge Read online

  42

  The Challenge

  by Shermaine Williams

  A glance up at him had the effect of making everything click into place. The priggish fog lifted as she watched him deftly adjust components on his camera in preparation for the next part of the shoot.

  The need to cover herself drifted away and she draped the sheer covering over her shoulder as she removed the remaining vestige of comfort blanket. Along with its matching counterpart, the woman who now stood in all her glory kicked the knickers to the side. Slipping the scarf from her shoulder, she busied herself with trying to work out how to utilize it in her next pose but, not knowing what he wanted, drew a blank.

  Seeking guidance, she raised her eyes from her body and the chiffon she held in her hands and found him gazing at her, a serene smile on his face. He looked as if he had something to say that he would probably reveal if she asked, but she refrained from doing so. He was too adept to require hints before reeling off any further disingenuous comments.

  "I think I'll put you against this backdrop..." He turned away from her to pull across a white curtain so that it spanned the length of it. "...and light you from behind."

  He was merely thinking about his next image. It was difficult to know whether to feel pleased or insulted that he hadn't even noticed her body and she stood by, indifferent in regard to her nakedness, as she watched him position a lamp that she was to stand in front of.

  Having finished, Benjamin stepped away and directed Amanda to take up her position with an open hand and an 43

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  easy smile. Holding the scarf by her side, she stepped into the spot that he had appeared to indicate.

  "Here?"

  He looked at her through the camera's eyepiece. "If you move slightly to your right ... that's it. I want you surrounded by light."

  The damage had been done so she no longer had any qualms about having her naked body on show and, apparently, neither did he.

  "Stretch your arms out to the side with the chiffon in front of you—perfect. The light shines through it perfectly."

  After several flashes, he looked at the image on the camera's small screen. "That's a beautiful shot."

  In order to prove it, he took the few steps to where she stood to show her the digital image so she could see for herself. Seeing the picture of her naked self left her speechless just because it was so strange, but she managed a smile that comprised a mixture of wonder and delight so that he knew she was pleased. The fact that he stood so close to her whilst holding the camera didn't help. Standing naked next to a fully clothed man was bizarre enough, but that coupled with the desire that she kept trying to deny made for a situation that she never could have imagined.

  At one point, he was so close to her that she only had to turn her head a mere fraction to kiss him ... if she was so inclined. Their proximity to each other meant that the heat emanating from his skin could be felt on one side of her body.

  She couldn't help but wonder if he was feeling the same thing.

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  More confident in what she was doing, Amanda needed no instruction on how to pose when he returned to his place. She moved of her own accord, sometimes varying her position after one flash, sometimes after a few. Using the scarf in a range of ways to enable several erotic shots to be captured.

  It didn't concern her when he suggested that she no longer needed the prop. She discarded it as she had with her underwear before the pair continued with more of the same—

  creating images that both could be proud of.

  "You're an absolute natural," he announced, lowering his camera after twenty minutes worth of photos, his mischievous smile returning. "How would you like to try something a bit more risqué?"

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  45

  The Challenge

  by Shermaine Williams

  Chapter Five

  Immensely curious, it took less than a minute for her to show that she was intrigued by asking what he had in mind.

  He licked his lips as his smile widened, but she couldn't tell whether it was an inadvertent action or whether it actually had a meaning. The thought that he actually might want her gave her such a thrill that she forgot that he seemed to be playing games.

  "I've got an idea that would give us some photos that are a bit more ... intense."

  "Intense?"

  Was this the prelude to his seduction? Maybe he was preparing to sweep her off her feet, maybe that was the intention all along, maybe he knew what effect he had on women. If she was being completely honest with herself, she doubted she would be able to resist him if he did make a move.

  He nodded. "Striking images that tell a story."

  "Oh, okay," she replied tentatively, successfully hiding her disappointment and nodding as if she knew what he was talking about.

  "Great, I'll be back in a second."

  She stared after him wondering what she was getting herself into. Had she actually agreed? She thought she was merely requesting clarification.

  Curiosity gave way to trepidation and she relinquished her post to retreat to the chaise, tucking her legs beneath her 46

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  and wrapping her arms around herself as she tried to figure out what he had gone to collect.

  A flash lit up the room and jolted her from her thoughts.

  "Another candid photo?"

  "Yep," he grinned unabashed. "And that was such a gorgeous one I couldn't resist."

  Some people would have felt quite concerned at having their photo taken without their knowledge, but Amanda was contented. She considered herself a good judge of character and Benjamin was someone she was happy to trust.

  Only as he walked across the room to place his camera on the mantel did she notice a mass of leather and metal dangling from his free hand. Not immediately being able to tell what it was left Amanda rather alarmed and desperate to know what it was so she didn't hesitate to ask.

  "It's just a pair of shackles and a whip," he replied plainly, as if she had just asked for the time.

  She wanted to laugh but, in the unsettled state that she was in, only exhaled sharply as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

  Noting her apprehension, Benjamin brought the mean looking instruments over to her, allowing the whip to unfurl as he went.

  "Nothing to be afraid of."

  After handing them across, he sat down next to her. "I just envisaged a shot of you tied up, maybe with the whip draped over you."

  Manipulating the supple leather in her hand, she turned to face him and caught his eyes flicker up in time to meet her 47

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  gaze. He shifted his position, twisting his body toward her so he could look at her directly, and left her not knowing how to react to his thigh pressed against her bare knees. Of course, sitting there naked next to him wasn't right, it was a situation that should be avoided, but it felt right.

  Sitting so close to him, looking into his eyes as he pretended not to notice that she was completely naked, it would have been so easy for him to slip his arm around her waist to pull her close and kiss her deeply. She was sure that he'd be able to feel her stiff nipples through his crisp shirt if she did.

  "Don't you trust me?"

  Having been sitting there looking at each other in comfortable silence, it only then occurred to Amanda that she was expected to speak, even to make a decision about whether to agree to his idea and make his vision a reality.

  Abandoning the whip in her lap like a docile coiled snake, she turned her attention to the shackles, stroking the padded leather that lined the inside of the wide cuffs as she thought about the question. Seeing as she was sitting there next to him in all her glory, she couldn't feasibly answer in the negative and he knew that. Clearly, he was just pa
ving the way to make his plan come to fruition. She couldn't help but admire his cunning.

  His failure to react quickly enough when she looked up at him pleased her; she knew for sure that he was checking her out. Though the ego boost made her happy, she managed to keep a straight face. "Is there a reason for me not to?"

  "Only you can decide that."

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  He looked so sincere that she had a yearning to instantly say yes, but the desire to make him work for it was even stronger. Maybe it was a test to see whether she would be open to his advances. She surprised herself by thinking about how to pass without being too obvious about it.

  It had been the perfect opportunity for him to sell himself, subtly outline how great he was and the reasons why, but he refrained from doing so. She was impressed and, unwittingly, looked at him with an adoring expression.

  "Just think of it as another part of the challenge," he continued in the face of her silence, determined to convince her.

  Having met the original challenge, she knew it would seem churlish to now refuse. He might think she was purposely trying to be disruptive.

  "Then I accept the challenge."

  He shifted slightly and, for a moment, she thought that he was preparing to lean forward and kiss her, but he merely slid forward to sit on the edge of the seat, causing an unwelcome rush of cold air to caress Amanda's knees.

  "I'm very pleased."

  His smile alone still made her decision completely worth it.

  "I'll be two minutes."

  Patting her thigh as he got to his feet allowed her to feel the warmth of his hand on her skin and it went some way to compensate for the loss of his leg against hers. The touch seemed to linger even after he retrieved the implements from her lap and she watched him walk across to the opposite wall.

  His strides seemed so slow and deliberate that she had to 49

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  wonder whether it was for her benefit. If it was, she appreciated it, letting her eyes slowly sweep up his strong frame, taking him all in.

  "If you're unhappy with anything, at any point," he said over his shoulder, reaching up to fasten the short chain to a hook on the wall. "Just let me know and we'll stop."

  Wanting him to look at her, she didn't acknowledge his words but watched and waited as he finished his task.

  Predictably, he did turn around when he was done and, having anticipated this, though Amanda maintained the position that he had liked so well, boldly looking him in the eye.

  "You look so cute curled up there."

  Her shy smile of gratitude belied her true feelings and he never would have been able to tell that her heart was pounding in her chest.

  "Almost a shame to ask you to move," he admitted, holding out his hand.

  Following his lead, her movements were deliberately slow as she stretched her legs out from beneath her in what she hoped would be a sultry display. From the way he kept his eyes on her as she walked toward him and squeezed her hand when she arrived, she was sure she had succeeded.

  She would have been happy to stand there for as long as he wanted, just holding his hand, feeling his soft warm skin against hers, but he had other ideas and traced his fingers upwards until they had encircled her wrist.

  Stroking his thumb over her pulse point, he wrapped his free arm around her waist to bring her closer to the wall, 50

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  facing it as he lifted her arm to secure it in the cuff. It was only when he moved behind her, stretching over her and pressing against her body as he did the same with the other arm, did she realise that her breathing had quickened. Only when she was being put into the restraints did it hit her how vulnerable she really was, completely at his mercy.

  The fact that the thought caused a distinct pull of desire to develop between her thighs surprised her.

  "It was meant to be..."

  There was a hint of laughter in his voice but she couldn't see his face to be able to determine exactly what he was thinking. Plus, as he spoke, he pressed harder against her as he completed his undertaking. With his body so firmly against hers, she could swear that she could feel that he was hard.

  Maybe he had her exactly where he wanted her.

  "...you're the perfect height."

  He stepped away, allowing that familiar rush of cold air to take his place but that didn't change how Amanda felt.

  Bondage as a sexual act had always been a rather strange concept to her—why would anyone want to be tied up and whipped—but she couldn't deny how turned on she was at that moment. Forced to stand by the wall, tied to her position, she couldn't see behind her properly even when she turned her head. The anticipation of what he was going to do made her body tingle and the coolness of the wall as she pressed her erect nipples against it.

  "Mmm, that's a very nice image."

  The flash lit up the wall that she faced, hiding her beaming face.

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  "Now I can make a confession."

  The words made Amanda turn her head as far as she could, wanting to see him in her peripheral vision, eager to hear what he had to say. "What's that?"

  "I only engineered the whole situation so I could get a good view of that fabulous arse."

  The admission coupled with the matter-of-fact tone in which it was delivered made Amanda laugh, the chains of the shackles clinking as her arms shook with mirth. Though his blunt honesty helped her relax, she still worried that the flesh of her ample behind was jiggling so forced her giggles to subside, little realising that Benjamin loved just that.

  "Keep your head turned like that ... perfect."

  She quickly became comfortable in her new pose, making the slight movements she was capable of when directed. As she stood there, she found her mind wandering, thinking about how vanilla her sexual history was compared to where she was at that very moment, despite it only being about getting some good photos. Though she knew of this particular type of fetish, she had never personally experienced it—or even come close.

  It amazed her that she was able to do it at all and was rather proud of herself. Being there tied up and helpless and, yet, so at ease in the company of a stranger, made her wonder about what else she was capable of.

  "Right—time for the whip."

  Unable to see his expression or to read anything in his neutral tone, her breath momentarily caught in her throat at 52

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  the idea that he may actually use the whip on her rather than just decorate her body with it.

  Again, the steps he took toward her were so slow and soft that she could barely hear his footfalls over her own increasingly rapid breathing. Not knowing what was going to happen, she flinched when she finally felt the stroke of the smooth leather snaking over the shoulder where Benjamin chose to drape it.

  A strange mixture of feelings washed over her—relief, desire and disappointment—which made her exhale heavily, leaning her head back slightly.

  "You alright?" he asked, standing so close that she could feel his hot breath on her neck.

  "Sure, I'm fine," Amanda replied after a short pause, mindful that he was likely to move away as soon as she confirmed that she was okay.

  However, instead of feeling the cold air, Amanda felt him move closer as his fingers gently glided up her arm from her shoulder to her wrist. "No pain in your arms?"

  Never had she wanted a man so badly. He had to know what he was doing, but it couldn't all be for the sake of getting good photos. What was he trying to do?

  "No, nothing," she replied quickly, hoping he wouldn't feel how wet she was.

  "Good."

  The reply came after a short pause, only pulling his hand away thereafter which he did so slowly, trailing his fingers lightly dow
n the length of her arm until he was brushing the hair from her shoulder.

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  Though his hand left her skin, it failed to leave her hair.

  "May I?"

  She had no idea what he was asking permission for, but she still nodded without hesitation.

  "I think a loose bun will give you a more severe look that'll really suit this shot."

  Confidently pushing his fingers into her hair, he deftly swept it up and twisted until he was able to tuck in the locks to form a loose bun. Having a man's hands in her hair wasn't something that Amanda experienced very often, in fact, she couldn't recall the last time it had happened but, then again, as she stood there having her scalp caressed by strong fingers, she would have been hard pressed to remember her own home address.

  "That's it."

  The contact ended all too quickly after a last stroke of his palms over her head, smoothing down her new hairstyle.

  "Are you happy for your hair to be twisted?"

  She managed a breathy 'yes' when he leaned to her side to look at her face. Looking deep into his eyes, she almost implored him to kiss her, to put his fingers back into her hair and hold her to him in a passionate embrace. However, he failed to read her signal and lightly trailed his fingers across her back to find the strip of leather by touch alone.

  When he found it, he broke the hold she hoped she had over him simply by fixing her eyes on him, turning away to adjust the length of smooth black leather.

  At that moment, she would have liked to have her hands free just to be able to grab him, touch him, feel whether he 54

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  by Shermaine Williams

  was as turned on as she was. He didn't give her the opportunity as he didn't make a move to release her and she didn't ask.

  If she requested to be released, he would only be disappointed and she didn't want that. Accordingly, though her sodden vulva pulsed with a demand for attention, she remained silent.