by Kitty Thomas
“What about the branding part?” Claire asked, holding back the shudder. Ari had explained it all to her and had reassured her it wasn't the horror show she imagined, but that was easy for him to say. He wasn't the one getting branded.
“It won't hurt like you're thinking,” Saskia said. “I mean it'll hurt, and you'll be really sore while it heals, but it's not going to feel like a burn. With strike branding, the iron gets heated at a very high temperature. It burns off your nerve endings fast. So... it won't feel like a burn. It's not torture. It's a huge endorphin rush. And then if you take care of it properly, you'll have Ari's initial on your hip, forever. And I'll have Quill's. He's signing me with a Q,” she said sounding almost giddy.
“Have you been branded before?”
“No, but I've seen it done. Trust me. It will be okay. The part you need to be concerned about is the healing process. That's when most things go wrong if you don't take care of it properly. But we will.”
She sounded so reasonable. And Claire knew she was crazy for thinking it, but she was sure Ari would never intentionally harm her.
Kane's pet looked around at the room again. “You know Ari designed this house, right? If you ask me, he's just as great an artist as Quill. It's probably why they're friends. They get each other, I think.”
“Really? He designed all this?”
Saskia nodded. “He didn't tell you?”
“No.”
“I guess he wouldn't. How would he fit that into a conversation? 'By the way, I designed this glorious place myself.' He's kind of modest about his accomplishments.”
Perhaps she should have figured it out. He was an architect after all. And that beautiful table he'd made. It seemed so obvious now that no one but Ari could have designed this beautiful house.
There was another knock. Marcus poked his head in. “Hey love, are you two ready to do this?”
Saskia turned to Claire, a question in her gaze. Claire nodded.
“Yes, Sir,” Saskia said.
Claire was surprised when Saskia grabbed her hand and led her out of the room. The two of them walked in front with the men behind them, their hands clasped tightly together. In the dungeon all the lights along the wall had been turned on.
Claire scanned the room. A large bed had been pulled out closer to the center of the room. Near that was a St. Andrew's Cross which had a couple of white bathrobes draped over the center of the X. In one corner stood a large cylinder with two iron rods sticking out of it.
Claire shivered—an ironic reaction to that much heat. In the very center of the room, under a couple of small spotlights recessed into the ceiling were two spanking horses positioned side-by-side only a few feet apart. Marcus sat in a chair near the bed. As if on cue, he sat in one of the chairs near the bed.
“Ladies, time to undress,” Ari said, already peeling off his jeans and tossing them to the floor.
Claire caught Saskia giving him an appreciative once over. She winked, and Ari laughed. The others removed their T-shirts and jeans and shoes without another word. Nobody had worn underwear. And neither Saskia nor Claire had worn a bra.
“Girls, kneel on the bed facing each other. We want you to kiss and touch. Get to know one another,” Kane said.
Claire looked to Ari, and he just nodded. He and Kane had obviously planned every element of the night. The arousal slowly began to take over her nerves as she realized that the first thing both of their masters wanted was to watch them make out.
“Men are so predictable,” Saskia said, echoing Claire's thoughts.
“Watch that sassy mouth,” Kane said.
A small flash of fear crossed Saskia's face. “Yes, Master.”
Claire felt awkward and strange. She'd never done anything with another woman before. But Saskia obviously had. The other woman pulled her up on the bed with her without any hesitation. They knelt in the center, and a moment later Saskia's soft warm mouth was on Claire's.
She let out a gasp of surprise at how different and yet the same it was. Saskia kissed across her cheek and licked the shell of her ear, eliciting another shiver.
“Let's give them a good show,” Saskia whispered. “Ari loves this.”
Claire's gaze shifted to Ari's intense blue eyes. Then she panned down to his already hardened cock. She glanced over to find Kane in a similar state of intensity and arousal. And Marcus, sitting, watching. He'd already unbuttoned his pants, freeing his cock.
Saskia pulled Claire's focus back to her, her tongue pushing its way inside Claire's mouth. Saskia's hands began to stroke Claire's breasts, and she tentatively reached out to touch the other woman's ass.
Their kisses and fondling became more heated until they forgot the men watching them. All at once Claire wasn't putting on a show. She was intensely engaged in making out with Saskia.
“I think they like each other,” Kane said. “We could just leave them alone. They don't need us.”
Saskia giggled against Claire's mouth. But then the two men were on the bed behind them. Ari pulled her mouth from Saskia's while Kane pulled Saskia from Claire. Soft feminine kisses were replaced with hard, demanding masculine kisses. Whereas Saskia's mouth had been an invitation, Ari's was a demand.
Claire jumped when she felt a hand between her legs. Fingers coated with arousal cream rubbed over her folds and into her clit, then dipped inside her pussy. But both of Ari's hands were occupied: one hand at the back of her neck holding her in place for his kiss and the other cupping her breast. It was Kane applying the cream.
Ari broke his kiss with Claire and pulled Saskia away from the others. He took the tube from Kane and began to spread the cream on Saskia. Claire watched as the other woman fell back into Ari's arms, spreading her legs wide, open, uninhibited, moaning with pleasure as Ari's fingers slipped inside her pussy.
“Are you ready to be fucked?” Ari asked her.
“Yes, Sir,” Saskia breathed.
“What about you, Claire?” Kane asked.
“Y-yes, Sir.”
“Kiss each other again,” Kane demanded.
Saskia reached for Claire, their mouths joining once again. Ari pushed Saskia's body against Claire's, as Kane boxed her in from behind. The two men fondled their asses, pushing them closer against each other until their pussies touched. They tried to grind against each other, but they couldn't get the right angle.
Both men chuckled. Claire glanced over to find Marcus wasn't laughing. He was too busy fisting his erect cock in his hand, pumping harder and harder, his eyes locking with Claire's. She was sure he would have been looking at Saskia if she wasn't facing away from him.
Claire gasped as Kane pressed a finger inside her ass. She rocked between him and Saskia, her eyes meeting Ari's. Saskia let out a whimper, and Claire wondered if he was fingering her ass like Kane was Claire's.
Then the cream started to kick in, and both she and Saskia became more frenzied.
“Please, Master,” Saskia whimpered, catching Kane's gaze over Claire's shoulder.
He only chuckled again. Both he and Ari urged the two to continue kissing and groping, not letting either of them get off... Until finally Ari pulled Saskia off the bed, and Kane took Claire.
The men led them over to the spanking horses on shaky legs and made them each straddle one of them. The men secured them down and blindfolded them.
“You don't get to know which one of us is doing what,” Ari said. “Right now we both own both of you, is that clear girls?”
“Yes, Master,” they answered together.
“Good girls,” Kane said.
Claire jumped at the sound of a hard slap against an ass. She heard Saskia's surprised gasp which turned quickly into a moan. Then there was another hard smack.
“Stop trying to get off,” Ari said.
Was Ari the one spanking Saskia?
A hand cupped and stroked over Claire's ass. A hard smack caused her to yelp. The hand was followed by a paddle smacking each of her ass cheeks hard in turn. Was it Kane
or was it Ari? Where was Marcus?
There were several chairs around the room. Maybe Marcus had chosen a closer seat since they'd left the bed. Or maybe he stood in front of them or between them.
Claire heard moaning and sucking sounds—Saskia sucking someone's cock. But neither man gave anything away. A few moments later, the same cock, wet from Saskia's attentions was thrusting in Claire's mouth. A hand gripped her hair pushing her down on his cock.
Her pussy throbbed, hungry to be filled. As if to answer that need, someone thrust inside her. Whoever it was let out a groan of pleasure and gripped her hips, pounding into her. She moaned around the cock in her mouth as her pleasure mounted higher.
Then she heard another sucking sound. Someone was fucking Saskia's mouth. So Marcus must be in play. Not only could Claire not tell who was fucking her cunt and who was fucking her mouth, but there were three possibilities now. She was sure it wouldn't be Marcus. Though the idea didn't trouble her like she thought it should. She was too turned on for that.
A hand landed hard on her ass as if whoever it was watched her and knew she was thinking too much.
“Be a good little whore and come for me.” It was Kane. She was so close. He drove into her harder until she moaned around the cock still in her mouth and came. Kane came a moment later inside her. Then whoever was inside her mouth came down her throat, his hand stroking the side of her face.
“Good girl,” Ari said.
Both men pulled out of her. Then four hands were on her, stroking her back, her hair, her ass. Soothing gentle caresses. The blindfold was removed as she finished coming down from her orgasm.
She could see Saskia now, still blindfolded, Marcus thrusting into her mouth. Ari and Kane both started to stroke her, fingering her pussy and her asshole while she moaned and jerked.
“Yes, come like a good whore,” Kane said, clearly his favorite phrase in the world to say.
But those words unmade her, causing her to buck and writhe, her panting breathes coming harder and harder around Marcus's cock. He groaned and came down her throat, then his cock slipped from her mouth.
Saskia screamed as Ari thrust inside her, already hard and ready again. Kane was next to her ear. “Good girl,” he whispered. “Finish for us now. Claire is watching.”
That seemed to excite her even more. She screamed out her release, panting and gripping the sides of the leather. Kane patted her on the back as though she were a puppy who'd performed an adequate trick.
Then Saskia's blindfold was removed as well.
“Are you both ready to be branded?” Kane asked.
“Yes, Master,” they both replied, dutifully.
Though Saskia seemed far more sure than Claire felt. Claire had decided it wasn't the mark that upset her. The idea of wearing Ari's permanent mark on her skin made her feel warm inside. It was the fear about the pain. The fear she couldn't handle it. The fear it might cause a flashback and then this moment would be forever marred by the past.
“Good girls,” Ari said. “This is how it goes... it'll be five seconds. It will hurt. But once the nerve endings are destroyed it won't hurt anymore. Except for soreness while it heals. Claire, are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yes, Master.” Was she okay?
“Saskia?” Kane asked.
“Yes, Master.”
“Good,” Ari said. “As soon as it's over, we'll take care of the injury.”
Claire watched as both men one at a time stepped into the attached bathroom to wash their hands. Then each in turn took surgical gloves from a disposable cardboard box and put them on.
Saskia reached out and grabbed Claire's hand and squeezed reassuringly.
“How's the temperature?” Ari asked.
Kane stood behind them near the branding irons. “It's ready.”
Ari joined him. Claire could hear the irons being pulled out, the terrifying grating sound as they clanged against each other.
“Deep breath, girls,” Kane said when they'd returned. Kane stood behind Saskia, Ari, behind Claire.
Claire and Saskia both screamed when the searing irons pressed against their hips. Claire gripped Saskia's hand tighter. She lost her breath for a moment and thought she would faint, except somehow the smell of burning flesh called her back as the thought floated dimly in her mind... I should have fought. I should have begged him not to do this.
“Five... four... three... two... one...” the two men said together. Then the iron was removed. The pain of only moments before was gone. The skin around Claire's brand felt tight. Her breathing had returned to normal, and soon a sort of elated high felt as though it were claiming her. Saskia let go of her hand and let out a long slow breath of her own.
Claire closed her eyes, tears she hadn't realized she'd been crying moving down her cheeks as Ari smoothed a salve into his mark while Kane took care of Saskia. Marcus came up then with plastic wrap. Both Ari and Kane took some off the roll. Ari pressed a piece of plastic over the brand. Claire let out a relieved sigh even as she felt not quite fully inside her own body as the endorphin rush flooded her.
Ari leaned forward and pressed a kiss against her shoulder. “All done. You did great,” he said.
Ari and Kane released the girls from their bindings. Ari picked Claire up and carried her back over to the bed, careful not to touch the brand. Kane laid Saskia next to her, then the two men climbed into the bed with them. Both Kane and Ari gently stroked the two women.
Claire felt somehow not quite real. She felt lost and like she couldn't make it back to the real world. But instead of the basement, she'd gone to a much better place—a place of safety and debauchery and pleasure sandwiched between two extremely attractive men, and a third one who sat watching.
“Come here, love,” Marcus said.
Claire watched as Saskia rose from the bed and joined him. She straddled him and he held her close, pressing kisses along her shoulder. He touched the brand lightly over the plastic wrap, and she winced.
“Hurts?” he asked.
She laughed. “Yes, Sir. Quill burnt the nerve endings off my hip. It's sore.”
“So I have to be gentle with you for a while then.”
Before she could respond, a loud bell rang, flooding into the room from a speaker in the ceiling. A doorbell. It rang incessantly, demandingly.
“Who in the fuck?” Ari growled. He untangled himself from Claire and got up, angrily jerking his jeans on.
The doorbell kept ringing. Aggressively. Endlessly.
“Motherfuck,” Ari cursed. “I'm going to kill whoever the fuck that is for interrupting this.” He stomped across the dungeon and up the stairs.
Kane got up and dressed as well. He picked up the terrycloth robes that had been draped over the St. Andrew's Cross.
He laid one across the bed for Claire. “You probably don't want to wear jeans until the brand heals. I would stick to loose cotton dresses. Did Ari get you any of those?”
She nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
He helped Saskia into the other robe.
“Who do you think it is? The police?” Claire asked.
Kane shook his head. “The police don't ring doorbells like that. I have my own suspicions. If I'm right, he might need backup.”
When all of them were reasonably dressed they went upstairs to find out what was going on. Claire could hear the shrieking well before she reached the front of the house.
“You've already replaced me with some whore?” a woman's voice shouted.
“Already? Holly, it's been going on a year,” Ari said. “We were done. You made that very clear. And I should have kicked your ass out before that if we've decided to settle finally on honesty between us.”
Ari and a woman with dark blonde hair stood in the kitchen.
“You are such a drama queen,” she said. “We weren't done. I told you I got a modeling contract. I had to take it. It was a huge opportunity for me. What? You wanted me to sit around here like a bored housewife and be your little fuck doll with no
ambitions of my own?”
Claire winced at that. Wasn't that her life now? And she'd happily gone along with it. For the longest time, her greatest ambition had been just to survive. And now it seemed to be orgasms, which made her feel self-conscious—like she wasn't aiming high enough in life.
“That is not what happened,” Ari said. “Paris obviously gave you a creative memory.”
“Whatever.” She looked up and saw them standing there. “Hey Saskia, still being a good obedient little slave for your pervert master? How many other men does he have to share you with before you realize he's just not that into you?”
“Are you still an insufferable brat?” Kane asked.
Saskia blazed across the floor and slapped Holly across the face. Before the blonde could react, Ari had restrained her. Holly, not Saskia.
“That's ENOUGH!” he said. “All you're doing is reinforcing the mutual decision to end this. Do you want to know what I think happened? I think Paris wasn't all you dreamed it would be. I think you saw the unappealing side of the work involved in modeling and that it isn't just about people catering to your whims all day. I think you realized what you lost and came crawling back. And it's too late. It was too late as soon as you walked out the door.”
Holly rolled her eyes. “Really? That's not what I heard. I heard you spent weeks moping. Drinking away your sorrows. Admit it baby, you missed me.” Her lips turned down into a pout that she'd no doubt used on him to get her way many times in the past.
Ari let go of her, and she spun around to face him. “You know what we had was hot. You like the fire. The struggle. Admit it. No matter what you say, you don't want some perfectly obedient pet who says Yes, Master and No, Master and never ever thinks to defy you. You want the passion of the struggle. What we had was hot and you know it.”
Was that true? Claire wondered. Did this woman present a challenge he liked? Claire couldn't defy him that way. It wasn't in her. All she wanted to do was please him. Was he going to get bored with that? Did he want a woman he had to overpower constantly? Did he need that sort of constant stimulation? Maybe that's all the branding was, not some sign of something permanent and secure, but him trying to raise the stakes.