The Light Between The Shadows

by Tsukiko Spark

  Shira laughed. “You’re the best, Mika,” she said. Ben had missed what Mika had said.

  “Come, Ben, keep us company,” Mika called out to him.

  “I’m okay right here,” he said from the mattress.

  Shira got up to get Ben. “Silly one, she doesn’t bite.” She led him by the chain to the table.

  He sat down reluctantly as Shira hooked him to the table chain.

  “Ben, Meet Mika, my best friend.”

  He realized that by now. He smiled politely, though he didn’t feel comfortable. The last time he’d met the woman was under unpleasant circumstances. Moreover, she was still a stranger he didn’t know very well, yet she was sitting across from him while his hands were tied and a chain was hooked to a collar around his neck.

  “The two of us worked together as registered nurses in the same place,” Shira said.

  “Yeah, only Shira had the brains to run away from there. It took me until now to do that.” The friend laughed at herself, seeming unruffled by her short history with Ben or the fact that he was sitting opposite her, bound by chains.

  “Aww, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s a good thing you quit—better late than never.” Shira turned to Ben. “Mika is considering joining our organization as a caretaker. I’ve been trying to convince her for the longest time. I didn’t have to be convinced that hard.” She laughed.

  “I envy her first patient,” he joked, shrugging off his self-consciousness.

  “Why? Would you like to volunteer?” Mika asked jokingly.

  “Thanks, but Shira has had me undergo enough treatments for a lifetime. Maybe next time.” The two women laughed with him. Ben gave his famous, irresistible smile full of dimples. He looked at Shira and she blushed.

  “I’ll go make us all a fine dinner.” Shira jumped up suddenly. This time she chose to cook in the kitchen off the living room, far from Ben.

  “She’s doing it again. I don’t understand—what have I done wrong?” he asked Mika desperately after Shira had gone into the kitchen.

  “Doing what?”

  “Running away from me.”

  Mika realized what he was referring to. “She’s protecting you.”

  “Protecting me?” Ben was surprised.

  “She doesn’t want to hurt you,” Shira’s friend explained.

  He was still confused.

  “Ben,” Mika said and lowered her voice. “Shira is the most amazing person I’ve ever met; she’s sweet, loving, and warm. But when it comes to men…” Mika was careful not to badmouth her friend. “…it’s a whole new game. Other feelings rise in her. You won’t be able to handle her—it’s better you stay away.” She stopped at that. She felt like she’d said too much already.

  Mika may not be a nosy neighbor, but she sure is a gossiper, Ben thought. “What do you mean?” He tried to take advantage of her gossiping nature.

  She kept silent.

  He didn’t understand what she meant. He had faced so many challenges in his life, especially lately, so why should he have a hard time with Shira? He was certain he could get along perfectly with her.

  Mika’s words were filed in a small compartment in his mind, and that compartment was locked and tossed into an abyss of irrelevant thoughts.

  An awkward moment lingered between them.

  “Let’s change subjects,” Mika said.

  He agreed.

  “So Shira tells me you’re a new person now.”

  “I guess.”

  “Tell me, how does it feel?”

  He thought she was being too nosy now.

  “All right, I guess,” he answered laconically.

  “Come on, you spoke more when you were at my place.”

  “Who spoke more?” Shira asked as she entered with a tray full of delicatessen.

  “Ben spoke more back when he was at my house than now.” Mika accused Ben of being incommunicative.

  “Oh, leave him alone. Not everyone was born as talkative as you are.”

  “Ha!” Mika laughed. “That’s true. My mother always said she was sure I spoke to her when I was still in utero.”

  Ben smiled, Shira laughed. They ate and carried on a light conversation. Mika left after helping to wash the dishes and put them away.

  Ben called out, “I can help, too, if you release me.” The two women laughed again. But he really wanted to help. Shira was cooking, cleaning, and taking care of him all the time. Aside from taking care of himself when he wasn’t bound, he was also a pretty good cook.

  When the evening was over, she took him to sleep on his bed.

  “Good night, Shira.”

  “Good night, Ben.”

  ❧

  The following week went by with the same daily routine. Mika didn’t visit again. Ben tried to show his new love how much he appreciated her. He really wanted her and made an effort to court her. He almost forgot what Mika had said about her.

  DAY 90

  In the evening, Shira left for a workout at the gym. Ben began his aikido practice—the second one of that day. His movements had improved since the blindfold was removed, and he felt it. He wanted to practice again that day before Shira came back so that he could show her his improvement. The entrance door opened and closed. He waited to see Shira, but a large bald man with blue eyes entered instead. The man wasn’t surprised to see Ben.

  The man saw Ben’s gaze studying him and before Ben could decide what to say, the man said, “You don’t recognize me but I recognize you.”

  “I can tell who you are by your voice, Alex,” he said fearlessly. “Shira told me you got quite the ‘treatment’ after I left. How was it?” Ben asked mockingly.

  “Too bad you bailed out. There are so many fun things we could have done,” Alex said, ignoring Ben’s words.

  “Fun for who? For you and your baboons?”

  “I don’t like seeing your mouth move. I think I’ll shut it and teach you how to talk to a master.”

  “You better get out of here. You won’t get any cooperation from me.”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Buffy Alex pulled out a bunch of cuffs and approached him. Ben twisted his body and kicked them in the air. The cuffs landed far away on the floor.

  “You better not get close to me or I’ll slam you,” he warned Alex.

  Alex snorted. He went over to pick up the cuffs and walked back toward him with determination this time.

  “Ugh!!” Alex yelled when he was blocked. Ben kicked him strongly in the chest, and he doubled over. Once he recovered, he stood up and stormed again. This time, he fell on the floor and needed time to recoup.

  “Get out! Next time you won’t even be able to get up,” Ben said.

  Alex retreated far from his reach. “You sure make a lot of noise for a dog. But that’s what you are, aren’t you? A dog on a leash.”

  “You better leave.” Ben ignored his teasing. “Shira will be here soon, and it won’t end well.”

  “For who?” Alex fired the question. “For me or for Shira?”

  Ben got anxious.

  “If I can’t have you, maybe I’ll take her instead.”

  Ben held his breath. Alex was right on and he knew it. “Get lost!” He tried to hide his feelings.

  “Ah… So you’re in love with her, eh?” Alex smiled wickedly.

  “You’d better not hurt her.”

  “I don’t wish to hurt her, but if it’s the only way to get to you…”

  In his condition, Ben was unable to prevent Alex from harming Shira. He shifted restlessly from side to side. The chain was tight and he couldn’t move any further.

  “As I said, you’re like a frustrated dog on a leash. I’ll just wait here until she arrives and watch you suffer.”

  Alex leaned against the farther wall out of reach from
Ben and waited. He pulled a Swiss knife out of his pocket, playing with it a little, and then returned it to his pocket.

  “All right, all right. I’ll do as you say as long as you won’t hurt her,” Ben said after realizing he had no other choice.

  “Okay. So come as close as you can, then lie down on your stomach with your legs toward me and don’t move.”

  Ben inched toward him slowly. When the chain was as tight as it could get, he sat down on the floor and then lay flat on his stomach without moving.

  Alex approached him, keeping some distance still, so that he could cuff his legs without being hit. After he finished, he took another pair of cuffs and secured Ben’s folded legs behind his back. Ben didn’t resist. Alex found the gag Shira had been using and shoved it into his mouth. The bound man grunted. Alex checked that everything was secured and was pleased.

  Ben closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and prepared himself and his body for what came next.

  Alex covered Ben’s head with a black tarp. “How do you feel now, dog!” He kicked his side.

  Ben writhed in pain.

  “I’m going to get something from my car. It’s a surprise, so don’t go anywhere,” he called out.

  Ben lay in pain on the floor, anxious and terrified by what was about to happen. A few moments later, Alex’s heavy footsteps were heard again in the studio, as he walked toward him resolutely.

  A metallic pounding noise stopped this horrific succession of events as the dropping of a massive body was heard.

  “Ben, are you okay?” Shira’s voice asked in concern.

  He nodded.

  The dragging noise of the body that fell was heard, followed by the clanging of metal cuffs.

  Shira approached Ben. She removed the tarp from his head as well as the gag. While she went to release his legs, he looked sideways to see what had happened. A large silver tray was lying on the floor, and Alex lay unconscious in the other corner of the studio, handcuffed to the heating pipe.

  After his legs were freed, he sat up and looked at Shira with admiration. But she wasn’t done. She telephoned Jacob right away.

  “Hi Jacob. Alex came back to finish off his horror show. He tried to hurt Ben and I stopped him.” A pause. “He’s at my place, cuffed to the heating pipe.” She listened to the voice on the other end of the line. “I have everything documented—call them please.”

  A half an hour later, men arrived at the studio. They were dressed strangely, wearing black leather outfits and sporting unpleasant tattoos. They questioned Shira, who cooperated with them. Ben watched from the side.

  “I noticed his car from a distance. I knew this wasn’t a friendly visit, so I hurried home. On the monitor, I saw Ben lying cuffed on the floor. I grabbed the first thing I saw and pounded him,” she told the men.

  “Come take a look; I have it all documented.” She played back the footage of what happened in the studio.

  Alex woke up while this was going on. He was furious at missing the opportunity to finish what he had started.

  The members of the group apologized for Alex’s behavior. “He doesn’t represent us and our strict rules in any way,” the man in charge said. “Everything we do must be with full consent of both sides.” The others nodded in confirmation. Shira made them a copy of the video. They left her house with a handcuffed, angry Alex and a promise that he would never come back to bother them again.

  ❧

  “How do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere?” Shira asked after the chaos was over and it was just the two of them in the studio, sitting on his mattress.

  “It’s nothing; I’m fine.” Ben ignored the dull pain on the side of his body. He looked at her with shining eyes, in awe of the power this woman possessed, this woman he loved so much. He so wanted her to love him back.

  “I was really worried about you. I was afraid something would happen to you,” she said.

  “I was afraid for you.”

  “I know. I saw and heard on the video. You thought you were protecting me… How noble of you.”

  They looked into each other’s eyes. It was clear to them both.

  Ben closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her.

  This time she didn’t resist. It was pleasant, and his lips were warm and soft. He knew how to kiss her—he was very gentle and caressing. It was a kiss of great desire that silenced all the noise in her head.

  He continued kissing her—small, caressing kisses.

  “Maybe we should move to the bed?” she asked, slightly drunk by the situation.

  He nodded and went on. She struggled to disconnect the mattress chain and connect the free chain. She led him to her bed in the middle of the studio. He kept applying his charms while walking. She connected the chain to the headboard and sat on the bed. Ben also climbed on the bed, kneeling as he leaned toward his beloved Shira. His love for her skyrocketed.

  He continued to kiss her on the lips and then down her chin. She tilted her head backward and leaned on her forearms. He moved down to kiss her on the neck, intoxicated by its taste, slowly moving down her neck to her shoulder and chest.

  He looked up at her. “Can I?” he whispered, and gestured to her shirt.

  She nodded. She took off her shirt and then her bra, keeping only her jeans on. Ben leaned over her, moving confidently.

  He kissed her body and spoiled her soft skin with his mouth, caressing it with his lips and blowing hot air in her erogenous zones.

  “Wow,” she gasped. He smiled and continued.

  He knew how to please a woman, and he wanted to show her that. He was attuned to the movements of her body, its breathing and presence, which led him to the precise spots that most pleasured her. Though his hands were tied behind his back, it was an easy challenge for him.

  While Ben was an expert in the art of female pleasure and had a rich, diverse experience, it felt different this time. At this moment, he felt like he truly wanted to bring pleasure and joy to his partner and do it as a gift from him to her. In the past, he was motivated by egotistical reasons to make an effort in bed, or his desire to get something in return. But now, all he wanted was for Shira to enjoy herself. Enjoy being with him. Enjoy him.

  He moved down her lower belly, showering it with tiny kisses of affection. He lingered there for a few moments and then gestured with his head toward her pants. She took them off slowly, revealing pink underwear with a bear and hearts printed on them. He smiled. It was so like her to wear such underwear. Nevertheless, he wanted her to take them off, too. She showed no signs of doing it herself. Ben couldn’t hold himself back any longer; he wanted to show her what he was capable of. He pulled at the bear with his mouth and teeth. Shira didn’t resist. She even liked it.

  “You’re naughty,” she mumbled, smiling. Ben managed to remove her underwear and grinned, the underwear still between his teeth. Then he dropped them on the floor and moved his head in between her thighs. She trembled while his mouth pleasured her inner thighs.

  He continued up her thighs toward her honey nest.

  “Wait,” she said, and pulled a black scarf out of nowhere to cover his eyes.

  He made a puzzled face.

  “It’s a challenge. Will you accept it?”

  He smiled and slipped into her treasure box. The blindfold didn’t stop him from performing magic—licking and blowing, kisses, and things she’d never felt before. She grabbed the chain that was hooked to the collar around his neck and wrapped it around her hand. Whenever she got excited, she pulled on it, moaning and groaning.

  Her gestures of delight and desire only intensified his pleasure. He didn’t know one could derive such joy from pleasing another person. Ben read her body language and continued, his movements so attune to her. The need burned in both of them. She sensed an intense vibe, her appetite grew, and she fancied to scale things up even more. She got up and lowered Be
n on his back. She tightened the chain so that his head was smack against the headboard with no mobility. And once more, she pulled the gag out of nowhere and put it in his mouth. He uttered a sound of surprise. It all happened so fast—he didn’t get it.

  “Shh,” she said. “Don’t talk.”

  She got up and returned with leg cuffs, straps, a pair of scissors, and a thin, airy sheet. She cuffed his legs tight to each other, tied them to the bed with the straps, and lay down next to him. He was unable to see, speak, or move. His breathing was heavy. She looked at him and examined his subtle movements.

  In his mind, he opened a tiny box that contained a tossed-out thought. Mika’s words echoed in his head. But he loved Shira so much that he was willing to succumb to anything she wanted to do to him. His heart was pounding as he prepared himself for anything that she might do.

  His body temperature rose, as did his pulse rate. The masculine smell of his aftershave simmered on a low fire in his body and emanated an intoxicating scent. She ran her fingers through his thick black hair. A clean shampoo scent rose from it. She moved from his hair to his face. The blindfold on his eyes didn’t move, his cheeks were warm, and the gag was tight. She lingered on the area between the jaw and the neck, moving his head and kissing him there passionately. He didn’t move. He wasn’t used to being passive during sex, but as soon as he gave her his full trust, he allowed himself to just be present and enjoy the moment.

  She sat on him, turned his head back, and continued toward his muscular, bare chest. She gently caressed his fine, sculpted muscles with the tips of her nails. His skin prickled with goosebumps. She continued until his entire chest was in chills. Then she stroked him with her warm hand and massaged him with deep, enjoyable movements. He groaned lightly.

  She got up and slowly pulled off his pants until he was completely revealed. He stood there in all his glory, ready and open for anything.

  Shira lifted the airy sheet she had brought with her and covered the entire bed with it so that Ben lay underneath it. He couldn’t remove the sheet from his face, as its elastic hem kept it in place. The curves of his facial features stood out from under the fabric.