She heard a smacking sound and suspected he was hitting a cane against the palm of his hand. Would he strike her with it again? Her muscles flinched, anticipating the sting, and surprisingly, she craved it.
Teeth tugged at the tender tip until Zoe cried out. Pain shot through her breast. Then fingers rubbed the sore tip until the pain eased. It was unnerving not knowing who the person was. The fondling began. Stroking her breasts, her back, hips and ass, but not quite touching her pussy. The caresses felt good, Zoe couldn’t deny it, but at the same time, how could Jason watch? Did he like it? Did she like him watching her with another man? Or woman?
“Sir?” Zoe whispered hesitantly.
“Yes, slave. You have a question?” Jason asked. “Go ahead.”
“I don’t understand the purpose of a stranger…touching me.” She almost said molesting, but that would certainly get her a whack from that cane. “If you would explain the purpose of what you’re doing, maybe I’ll be able to adjust easier, and it’ll help motivate me.”
He whacked her right thigh, and her knees buckled. “Your purpose is to be a compliant slave and exhibit unconditional surrender. Questioning every order, chore or test with logic is not in your realm as a slave unless you don’t understand the specifics of what I expect you to do or you fear a certain aspect.”
“I’m sorry, sir.” She still didn’t understand what was expected of her and felt uncomfortable with the situation, but for now she’d go along for the ride. Maybe he’d allow her to discuss it after.
“Bend over the bench,” Jason ordered as he pressed her back down. “Spread your legs and brace yourself with the knee pads.”
She did as he asked, and her ass and everything were exposed again. The sound of a vibrator clicked on, and Zoe squeezed her eyes tighter, knowing what was going to happen next.
“You’re nice and wet,” he said as he slowly slipped the thick shaft into her pussy. The thickness and vibration got her aroused even with the stranger’s presence. “Hold this in place,” he ordered the stranger. “Don’t come, Zoe. I have a bit more training for you. It might be a little uncomfortable, but it’s necessary. Kadir may want to do this. So try to take as much as you can.”
Zoe heard some rustling at the table of tools, and a moment later, he spread her ass cheeks. Fuck. She felt something cool and wet dripping between her ass cheeks. Then something hard, stiff and slick pressed at her tight opening. “Relax and breathe.” He pressed the hard butt plug slowly into her ass.
Her stomach muscles clenched as the pain and burn zinged through her. She whimpered, but didn’t want to protest. Sooner or later, she’d have to do this, wouldn’t she? She tried taking her mind off the pain and focused on the vibrator in her pussy, which was pressed at just the perfect position. If she focused on it for too long…
She gasped and tightened, trying to slow the swiftly rising build of an orgasm, now so close to the edge. She whimpered and groaned.
“Are you in pain?” he asked.
“A little. But I might come, too.”
“Good,” he said. “Don’t come.” He removed the plug and replaced it with a larger one. It had to be larger, because she felt the wider spread, and it hurt more.
She swore under her breath.
“Excuse me, did you say something?” he asked.
“No, sir.” Trying to relax her ass and tighten her pussy to prevent an orgasm was torture of a kind she’d never experienced before. Sweat beaded across her forehead and across her back, and her body quivered.
If the vibrator moved a fraction, she’d come, and nothing would stop her. Her nails dug into the pads.
“You’re close, aren’t you, slave?” he asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Not yet.” He pressed the plug in deeper, and by doing so, he moved the vibrator against her G-spot. She was done for. Her legs shook so violently, she didn’t think she could stand much longer. “Okay, slave, come for me now.”
“Oh God,” Zoe screamed, and her knees flexed and her back arched. The orgasm ripped through her, every muscle completely out of her control, convulsing, pulsing in the most violent and wonderfully intense climax that she’d ever had. The two objects slipped from her insides, and she hung limply over the cushion, unable to move.
The door opened and closed, then a minute or two later, opened and closed again. She felt a warm wet cloth over her shoulders, down her back and buttocks, then between her legs, cleaning her. Strong arms swept her up and carried her over to the bed and laid her down. A soft blanket covered her.
The blindfold was removed, and Zoe looked up at Jason and Melissa. Anger and embarrassment swelled in her chest. She liked Melissa, so why was she so angry? Would she have preferred one of the Secret Service guys to work with Jason?
She sat up and began dressing.
“You need to rest a bit. A session like this can disorient you,” Melissa said. “You did well.”
“I’m fine,” she said sharply.
“Melissa’s right. Sit for a minute. Have some water.”
Zoe glared at Jason. “Lesson’s over. I’m going home.” She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the Red Tape Room, slamming the door behind her.
CHAPTER 16
“Well, that wasn’t so bad,” Melissa said, her hands on hips and her mouth in a sarcastic pout. “Keep at it. She’ll come around.” She picked up two floggers and began swirling them in rhythmic, alternating circles against the wooden cross in a Florentine pattern. Normally, Jason would’ve been impressed with her technique.
“I pushed her too fast.” He kicked the spanking bench, and it slid a few feet. “You forget I’m not that experienced as a Dom.”
Melissa stopped swinging and held out one of the floggers to him. “Here. Practice. I’ll work with you. Then you can show Zoe.”
He rubbed his forehead, trying to avoid the headache building. This would never work. “I should check on her.”
“No, she’s fine. She never reached subspace because she was analyzing everything you did. You made progress, though. She did come. If she wasn’t into the submissive role, she never would’ve responded so well.” Melissa dropped the floggers on the table. She placed a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “There could be another reason for her apprehension.”
“What’s that?”
“She’s conflicted about you training her, how it’ll affect your relationship.” Melissa paused for a moment. “You’re sure you two didn’t practice a little BDSM when you were dating?”
“Mild role-playing, tying each other up and some other kinky stuff.”
Melissa grinned. “Really? I’m intrigued. What kinky stuff?”
Jason glared at her in silence.
“Seriously, tell me. It might help. Maybe we can use that somehow.”
He gave a long sigh. “Fine. When we were on a long stakeout, watching a house where there were known drug cartels, she liked to get busy. We could be in a car, a van, an empty building. If we were alone and the element of danger was there, she was horny.”
“Sounds like she or both of you are addicted to sex.”
“That might be true if we’d continued to do it when we were home,” he said. “I think it was more of an adrenaline rush and fear that we might not live to see the next day. Emotions run high when you think this might be the last time.”
“All the more reason to keep emotion out of this and have Tyler train her.” Melissa was back to her uppity attitude.
“No fucking way.”
“How are you going to handle it when Kadir or any other target is controlling her, mastering her, flogging her?”
Jason bit his lower lip until he tasted blood. “That’s different. It’s a job, a mission. She’ll do what she has to. Tyler’s only interested in another sexual conquest.”
“Stop worrying.” Melissa handed him a spray bottle of disinfectant and a roll of paper towels. Then she straightened the items on the table for the next presentation. “She needs some time alone to acclimat
e. Call her tomorrow.”
Jason took a breath. “I don’t know if she’ll be convincing. What if Kadir suspects?”
“He won’t. She’ll be fine.”
What choice did she have? Or he?
“The problem isn’t whether she can handle Kadir,” Melissa said. “The problem is whether she can respond properly as a slave if he gets intense. She can’t break her submissive role. And you can’t interfere.”
“I’ll work with her, and I won’t interfere,” he said as he neatly arranged the items on the table, as careful as a surgeon setting up a tray of surgical instruments. The sex toys he’d used on Zoe were wrapped in a towel. He’d take them to the restroom to clean and sterilize in a minute.
Melissa crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head. “You shouldn’t be dungeon master on this one,” she continued, her voice lowered. “Not even to observe. Your relationship with her complicates this program and can compromise it.”
“That monster is not getting his hands on her without me close by to protect her.”
“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t be in the room. You’re too close to her. Maybe even in love with her?”
No, he wasn’t in love with her. Was he? He glared at Melissa. For a petite woman, she had balls. He wasn’t budging on this. He could be as bullheaded as she was.
Her body relaxed, and her sudden smile didn’t look forced. Jason didn’t trust her change in attitude. The woman was a trained Domme and knew how to use psychology, emotions and subtle manipulations to leverage her control. “We’ll talk more about this later. I have to prepare for a presentation tomorrow night. I need to walk Alana through a few things.”
“The Red Tape Room is getting popular,” he said.
“It’s about to get even more so.” Melissa squeezed Jason’s arm. “Don’t worry, Zoe will do fine. She did great for her first time as a sub. I think she has submissive tendencies.”
He gave a hoarse laugh. “I doubt that.”
Melissa shrugged. “Then she better be good at faking it.” Her phone buzzed. She checked it and frowned.
“Everything okay?” Jason asked.
“Alana. She’s asking to see me right away in Rowland’s office. It’s urgent.”
Crossing the room to grab her purse and jacket, Melissa continued to text. Then her phone buzzed again and again.
“Sounds serious,” Jason said.
“Eric Rowland. And he just ordered me to get to his office.” Melissa texted a message back. “What the hell is going on?”
“Isn’t the president attending a function at the Capitol Building? Shouldn’t Rowland be with him?”
“You’d think.” She put her coat on as the phone rang. “Hello, Melissa Tadeshi.” She stood straighter. “Yes, ma’am. I just got the text. I’m on my way now.”
Jason waited for her to speak, if she could fill him in. “What’s up?”
“Got to go. We have a problem.”
***
Zoe marched so fast out of the White House, she got a few strange looks from the guards at the exit. If she hadn’t been so sore, she might’ve walked all the way to her Georgetown townhouse. After Jason had worked her over with the flogger, she had a tender behind and back, and her muscles ached, more from tension than from the flogging. During the drive home, she could hardly keep her eyes open and it was only eight o’clock. By the time she got home, she was exhausted, and her ass burned. Anal play had never been a big thrill for her.
A hot bath and a cup of tea sounded like a good plan. She hadn’t eaten yet. But when she got to the porch of her townhouse, Mrs. Snyder called from her door.
“Zoe. Hold on.” She crossed her small yard and ran up her steps. She was wearing a yoga outfit. “Just getting home from work?”
“Yes, Beth. Long day. I’m ready for a bath and bed.” She hoped her nice neighbor got the polite hint she was too tired for an evening of neighborly gossip.
“I just wanted to let you know the FedEx guy was here with a package. I let him in only so he could leave the package inside. I signed for you.” She handed her a paper. “It’s from your dad.”
Zoe smiled. “How did you know?”
“Because the return address is from a John Summers in Ohio. I know you have family in Ohio and only have one brother, and he’s in Afghanistan. So it must be your father.”
“Good guess. You’re right. You could’ve been a spy.” Zoe laughed. “I bet it’s apples and cider. My dad said he was going to visit my uncle in Pennsylvania. He lives near an orchard and cider mill.”
“Mmmm. Fresh apples,” Beth crooned.
“I’ll bring you some tomorrow. Better yet, I’ll bake a pie later this week.”
“Thank you. I’d love either. Go inside and get some rest.” Beth waved and jogged back to her house.
Inside, Zoe found the large box in her foyer. After she let Dexter outside to pee, she picked up the box and carried it into the kitchen, placing it on her island and her purse on one of two barstools. With a knife in her hand, she cut open the box as her cell phone buzzed.
Putting the knife down, Zoe dug in her purse and checked her phone. Her brother had posted another word to their game. She checked the update. DEATH was placed across the word TEAL, which she’d played.
A chill crept up her back, and her heart pounded so loud it reached her ears. In a rush, Zoe raced through the first floor, her kitchen, dining room, living room and turned on all the lights. Then she picked up the cell phone and sent a text to her brother.
Damien? U ok?
She stared at the screen, expecting an answer instantly but knowing he wouldn’t. She turned on the tea kettle for tea. Her hands shook. While the water heated, she picked up the knife again and finished slashing through the clear strapping tape. Then she removed the bubble wrap. She got a whiff of fresh apples, and the tension in her body eased.
Inside were at least eight quarts of two different types of apples—large golden skin Mutsu and smaller red Romes. Both were great for eating or baking. Also in the box was a gallon of cider. She grinned. She could hug her dad for going to the trouble.
She rinsed off one of the large apples and bit into it. Sweet and tart, the juice ran down her chin. Her phone buzzed again. She snatched it up and read the text from Damien.
Fine, why? Don’t like getting beat again?
She sent a text back. You scared me. Don’t use words like death. Sure you’re ok?
I’ll be home soon. Having a party. Can’t wait to see Ohio. Don’t worry.
Having a party was his way of telling her things were bad. And Damien hated Ohio. He was saying they were really bad. Now she was worried. The first lady had said she’d see about trying to get his team out, but if the fighting was bad, Zoe doubted Damien’s team would leave.
Be careful. Love you.
L U 2
She let Dexter back inside and gave him a big hug. The dog licked her chin, then squirmed to be released and charged for the living room to play with a toy. Zoe turned off the tea water and poured a small glass of apple cider instead, adding a shot of cinnamon schnapps. Dropping down on one of the barstools, she took a sip. Whatever happened, she’d do this FLC thing with Kadir even if he beat her to a bloody pulp.
Her doorbell rang, and Zoe reached for her gun, then realized she wasn’t carrying one. Reflexes and old habits never die. Damn, she was jumpy. Acting like she was on a mission.
She was, if they hadn’t fired her. Right now she’d prefer the West Bank and Gaza Strip during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the Red Tape Room.
Dexter raced to the door, barking. Peering through the peephole, she saw Jason, holding two large paper bags. Her body heated from lust and embarrassment. Her nipples still felt raw and sensitive, her butt tender and her cleft slick with desire. Her lesson had riled her up and irritated her at the same time. How could they possibly have a sexual relationship, any kind of relationship, when they planned to use sex as a weapon for blackmail and manipulation?
/> She opened the door, her jaw tight. “If you have floggers, dildos or any other similar devices of torture in those bags, turn around and leave.”
He held up one bag and smiled. “Subs from Bozzelli’s Deli?”
Her mouth twitched in a grin, and the tension in her body eased a little. “Bozzelli’s?” She opened the door wider. “Get in quick before someone mugs you.”
He strolled inside. “You live in a nice neighborhood. It looks like a Stepford Wives neighborhood, where the yards are small but neat, the houses freshly painted, and the wives are baking cookies all the time.”
“Funny. There isn’t much upkeep for the yard, but I do bake cookies sometimes. Pies this week, since my dad sent fresh apples. Want one?” She pointed to the box on her island as she brought out plates for the sandwiches.
“Later. Apple pie sounds good.”
“I’ll make one right now,” she said sweetly, teasing him. “I’m not a Stepford wife. Not happening.” She grabbed the bag of sandwiches. “I’m starved. What kind did you get?”
“Prosciutto and mozzarella for me and turkey and Havarti cheese for you.”
“Ah, I love a man who can order deli. Cider, beer, wine?”
“Beer.” He studied her while opening his sandwich and taking a bite. “Are you okay?” His voice was gentle now.
She took a bite. “Mmmm. Let’s take these in the breakfast room.” He left the other bag on the kitchen island, and she didn’t ask about it yet. The sandwiches smelled too good, and something told her she didn’t want to know what was in there. Had he cleaned out her desk? Had she gotten fired and kicked out of the FLC?
They grabbed their plates and sat down at the dinette table off her kitchen. Wide windows looked out onto a small private garden lit by small solar lights. “I’ll be okay. I needed to catch my breath.”
Jason sighed as if he was relieved. “We thought you were going to back out.”
“I thought you came here to tell me I was fired.”
“No. Just checking in on you. I also have some intel to share.” He took a guy-size bite of his sandwich and smiled.
Spice Box; Sixteen Steamy Stories Page 233