Hard Candy

by Volley, Rue

  I don’t know how long I'd been there, but I started fidgeting. Patience never my strong suit, I wrung my hands and shifted my weight back and forth on my feet. The bells on the clamps, jingled with the sway of my body.

  “Still.” His voiced wrapped around me and froze me in my spot.

  It was one word filled with power. I felt it radiating to my very center. I awaited his next command, fear and anticipation raged through my brain. His eyes blazed a trail of wanton lust across my body.

  “ Turn around.”

  Slowly I turned towards the bed. He came up behind me, running his hands down my arms and to my waist. Goosebumps littered my flesh where he touched me. My pussy clenched with need. He ran his hands up and flicked the bells on the end of my clamps. I stifled the gasp it brought to my throat. He encircled my throat with his hand and pulls my body against his.

  “Are you ready?” That one question is filled with more than one meaning.

  “Yes Sir.” It is the only answer he needed. I thought I knew the rules of this game, but I upped the ante.

  “Good. Get on the bed. On your hands and knees.” His voice raked across my senses.

  The bells tinkled as I hurried to do his command. Once in position, I heard the closet door creak open. I dared not look to see what he had retrieved. He was already unhappy that I hacked into his work, I didn't want to make my punishment worse.

  “Are you nervous?” I hear the smack of the paddle against his thigh.

  “ Yes Sir.” My voice wavered. “ I trust you, but I'm still nervous.

  “I won't hurt you but this will be a lesson you won't soon forget my sweet.” His voice rumbled, low and deep, I felt it vibrate deep into my bones.

  The first smack of the paddle across my ass startled me and I gasp. The sound reverberated through the room.

  “Count them out love.” Eric's voice grounded me back to reality.

  “One.” I managed through clenched teeth. “Two” As the paddle landed again. My ass on fire, the heat is spread across my flesh.

  “Three.” The next slap lands right on my pussy. The blood rushed to my core and my wetness leaked onto my thighs. “Four, five six seven.” The next ones landed in quick succession alternating from right to left. “Eight, nine.”

  He paused there to run his hands over my cheeks.

  “Ten” I managed to grind out the word. The paddled landed on my pussy again, my lips swelled and my insides clenched.

  “How are you feeling pet? Will you be so careless as to hack my work again?” He gently massaged the cheeks of my ass.

  “ No Sir. I am sorry. I just wanted to surprise you.” The tears rolled down my cheeks, pooling on the mattress. The shame of disappointing him, caused my heart to ache more than my ass.

  He sat on the bed beside me and pulled me to his arms. “ My dearest, I do not like to discipline you. As much as I love the surprise you gave me tonight, it was wrong the way you went about setting it up. My work is very serious and you could have gotten in trouble if anyone, but me had found out you hacked the system.”

  “I won’t do it again.” The pain radiated from my ass, chaffing against the denim of his jeans. This was a lesson I wouldn't soon forget.

  “ Now, would you like me to show you how happy you made me with your gift?” He gripped my chin, tilting my face to meet his.

  “Yes Sir.” I nodded my head.

  “Good. Go get dressed. I want to take you out.” He claimed my mouth, biting my bottom lip. The kiss possessive and demanding.

  Chapter 3

  The truck was still warm, as we rode across town. Eric hadn't told me where he was taking me yet. He picked out my clothes. I wore a simply black jersey wrap dress, with no panties or bra. The shoes he gave me were black patent leather heels. I sat beside him, the smell of peppermint and man intoxicated my senses. My ass still burned and the rough material of the truck seats, reminded me of my punishment with every bump in the road.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I want to show off my new pet.” He placed his hand on my knee and squeezed.

  “Show off?” My heart stuttered in my chest.

  “Yes, you belong to me. I want to make it be known.” His smirk did nothing to quell the butterflies that danced in my stomach. “What is the correct response?”

  “Yes sir.” My nerves ratchet up another notch.

  Eric was right. I hadn't done enough research into what this really meant. He had kept asking me to look into things, online or check out a few books. I wanted to play the part, but I didn't put the work into my end of the deal. I had officially signed myself over to him, not knowing what all that might entail. Tonight would prove to be a test of this new relationship. I was going to pass with flying colors. I needed to. I had to show him I was serious about this.

  He pulled into a lot full of cars. We had to park in the back, there wasn't any room to get up front. The building was an old empty warehouse. I didn't know anyone even did anything in it. This wasn't the club we met at. The neon sign on the front said we had arrived at Hades' Haven. The name sent my heart galloping. I studied Greek mythology. The name of the God of the Underworld, for a club, did not produce happy feelings.

  Eric came opened my door leading me to the dark building. The walls were crumbling on the outside. The iron door screech as he pulled it open. The bouncer dressed in an all black cloak, grinned as I was led inside. My insides screamed to run, the alarm bells ringing in my head. I leaned into Eric hoping to find some solace in this place.

  “What are we doing here?” My voice wavered with uncertainty.

  “We are going to play. Isn't this what you wanted?” His cold words did nothing to quell my nerves.

  “Uh, yeah. I guess so?”

  “Did you think a contract was just a bedroom play thing? We could have kept up without a contract if you only wanted to play. You did look into this before you wrote that, correct?” He leveled his gaze on me.

  “Right.” I wanted to crawl away from his stare. This was what I wanted.

  “Come on pet.” He took my hand, leading me into the dark corridor. “Let's see what's on the stage tonight.”

  The bass thumps through my bones, reverberating into my soul. My nerves are strung tight. Eric said stage, maybe there's a band. The door at the end swung open and we were enveloped in a cloud of smoke and neon. The smell of leather and sweat overwhelmed me. I couldn't breathe. My lungs burned, my eyes watered. He tugged on my hand, pulling me close behind him. The scent of his aftershave, fought with the stench of sex in the room. I leaned against his back, forcing his essence to surround me.

  The sea of black leather and skin parted as we made our way through the bar. There were people crawling on the floor, attached to leashes. Men were strapped to crosses, with woman swinging around whips. Eric sat at a table, close to a raised area in the middle of a dance floor. There was only one chair. I looked at him questioningly. He tugged my hand and pointed to the mat on the floor by his chair.

  “You are my pet, you sit at my feet.”

  “What?” I stared at the mat waiting for it to reach out and bite me.

  “I am the Dom, you are the pet. You sit there.” He pointed to the mat raising an eyebrow in wait of my response.

  “Oh. Yes Sir.” I sat on my knees. I was humiliated, ashamed. I felt so out of my element.

  These were not the games we played in the bedroom. This wasn't tie me up and please me. I had not prepared for what I signed up for. My hands trembled. My face heated in my embarrassed state, thankful that I wasn't allowed to look up. The scuffed floor the only thing in my line of sight.I didn't know what I was doing. He shouldn't have brought me in public, I don't know how to do this. I would disappoint him, then he would leave me. He would see I wasn't what he thought. I needed him to hold me and tell me everything would be alright, but I didn't think I was allowed to talk.

  The music stopped and a voice echoed through the room. “Our next performance will be by Master S and his pet
.”

  I looked up at Eric, he grinned from ear to ear and winked at me. “You will love this pet.”

  “What are they going to do?”

  “How are you supposed to address me?” His eyebrow went up again.

  “Sorry Sir.”

  “Better pet. They are going to do a show for us. Masters bring their pets to show off their skills.” He smiled.

  “Show off, Sir?” My heart seized.

  “Yes pet. Watch.” Eric pointed at the stage.

  There was a naked woman being led onto the stage. She was wearing a thick black leather collar with a leash attached. The man in front of her pulled on her leash, she tumbled forward and fell to her knees. He left her there and walked to the table at the center of the stage, he lit a set of candles. She stayed there unmoving on her hands and knees. The smell of melting wax drifted to me.

  Two other men carried a table onto the stage. Once it was placed in the center, the leash toting man snapped his fingers. The woman scurried on her hands and knees to the table and climbed on. She laid her body across it, her hands above her head and her feet dangled off the edge. The man bound her hands and feet to each of the table legs with red ropes. Her body stretched taunt, thrusting her breast forward.

  He pulled a riding crop out of his boot, flicking the tip across her legs. She never moved. He worked his way to her thighs. The cracking sound of the crop sent shivers of fear racing through me. I didn't want to watch this. The man raised his arm, and struck her across the stomach. Her body flinched and she cried out. I could see the tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. He struck her again, across the breast, the angry red welt instantly raised. Her body arched and she screamed again.

  I held my breath praying someone would stop this abuse. She cried out with each strike he made now, the tears flowing freely down her face. I stood up, ready to head up there and save her. No one else was going to stop him. Eric grabbed my arm and jerked me back down.

  “Where are you going?” He sounded furious.

  “I'm going to help her. He is hurting her.”

  “Sit down, you are not going anywhere. You will not interrupt a scene. Did she say her safe word?” His brow furrowed.

  “No. She didn't say anything.”

  “Then sit down and stop embarrassing me.” Eric jerked me back to the floor.

  I sat back down and stared at the woman on the table. Fear for her and myself battled inside of me. Was this what Eric wanted to do to me? The man had gotten the candles now and held them over her body. The wax dripped out and she screeched with the contact of hot wax against her sensitive skin. He dripped the wax across each breast and trailed it down her stomach. He dripped it between her spread legs, she struggled against the bonds that tied her to the table. The man leaned down and whispered something to her and she ceased her movements. He snuffed out the candles, and picked up a flogger.

  The tears streamed down my face, I was unable to hide my own shame and unease. This wasn't what I signed up for. I peeked up at him, his eyes riveted to the scene on the stage. His arousal pushing against the seam in his jeans. My anxiety peaked, I didn't want this. I couldn't do it this way. I had no idea what I wanted, but this was not part of it. I tugged on his jeans, so he would look down at me.

  “Eric, I don't like this scene. Can we do something else?”

  “As soon as you remember your manners, we can go look at the other play rooms.” That eyebrow rose once more.

  “Please Sir, can we go somewhere else?” I begged.

  “Yes pet, come on.” He took my hand and helped me up.

  He led me back to a row of large windows in a hallway. He stopped in front of one and peeked in. He nodded his head for me to look.

  I peered into the window, there was a woman strapped to some kind of X shaped frame. The man behind her whirled a whip. He cracked it in the air. I jumped closer to Eric. The whip connected with the woman's ass, leaving a red stripe. Eric put his arm around me.

  “I always loved the single tail,” he whispered. “Come let's find a room.”

  He pulled me along the hall, until he found and empty room. There was a large window facing out to the hallway. A four-poster bed in the center dressed in satin sheets. The candlelight flickered around the room. Had there not been a whip, a riding crop, and an assortment of paddles hanging on the wall it might have been a romantic setting. The site of the candles, send a tremor of fear through me. My neurons fired off reasons to run, my safety a priority.

  Eric led me to the bed and tilted my chin to look in my eyes. I saw love there and my reasons fled my mind. I stared into the lust filled sea of blue. His lips descended on mine, passion radiated from his kiss, to my body. My stomach fluttered and my arousal leaked onto my thighs. My nipples tented the front of the dress, reaching for his touch.

  “Lay back on the bed.” He guided me backwards until my knees rested against the mattress.

  “Can't the people out there see us?”

  “Yes, I'm going to show you off, remember?” His voice sounded smug.

  “I don't like this Eric.” My nerves had spiked into overdrive. My heart beat out a staccato rhythm of fear.

  “I thought this is what you wanted?” He pushed me onto the bed.

  He crawled on top of me, pushing my arms above my head. The dress I wore, slithered up my legs. The cool air brushed against my thighs. My breath caught in my throat. Tears of shame burned in my eyes. There was a crowd of people gathered outside the window. They pointed and knocked against the glass. I didn't want to do this. It's not what I thought I was getting into. I did the only thing that came to mind.

  “Mistletoe.” I shoved him off of me and bolted for the door.

  As I ran for the exit, I turned and saw a surprised Eric sitting in the bed. He reached for me just as I turned the knob and bolted down the hallway. I grabbed my cell from my purse and called a cab. I ran through the misty sea of smoke and leather. I didn't stop until I reach the asphalt parking lot. I waited for the cab, praying they would hurry. Every time the door to the club screeched open, my heart skipped a beat. I was afraid Eric would come after me, but afraid he wouldn't also. I was so confused.

  The cab pulled up and I jumped inside, just as Eric came out the door. He waved to the cab driver, trying to get him to stop. I punched the back of the seat.

  “Step on it.” I threw a twenty at the driver.

  The tears fell freely know, my body trembled wracked with sobs. I couldn't breathe through my nose. I had no idea where I was going. I finally pulled myself together enough to give the driver the address to the local truck stop. They had free wifi and thankfully my tablet was still in my purse.. I had some research to do. I would deal with the fall out later. I needed to see what I didn't understand.

  Chapter 4

  It was late on Christmas day when I arrived at the house Eric and I shared. I dreaded going inside. I had arranged with him by text to pick up my things. I didn't want to end our relationship, but I didn't know how to go back. I had made him a promise in a contract, one I didn't understand. He'd asked for limits and if I was sure about my decision more than once. I jumped in with both feet and didn't consider the consequences.

  I opened the front door and ran into a solid wall of muscle. Eric's arms came up to grab my shoulders, keeping me from slipping in the wet foyer. I looked up at him, searching for some form of hope. His eyes had bags under them. The normally seductive blue, lost its shimmer, they were dull and full of despair. The whites were rimmed in red, puffy and swollen. Had he cried when I left last night? My heart broke, I had caused so much pain. I did this, with my impulsive actions.

  “Mariana” My name floated from his lips. “Will you talk to me?”

  “Eric-I-” The tears streamed down my face. I had cried so much last night.

  “Please don't do this. Will you at least hear me out before you leave?” The sadness in his voice was my undoing.

  “Yes.” I let him lead me into the living room.

&n
bsp; He sat beside me on the couch. The soft twinkle of our Christmas tree lights illuminated the room. He wrung his hands in his lap and stared out the window. The tears gathered in his eyes. I had done this, brought this strong man to desperation and tears.

  “I wanted to apologize. I shouldn't have done that last night.” His gaze bore into me, searching my soul. “I spent the night talking to some of the Dom's at the club. I berated you for not doing your research, but I didn't do mine either. You handed me your trust and love. I abused that gift.”

  “Eric. It wasn't like that.” I cut him off.

  “Yes it was. A Dom is supposed to cherish a gift of submission, to guide and teach their charge. To help them be the best they can be. I did none of that. I took you in public, made you uncomfortable. I tried to force you into things I knew you didn't know about.” His breath hitched and a single tear trailed down his cheek.

  “Eric, please. I didn't know what I was doing. I never gave you any limits. I didn't do any research. I think we both jumped in over our heads, and ended up failing.”

  “What now? Mariana, I love you. Where do we go from here?” The hope in his voice, cause my own tears to fall.

  “I don't know. Baby I still love you. How do we go back?”

  “I talked to some of the Doms at the club. They are willing to teach me, show me how to guide you with love and your best interests at the center.” He brushed the tears from my cheek.

  “What about us? Can we just take a step back?” I didn't know what I wanted yet.

  “They have a couples class twice a week. Where you go in and learn about different styles of BDSM. We could go, see what you are curious about and what are absolute no's for you.”

  “What about the contract?” I still didn't know where we stood.

  “The contract is null and void. Neither of us knew enough to be pledging anything. I'm truly sorry, Mariana I didn't want to hurt you.” He pulled me into his arms.