Striking a Balance (Thalia Book 2) (The Thalia Series)

by Jennifer Bene

  “Yes, Master Kalen.” She blushed as Kalen revealed knowledge about her that only James could have told him.

  “I know yer already comfortable with floggers. Let’s try the crop today, okay Nick?” Kalen was moving behind them, and Thalia clenched her hands and tested her range of motion. Not much. But at least she was able to see the intricate rope work up close. Her pulse was racing again now that the session was moments away, and she suddenly remembered that Lars and Maggie were also both present – and she was infinitely grateful she was facing the wall.

  “Start with a few warm up strokes, and be sure the tip doesn’t wrap around the sides. Keep it on her ass and upper thighs.” Kalen must be working with Nick as well as Lars. “Watch.”

  The crop landed across the middle of Thalia’s backside, making her jump in surprise, but it hadn’t been very hard. Several more strokes moved down the round of her ass until he landed one right where her thighs started. To her right, she heard Nick’s strokes start landing on Analiese. Kalen trailed several more down her thighs that stung lightly, and heated her skin, and then he waited. When Nick stopped, Thalia could hear the smile in Kalen’s voice.

  “Yer both so quiet, and yer not being a good example for Analiese, Thalia. I guess ye can definitely handle more.” The next stroke made her gasp as it lit up her skin, another followed like a line of fire, and they kept coming. She was squirming and whimpering by the time he stopped halfway down her thighs, and she was so wet. When she heard the strokes landing on Analiese she bit down on her own whimpers to listen to her. The pop of the crop against Analiese’s skin was barely echoed by a small gasp each time.

  A sharp swat from Kalen had her crying out, tears springing to her eyes, and then pressing herself against the wood beam as the line of pain spread out. “That’s better. When ye vocalize, it let’s yer Dom judge how yer doing. Silence makes it more difficult to judge when ye get close to yer limit.”

  A loud pop to her right was followed by a feminine squeak from Analiese.

  “Again.”

  Nick listened to Kalen and delivered another, Analiese gasped and whimpered a little louder than before. Thalia could see her wiggling, her forehead pressed against the wood.

  Another sharp line across her ass, and another and Thalia was crying. The heat that followed on the heels of the pain of each lash was coiling between her thighs, her wetness spreading as she pressed her hips forward against the wood. If she could just get some friction! Kalen’s mouth was quiet against her ear, the heat of his body radiating against her back, “Come now, Thalia. We all heard how much noise ye can make. Do ye want it harder?”

  Thalia’s breath came on a shudder before she bit down on her lip – and then she nodded. He chuckled against her ear and placed a light kiss in her hair. “Alright, be still for me.”

  They must have communicated somehow because soon Nick and Kalen were alternating strokes and Thalia found herself pressed against the wood in front of her, and crying out with each stroke that blazed across her skin and left her panting in anticipation of the next. She was crying, but she could feel that sweet precipice rising up and her voice rose too. “Master Kalen! Please, please, please!” She let out a little frustrated scream as he brought another stroke down across her thighs. Her body wasn’t really registering the sting of the crop anymore, it was sensation, pure sensation as her body thrummed.

  “Please what, Thalia?” Kalen was smiling, she could hear it. And she had no idea what she was begging for, her breath was coming so fast, her pulse pounding between her thighs, and her entire backside was aching with heat that wound at the base of her spine. But she needed something more, she tugged at the rope holding her to the wall and whimpered.

  He trailed the crop over her hyper sensitive skin and she couldn’t even articulate what she needed, if it were James she’d beg him to fuck her.

  Thinking of James was a bad idea, the pulse between her thighs grew urgent and the lazy passes of the crop over her back, her ass, her thighs were winding her tighter and tighter. Suddenly, Analiese burst into speech beside her. Her soft cries dissolving into pretty pleas, “Sir! Sir, please, bitte, bitte -” a swat cut her off and she cried out. It was definitely the loudest she’d ever heard Analiese, and her soft sounds were only adding to Thalia’s own need.

  Kalen pulled Thalia’s head up with a fist in her hair that sent shots of pleasure directly to her clit without him even touching it, she moaned, and bit down to cut off the cry when he delivered another rapid series of strokes that suddenly had her at the edge of an orgasm. She gasped and cried out, “Oh God! Master Kalen, please?” She arched her back as he moved the crop over her welts.

  “Come, Thalia.” The command was punctuated with a strike that blew past the pain and into pleasure and she hummed with it as she shattered, her body tightening and her arms lifting her onto her tiptoes. Her head was swimming as she trembled against the wood, and she could hear Nick speaking to Analiese as she gasped and moaned, closer and closer to her own edge. Then she tumbled over and there were soft moans and whimpers and heavy breaths, and Thalia felt like she was floating. She was really hanging by the metal ring above her now, and she glanced to the right to see Nick’s arms wrapped around Analiese. One hand buried between her thighs as she pressed herself back against him, her mouth open as he drew out every quaking moment of pleasure he could.

  Kalen’s body pressed against hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her up and unhook the carabiner. Then he scooped her up into his arms. He sat down on a small couch near Maggie, and held Thalia in his lap. His hands were sure as he brushed her hair back, saying something that sounded soothing but she couldn’t make it out. Her whole body was buzzing. He leaned her against his chest as he began to reverse the coils of rope around her arms, but they came off much quicker than they went on. Her arms were pink, and the imprint of the rope was present, but she doubted she’d have any lasting marks from it.

  “Thalia?” Kalen’s voice broke through, and she felt dreamy as she made a questioning sound in response. “Thalia, can ye nod for me if yer feeling alright?”

  Thalia nodded and smiled. She was aching where her skin rubbed against Kalen’s jeans, and she was very aware that he was hard, but every inch of her body was relaxed and warm. He chuckled and leaned her head back against his shoulder.

  “That was impressive to watch, Thalia, ye entered subspace and responded beautifully.” He took a breath and she felt his chest rise and fall. When he spoke again his voice was very quiet, which was out of character for him, “I want ye to know that I’m very glad ye and James have each other. That I’m glad he went and got ye, and I do believe he deserves to be happy - and based on what he’s told me, ye make him very happy.” Kalen spoke softly, and she opened her eyes as joy suffused her. She wanted to respond and say thank you, but she was distracted by Maggie standing in front of her, blue eyes alternating between her and Kalen.

  “Sir, may I -”

  “No, Maggie. Thalia’s done very well, but this visit is about her and James. Maybe another time we can all play.” The crestfallen look on Maggie’s face made Thalia blush furiously. So James had told Kalen. She thought she’d be more upset to hear it, but it was exciting to think that they were interested in her, and that in the future some version of her dream could become a reality.

  Right now? Thalia wanted to curl into a ball and sleep.

  Which Kalen noticed.

  “Lars?” Kalen called out. The young Dom seemed to appear, and his cheeks were flushed. “Make sure Thalia gets to her room, take care of those welts, and then go check the schedule. House rules are still in place. Understand?”

  “Of course, Master Kalen.” He turned away and Kalen slid Thalia to her feet, helping her stand up. In an instant Lars was back with her clothes, holding out the dress for her. She slipped it on, he zipped it for her, and then they were leaving the room. Glancing back she saw Maggie on her knees in front of Kalen, and she noticed that Analiese and Nick had already
disappeared.

  The walk upstairs was shaky, but Lars watched her carefully. When she came to her room, he had her lay down and began to sweep the cold, soothing cream across her welts. The young Dom cleared his throat, “Master Kalen is good with the crop, you might have some bruises, but it will heal fast.”

  She nodded sleepily, “Mmhmm, he’s very good.” Lars chuckled and put the cream on the night stand.

  “Sleep well.” He pulled the sheet over her, and she heard him leave. She laid there for a few moments and then curled up on the side James had slept on, breathing in that clean, masculine scent that made her feel like she was home.

  And with him she was home, she just needed him back with her.

  “Thalia!” A voice snapped her out of sleep and she sat up with a jerk, her heart pounding. “I need ye to get up. Now.”

  Kalen.

  Kalen was standing over her, next to her bed, in her room.

  “Huh?” She pushed a hand through her hair. The room was dark, it was the middle of the night, and she was naked. What the hell? “Um, Master Kalen, I -”

  “Get dressed, we need to leave.” He turned the lamp on next to the bed and she flinched against the light. When her eyes finally adjusted she saw he was already dressed, he even had shoes on. Kalen’s face was tense and he was pulling at his hair.

  “What’s wrong?” She pushed herself out of bed as he walked away from her to open the closet and started grabbing things off hangers. “Master Kalen, please tell me what’s going on?” He threw clothes onto the bed and went to the small dresser, opening and shutting drawers until he found her underwear. What the hell was he doing? “Sir!” She caught the underwear and bra as he tossed them to her.

  When he faced her again she saw how pale he looked. Oh no, something bad. This was bad.

  “Thalia, I need ye to get dressed. We can talk -”

  Something bad had happened. A pit opened in her stomach.

  “No! Tell me now!” She shouted at him and surprised herself, her body was humming with fear.

  What is it, please, don’t let it be -

  “It’s James, he’s been in a car accident, I need ye to -”

  Her knees just gave out and she hit the floor, her heart had been racing but she was pretty sure it had stopped, it had to have stopped because she couldn’t feel it pounding in her chest. James? She shook her head, and bit down on her lip. Not James, nope, this was a nightmare. She pinched her thigh.

  Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.

  She pinched harder, and then Kalen grabbed her by the shoulders firmly and lifted her from the floor, his fingers digging in. “Thalia! Ye have to get dressed! Right now!” He made it a command and shook her a bit, but her brain wouldn’t work, couldn’t work, not with those words. Not with words that said James was hurt, or -

  No. No. No. Those words didn’t make sense.

  Kalen made her sit on the bed and grabbed her face in his large hands. “Thalia. The hospital he’s at is over a half hour away, we need to leave now. They just called me, and they couldn’t tell me his status, we need to go. Ye can do this. Now. Get. Dressed.”

  Her hands moved mechanically as she put on whatever he handed her, he put her shoes and socks on for her while she sat numbly on the bed, her brain refusing to process the words he had said. His strong hands pulled the laces tight as she stared through him. She didn’t even know what she was wearing as he led her out of the Dormitory in the pitch black and across the gravel drive to his garage.

  Kalen buckled her into his car, still trying to talk to her, but she couldn’t hear him. Her head was full of cotton and fog. He must have given up talking because he was staring out the windshield when they left, the car turning towards the gate, the endless sky above them.

  Not James.

  Please, not James. Not after everything. Not after she was finally figuring out how to make it all work. Not now that a life with him seemed possible, realistic.

  Thalia turned to look at the tense line of Kalen’s jaw, the tight grip of his hands on the steering wheel, his shoulders hunched as he drove carefully along the narrow road. He was worried too, and that made everything all the more real.

  Please let him be okay.

  END NOTES

  Thank you for reading Book 2 of Thalia’s story! I know this is a difficult place to stop, but I had to choose a place to break for Book 3 and this worked. Fortunately, ‘Salvaged by Love’ is ready and waiting for you to read the end of Thalia’s story!

  I will ask that if you liked this book that you take a few minutes to write a review and capture how you’re feeling right now so other readers can find Thalia! Reviews are truly one of the most effective ways to help authors out, and I would be very grateful.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jennifer Bene is a best-selling author of erotic fiction. Her writing has been described by readers as "dark in a way that turns you on", and she definitely takes that as a compliment! She has a terrible mouth that often gets her in trouble but comes in handy when she's writing. She loves to write strong female characters and dominant male characters in stories that take readers for a walk on the dark side.

  When she's not attached to a keyboard, she likes to read, drink wine, do yoga, binge on Netflix, and enjoy life with friends/family. She lives in Texas, and no, she doesn't own a horse or wear a cowboy hat, you'd have better luck finding her on the dance floor downtown. Seriously.

  Jennifer would love to hear from you! She does her best to keep readers up to date via social media, and tries to always respond when readers are nice enough to message her!

  Check out her website - http://jenniferbene.com/

  Find her on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jbeneauthor

  Follow her on Twitter - http://twitter.com/jbeneauthor

  Books by Jennifer Bene

  Dark / BDSM Erotica:

  Security Binds Her (Thalia Book 1) (Amazon #1 Best Seller in BDSM, and Romance Erotica!)

  Striking a Balance (Thalia Book 2)

  Salvaged by Love (Thalia Book 3)

  Of Fog and Fire (Part I & II)

  Taken by the Enemy (Coming March 2016 from Blushing Books)

  Dark / Paranormal Romance:

  Fae (Daughters of Eltera Book 1)

  Tara (Daughters of Eltera Book 2) (Coming Spring 2016)

  BDSM Novellas:

  The Invitation

  The Rite

  Christmas at Purgatory (Thalia Extra #1)

  Reunited

  Anthology Appearances:

  The More The Merrier (Menage / BDSM Erotica)

  The Darker Side of Love (Dark / BDSM Erotica)

  Twist (BDSM Erotica)

  The More the Merrier 2 (Menage / BDSM Erotica)