Slade addressed the crowd and took the paddle Nolan handed him, before he stepped away.
“Let’s begin.”
* * * *
Lindsey forced herself to carry on breathing. It was that or pass out, and that would never do. Master Slade’s deep voice warning her of his intention made her heart speed up even more. At least she didn’t have to look at them all while they took their wrath out on her behind. A familiar scent engulfed her, as she felt Master Slade flip up her skirt and pause.
He gave a short laugh and traced his fingers over Sir’s mark. She could hear the amusement in his voice when he spoke to Logan, whose muscular thighs now appeared in her vision.
“Nice work, Logan. Make her count, will you?”
Sir’s strong hands landed on her shoulders, and he used his thumbs to massage the part of her neck not encased by the stocks. He would be able to feel her terrified heartbeat, for sure.
“You heard him, little bird. Count the paddles and try to relax. Breathe. This will be so much easier on you if you carry on breathing. I’m right here, baby.”
Before she had any chance to respond, the first hard swat of the paddle took her breath away. Tears rose in her eyes as the pain spread through her butt. Logan’s grip on her shoulders tightened and she dutifully croaked the required number.
“One.”
“Good girl.”
Another just-as-hard swat followed to her other cheek, and this time she breathed out with the number.
“Two.”
It made the pain in her ass slightly easier to cope with while Slade continued to pummel her behind until she breathed ten.
Lindsey swallowed hard and blinked away her tears as Slade rubbed the abused flesh, and a waft of air told her that he’d stepped away.
“Well done, little bird. I’m very proud of you. Jonas is next.” Sir’s soothing drawl in her ear warned of what was to come and grounded her at the same time.
Jonas, too, ran his hand over her ass cheeks, briefly touched Sir’s mark and gave a short laugh.
“Very nice handiwork, there, Logan, though I for one would never forget she’s yours. Ready there, girl?”
“Answer Master Jonas, baby.” Sir’s voice snapped her back to attention, and she hastily complied.
“Yes, Sir. Thank you for punishing me.”
The soothing moves of Jonas’s hands on her butt stopped abruptly and he muttered something in Swedish, before the paddle made contact with her behind. Jonas put considerably less force behind each swat, and stopped when she’d counted to seven.
“There, that’s enough.” The tall, blond Dom briefly appeared in her vision as he crouched low in front of the stocks, and Sir stepped out the way to enable him to do so. She instantly missed Sir’s hands on her, but was pulled into the intensity of Master Jonas’s azure gaze as he cupped her cheek.
“Well, done, Lindsey.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Jonas gave her a brief smile, before he let her go and Sir’s hands were back on her.
“Brace yourself, baby. Scarlett is next.”
Sure enough, the unmistakable click-clack of Scarlett’s stiletto boots infiltrated her consciousness like cymbals of doom.
Scarlett raked her fingernails through the stinging flesh of her butt, and Lindsey bit her lip to stop herself from crying out loud.
Shit, that hurts.
“Scream if you need to, girl. I have no intention of making this easy for you. You deserve this.”
Sir’s hands on her shoulders tightened, and in the next instant, the paddle landed right across her butt cheeks. The force behind it pushed Lindsey further into the stocks, and Sir pushed back to help protect her neck.
Before she could even catch her breath, let alone count, the next hard swat came, this time right in the crease where her butt met her thighs, and Lindsey didn’t even try to hold in her scream. A swat to the exact same area on the other side prolonged that scream. In fact, Lindsey was pretty sure she didn’t stop screaming until Scarlett stopped paddling her.
“Dios, remind me never to piss you off, Scarlett.”
Pedro’s voice behind her did nothing to help reassure her, as she struggled to breathe through the waves of heat and pain radiating up from her ass.
“Pedro is next, little bird.” Sir’s voice had lost some of its usual confidence, and Lindsey panicked.
No, he can’t be worried. If he is, I’ll never survive this.
“Sir?” Lindsey winced at the hoarse squeak she managed to produce, but it wasn’t Logan who answered her, but Scarlett. Her long fingernails dug into Lindsey’s skin, and through her tears blurred vision, she could just about make out the worry in the other woman’s expression. With her free hand, she held up a water bottle to Lindsey’s parched lips, and she dutifully swallowed. It soothed her raw throat somewhat. Lord knew how loud she must have screamed.
Scarlett took the bottle away after a few sips, and wiped the dribble going down her chin with her fingers.
“There, you’ll live. It wouldn’t be punishment if I didn’t make it hurt, would it?”
“No, Mistress.”
Scarlett smiled and released her.
“Good girl, you did well.”
She stepped away and Sir’s hands were back on her skin.
“Ready for Pedro, sweetheart?”
Lindsey tried to shake her head as much as she could, and Logan brushed his lips over hers.
Pedro chose that moment to deliver his first swat, and Lindsey cried out. Not in pain, as such, though any contact with her smarting backside was now painful, but in surprise. He hardly put any force behind it all, and Lindsey drew a shuddering breath of relief into her lungs as Pedro delivered five very quick swats to her behind.
He, too, stepped around the stocks, and Logan moved out of his way as Pedro crouched down.
The haunted look in Pedro’s eyes came as another shock, as did his whispered words.
“Forgive me. I never should have said what I did earlier.”
He moved closer, dropped a kiss on the worst of her scars, and stepped away.
Strangely enough, seeing Pedro’s caring side made Lindsey feel utterly wretched inside and she burst into tears. Through the seemingly never-ending parade of people who took it in turns to deliver any number of swats to her ass, she cried. With the tears, however, came relief, and when Slade’s voice at long last announced the punishment to be over, and she was released from her bonds, she collapsed into Sir’s arms.
Chapter Fifteen
Logan gathered his little bird in his arms, grateful for the blanket Scarlett threw over her. Lindsey’s tears soaking his shirt felt like acid against his skin, and the way she tensed and bit back a cry when his arm briefly made contact with her sore ass made him want to punch each and every one who’d paddled her behind tonight.
Ignoring everyone else, he strode toward a quiet corner of the room where comfy leather settees were grouped in an L-shape, and sat down carefully with his precious bundle in his arms. Spreading his legs to enable her to slide in between them, he made sure her butt didn’t make contact with anything and simply held his girl.
Mike appeared with a covered ice pack, a question in his eyes, and when Logan nodded his approval and lifted Lindsey slightly, the other man slid it carefully under her ass.
Lindsey gave a little screech, struggling to get away, but Logan kept a firm hold on her, even as he exhaled sharply. He would have frozen balls by the end of this, but it was worth it to cool down his girl’s hot flesh.
“Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart, relax. It will help, trust me.”
Lindsey snuggled closer into his chest, her hands fisted in his shirt, and his heart broke all over again.
“It hurts, Sir.”
“I know, baby, I know, but it’s all over now, and I’ll take care of you. You were so very brave, baby.”
Lindsey shook her head, and Logan nudged her chin up better to be able to see her expression.
Skin all b
lotchy from crying, she still looked utterly beautiful to him, and he kissed her forehead with a smile.
“Yes, you were. Not many would have taken that sort of punishment as well you did.”
“Listen to your Master, Lindsey. He’s right.” Slade’s concerned voice made Logan look up and he wasn’t entirely surprised to see the other man hovering, an anxious look on his face. Jonas, Pedro, and Scarlett completed the semi-circle surrounding them, with their respective subs hanging off their arms. Or rather, as in Scarlett’s case, her sub holding her up. The woman looked exhausted, and Logan shook his head at her.
“Go home, Scarlett. You look dead on your feet, and you’ve done enough here tonight.”
He couldn’t quite keep the bitter edge out of his voice and Scarlett flinched. Her green gaze took in the state of his girl, hiding her face against his chest again, and she sighed.
“Someone had to give her a proper punishment. She’ll be bruised, but she’ll live. It was nothing personal, and Lindsey knows that, right, girl?”
Logan stopped the angry retort bubbling on his tongue. The woman was right, after all, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
Just when he thought he would have to nudge her to respond to Scarlett, his brave little bird lifted her head and nodded.
“Yes, Mistress, I know that. Thank you for punishing me.”
As though that little interaction had exhausted her, she dropped her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Scarlett swayed slightly and Mike’s hold on her tightened.
“With respect, My Lady, I need to take you home now.”
It said a lot for Scarlett’s present state of mind, when she mutely agreed, and didn’t offer even a squeak of protest when the big guy swept her off her feet and carried her out of the club.
Slade swore softly as he looked after the two, and Jonas nuzzled into Rissa’s neck. The girl hadn’t taken her eyes off the woman in Logan’s arms, a deep, concerned frown marring her features. Jonas whispered something to her and she visibly relaxed.
“We’re heading off, too, unless you need us to give you a lift or something?”
Logan shook his head, and Slade stepped forward.
“No, need, I’ll give them a lift.”
“No, amigo.” Pedro let go of Peyton, and stepped closer. “I will give them a lift. I’m assuming Logan will want to keep hold of her. We can take my car and Peyton can drive yours, if you’ll give her your keys.”
Logan’s surprise at the Spaniard’s words must have shown on his face, because Pedro gave him a lopsided smile, before he ran his finger gently down Lindsey’s tear-streaked face. When she startled and looked at him, he muttered something in Spanish, using that low, soothing tone Logan had heard him use on Peyton after a particularly hard scene, and Lindsey relaxed again.
“Good girl, you let your Master take care of you now.”
Lindsey gave an infinitesimal nod, her breaths coming faster along his jaw, and Logan hugged her tighter to himself.
“Brave girl, you will have made your Master very proud of you tonight.”
Pedro nodded at Logan, and then addressed Slade.
“Go home, Slade, and cuddle your sub. I know I need to be on my own with my pequeña, just as soon as we’ve dropped Logan at his house.”
Slade sighed in agreement. “Damn right I do. Thanks, Pedro. Logan?” He nodded at them all, and stalked off.
Pedro sat down on the couch opposite, and when he opened his arms, Peyton wasted no time in snuggling in on his lap.
“Let me know when you’re ready to move, amigo.”
“I will.” Pedro shut his eyes after Logan’s confirmation and they all sat in silence. How long they sat there, Logan wasn’t sure, but eventually he couldn’t stand the cold anymore. He was pretty sure his balls had crawled back up into his body, and he’d need a microscope to find his cock right now. With a wry grin at his thought processes, he nudged the dozing girl in his arms.
“How’s the pain now, sweetheart?”
Lindsey’s eyes fluttered open, and after a moment’s hesitation, when she presumably did a mental inventory of her aches, she gave an experimental wriggle. Her lips tightened and she let out a long breath.
“I can’t actually feel anything at the moment, Sir.”
“Good, that means the ice is working. I’ll let you in a secret, sweetheart. If we don’t move soon, I fear I’ll never be able to coax my cock and balls out of hiding again, and that would be a shame. I had such plans for them, once you’re up for it.”
Just like he’d hoped, Lindsey giggled, and his heart felt lighter at that sound.
“That will never do, Sir. Perhaps we ought to move, then.”
Logan groaned his relief, and Lindsey smiled up at him. The trust and love that shone out of her expressive eyes right now took his breath away, and he had to kiss her. Lindsey opened to the gentle sweeps of his tongue with that little feminine whimper of need that never failed to turn him on—until now.
While that deep-throated sound was music to his ears, and he deepened the kiss, he was too aware of how much she’d been through to feel even remotely aroused. Besides, his cock still resembled an ice block. Breaking the kiss, he pulled back to study her, satisfied to see the slight blush staining his girl’s cheekbones. Her breathing sped up, and she tried to close the distance between them to prolong the kiss.
“Time to get you home, baby.”
Her eyes fluttered open, and he had to laugh at her pout.
“I’m not sure I can walk, Sir.”
“No need to. I’ll carry you and Pedro will give us a lift.”
“Oh.” She looked confused, but didn’t argue with him. Pedro, having heard his name, opened his eyes and, correctly assessing the situation, nudged Peyton off his lap and stood.
“Ready to go, amigo?” he asked.
Logan nodded, and pulled his keys out of his trouser pocket. Lindsey winced, because the action jolted her. Throwing the keys to Pedro, who expertly caught them, he stood up. The abandoned icepack fell to the floor, and Logan kicked the torture object away from him, relieved the pain in his balls receded and he could still move.
“Lead on, Pedro, and let’s make this quick. She’s gonna feel it when the numbness wears off.”
“Si.”
Lindsey gasped as he started to move, and burying her face in his neck again, she clung to him with a desperation that tore at his soul. The car ride back to his was one of the longest of his life, and when Pedro went over a speed hump a little bit too fast, Lindsey cried out.
Logan pulled her closer to him, hating the restrictions of the seat belts, which stopped her from being on his lap where she belonged, but he wasn’t going to take any chances with her.
“Lo siento.” Pedro murmured his apology and took the remaining speed bumps at an almost-crawl.
“We’re almost there. How is she doing?” Logan met Pedro’s concerned gaze in the rear view mirror, and he had to swallow to get his throat to work. Lindsey looked deathly pale and clearly in pain now.
“She’s feeling it.”
Pedro made an indiscriminate sound, swore softly in Spanish, and then nodded.
“I expect she will be. I have a salve that will help considerably with the bruising. My own special blend.” He gave a short laugh when Logan’s eyebrows rose at that comment. “Sadist’s prerogative, you could say. As much as I enjoy inflicting pain on a willing submissive, I don’t like seeing them in pain afterward. That’s never good pain, and Peyton bruises so easily that I had to come up with something. I’ve got some in the boot of the car. It’s all yours. If you apply that generously to Lindsey’s skin, it will help her sleep and make her more comfortable.”
“Thank you, I appreciate your concern.”
Pedro smiled and his shoulders hunched in a shrug.
“De nada. I’m a sadist, not a monster.”
Logan let that statement sit between them, and simply nodded. Shortly after that exchange, Pedro’s h
eadlights lit up the front of Logan’s house at last. With the help of Pedro and Peyton, who pulled up behind them seconds after they had, he managed to get Lindsey into the house and up the stairs.
She was in a considerable amount of pain now, and the first thing he did after he made his good-byes to the other man and his fiancée was to hand her some painkillers.
“Take those and then it’s in the shower for you.”
Lindsey swallowed the tiny pills, but shook her head.
“Please, no shower.”
“Yes, you must. Your skin needs to be clean for Pedro’s magic cream to work, so this is not a request.”
Lindsey pulled a face, but she put up no resistance when he slowly undressed her, shucked off his own clothes, and helped her into the shower. She jumped when the stream of water hit her sore ass, where some spectacular bruises were already forming under the remaining redness from her paddling. The tops of her thighs had fared the worst, as there was little padding there to protect her, and Logan gritted his teeth as he gently washed her down.
“Please, don’t. It hurts.”
Her plaintive cry when he ran the sponge as gently as he could over her hot ass cheeks lodged like a poison dart in his heart, but he didn’t stop cleaning the area, mindful of Pedro’s instructions.
“I know it does, sweetheart, but it’s all over now.”
He reached across to turn off the water and Lindsey collapsed into his waiting arms with a pained gasp when he helped her out of the shower enclosure.
Logan made short work of drying her off and, once he got her comfortably settled on the bed, proceeded to gently rub in the cream. The smell of lavender, arnica, and something else he couldn’t quite place filled the air, but it certainly seemed to work. After her initial struggle against him, she relaxed into the strokes of his fingers, and by the time he’d applied a second coat, she was fast asleep.
Auctioned to the Gentle Dom [The Spectrum Auctions 5] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 17