“I’ve decided I want the small strip removed.”
She opened her mouth then closed it without saying anything else.
“You really are learning.”
He waited patiently while she finished her front side. She turned away, and he held up her hair while she did her shoulders.
“I’ll help with your pussy,” he said. He skipped the soap and used only his hand, sliding between her labia lips, easing back the hood of her clitoris. He cupped a handful of water and used it to rinse her, front and back. Then he eased the tip of his forefinger into her ass.
She tightened up and he withdrew.
“That will be part of our play,” he told her.
“Now?” she asked. “In the shower?”
“Later.”
“Part of testing me?”
“If you want to call it that. It pleases me.”
“It freaks me out.”
“Then we’ll talk about it first. And you always have a safe word.”
“Cream pie.”
“You can’t safe word more than twelve hours in advance,” he said against her ear.
“I was afraid of that.”
“Can’t blame you for trying.” He nipped her ear.
She went rigid for a second, then melted into him.
“This is how it was always supposed to have been,” he said.
“Mostly, it was.”
“Yeah.” He remembered.
He inserted his finger up her rectum as far as the first knuckle. This time, she caught her breath, but she didn’t protest.
“How’s that?”
“Not as bad as the first time.”
He washed his hands then turned off the faucet. “Wait there.” He opened the glass door, stepped out and grabbed a towel. He returned with it and draped it around her.
“You always took good care of me.”
“I always would have.”
Her small smile froze then fractured.
He turned away and dried himself off.
“For the rest of the night,” she said, “can we forget the past?”
“It defines who we are.”
“I agree. So why not see how we interact now?”
He nodded and offered his hand. “Pretend it’s an olive branch.”
She accepted.
“Julien had my toy bag delivered.”
“Oh?”
“Drop the towel and choose three different items.” He pointed to the closet.
She retrieved the bag and put it on the bed. The only sounds in the room were the hum of the air conditioner, the husk of the bag’s zipper and her soft sighs.
Sarah Lovett had definitely evolved. Whether they were going to talk about the past or not, there was no doubt that she was much more confident. He liked the changes, he had to admit. And a traitorous part of him wondered if she would have had the same realizations if she hadn’t found her own way.
The first thing she selected was a wooden paddle. “That’s brave.” When he’d looked through the contents earlier, he’d seen a milder, leather one. “Surprising choice.”
“I figured you wanted me to remember it.”
She placed the hood alongside it.
Finally, she selected soft handcuffs.
“You can put those back. Nothing that prevents you from getting up and leaving.”
Her head snapped back as if he’d smacked her. “Just for tonight,” Sarah reminded him.
The hurt in her eyes would have convinced him, even if her words hadn’t. “In that case, hand them to me.”
He accepted the cuffs. After grabbing a length of nylon rope from the bag, he walked around to the far side of the bed. He lifted the box spring and looped the rope around the metal frame. Then he tied the rope to the cuffs.
“Great improvisation, Sir.”
“Lie on your stomach. Reach across the mattress. But keep your feet flat on the floor.”
He made a couple of adjustments as he secured her wrists. “Pull on them,” he said.
She tested the restraints.
“Perfect,” he said. He took a step back and looked at her. “You look beautiful, Sarah.”
She squirmed.
“Say thank you.”
“Thank you, Sir,” she repeated.
“Spread your legs farther apart.”
“That’s a bit terrifying,” she said, but she complied.
“Not to worry. I won’t hit your pussy with the paddle.”
She pulled on the restraints. “Was that meant to be comforting or reassuring?”
“Not at all.”
“Well, it wasn’t,” she said.
“Turn your toes inward.”
“Sir?”
He nudged her feet, and she understood what he meant. The position left her a bit more vulnerable. “I love the way you look. Your butt thrust up, the gorgeous view of your pussy.” He fingered her, teasing until he felt her grow moist. Then she began to move. “Keep still. I’m not going to get you off.”
“Ah… What if I can’t help it?”
“You can. Focus on anything but my touch.” He inserted a finger inside her.
“I don’t think you know what you’re asking from me, Sir.”
“I do. You’re beyond the easy stuff. Think about pleasing me.” He pressed a finger against her G-spot, and she rose onto the balls of her feet. “Stay in position like a good girl.” He placed the palm of his free hand on the small of her back and forced her back down.
She made soft, mewling sounds. Despite his command, she was unable to stay still. He relented, withdrawing his finger.
“Sir!”
At one time, he’d known her body well. But now she was even more responsive. How was it possible to want her more now than he had two years ago?
He moved away from her. She swayed her hips then let her body sink deeper into the mattress.
“You had an orgasm in the shower, and, if I’m not mistaken, you gave yourself one before dinner.”
She mumbled something he couldn’t make out.
“Repeat that?”
When she didn’t respond, he asked a second time.
“I’m not sure if I should.”
Intrigued, he said, “I insist.”
“I’m acting like the greedy sub you accuse me of being. I want you to give me an orgasm, Sir.”
“In good time,” he promised.
“And I want it now.”
“You’ll get it when I choose, delicious sub,” he said.
“I was afraid of that.”
“It will be more powerful if you wait.”
“I was afraid you’d say that, too.”
He walked around to the far side of the bed and squatted in front of her. “Breathe,” he instructed.
She lifted her head a bit. “Do you know how difficult that is when all I can see is your cock?”
With a grin, he stroked her hair. Then he stood.
“Oh, good. Now it’s only an inch from my mouth.”
“Waiting is good for the soul.”
“So you keep saying.” She dropped her head back onto the mattress.
“How are the bonds? Circulation?”
“I’m fine. Honestly.”
As if she’d said them, he heard her unspoken words.
Get on with it.
“At my leisure, Sarah.”
She didn’t respond.
Reece ran his fingers over her shoulders and down her arms, checking her muscles. Ascertaining that she really was all right, he went back to the other side of the bed. “Keep your head down,” he said.
“I think you’ve got a diabolical streak.”
“Or two.”
He picked up the hood and returned to her. As gently as possible, he dug his fingers in her hair and lifted her head so that he could look into her eyes, giving her nowhere to hide. “I know this was always a struggle for you, but you added it to the bag, and you chose it.”
“This is part of that diabolical streak, isn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “It is.”
Her smile touched a place inside him that he had thought long dead.
“You can safe word, and I won’t hold it against you.”
“Put it on me, Sir.”
He nodded and released his grip. “Turn your head to the side so I can figure out how to do this without getting your hair all over the place.”
It took a couple of adjustments, but he finally managed to situate it properly. “How’s that?”
“Hot. Not like in sexy.”
“It’s hot like in sexy, as well,” he said. And it was. Her trust was the ultimate aphrodisiac. “You can breathe okay?”
“Yes.”
“If you’re uncomfortable in any way or need a rest, use the word yellow.” He walked around, looking at her from every angle.
Obviously aware of his scrutiny, she shifted.
“I want to watch you for a minute.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Her words were softened by the mask.
In silence, he continued to regard her. At one time, she would have fidgeted, said something humorous or made some noises. But she kept still.
“You’ve got a small welt,” he said, “here.” He took a step toward her and traced a faint mark on her skin. He was Dom enough to enjoy the sight left by his flogger.
“I saw it earlier,” she said. “I was hoping for others to match it.”
“If anything, the paddle will leave a bruise.”
“I’m not picky, Sir.” After thirty seconds, she exhaled deeply, and her body went slack.
“Very nice.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Because the bed was king-sized, her body was on perfect display. Her sun-kissed hair pooled around her shoulders. Her ass was upturned, waiting. She was managing to keep her toes in place, pointing toward each other.
He picked up the paddle and pressed it against her buttocks.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“What was the transgression, sub?”
“I lied about not being a strong swimmer.”
“And you did so wilfully.”
“Gleefully,” she said.
He grinned. There’d been a reason he’d missed her so badly. Her honesty, her sassiness.
“So how many do you deserve?”
“Three should be sufficient for me to learn my lesson.”
“Three?” he echoed.
“Okay, fine. Five, Sir. Ten from that thing would kill me.”
“Ten it is,” he said, knowing full well that was what she wanted.
He laid the paddle lengthwise down her spine so that she would be aware of its heft.
Then he vigorously rubbed her upper thighs and buttocks. She struggled to stay in position, and her tiny sounds made him anxious to get on with claiming her. “Ready?”
“Probably not,” she admitted.
He picked up the paddle and gave it a couple of practice swings. To prepare her, to scare her, he hit the mattress.
She yelped.
“I didn’t touch you.”
“Mean, Sir.”
He grinned. “How many did we agree on?”
“Ten, S—”
Before she’d finished speaking, he caught her beneath the buttock and lifted her onto her toes.
“Wow.”
Since he’d landed the wood precisely, blazing both thighs, she remained in position. “Wow?”
“Ouch. But a good ouch.”
This time, he hit her right buttock. She reacted by moving left, so he immediately placed the third on her other cheek. “Return to neutral,” he told her.
After a deep breath, she followed his instruction.
Her skin blazed red from his punishment. Even though he’d recently ejaculated, he was becoming aroused. “Where would you like the next one?”
It took her a moment to respond, as if she were considering her answer. “Wherever you say.”
“Tell me what you want.”
“Beneath my buttocks, Sir.”
She tensed in expectation, so he paddled her right in the middle of her curvy ass.
“Sir!”
Immediately he spanked her where she’d requested.
“Thank you.” Her body went limp.
“Halfway there,” he told her. “Do you need to rest or use your safe word?”
“No, Sir.”
The first time he’d spanked her, she’d taken four or five breaks. This courage and commitment astounded him.
He ran a finger between her legs. She responded by wriggling toward him. His lightest touch made her wet. The musky scent of her arousal hung on the air.
Again, he whacked the mattress. While she whimpered, he gave her another uppercut, directly above the previous one.
A light sheen of dew appeared on her skin. Crimson lines marred her behind.
He delivered his seventh stroke below the fifth. He finished her off, alternating between high and low until her entire butt blazed from his wooden paddle.
She was panting and thrashing by the time he was done.
“I’m going to fuck you.”
“Please.”
He tossed aside the paddle and grabbed a condom from the toy bag. According to the package, it was ultra-thin, for her pleasure. His, too. “I’m going to put a pillow beneath your stomach.”
As much as she could, she moved to help him.
The sight of her, pussy moist and ready for him, skin dewy, wrists secured by his cuffs, hair in passionate disarray and head obscured by the hood, made his cock throb. He pressed a thumb against her clit.
She groaned. “You know what you’re doing, don’t you, Sir?”
He positioned his cockhead at her entrance.
“Please don’t make me wait any longer.”
Holding her waist, he pulled her back as he thrust inside her.
She expelled a deep breath.
Her fit was familiar, perfect.
“Fuck me. Fuck me, fuck me,
fuck me
,” she begged, wriggling backwards to meet him.
“Do that some more.”
It couldn’t have been easy with the way he held her, the restraints and the angle of her feet, but she moved her hips, seeking him out, urging him deeper.
He bent his knees for leverage then surged up.
She cried out.
Her sounds drove him on. He thrust hard, giving her everything he had, imprisoning her, claiming her. “Come for me, Sarah.”
“Thank you.”
Her foot slipped as she sought purchase. He worked one arm between her and the pillow to give her extra support. Then he moistened a finger and worked it into her ass.
She hissed.
“That’s it. Give me your orgasm. Give it to me.” He fucked her pussy and moved his finger.
“Overwhelming.”
“Give it to me,” he demanded.
She bucked against him.
He moved his forearm slightly to change the angle of her hips. Her internal muscles clenched, milking his cock. His balls drew up in response. Holding back his orgasm while he concentrated on hers became a struggle.
“Now, Sarah.
Now.”
With a scream, she shuddered and thrashed before going limp. But he wasn’t done with her. He changed positions so that he could play with her clit.
“What are you doing?”