My Body-His Marcello
My Body-His
(Marcello)
by
Blakely Bennett
SMASHWORDS EDITION
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PUBLISHED BY:
Fanny Press on Smashwords
My Body-His
(Marcello)
Copyright © 2013 by Blakely Bennett
Fanny Press
PO Box 70515
Seattle, WA 98127
For more information go to: www.fannypress.com
BlakelyBennett.fannypress.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
Cover design by Sabrina Sun
MY BODY-HIS Marcello
Copyright © 2013 by Blakely Bennett
ISBN: 978-1-60381-525-3 (Trade Paper)
ISBN: 978-1-60381-524-6 (eBook)
Produced in the United States of America
Smashwords Edition License Notes
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 you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
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For my parents—also great friends—who provided an environment where I had time to chase my passions and realize my dreams.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The hugest thank you goes to my husband who helped me stay grounded in the process of editing and expanding My Body-His (Marcello). His suggestions and hand-holding helped make this book (I hope) even more enjoyable than My Body-His.
Without Catherine Treadgold and Fanny Press this novel would not be a reality. Thank you!
So many friends and family members have offered support and encouragement as the My Body Trilogy has unfolded. Special thanks to Brenda S., one of my closest, dearest friends. She is not only an incredible listener but someone who inspires me to show my real self to the world. Brenda S., you are one of the most emotionally brave people I have ever met.
To some of my first readers and reviewers: Barbara, Kathe, Brenda L., Terry, Rakesh, Molly, Bookie Nookie, Shannon, Cate, AlexJouJou, Cara, Jo (S-D) and many more. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and praise!
Heartfelt thanks also go to Norm, Jeff, Jeremy, Orli (Brian), Sam, and Kevin for offering me emotional support on the days I needed it.
I am deeply grateful to Wayne and Barb, who helped me get my first book signing for MBH, and to Joy, who put in a good word for me elsewhere.
It always amazes my husband that I can write with the music blaring. I love the Alex Clare mix on Pandora, which I listened to while working on MBHM. Here are some of my favorite musicians and bands from that playlist:
Alex Clare (of course!)
Florence and the Machine
Foster the People
MGMT
Phoenix
Regina Spektor
Blue Foundation
Adele
Kings of Leon
La Roux
Passion Pit
The Verve
Plain White T’s
Feist
Sia
Flux Pavilion
Kate Nash
Jet
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
Some of the feedback I received from the first novel in the My Body Trilogy, My Body-His, compelled to me clarify a few matters for those about to embark on the second episode.
Although I did extensive research into the BDSM lifestyle, what I found there represented healthy dynamics and unhealthy ones as found in every type of relationship. I never set out to write a romance or to depict a healthy Dom/sub relationship. While the My Body Trilogy takes place within a branch of the BDSM subculture, Jane and Luke’s relationship is dysfunctional and the arc of the story is her journey through it to her ultimate self-empowerment.
There are those within the BDSM community who have taken issue because My Body-His depicts a total power exchange that Jane does not really want. I would argue that she chose it every step of the way and therefore it is consensual. This particular odyssey of self-exploration, sex, and submission was never intended to be a model for the lifestyle or a condemnation of BDSM.
Read the whole trilogy and you will see.
—Blakely
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CHAPTER ONE
Picking up the bouquet of gold roses left for me next to the couch, I imagined myself to be small enough that the flowers might hide my naked body from the crowd. My wavy brown hair had been tamed into two flower-woven French braids that joined together atop the rest of my flowing tresses.
I stared at my reflection in the window across from me. The few pounds I had put on since quitting my job and spending all my time at home with Luke had made me more voluptuous and curvy. Although I was naked, the golden sheen that coated my skin, the tuxedo cuffs encircling my wrists and ankles, and the jewelry adorning my throat and waist and dangling from my earlobes and nipples provided me some comfort. The new piercings, however, had left my nipples erect and throbbing.
It was a warm, cloudless evening in Hollywood, Florida, the perfect temperature for a wedding. But this was not the wedding of my dreams. Parading down the aisle naked was certainly not my preference, although I wanted to please my lover, Luke. My groom was fully clothed and as handsome as I’d ever seen him. The rest of the guests were dressed as well. This was the wedding he had staged for us, the one that would declare to everyone we knew that my body belonged to him. And I loved him so desperately that I was willing to follow wherever he might take me.
I, Jane—no longer plain Jane—anxiously passed through the open French doors and snaked my way around the tables. When I got to the steps that led down to the beach, I stopped. I could see everyone. Luke was waiting for me just inside the flower-covered gazebo next to the Justice of the Peace. Parker, my closest friend, stood nearby, along with an older, strikingly handsome gentleman.
Luke turned and caught my eye. His radiant smile and the loving expression in his luminous gray eyes took all my fears away. He looked striking and strong in his white linen suit and bright blue shirt, no shoes on his feet. I watched him rake his hands through his straight, sandy brown hair, smoothing it across his wide forehead, and away from his eyes. Seeing the love that illuminated his angular face, I knew that the rest of my life would not be spent alone. There was a place where I belonged.
As I marched carefully down the steps, everyone stood and rotated to face me. I kept my eyes locked on Luke. No one else existed for me. Just Luke and his love, guiding me safely home like a beacon on a foggy night. I progressed with ease toward the life I had chosen. No one understood it—not even me—but at that moment, it was the only life I craved.
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When Luke and I first met, I never would have predicted that our unconventional arrangement would lead to marriage. I couldn’t have imagined I would live with him after knowing him less than a week. She was not the Jane I had known prior to that crucial moment in my life, mere months earlier. I could never have pictured myself naked at my own wedding, adorned only with body paint and fresh nipple piercings. I had asked Sandy to be my maid of honor, but she couldn�
�t deal with my state of undress. No wonder. Sandy knew the old me better than anyone, and just how far I had traveled from my former self.
Other than my acute embarrassment at my own exposed condition, I had to admit that Luke had arranged a beautiful wedding behind our new beach house. Although he hadn’t warned me about the number of people I would have to face while naked. I’d briefly considered calling off the wedding when I saw the workmen setting up the chairs, now filled with ogling guests.
I peered over my shoulder one last time at our spacious new home, protected from the wind by sea grape bushes. It beautifully modeled the taste and comfort I loved. Not only did it provide a space for my writing, but it stood only a few blocks from where I usually ran along the beach. The huge bathroom featured a tub that comfortably accommodated both Luke and me and the kitchen had state-of-the-art stainless steel appliances and black granite countertops.
Luke had a much bigger office/studio for his photography equipment, bondage instruments, and the rack of discipline tools hanging on the wall. He used all the props for his photography and—when I transgressed—for my pain and pleasure.
I’d agreed to the rules he’d set, all seven of them. I remember the day he first told me his expectations. I could hear his deep, incisive voice telling me about the life I could have if I wanted to be with him, if I submitted to him.
“Number One—Your body is mine. You will no longer have control over your own pleasure. I will use your body as I see fit for your pleasure and mine. Number Two—Obey my instructions totally and completely and without question. You must follow them to the letter … nothing more … nothing less. Number Three—Always have your legs open to me. Number Four—When you are receiving discipline I expect you to be completely still. Number Five—You will not speak during a discipline session unless a direct question is asked of you. My favorite response is, ‘Yes, please.’ The exception to this rule is speaking the safe words.”
The second time we met he told me that if I wanted to get rid of him after that night, I could simply say, “Get lost, creep!” The safe words would stop any type of sex or discipline but it would also end our relationship. “Get lost, creep,” made me laugh so much I decided to use it for my safe word. Now that I was getting married, I was certain I would never have cause to use it.
Luke went on to explain the last two rules, “Number Six—You will be punished for questioning an order. If you don’t understand my command, that’s fine, but if you are trying to talk me out of an arrangement, then you will be punished. This refers back to rule two: Follow my directions totally and completely and without question. Number Seven—and my personal favorite—You will always be naked in our home. Clothes off at the front door.” Rule seven explained my lack of attire at our own wedding, despite my former dreams of an ivory gown with a long train.
Why I hadn’t immediately run the other way is still a mystery. When I’d unintentionally ended up at a sex party and met Luke, standing at his easel, I was in my thirties, independent and successfully employed in a secure and lucrative job in human resources. The party had been held at a mansion—one that belonged to him, although I hadn’t realized it at the time. He was wealthy, but I still wasn’t sure if the erotic photographs he offered on the Internet were responsible for his globe-trotting lifestyle. Although it bothered me that I was in the pics for sale on the Web—my ecstatic submission captured surreptitiously—I took some pride in those images as well. The other naked women that populated the photographs—and the personal album I’d found in his office—bothered me more.
Feeling so trapped in my day-to-day, boring existence, I had longed to experience a real connection. Luke had awakened me, although I hadn’t realized I’d been asleep. Boy, was I wide awake now. During the last few months I’d experienced every possible emotion: excitement, fright, bliss, euphoria, and dread. The scariest part had been giving up my job. Letting go of my apartment and car hadn’t been easy, either. Pursuing my dream of writing the great American novel was highly appealing, but letting go of all the security I had established for myself left me consternated. Love and lust was leading me on a strange path to an entirely new Jane.
The biggest traitor in all of this had to be my body. My body and mind were at odds over the right and wrong of things. Perversions I considered revolting in the past now had my juices flowing—like parading naked in front of a pack of strangers.
I took a deep breath and traveled forward into my new life as Luke’s wife.
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When I arrived next to Luke on the beach in front of the gazebo, he whispered, “You are ‘the one.’ ” He took the bouquet of flowers I was holding and gave them to Parker. Then he clasped my hands in his, filling me with his energy as the audience sat down.
Again my eyes were drawn briefly to the older, broodingly handsome man who stood next to Luke as I replied, “Yes, please,” and smiled.
Luke laughed as we pivoted to face the Justice of the Peace.
“Love and commitment have drawn Luke and Jane together. They have each pledged themselves to the other. Jane has pledged her body to Luke and Luke has pledged his love, safety and protection to Jane. They thank all of you for your attendance today.
“Lucas Hall, will you take Jane Jessica Stiles to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?”
“I do,” Luke said to me. His eyes captured mine.
“Jane Jessica Stiles, do you take Lucas Hall to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward until death do you part?”
“I do,” I said.
Luke placed the matching wedding band on my finger. It sat perfectly alongside my engagement ring.
“I now pronounce you man and wife. Congratulations.”
Luke pulled me to him, kissing me passionately.
I tried not to cry out but in a strained voice whispered, “My breasts.”
“Sorry, love,” he said softly back to me.
We circled around toward Parker, who had stepped forward to be my Maid of Honor when Sandy couldn’t handle my public nakedness. Parker stood tall and striking in her sky blue dress. Her short cropped hair and high cheekbones made her look more like a model than a corporate executive. She had an odd expression on her face. Catching my eye, she tilted her head to the side in the direction of my mother, who still sat in her seat in the front row. Everyone else had risen to follow us to the house.
Luke took my hand, leading me across the sand and up the stairs. We waited there while everyone came through one by one to congratulate us. I no longer had the luxury of avoiding direct contact with the crowd.
Unbeknownst to me, Luke had invited my ex-boss Brian. Brian had asked me out to a personal lunch after I’d shown up at work in a new sexy outfit Luke ordered me to wear. My mother still thought he was the one who got away. Pierce, from my old job, was also present. My face flushed in embarrassment as I recalled what I had done to him at Luke’s command. I had actually stalked into his office and given him a hand job so as not to be disciplined by the paddle with the holes I called the spatula. I couldn’t fathom why he had invited either of them.
I had done some pretty crazy things to please Luke. What else would be required of me? In the weeks leading up to the wedding, our life together had been almost normal. I hoped things would settle down now that I was his wife.
The embarrassment continued as Christian from Pandora’s Box strolled up with his date. I’d met him twice while frequenting his adult toy and clothing store at Luke’s direction. His casual attire and long brown curly hair, pulled away from his young face, made him more appealing than ever. He looked at me not as a married woman, but as someone he planned to touch again. I blushed as he passed by.
I met so many new people that their faces became a blur. The women averted their eyes but the men let their’s roam freely. I felt humiliated and yet my traitorous body flamed, stimulated and aroused.
“Jane, I’d like you to
meet Marcello, my best man,” Luke said as he patted the man on his shoulder and shook his hand.
“Magnifico. The pleasure is all mine,” Marcello said.
I recognized the deep voice from the night at the restaurant and blushed. After the most romantic of dinners, where I’d sat blindfolded and fed by Luke, he had led me into the kitchen of the restaurant then farther into the back. I did not resist as he bound my ankles to the front legs of a table and someone else tied my wrists to the other end so that my upper body stretched across the cold surface. I knew that I “owed” Luke for taking my pleasure into my own hands—something he’d expressly forbidden me to do without his permission. It really was his fault, because the things he’d asked me to do while he was away in Japan on business had stimulated me so much. Well, that punishment in the backroom of the restaurant had ensured I would never disobey him in that particular way again.
I could still hear Luke’s words: “Rule number one, Jane—Your body is mine.”
Blindfolded and dressed in what I could only imagine to be a very revealing getup, he’d whipped me in front of an audience that included Marcello and, I assumed, his employees. Mortified as I staggered back through the restaurant, I felt comforted by the blindfold, which hid my eyes.
That degradation is what I recalled on my wedding night when I was first introduced to Marcello.
His looks so contrasted with Luke’s. The first thing that struck me about my new husband was his strength and power, which emanated from his compact, sinewy body. Marcello was also well muscled, but what impressed me most was his sheer size. He was larger than life, standing several inches taller than Luke, with a massive chest and shoulders. No trace of fat, clearly. His thick black hair and trim mustache gave him an air of danger. He wore beige silk slacks and a Hawaiian style short-sleeved shirt. Unlike Luke, he had hair on his chest, and I wondered if it would be soft or coarse. His loafers looked expensive, as did his huge gold watch.