Rules Of Our Own (Rule Breaker Series Book 3)

AS HIS WORDS wash over me, I feel a warmth in my chest and a wave of relief that he hasn’t come here with someone else.

The room’s dimly lit, but I can still make out the surrounding details. The mirror in front of me bounces off the one behind us for an almost panoramic view. A surge of anticipation shoots through me. Despite my unease, there’s something deeply exciting—and slightly terrifying—about being in this moment.

I’m really doing this.

River runs a knuckle over my cheek, caressing me gently, and smiles down at me. “I’ve got you.”

I instantly relax, all the tension leaving my shoulders because there’s no doubt in my mind that this man will take care of me. That I can trust him to make this good for me.

I nod. “I know you do.”

The side of his mouth curls in a playful grin. “I may have practiced a few knots on Alex’s wrists.”

I choke on a laugh. “How did he not know?”

He shrugs. “He wasn’t ready.”

Lifting a brow, I ask, “He’s ready now though?”

River nods, a flush of pink over his cheeks, and his voice comes out raspy. “Yeah, he is.”

I look around, spotting Violet sitting in a black chair ten feet away. My palms grow sweaty, and I wipe them on my dress. “What happens now?”

She gestures toward River. “Mr. Davis has been training in the art of Shibari for over a year now. He’s practiced several rope patterns using one of our body forms designed for this purpose. He requested the space to be able to perform the knots on you with me as a safety check since this will be the first time with a live participant. River will lead you throughout. Just pretend I’m not here.”

My breaths are shallow, my muscles tingling in anticipation as I take the first steps toward River. Time seems to stand still, and all sound fades away as our eyes connect.

“Do you want to continue?” he asks, so casually I feel confident he’d be completely fine if we left, but the last thing on my mind is leaving. I want to know what it feels like to have this man take complete control over me.

“I want to stay,” I rasp, and he gives me a dark smile that makes a million promises that I know he’ll keep. Warmth pools in my lower stomach, and I rub my thighs together against the growing ache.

“Perfect, Love.” River’s voice drops to a deep, rumbly command that has shivers running up my spine. “Color?”

My body buzzes with anticipation. “Green.”

“That’s my girl,” he says and walks behind me, lifting my hair off my neck. He kneads his fingers, massaging my head, and a soft gasp escapes me. He combs through my hair in slow, deliberate motions, carefully untangling the ends.

“That’s nice,” I hum, unable to look away from his intense dark eyes looking back at me in the mirror. My skin feels electric as his fingertips graze the sensitive spot behind my ear. His tall frame looms behind me, and I feel my heart flutter in response. He leans closer, as if to make sure he has my full attention, and wraps my hair around his fist, placing a gentle kiss against the nape of my neck.

“Your hair needs to be up to continue,” he explains calmly.

I check my wrists for the tie I had at work, but I must have left it there. Shit. I go to tell him, but my mouth drops open when he pulls a small elastic from his pocket.

He parts my hair in neat sections, and my heart skips when he starts french braiding from the tops. A shiver travels down my neck as his nail grazes me when he lifts a new section. He speaks low, close to my ear. “It’s to protect your hair from getting twisted in the ropes.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

He sounds so matter-of-fact, but a quick glance in the mirror shows his eyes are hooded and his chest is rising rapidly.

The action is so intimate my chest squeezes. “Where did you learn how to do this?”

He gives me a lazy smile that goes straight to my core. “YouTube.”

An unlikely image of him practicing braids on Alex has a laugh bubbling from my throat. He gives a firm tug on my hair, and I inhale sharply, focusing my attention back on River.

River takes care of wrapping an elastic around the end and tucks it under itself. He cups the back of my neck, giving it a light squeeze. His fingers trail along my shoulder and collarbone, keeping even pressure as he steps around to face me. “This technique uses three ropes. You’ll feel pressure, but it shouldn’t pinch.”

There’s motion in the corner, and I spot Violet. I forgot about her. I swallow hard, fingers grazing the hem of my dress. There’s a hum under my skin, but for the first time tonight, it’s not comfortable.

River uncurls my fingers and holds my palms in his hands before wrapping them around my back. “Fold them behind you and cup your opposite elbow.” His tone drips with dominance, sending heat to my core, and I comply.

“I don’t have to be naked?” I ask.

“Not this time,” he says, his voice full of future promises, and I wet my lips.

“Okay,” I breathe out, cupping my elbows behind me.

River grabs three ropes from a nearby table. They’re made of twisted red fiber, and if I had to guess, I’d say it’s a half inch thick. He slowly trails the end down my neck and follows the neckline of my dress. The baby-soft fabric sends tingles where it touches, and I struggle to inhale. I thought it would be rough, some kind of coarse material, but this is almost luscious in how it feels against my sensitive skin.

“Color?” River checks in.

“Green!” I say a little too excitedly, and it pulls a chuckle from River.

“Good, Love.” He rounds behind me and meets my stare in the mirror’s reflection, then reaches forward, banding the rope a few inches below my shoulders. He’s folded it in half so it’s double stacked and lays it flat against my chest. His rough fingers graze the exposed skin above my neckline as he straightens it, then ties it in a knot behind me.

“Watch in the mirror. See how good you stand still for me.” River drags a finger underneath, checking the tension, and heat floods my core at his gentleness. It’s tight enough to feel snug but not to the point that it restricts my breathing.

I look at the mirror but can’t look away from him. River looks like the devil himself, dressed in all black. Strands of his hair fall in front of his eyes, shading them from me, and I twitch to brush them out of the way. My mouth waters, watching his muscles shift in his forearms as he ties me up.

The next step is a matching red band of ropes just above my elbows, this one pulling a little tighter, forcing my arms back. His knot cinches me in place until I feel a gentle bite against my skin, and I sink into the loss of control. I’m trussed up, immobile, and a thrill runs through me at being completely at his mercy.

River steps around me, fingers grazing my hip, before tilting my chin up and running another rope over my lips, causing my mouth to drop open before he trails it down my neck. The nerves come alive at his touch, and goose bumps follow in its wake. He wraps the rope around my arms and chest in a complicated pattern, forming a perfect harness that ties in the front.

River steps back, eyes blown wide, and a growl rumbles in his throat. “You look so fucking good tied up.”

Liquid pools between my thighs at his praise.

“You’re being so fucking good. My perfect girl.” He hooks a glossy black carabiner on the ropes banding my chest and threads a thicker strand through it before attaching it to the ceiling. He gives it a light tug, and the pulley system lifts me onto my toes before he lets me down.

Anticipation flashes through me, but he doesn’t lift me back up, instead turning toward the teacher and gesturing her over. “Ready.”

Violet takes her time, checking each knot, running her fingers underneath to check the tightness before stepping back and smiling. “Perfect.”

River cups my cheek. “Yes, she is.”

“Alright, don’t forget to lock up on your way out,” Violet says, then slides out the door, leaving us alone.

“Where’s she going?” I ask, still looking at where the door shut moments ago.

He’s closer now, breath hot on my lips. “I rented the space for the night.”

Heat and shock course through me. “Holy crap. How much was that?”

A sly grin pulls at the corner of his mouth. “Enough.”

He pulls effortlessly on the rope attached to the ceiling and raises my body so that only my toes barely touch the ground. The sudden sensation of being weightless makes me tingle with exhilaration.

I expected it to feel uncomfortable, but the intricate pattern he’s created disburses my weight, eliminating any pressure points, allowing me to rest against his holds.

River’s serious as he double-checks his work, then looks at me.

There’s a fire burning from below my navel, traveling through my limbs and pulsing in my core. I need him to touch me, and I need it right now. “Green. So freaking green.”

His mouth meets mine in a leisurely kiss like he has all the time in the world and I’m not hanging, soaking through my panties. He’s not going to be hurried. He’s in complete control.

“Please, River,” I beg, and his eyes flash.

“I love it when you beg. Say it again.”

“Please,” I keen, and he groans in response.

“That’s my girl.” He drops to his knees and drags his callused hands up the outside of my thighs, pushing my dress up with them. He buries his nose against my clit and takes a deep breath through the thin fabric before humming in his throat.

His intense gaze meets mine as he tucks the hem of my dress under the bottom rope, leaving me bare from the waist down, in nothing but my black lace panties.

“Fuck, Love,” he growls, and a shiver rolls through me as he starts to come apart. He snaps my underwear at the seams, ignoring my sound of protest, then flattens his tongue over my clit, circling the sensitive spot before speaking against me. “You taste so fucking good.”

I moan as he slides his hands up my thighs and gently lifts my right leg, draping it over his shoulder. His tongue darts in and out of my depths with slow thrusts, exploring every inch before settling on my clit and teasing it with circles and flicks. With each touch of his tongue, I shudder until I’m nothing but a bundle of nerves begging for more. “I’m close. So close.”

River sinks a finger into me, and I immediately clench around him, but it’s not enough. “More…River…please.”

He slides out, adding a second finger, then scissors them, hitting the sensitive spot on my front wall. I hiss through my teeth, my orgasm building with each thrust. Incoherent sounds escape my mouth, a mix of pleading and desperation.

He bites my clit, and sparks skate under my skin, lighting me up. The mix of pain and pleasure sends me hurtling over the edge of my release.

I sag in the ropes, head falling forward, unable to hold myself steady.

River stands, immediately lowering me to my feet, and unwraps me in controlled, practiced motions. When the last rope is released, he rubs his hands up and down my arms, helping return the circulation. “You did so well, Love.”

I sway, and he holds me steady with one hand around my back. He drops his forehead on mine. His chest heaves, and his uneven breaths brush against my mouth. “How are you?”

I give him a loopy smile. “Wonderful.”

He pulls back, matching my smile. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

He kisses along my neck and shoulders, still marked by the ropes. “For this.”

My hands free, I run them up his chest and tug him against me. “Anytime you want to tie me up and give me a mind-blowing orgasm, just let me know.”

He huffs out a breath, thumb trailing over my shoulder. “We’re not done.”

I quirk a brow. “No?”

“Not even close.”

He slowly tugs my dress up my body, his gaze darkening with each inch of exposed skin. His hands move to the fastenings of my bra, unclasping it and pulling it off in one swift motion before taking my right nipple into his mouth and suckling gently. I arch into the sensation and moan softly as his deep humming reverberates against my chest.

“Fuck,” he growls, a dark edge to it. “I can’t be slow.” He searches my face. “I need to fuck you right now.”

“Yes, green. Whatever, please.” Words tumble from my mouth, and he guides my back against the wall. Buttons pop and clatter on the floor as he struggles to get his shirt off fast enough. He shoves his pants down and the second he’s naked, he has my legs wrapped around his waist and his cock notched against my entrance.

He enters me in one fluid thrust, and I have to breathe through the burn as my body works to accommodate him. He buries his hand in my hair, loosening the braid, and pulls my head back, exposing my neck to his bruising kisses as his cock slams into me mercilessly. There’s no hint of my controlled dominant River—he’s completely lost in the moment, and I dig my nails into his shoulders, encouraging him.

“Fuck.” River groans against my neck, thrusts turning jerky as he chases his release.

I reach around him and trail my finger down his spine, through the crack of his ass, and he growls low in his throat, bucking into me as he fills me with his hot cum.

He holds me in place, breathing hard against my neck as he catches his bearings. He trails open-mouth kisses over the sensitive spots he left and slowly lets my feet descend to the floor.

River runs his thumbs along my jaw, stopping at my temples, and curls his fingers around the back of my neck. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

My heart swells, and I can feel three words pressing at my throat to escape, but he’s already backing up, letting the cool air come between us.

There’s no lying to myself. I’m in love with both of them.