by Sherri Hayes
With only one item left to be chosen, he altered his original goal—to stick to the somewhat familiar—and ventured over to the selection of canes. John liked canes. A lot. Then again, John also enjoyed having his testicles tortured. That thought alone almost made Drew reconsider, but again, he was drawn by curiosity. This would be the perfect time to gauge if it was something he wanted to move up on his list or place in the ‘hell no’ column. Before he could talk himself out of it, Drew took one of the canes from the rack and placed it on the table beside the other toys.
Beth stood at the other end of the table and ran her hand over a couple of the toys. “Interesting choices.”
“Good interesting or bad interesting?” he asked.
She ran her hand over three of the toys. “Just interesting. I figured you’d pick a flogger. You seemed to enjoy that quite a lot the other night. Almost as much as you liked me tying you up.”
Again, Drew couldn’t disagree. Although, there really wasn’t anything they’d done so far that he’d disliked. He wasn’t sure the leather strap would ever make it onto his favorite list, but one never knew. After conversing with people at the club, he’d learned that preferences evolved over time. What he didn’t care for now could be his favorite thing in a few years.
While he’d pondered, Beth had strolled to the center of the room. She glanced up, and Drew followed her gaze to a set of cuffs hanging from chains.
“I’m not going to cuff you tonight, but I do want you to hold onto the ends. It will ensure that you keep your hands out of the way and help you hold position.”
That made sense. He walked over to stand next to her and reached up to take hold of the dangling cuffs.
Beth ran a hand down the length of his back before cupping his backside. “I’ll give you four swats with each, two on each cheek, so you can tell me what you think of them.”
He nodded.
She removed her hand, and Drew wanted to call her back. There was something about her touch that affected him in an elemental way. It made his pulse quicken, yet was comforting at the same time. He’d heard about the intense connection that could develop between subs and their Dominants. Even though their relationship was new, he felt it. Drew could only imagine what it would be like once they’d been together for a while.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
Drew couldn’t see her. She was standing behind him on his left side. That didn’t mean he couldn’t feel her. “I’m ready. Do your worst.”
Beth laughed and a second later, a loud smack reverberated in the room as she landed the wooden paddle against his right ass cheek. She rubbed her hand over the area she’d hit and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “It’s never wise to tempt your mistress.”
Three more quick hits of the paddle and he was beginning to feel the burn. By the time she picked up the fourth implement, he was starting to think she was right. Issuing your mistress a challenge moments before she was going to take a paddle to your ass probably wasn’t the smartest decision he’d ever made in his life.
Chapter 23
Beth had to hand it to Drew. He’d taken everything she’d given him. Which, granted, would have been worse had she ordered him to remove his clothing. As it was, he’d be feeling the aftereffects of their evening for the rest of the night, at least.
When she’d devised this little experiment, Beth had only planned to give him a few light swats with each of the items he’d selected. After his comment, however, she felt the need to remind him of just what position he held in this relationship. She’d landed four substantial hits to his ass with the paddle and then followed it up with four more of both the flapper and the tawse.
“How are you doing?” she asked when she picked up the cane.
“Fine.”
She rubbed the cane across the back of his thigh before flicking her wrist. The rattan snapped against both of his butt cheeks, and she saw him tighten his grip on the cuffs. “Just fine?”
Before he could respond, she made contact again with his backside.
“Yes. Just. Fine.”
Sliding her hand over his ass, she ran a finger along the waist of his jeans. “What do you think of the cane? Is it what you expected?”
He shook his head. “No. Not exactly.”
“How is it different?” She moved around in front of him, but kept her hand inside his waistband, teasing.
“I wasn’t expecting it to be so . . . intense.”
“Hmm. Yes. There are subs that take great pride in being able to take their master or mistress’ cane.”
Drew didn’t comment. Not with a snarky comeback, or even a grunt.
“Look at me.”
He lowered his eyes and met her gaze.
“Do you want me to stop?” she asked. “You only have two more to go.”
It took him a moment to answer. “No.”
Beth removed her hand from his jeans and placed it along the side of his face. As he stared back at her, she saw some of that attitude returning to his features. It made her smile. “When we get home, I’m going to tie you to my bed and ride you until you beg me to let you come.”
“Whatever you want, Mistress.”
She let her hand drop from his face, repositioned herself behind him again, and flicked her wrist twice more in quick succession. He jumped at the unexpected contact of the cane striking his ass. “Remember you said that later tonight.”
Ready to end this experiment, she tossed the cane down on the table, and picked up the flogger. It was heavier than what she normally liked to throw, but there was nothing wrong with mixing it up now and then. Taking two steps back, she held the flogger in both hands, and took aim.
His reaction to the flogger was worlds apart from how he’d responded to the cane. As she made contact for the third time with his butt, he dropped his head. Clothes or not, this was feeling more and more like a scene with every passing minute. Beth needed to end this. She needed to end it and get them both back to her place. While Serpent’s Kiss was a sex positive club, she wasn’t ready to do that with him here quite yet. No, she wanted him completely to herself for a while longer.
Beth lowered her arm and returned the flogger, along with the other implements, to the wall. Drew must have realized what she was doing because she felt him come up behind her.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
She turned and circled her arms around his neck before pulling his mouth down to hers. “No. It’s not.”
After a passionate kiss, he stared into her eyes as if trying to assess what she’d meant. “You wanna go home?”
She kissed him again. This time their lips barely touched, but the meaning behind it was clear. “Yes. I’m ready to go home.”
Drew took her hand and led her out of the room. Although some Femdoms would have had a problem with him doing the leading, Beth couldn’t care less. She loved how enthusiastic he was. And she hated to admit it—she certainly wouldn’t to him—but she loved his cockiness a little, too.
They passed Katrina at the bottom of the stairs. “Leaving so soon?”
“Yes,” Drew said without giving Beth the chance to answer.
Katrina laughed and waved as Drew practically dragged Beth through the club toward the entrance. “Have fun.”
When they reached the lobby, Beth dug in her heels and jerked on Drew’s arm to get his attention.
“What?” he asked.
She took a single step forward, pressing the length of her body against him. “You’re going to have to learn some patience.”
When he realized she wasn’t upset, he dipped his head and shot her a sheepish grin. “I’ll work on it.”
Beth responded with a smile that was anything but sweet and then went to retrieve her jacket from the coat check.
Bridget was still in the alcove. The young woman already had Beth’s coat in her hand by the time she approached.
“Thank you,” Beth said.
“You’re welcome. I hope you both enjoy
the rest of your evening.”
It was no longer light out, and as they made their way to his car, Beth found herself searching the shadows. The conversation about Ben was making her paranoid. It was as if she was waiting for him to jump out from behind one of the bushes or something.
They arrived at Drew’s car and he opened her door for her. She gave him a peck on the lips and then slid into the passenger seat.
He waited until he was behind the wheel to say anything. “Did I do something wrong?”
She looked over at him and gave him a curious look. “No. Not that I know of. Why?”
“Just checking.” He turned on the engine and maneuvered the car out of the lot. “You seem like you have something on your mind. And to be honest, I’m not sure my ass can take another beating tonight.”
Beth let out a loud, very unladylike laugh.
Drew took her hand and brought it up to his lips. “I know I was . . . a little overzealous in there, but I couldn’t help it.”
“I noticed.” She placed her hand on his inner thigh and let it drift closer to his crotch. “But in this case, you’re safe. I love Serpent’s Kiss, but the things I want to do with you right now . . . well, I’d rather not have an audience.”
He swallowed and nodded.
They were both quiet the rest of the drive home. She didn’t remove her hand from where it lay less than an inch away from the bulge in his pants. It was only common sense that made her keep her hands to herself, and even that was pushing her limits. Beth pressed her legs together seeking the friction she needed but couldn’t have quite yet.
He pulled up to her house a few minutes past ten. Before she could blink twice, he was out of the car and standing there with his hand outstretched, ready to help her out of the vehicle. Beth took his hand, and they made their way up the front steps and into her house.
Once the door closed behind her, she turned to face him. “Go upstairs. Remove all your clothes, and lie face up on my bed. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
Drew leaned down and gave her a kiss. It was soft and in some ways it destroyed her defenses more than all the hot and heavy make-out sessions. “Yes, Mistress.”
She remained rooted to her spot until she heard him moving around on the second floor. Taking what she hoped was a calming breath, Beth began making her nightly rounds to double-check that everything was secure before she turned in. She took her time even though the urge to race upstairs was eating at her. Drew was addicting, and if she wasn’t careful, Beth was going to find herself in a worse position than she’d been in before—a position where she couldn’t imagine her life without him.
For good measure, and to prove something to herself, she did a second walk-through of the lower level of her home. Then she strolled into the bathroom, took care of business, and washed up. Beth was stalling. She knew that.
Lifting her head, she took a long look at herself in the mirror that hung above the sink in her small half-bath. The past four months had been quite a transformation. She’d gone from someone who was relatively happy and content with her life, to someone who’d barely been able to get up in the mornings. There were no longer bags under her eyes from the restless nights, and a healthy color had returned to her cheeks. She felt normal again. Better, if she was being honest with herself.
She knew what, or who, in this case, was responsible for the drastic change. Beth had no doubt she would have rebounded on her own, but it would have taken time. Drew had coaxed her back into the land of the living. He’d made her think that there was still a possibility to have that future she’d dreamed of having. Granted, it starred a different leading man, but she was starting to think she’d cast the part all wrong the first time around. Ben wasn’t half the man Drew was, and he never would be.
Shooting one last look into the mirror, Beth turned off the light, and walked toward the stairs. She had a submissive waiting. Her submissive. And she was going to make sure he knew exactly who he belonged to before the night was over.
***
Drew lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling. He was trying to slow his heart, which seemed to be trying to beat its way out of his chest. Following Beth’s instructions, he’d gone upstairs, removed his clothes, and situated himself on her bed. The sheets scraped against his still tender backside. It added to his awareness. Not only of his own body, but of Beth as well—of what was still to come.
The sound of her feet on the stairs sent all efforts to slow his heart out the window. He turned his head toward the door, and his breath caught in his throat when he saw her enter the room.
She strolled over to where he lay and ran her hand down his chest to his thigh. His cock twitched as her hand came close, but she ignored it completely. Then she turned her back on him and opened the chest where she kept her toys. She’d showed it to him the evening before. It was a small collection compared to what could be found at the club, but more than enough for their personal use.
When Beth faced him again, she held a length of rope in her right hand. She had a knowing smirk on her face as she approached him. “Give me your hands.”
Drew didn’t hesitate. He presented both hands to her eagerly.
She maneuvered them so that his palms were facing each other and then began wrapping the rope around both wrists, binding them together. As the ropes secured his wrists, Drew felt himself becoming grounded. With the rope in place, Beth lifted his arms over his head and used a second section of rope to connect his bound wrists to the bed.
Beth leaned over him, her hands on his face. She traced the outline of his lips with her thumbs. He wanted to kiss her, but he didn’t think that was going to happen. Not the way she was looking at him. Her eyes were almost predatory.
“The ropes aren’t too tight, are they?” she asked in that seductive voice of hers. He could listen to it all day. Then, of course, he’d most likely be sporting a permanent erection.
“No, Mistress.”
She came closer to whisper in his ear. It sent chills rippling through his body. “Is this how I had you tied up in your dream?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?” She punctuated her question by pinching one of his nipples.
He jerked.
Beth asked her question again. “Yes, what?”
Drew swallowed. “Yes, Mistress. This is how it was in my fantasy.”
“Good,” she said as she scraped her teeth along his neck before sinking them into his skin. He didn’t know whether or not he wanted to push her away or invite her to devour him some more.
It was interesting how being tied up like this made him pay attention to things more. Beth was still fully clothed, and he could feel the scratch of the fabric against his chest. It shouldn’t be erotic, but it was. Her tits grazed his abdomen with a featherlight touch.
He was so focused on the feel of her body that he’d almost missed her words. “Tonight we’re going to work on patience. Patience and obedience.”
When she pulled away from him and climbed off the bed, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from begging her to come back. Drew wanted her to touch him. He didn’t care how. As long as her hands were on him in some fashion, he would be happy. It was almost comical to realize that even if it meant her grabbing him by his balls and inflicting some sort of torture on him that he’d take it as long as it meant she had her hands on him.
That line of thought was quickly shelved when Beth shimmied her jeans over her ass and down her legs. His heart had skipped a beat when he’d first seen her in them earlier. They molded to every one of her curves and the first thing he’d done upon seeing her in them was palm her backside and squeeze. Seeing that perfect ass of hers bending over in all its glory made him want to do it all over again.
“See something you like?” she asked.
“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “Mistress.”
Beth chuckled and continued to remove the bottom half of her clothing. She turned to face him as she removed the sheer top she’d
worn over her corset. Before Beth, he’d never understood the fascination with corsets. They covered too much skin and took more time to remove than a bra. Seeing her standing there, though, with her breasts molded beneath the blue satin and lace . . . it made his mouth water.
With all her clothing removed except her corset, Beth sashayed back to the bed and lay down beside him. Drew could feel the heat from her soft skin and all he wanted to do was get closer.
“Shh,” she said, caressing his face. “Patience, remember. If you’re a good boy, I might even let you come tonight.”
They’d talked about orgasm control. And while they both wanted it as part of their relationship, it hadn’t been something she’d truly put to the test. Whenever they’d had sex, he’d been allowed to come. He knew that might not always be the case, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready for that to be taken away yet. They’d only been together a week. He could still count how many times he’d had his cock inside her and felt that rush of fulfillment.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.” She searched his eyes as if she could somehow figure out what was going through his mind.
“Just hoping I please you enough to be allowed to come, Mistress.” He didn’t want to make her think he’d changed his mind because he hadn’t.
She scraped the nail of her index finger over his left nipple, causing it to pebble. Again, the sensation was a mixture of both pleasure and pain. “I’m going to push you tonight. Some things you may like more than others.”
“I understand, Mistress.” A thrill ran through him every time he called her his mistress. She not only owned his body but his heart as well—even if she didn’t realize it yet.
As if to test him, Beth scraped a line from his nipple down to his erection. She circled the base of his cock with her fingernail and then cupped his balls in her hand.