Surreal (Divine Trilogy #3)

by R. E. Hargrave

  “Have you been eating properly?” He got his answer when her frame stiffened in his lap. In reaction, his hand closed on her flesh, tightening until her breath caught and a tiny whimper formed in her throat. “Answer me, pet,” he ground out through clenched teeth. Jayden was not pleased.

  “No, this girl has not, Master.” Though shame threaded her tone, she straightened further in his lap, her form adopting a submissive posture. “With all that’s been going on, your girl has been using her lunch hour for wedding appointments.”

  “And breakfast?” With the change in her hours, Jayden left for the office before she did now. The thought never crossed his mind that she would skip a meal if he wasn’t there to eat with her.

  “That’s when your girl gets her exercise in, Master.”

  “I see.” Unfortunately, he didn’t like what he saw. Of those three things, a proper diet should have been her top priority, especially given their talk about trying to have a baby. Also, he’d be damned if a marriage ceremony was going to affect her health in a negative way.

  “Catherine, I do believe you’ve taken on way too much, and I don’t approve. Tomorrow, Samantha will be tasked as your personal assistant for any and all things wedding related. I can get by without her at the office until after we’ve said our vows. I’ll also call Mom and have a talk with her. In the meantime, what else is on your list for tonight?”

  She’d twisted in his lap to look at him and now gave him an adoring grin before ticking off items on her fingers. “Call Silver Spurs and schedule the bridal party in for hair and make-up the morning of the wedding, Sir Shawn had some ideas for our photo setups and wanted to set a time to meet. Your mom is handling the invitations, and it’s a good thing, too, but I still need to—”

  “So all things that Samantha can handle?” Jayden spoke over her, stopping her running list.

  “Aye, this girl supposes so . . .”

  “Then it turns out you are free this evening, Catherine. And we’re both hungry. Eat your sandwich, use the bathroom, and join me downstairs in thirty minutes.” It wasn’t a request.

  He tapped her thigh, signaling her to get off his lap. Once he’d stood, Jayden leaned in to kiss the top of her head then pinched her hip before pivoting on his heel and taking his exit. A scene had begun forming in his mind, and he would need the full thirty minutes to prepare for it.

  When Catherine joined him in the playroom—with a few minutes to spare—the charge in the atmosphere was palpable. She entered without a word, the clack of her heels matching his heartbeat while she hung her robe then assumed her waiting position in the center of the room. He stood by, a wide stance bracing his legs and his hands clasped behind his back, holding a surprise. For this scene, the Dominant had chosen to remain dressed, knowing how much more possessive he felt when she was totally bare in his clothed presence—and vice versa for his pet.

  Her thick scarlet hair was pulled back and twisted into a tight bun atop her head, leaving her neck and shoulders open to him. Dropping his gaze awarded him the sight of her puckered nipples displaying his mark. He smiled when the gold and gems flickered under the nearby candlelight. Jayden hadn’t decided if he would use the wax or not. It would depend on how well she handled the pins.

  Tonight, the Dom was prepared to spend the entire evening showing his submissive, reminding her, how he treasured her. However, he also expected his rules to be followed, and she clearly needed a lesson in prioritizing. When he was done, they’d both be a mess.

  Satisfied she’d settled as much as she was going to for the time being, he stepped up and circled her, letting her feel his stare while he inspected every inch of her exposed skin. Feet neatly tucked, tits out, palms up, cunt visible . . . he checked each point off in his mind.

  “Exquisite. Stand up.” His voice was low and steady. In one fluid motion, she obeyed, and he brought his hand forward to show her what he held—a thong. “Lift your left foot.” While squatting down to slip the garment over her heel, he murmured, “Again.” Moments later he slid the material up her legs, stopping to lick at her cunt for a few minutes before hiding her bare sex behind the sheer black fabric.

  A quiet groan slipped from her when he tucked the thong strap into place between her plump buttocks, letting his fingers brush over her back hole. Where the strap formed a ‘T’ just above her ass crack, two spring clips dangled from the garment, waiting to be connected to the matching cuffs he’d be placing on her wrists soon.

  Jayden took his time moving around her. He caressed her silky skin with his fingers and knuckles, nipped at her flesh with his lips, and kept up a barrage of whispered praise for how beautiful she was in her submission to him. The deepening of her breaths, each one causing her chest to rise and fall more noticeably than the last, told him how much she was enjoying the attention. Had there been any doubt, it would’ve been silenced at the creamy discovery inside her cunt when he teased a finger below the fabric to check.

  Time for phase two.

  “You’ve broken an outlined rule of mine, haven’t you, Catherine?” Her admission came in quiet tones once she’d kneeled and he’d permitted her to answer. “I need to be sure you’re getting an adequate amount of nutrients for your health, not my own shits and giggles. If you aren’t in top form, then I can’t enjoy your body on my whim. Nor will I begin to consider allowing you to risk your own life to grow another if you can’t take care of yourself first. When I run my palm over your hips, I want to feel the soft swell of a healthy curve, not the sharp edge of a bone.”

  He paused to let the words sink in. Jayden hated this. Administering pain in seeking pleasure was euphoric, but doing it for punishment never did anything for him. However, the rules had to be adhered to. If he didn’t follow through on his promises of punishment for her misconduct, then how could she trust that he’d follow up promises of reward? This was for her own good. “Tonight we’re going to work on your concentration.”

  CHAPTER 34

  Master’s announcement didn’t surprise Catherine. She’d been letting her mounting task list get the better of her—she knew this. The last place her thoughts should be while scening with Master was on entrée selections for the wedding menu or reviewing the dental codes she was learning at work. What was fluoride again, 1204 or 1206?

  “Ouch!” Her nipple exploded with heat, compliments of the crop in Master’s hand, which she’d failed to notice before.

  “Where were you just now?”

  She looked down and mumbled, “Not here, Master.”

  “Precisely,” he scolded.

  “Your girl is sorry.” Catherine lowered herself, bending at the waist to kiss the top of his bare foot. She remained bowed, offering herself and awaiting His instruction.

  “I’m going to give you the chance to prove that. Get up and get to the shackles.”

  She rose and hurried over to where the hoist and rig system resided. For the next few minutes, the submissive kept her eyes closed and enjoyed His strong hands on her body. With great care, he fastened cuffs to her wrists and ankles, another wider one wrapped around her waist before he attached the harness rigging to her bindings. Catherine squirmed with the realization that she wasn’t going to be allowed to close her legs when he placed a spreader bar to the ankle cuffs. Her arms were pulled behind her back and the links on the cuffs were clipped to their waiting counterparts on her thong strap.

  Master guided her back down onto her knees then took a step back. He unzipped his jeans, working his thick cock free of its denim prison, and came close again to tap the hard flesh against her lips. “Suck me, slut. You’re going to swallow a serving of protein, for your health, and to see to my needs. And then, well, my pet, we’ll see . . .” His words became garbled when his length disappeared into the warm depths of her throat as she opened and he slid in.

  Locked behind his back, his hands mimicked hers while she worked his cock until tears escaped the corners of her eyes. While sheer willpower kept his hands in place, hers were c
uffed, making her do all the work with her mouth.

  Skilled and determined, Catherine soon sucked Master’s orgasm from him, gagging and swallowing around him. He slipped from her mouth, a dribble of come spilling on her lip, and she rested back on her heels, eyes lowered while she caught her breath. It was then that she noticed their newest toy—a wand—was plugged into one of the numerous floor outlets in the room.

  The submissive also knew the toy as her “guaranteed O-stick.” Pure magic, she melted under its intense vibrations anytime Master used it on her. Spread legs. Wand. Oh, yeah, I’m in trouble.

  Catherine must’ve made a noise because Master let out an evil chuckle and reached between her legs to pinch her clit. It happened too fast, was over too soon, and she just managed a strangled plea for “More.”

  “Oh, you’re going to get more, slut. So much more you’ll be begging me to stop. And I won’t . . . unless, of course, you safeword. Now, up you go.” He helped her get to her feet and freed her hands from the thong. Master re-clipped them to another spreader bar that hung down from above, stretching her into an X.

  Soft clicks and whirs sounded while the hoist came to life. She began to lift up onto her toes, and a few moments later, swing freely in the air.

  Master’s hands remained on her, steadying and guiding her body into the position he wanted before panic could take root in her mind. Like the other flashback-inducing activities they’d tackled together, this one—bound suspension—had been an act of patience and love on his part until she’d grown comfortable with it. With his reassuring touch came soothing words of praise. Whispers of “Good girl,” “I’ve got you,” and “Almost set,” eased her sense of well-being.

  Once he brought her to a stop, Catherine was upside down. She doubted it was a coincidence that her mouth was level with his crotch, or that her pussy was displayed at the perfect height for him to play with at his leisure.

  Squatting down after digging something from his pocket, Master kissed her. Distracting her with his mouth, he fingered her nipples, twisting them until she cried out against his mouth and quickly clamping them. Through her glazed vision, she noted his hand wrapping around the wand before he stood.

  She grinned, and then stopped almost as fast. The look on His face wasn’t a happy one.

  “Color, Catherine?”

  “Green, Master.”

  The toy came to life. For a few seconds, a high frequency buzz filled the room, but it was soon replaced by a wanton groan falling her lips when he pressed the head against her fleshy mons—so very close to her swelling clitoris yet not quite there—and held it. Pressing his hips forward, his reawakening cock bumped her lips, and she obediently parted them.

  When she began to suck around his length, he rewarded her by moving the vibrator along her pussy. It felt amazing, and her mouth fell open, releasing him. At the cessation of activity on Master’s cock, he took the toy away.

  With a longing whimper, she snapped her lips closed and resumed her ministrations. The delicious vibration returned. Catherine increased the tempo of her sucking, and in return, he teased the wand over her sex. She soon became lightheaded and paused for breath.

  Contact was broken again, but she could her feel her clit continue to pulse like it would pull the toy back if it only had hands. “Please . . .”

  Cool air tickled her hot flesh when he shifted the fabric of her thong to the side and pried her labia apart. “Suck me, Catherine, and you may come when you like.” Something in the way he said it made her believe it wasn’t going to be that easy.

  His cock pressed forward again, her mouth clamped down on him, and shock waves overtook her when he positioned the wand against the underside of her exposed clit. Highly sensitive, her orgasm started to crest and once again, the submissive forgot her task.

  Just when she would’ve come, the toy was taken away, and he slapped her breast. The action jostled her adorned nipple hard enough for the clamp to shift so that it dangled from her peak. She stared down at the biting item with wide eyes, then screamed around his cock when he smacked her breast a second time to knock the clamp clean off. A wonderful, searing fire shot into her freed nipple when the blood rushed back into it, purple giving way to darkened rose-colored flesh.

  “Again, slut. Suck me and come—if you can.”

  Around they went.

  Master maneuvered her about, not leaving her upside down for more than a few minutes at a time. Each position he chose allowed him to fuck her face and throat, and, of course, tease her pussy into a throbbing mound of need.

  So many times the submissive found herself on the verge of release, just to have it snatched away because her mutinous body got lost in its own pleasure. Having her throat filled with His cock, the constant pressure and vibration on her groin, and the lingering pain in her nipples—he’d knocked the other clamp free at some point, too—was all encompassing and intoxicating.

  I’m sex drunk. The thought made her start giggling, and in a flood, Master was suddenly coming down her throat.

  The intensity of the orgasm forced from her while she swallowed his spunk and he ground the wand against her pussy sucked the air from her lungs. Tiny sparks of white light flitted across her vision, and she exploded in the heat. Her heartbeat thundered in her skull. Cool air rushed into her lungs, and the buzzing in her ears lessened when Master turned her upright.

  Catherine was only half-aware, and still giggling, while he removed her bindings and guided her to the armchair. There were items sat atop the end table next to the chair, but she couldn’t be bothered to try and identify them. More titters escaped her. She was tingling all over and effervescent—downright bubbly.

  Master’s fingers dug into her arms. “Down, pet, let’s get you stable before you fall over.”

  Her legs folded beneath her, her bottom met the cold hardwood floor, and she sobered a bit. The hushed whisper of fabric shifting met her ears, and his shirt landed on the floor beside her. She sighed with contentment when he slid into the chair behind her, placing his feet near her hips and leaning her back into his hold.

  Craving Master’s touch, Catherine let her body mold against his while placing her trust in him to support her. Her body buzzed under his whispered affections and barely-there touches. With each hushed compliment, she felt her resolve weakening, all fight leaving. Why was she so stressed again?

  Drowsy, dopey, and somehow still burning with the need between her thighs, Catherine was unprepared when a plastic clothespin bit into the flesh over her lower ribs, and she gasped. She pushed the air out and sucked in fresh as a second and a third pin were attached to her with lightning-quick precision.

  “Did you enjoy your orgasm, slut? Answer freely for the rest of the night, please.”

  “Aye, Master. This girl did, thank you.”

  “You worked hard for it. You deserved the reward.” More clothespins found their way onto the opposite side of her torso, pinching her skin. The clamps weren’t secure, more like he was placing them so they held a tiny amount of skin in a painful bite on purpose. “Is this comfortable?” he asked and flicked his finger over one of the pins so that it wavered, pulling at her skin. It was just beneath her right breast, where loose flesh had been lacking.

  She hissed. “Not really, Master.”

  “Shame. If you’d been eating and fleshier, the pins could’ve had something more substantial to hold onto and you might be enjoying this instead. But you chose sloth through nonchalance, and that does not deserve a reward. Such detrimental behavior must be corrected . . . with punishment, if necessary.”

  Catherine literally felt the color drain out of her. He was going to use pain to punish her. Master had never done that before—meaning this was serious. The severity of her infraction crashed down on her and shame tightened her chest worse than the clothespins digging into her clammy skin.

  He continued to fasten pins to her—inner arms, hips, across the top of her pussy, and even her breasts got a circle of them around her nip
ples—all areas that had become thinner, but none of it hurt. Not the way she now hurt on the inside. She’d disappointed the man who, to her, meant everything.

  Because she hadn’t put enough importance on taking care of what meant everything to Him—her.

  When he tipped the candle over her torso, letting hot wax spill down and coat her pinched skin, she welcomed it. Whimpering “sorry” over and over, Catherine kept her breasts thrust out in acceptance, but she couldn’t stop the salty rivers flowing down her cheeks. By the time he moved from behind her, taking up the crop when he passed, she was desperate to be exonerated. She knew once this was over, she’d be forgiven, with the expectation that her habits would be rectified.

  Never would she show such disregard for her well-being again.

  Drawing her wet lashes upward, the submissive fixed her eyes on her Master. He stood a few feet back, the riding crop held firmly in both hands before him. Catherine sucked in a jagged breath. “Do it, Master. Absolve your girl.”

  His face was pained when he drew his arm back. “This is for you, A rúnsearc.”

  Knowing with unwavering certainty that she was His beloved secured her inner peace. The submissive held his words around her heart while her body exploded with cathartic pain as he used the crop to knock every last clothespin free.

  Later that night, in the warmth of their plush bed, Jayden pulled Erin even closer than normal. He’d not stopped touching her since they’d left the playroom. In the shower, reverent touches had guided his fingers to remove the wax and sweat from her body. After, she’d almost wept at the tenderness of his caress while he worked arnica cream into the numerous red marks that would likely still cover her come morning. In the silent darkness, his mouth sought hers even as his cock found purchase between her eager thighs. No words were spoken.

  None were needed.