The Gifts of the Masters

by Eva Gill

  Jonah’s breath caught in his throat at the sight. Anya’s feet were flat on the ground, but she stood tightly stretched, her back arched and head thrown back. Her skin glowed alabaster smooth, and her hair shone in the bright light. Jonah jumped a little when the lights dimmed; Alex had turned a switch near the door. When he glanced back at Anya all Jonah could focus on was the curve of her behind, flowing smoothly to long, shapely legs.

  Alex started talking again, and as he did, he went to stand in front of Anya, placing her between them. He brushed her hair forward over her shoulder.

  “With flogging, you want to be careful not to hit her in the face with strands that get a little out of control. Always instruct your submissive to keep their face down and forward.” Alex positioned her head before he moved to run his hands down her shoulder blades and back. “The best places to focus on are the shoulders, over the hips and down to the thighs. Just try to avoid the kidney area. Anya is quite slim and hasn’t got much padding over that part of her back. At the front of the body, you can flog the breasts and over the thighs, just again, be careful of the face and try to avoid the stomach with particularly hard impacts.”

  Alex smiled at the sight of Jonah’s obvious nervousness when he nodded and mouthed, “Okay.” The man’s hands were shaking and he seemed to be biting his tongue.

  Alex strode toward the cupboard again, and returned to Jonah and Anya with a black, dry-wipe marker. “Take this and mark the areas on her skin I just told you are okay to flog. Make patches or stripes, however you wish.”

  Jonah took the marker from Alex and shook his head. The thought that he was touching Anya, a naked woman he truly desired, blew his mind. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to steady his hands. When he cautiously approached Anya, she hung in the restraints, an eyebrow raised and a cheeky smile on her face.

  “Come on Mr., I can’t exactly bite…”

  Jonah chuckled and stooped to draw on her, while Alex sat on the couch with his arms folded across his chest, watching. When Jonah drew the marker across Anya’s ribs a fit of giggles escaped her, and she raised a small foot, cringing away from the touch.

  “Oh, you’re ticklish, are you? So, you can’t bite but you can squirm?” Jonah stood back. “All I would have to do to torment you is to continue.”

  He worked his way farther down her ribs, moving across her back and eventually down toward her thighs, while she hung, wriggling and squirming, in the restraints. By the time he finished, Anya was gasping and a thin film of sweat beaded her brow from the laughter.

  Alex walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “That was fun to watch, pet, you giggle so prettily. I don’t think Jonah imagined BDSM having giggles involved.” He kissed her shoulder before he picked up Jonah’s new flogger. “Come and watch, Jonah, I will demonstrate once, and then she is all yours.”

  Alex measured his distance from Anya by swinging the flogger and watching the strands graze her skin. Her little flinches set a smile on his face before he found his rhythm. Alex noticed how Jonah stood slightly off to the side, making sure he wouldn’t get in the way.

  “Good on you for keeping a space between you and the backswing. If you walk into a whip wielded by someone else in public, it is your fault for getting smacked in the face, not theirs.” Alex dropped his arm after roughly five minutes and beckoned Jonah closer. “You see where the marks lie, along where you drew on her skin?”

  Jonah nodded, reaching for her back and running his index finger along a red and raised welt. “It’s beautiful.”

  Anya exhaled as he touched her. Her face was leaning against her raised arm and Jonah felt incredibly drawn to touch her face. He couldn’t resist the urge. He walked around her and raised her chin. “Are you okay? Will you cope with me doing that, too?”

  “Jonah, I can take anything my Master throws at me. He has explained safe words to you?” When he nodded she continued. “Then you know that if I am, at any point not okay, I will use either a warning word or a safe word. Don’t constantly ask me if I am okay, it kills my buzz.” She dropped her head, and while Alex chuckled in the background, Jonah moved to stand behind her.

  “Okay, I won’t ask again. I am just nervous about hurting you.” Jonah took the flogger Alex handed to him.

  “Just find the correct distance from her, and remember to untangle the strands on roughly every alternate backswing.” With that last advice, Alex returned to his seat on the couch to watch from a safe distance as Jonah slowly swung the flogger.

  It took a few mislaid strikes, accompanied by flinches from Anya and awkward apologies from Jonah, but he found his movement, combing his fingers through the leather on the backswings and laying a smooth set of welts across the backs of Anya’s thighs. He felt himself get hard at the sight of her body moving with the impacts and the little grunts that escaped her periodically. When he stopped he was breathing hard and he flexed his shoulder.

  “This is hard work.”

  Alex went straight to Anya, who was, by now, looking slightly limp in the chains and cuffs. He scraped his nails over her abused skin and lifted her head, smiling at the glazed look in her eyes. “I think somebody is ready to cum for me, aren’t you baby?”

  Alex’s mouth was in her neck, his body pressed tightly to hers. Jonah felt that he was intruding on a very private moment and didn’t quite know where to look. He started moving away, his eyes everywhere except on the couple in front of him. He realised then, that in his own life an ‘open’ relationship like this would never work, not if this felt so awkward when it had the full consent of all present.

  “Jonah, come here,” Alex said. “I think this little thing needs a bit of distraction while I fetch her favourite vibrator.” He beckoned for Jonah to take his place and then went to his trusty cupboard.

  Standing in front of Anya, Jonah could hardly breathe when she put her head on his shoulder, nuzzling his neck. He stepped closer to her, feeling her hot skin right through his clothing, and he instinctively reached his arms around her, running his flat palms down her back and cupping her arse. The flesh sat firmly in his hands, and when he squeezed the round orbs she moaned softly against his chest, raised herself onto her toes and hollowed her back to get more physical contact from his legs. He couldn’t think straight; being this intimate with her was torment of the worst kind.

  The crux of his discomfort was the erection building between their bodies, and he felt himself blushing. He needed to do something about his feelings for her, and soon. Jonah wished at that moment he could read her mind, to tell whether she felt as strongly about him, too, or if her reaction was purely a by-product of subspace.

  He heard Alex’s footsteps draw closer and disentangled himself from Anya. The longing in her eyes at his moving away did not go unnoticed by Alex. While Jonah took his turn on the couch, Alex kicked Anya’s feet apart and with one hand on her throat, spread the lips of her sex and placed the head of a Hitachi vibrator against her clit.

  Anya squirmed in his grasp. “No, no, no, please, not in front of him, please sir.” She begged and pleaded in his hands, twisting her head from side to side.

  Alex shook his head. “No, no, no? If I tell you to cum for me, you will fucking cum, pet. Simple.”

  Alex ground the vibrator against her, clutching her firmly, and then he kissed her. His movements were forceful, and Jonah saw the wetness from her sex glisten on the Hitachi as she clenched every muscle in her body. Her breath was coming in short gasps, and when she came, liquid ran down her thighs. Jonah took a deep breath and adjusted his pants to accommodate his hard-on. He ran his hands through his hair and exhaled loudly, aroused beyond anything he’d experienced.

  He watched Alex un-cuff Anya and let her settle down on the floor to relax. She rubbed her own arms to get circulation back to her fingers. They were clearly a bit sore from being raised for so long. “Thank you sir.”

  Her voice was soft, and Alex petted her head affectionately. “Anya, clean and tidy this room, and w
hen you are done, put on something comfortable, baby, then join us in the living room. You can make some coffee for all of us, does that sound good?”

  At this instruction, Anya nodded and Alex led Jonah from the room.

  Jonah felt relief wash over him when Alex was the first to broach the subject. “What makes you uncomfortable here, Jonah? I am going to guess it involves being intimate with Anya because she is mine.” He sat down on the large sofa, resting his elbows on his knees while Jonah took the armchair.

  “I have a history of straight monogamy, Alex. It feels like I am violating your relationship by being so… I don’t know, physical with Anya. I am not used to this, and I know it’s how things seem to be in your life. Just give me some time to adjust. So much has changed in my life recently. I really just need to find a bit of calm in the chaos.” It felt as though he had said everything in one breath, and he was overwhelmed.

  Just as he got this load off his chest, Anya entered the room carrying a tray with a French press of coffee and three cups and saucers. She gracefully knelt in front of Alex to allow him to fix his cup, and then repeated the procedure in front of Jonah, glancing furtively at him, an unreadable expression in those deep, green eyes. She seemed to have put on a mask.

  Only once they had prepared their coffee did she set the tray on the coffee table and make a cup for herself. She never positioned her back toward either of them, and constantly watched them for signs of displeasure, especially Alex. To Jonah, it seemed as though her entire life and every action were to please Alex. It mystified and attracted him deeply, yet also left him wondering about how happy someone could truly be living like this.

  He wanted to know more, and was sure Alex would explain. “How do you cope with watching her be touched by another? Aren’t you jealous?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

  “There is a deep-seated trust between Anya and I, we have a very long history. She has lived with me since she was eighteen, and over the years our relationship eventually grew into that of Master and slave. It was not immediate, nor was it sexual at first. Anya had many past issues to deal with before I would let her into my bed, regardless of the fact that there was strong chemistry. I wanted her to know she could trust me beyond sex. Without the expectation of physical intimacy, relationships develop stronger foundations, and BDSM gave us so much to work with, without the pressure of sex.” He spoke of her as if she were not there, but she didn’t seem to mind, she had replaced her cup on the table and was leaning against his legs, dressed in a fluffy sweatshirt and pink panties. She had washed the markings off her skin.

  “We opened our relationship to others because of the activities we enjoy. I like playing with other submissives, and I teach new initiates, within both the club, which we refer to as The Realm, and privately. I was not designed to be monogamous, and now, instead of cheating, I am open with Anya about everything I do. She also has the same freedom to explore, but has not found an appropriate person to do so with as yet.” He drained his cup and handed it to Anya. “Take that to the kitchen please, pet.”

  Alex waited for her to leave the room. “I think she likes you a lot, Jonah, I see chemistry between you two. I have already mentioned that she will assist with your instruction, but I want you to know I am happy for a close bond to build between you, and I think it will happen easily. There’s something between you. It helps build trust and makes play more intense.”

  Anya returned and took her position at Alex’s feet once again. She looked utterly exhausted, and Jonah needed the cue to leave. His head spun with all that he had felt, seen and heard already, and he needed thinking space.

  “Thank you both for a wonderful evening, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself and indeed learned a lot. Alex, thank you for my flogger, it is beyond beautiful. I wish you both a good night, it is late and I have to work tomorrow. Perhaps we can incorporate rope into our next lesson? And I will think about the whole play thing, I need to wrap my head around it.”

  With this he stood and reached to shake Alex’s hand, walking behind him as he escorted Jonah to the door.

  “You have a lot to think about, but yes, rope indeed. Next time,” Alex said as they stood at the door. “Don’t hesitate to call if you have questions, okay?”

  Jonah nodded and made his way to his car, got in and drove home. He was still getting used to the idea of the mansion being his own. The whole sales process, both of his apartment and the mansion, had simply been too easy thanks to Bartholomew’s interference. Even getting the mortgage he’d needed to cover the excess of the mansion’s cost had come without complications, and covered his furnishing requirements easily. He didn’t trust anything in life to go so smoothly, and felt like he was going to be hit by some terrible misfortune soon. As for what the misfortune would be, he could not guess.

  ***

  Jonah parked in one of the three double garages under the house and got out of his car. When he saw all the empty space he got excited about the potential it held. He could not afford to fill it with cars, so now he had a workspace he could do something with. Due to the busy and very much dull routine of his life up to now, Jonah had never had a hobby besides reading, and the library upstairs now held his boxes of books yet to be unpacked onto the beautiful shelves.

  He walked through the garage to the stairs leading into the kitchen, saying “Hellooooooo” and listening to it echo. He laughed at how easily amused he was, still enjoying things he used to as a child. Too many adults lost the ability to do that. While he stood on the stairs he thought about the reading he’d done on things like pet play, and little or daddy dominant interaction. All of it sounded like so much fun, playful fun.

  He would think of something to do with the extra space in time, when he had a budget to do so again. As he was about to put the usage of it out of his mind the perfect brainwave struck him, hard. He stopped on the first step to look back. The house didn’t have a hot tub, fancy as it was.

  That was it, he mused, standing there stroking his chin. He would use this area, rebuilding it a little, as an alternate entertainment area, and add a nice hot tub and downstairs bar. That would work, and he could more than likely do the alterations himself. With a nod he continued up the stairs and pushed open the door into the kitchen. Yes, it could be his man-cave. Jonah walked to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine, pouring a glass to take with him into the library, where he planned to do some unpacking.

  He clambered over the boxes scattered about and stared again at the desk and chair. The owners of the house had left behind a number of large items, along with a note for Jonah when he first entered the house, wishing him all the best for the future as well as congratulating him on his initiation.

  His parents had taught him to be wary of too much good at once, setting up his discomfort about good fortune, and to guard himself against misfortune, both in life and love. His mother had come over to help him pack before he left his apartment, and he smiled as he removed a photo album from a box she must have sneaked in. It was filled with pictures of his childhood friends, family and memories of their holidays. He set it on the edge of the desk, to page through at some point. The pillow from the box he placed on the corner armchair, and the throw he hung over the footstool. It was starting to feel a bit more like home, having a few of his own things around him, as opposed to constantly looking at new things everywhere he turned.

  It was almost four in the morning when Jonah climbed the stairs to his bedroom, exhausted. The stairwell walls were bereft of picture frames, but he planned to rectify that. He loved art, and preferred it on the walls to personal family pictures, especially in the dating phase of his life. He enjoyed keeping things private until he knew a girl had the potential to be a long term partner. The only picture he had placed so far was one of his parents, and it stood in a frame in the living room.

  Jonah placed the flogger Alex had given him on the dresser, planning to do some work in the dungeon the next day He stripped as he walked to the bathroom. A sh
ower rendered him fresh, and he prepped his gym bag for the following afternoon’s session with Blaine. The subject of the club still hadn’t come up with him, although Jonah held onto the possibility that Blaine was a member, too. That would be an interesting talk, no doubt. He fell asleep, folding himself into the dark blue bedding he had bought for this room: Egyptian cotton, from the fitted sheets to the duvet. It was a heavenly, comfortable bed and he looked forward to having a woman in it.

  Jonah’s dreams were filled with erotic visions. He kept seeing Alex’s dungeon, and Anya hanging on the chains. In his dream he was alone with her, and after flogging her he had fucked her while she was still tied. It was so vivid and so real he woke with a start, and his erection raised the duvet, he was so hard and desperate for release.

  “Fuck this!”

  He got out of bed cursing his lust for Anya, and got dressed to go to his gym, one of the rooms he had not seen on his initial tour.

  It was seven a.m., and Jonah had barely slept three hours, yet he’d spent thirty minutes running as hard as he could on the treadmill, trying to work off his frustration before heading to the office.

  Now that he was in a very residential suburb and far from the public transport system, he drove to and from work, and had been getting admiring glances from several of the office PAs. They were materialistic girls and didn’t appeal to him, and the glances were only happening because nobody had thought he owned a car, and were now beginning to wonder what else they perhaps didn’t know about him. At the office he kept very much to himself, not really counting any of his colleagues as friends.

  ***

  A cream coloured envelope sat waiting for Jonah on his desk as he walked into his office. It leaned almost casually against the keyboard of his PC. To Jonah it spelled something to do with The Realm, he knew instantly. His suspicions were confirmed when he picked it up and opened it to find a single card with elegant, yet playful, handwriting on it.