by Lynda Aicher
Deklan chuckled, a deep sound that rose from his chest. “It’s one of Jake’s creations.” He grabbed her chin and turned her head until she was forced to stare straight ahead. The visual stole her breath.
It was her—spread, bound and open—at Deklan’s mercy. Her cheeks were flushed, her red lips parted as she gaped at her reflection. His gaze traveled over her body, followed by his fingertips as they trailed down her chest to the edge of her thong, leaving a line of goose bumps in their wake.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, his face reflecting the truth of his word.
She stared, transfixed, as he threaded a long, silver chain through the hoops on her nipples before connecting the ends of the chain and letting the links drape over her abdomen. Her breath was coming faster now, the slow building anticipation working to excite her, making her forget the doubts.
He grabbed a small clip off the edge of his shirt sleeve and efficiently pulled her hair back from her temple to clasp the strands away from her face.
“I want you to watch it all,” he told her. “To remind you where you are. Who you’re with.” He turned and met her eyes in the mirror. “Who do you see?”
“You,” she breathed. “Deklan.” And he was magnificent, but she wanted to see more. She asked something she’d have never dared to do with Eric. “Will you remove your shirt?” She wanted to see his chest and watch his muscles move as he worked.
He snapped his head around to stare directly at her face. She followed the move, searching his eyes for a reaction. Slowly he nodded and gave her that half-grin, his dimple flashing to melt her more. “For you, yes.”
Pleasure shuddered through her when the simple request was granted. Right then she itched to touch that little dent just visible in his cheek. She wanted to feel the beard stubble under her fingertips or better, against her tongue.
Reaching behind his neck, he pulled his T-shirt over his head, fisting it in his hand. Her heart beat faster as she scanned every inch of bared, smooth flesh. He was as strong as he appeared, each muscle in his chest and abdomen etched and defined to a toned perfection. But there were imperfections too. Hints of his past that made her ache to touch him.
A long, jagged scar ran from his right pectoral down his side. Another puckered scar stretched just above the low line of his pants, stopping almost exactly below his belly button, the actual end hidden within the line of hair that disappeared into his waistband.
There were other smaller nicks spread across his torso too. Little marks that made him somehow seem both threatening and vulnerable. Her appraisal stopped on the large tribal sun tattoo decorating his pectoral muscle right over his heart, the long rays cutting out in a jagged angle like the sharp edges of a throwing star. It was a distinctive mark, one that intrigued her more than it should.
“You done?” he asked, the question holding a hint of amusement, not scorn.
Unbelievably, she found herself smiling. “Yes, Deklan. I’m done.” When was the last time she smiled during a Scene? Never was the answer that came to her.
He tossed his shirt into the corner, picked up something from his table of supplies just out of her line of sight then moved between her legs. The flogger landed on her inner thigh with no preamble or warning. One quick flick of his wrists and the leather strands smacked against her flesh, leaving the desired sting and needles behind. The spreader bar between her knees stopped her automatic response to shield herself, even though she wanted the pain.
Deklan didn’t give her a chance to respond. He hit her other thigh almost immediately then continued in a brutal pace, working his way up and down her inner thighs. The rapid strikes cut sharp streaks of fire that spread and merged until the insides of her legs were engulfed by the fresh burn.
Kendra reveled in it. Her eyelids grew heavy, but she kept them open, mesmerized by the man before her. He was all focus, his concentration completely on his task. His muscles flexed and bunched as he wielded the flogger with a controlled precision that made her sigh.
As if sensing her shift, he reached with his free hand to grab the chain he’d threaded through her nipple rings. The hard tug made her wince as the nubs were stretched tight.
“Yes,” she cried. The centered jabs of pain were so good, the sensation flowing down her breasts to heat her chest.
She felt alive. Her body was awake, responding to just this. Just now.
The leather tails of the flogger struck the tops of her feet, making the pain surge through her entire legs, the heat trail racing up to the juncture of her thighs. To her pussy. Her vaginal muscles clenched, seeking more.
Her tiny thong didn’t cover much, but it still shielded her from full exposure. Only now, she didn’t want it blocking anything.
“Take it off,” she begged. “My thong. I want it gone.”
He dropped the chain to rip the flimsy material from her hips in what seemed like one continuous motion. The air brushed over her pussy, teasing in its own light way that had her twisting what little she could in search for something stronger.
Deklan answered her unspoken request with two sharp slaps of the flogger directly to her most sensitive flesh. She cried out and gritted her teeth against the intense fiery pain that covered her crotch from top to bottom.
He paused for a moment, and Kendra’s breath hissed between her teeth as she absorbed the ache that radiated through her lower body.
“More, please,” she found herself begging when he didn’t start again. “Don’t stop.”
“Patience, Kendra,” Deklan answered, smoothing a finger through the heated lips of her pussy. He stopped to circle her opening before pushing against her clit with a slow, continuous pressure that made her moan.
He swirled the ends of the flogger over her sensitized skin, the leather nipping and stroking at the same time. They hit her calves, her legs then finally her pussy. The little stings like tiny love bites that spit back pain. God, how she loved it.
Deklan stepped away and came back to kneel between her legs. She panted, fascinated by the reflection before her. His head blocked the view of her lower half and his back gleamed under the lights, the shimmer of sweat making his muscles appear even more distinct. It was only when she looked at her position that she noticed the pinch on her arms and ribs from the straps holding her up, or the discomfort that was growing in her thighs and hips from the crouched, spread position.
Yet it was so good, each little ache welcomed.
Behind them, the Dungeon carried on and she briefly skimmed over the other deviant acts being carried out, but none of them registered. She could see a few people watching their Scene and it didn’t bother her because when she looked down she saw him. Deklan.
He glanced at her then, his blue eyes dark and filled with the power he got from controlling her. The cool touch of plastic at her opening was her first warning of his plans before he slid the long, hard object into her channel. The dildo went easily into her wet passage and he pressed it in and out several times before bending closer to slide his tongue over her aching clit.
She gasped and jolted at the slick warmth. It was amazing and caused her orgasm to build deep within her core. The pleasure mingled and blended with the soreness that remained from the flogger.
“Do you want more?” His low question was spoken directly against her pussy, each movement of his lips blending with the light vibration from his voice.
“Yes...please.” Her answer came out as more of a plea than a flat response. She didn’t care.
He chuckled. “Perfect.” He flicked her clit with his tongue one more time before moving back, withdrawing the dildo as he did so. He pressed the object against her anus, rubbing in circles against the small opening. “Okay?”
A small whimper escaped as she tried unsuccessfully to push down on the taunting object. He continued to circle, applying enough force to tease but not enter. The pressure felt so wrong yet good. She was already envisioning the burn that would come with the entry.
“Yes,” she pa
nted, her breaths now fast and choppy.
She bore down, experience helping her once again, and the object slipped past her tighter outer muscles to enter her anus. She gulped against the initial burn that came with the stretching of the muscles and squirmed what little she could on the vinyl, slippery from her sweat. Deklan braced his other hand on her lower abdomen, ceasing her movements.
“Oh God,” she moaned, twisting her head to the side as he slowly pressed the object into her. It seemed so much bigger in her ass than it had in her vagina. He eased it out then back in, the little increments getting easier as her muscles slowly relaxed. The burn was intense but it was underscored by the odd pleasure that came with the sensitive tissues being stroked in such an unaccustomed way.
The last larger ring on the object popped inside her then Deklan stopped pushing. “There. It’s in.” He twisted it, the sensation against her tender inner walls making her suck in a sharp breath against the blended fire and bliss. “Still good?”
She nodded and managed a weak, “Yes.”
“Still watching?”
Her gaze shot back to meet his, a devious gleam shining in his eyes. He grabbed the chain and pulled it down, stretching her nipples and setting them back in flames. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his. She was transfixed.
He gave her that half-smile. “Remember, no coming.”
“Yes, Deklan.”
She should have known there was a reason for the warning. The sudden hum buzzed through the air at the same time the vibration shot through her ass and down her nipples. Kendra flinched, jerked and cursed at the shock of sensation. Her butt muscles clenched around the vibrator in protest even as she squirmed into the rising pleasure. The tremors chased up the chain that hugged each side of her pussy until her sore nipples tingled in a teasing torture. Deklan still blocked her view so she could only assume that he’d looped the chain around the end of the vibrator.
She bit her lip and rode the bliss that eased into her until she thought of nothing but the feeling. Deklan slapped her lower butt cheeks, the slice of pain dancing with the pleasure. He gave one more smack directly to her oversensitive pussy and she gulped down the groan that rose from her chest.
Giving her no time to regroup, Deklan grabbed the flogger and started on her thighs once again. He moved down her legs quickly, each strike reawakening the pain receptors that had just started to quiet. The hard tips clipped her flesh, leaving their sharp bites of stinging fire over the larger spreading warmth.
It was so right even when she knew it was so wrong. She was so bad to want this. It was proof that she was a dirty little whore, just like Eric said. How could she possibly want the pain after all that he had done to her?
Then she was back there, Eric looming over her, flaying the whip against her back while she begged him to stop and her body yearned for more. The flash of fear blindsided her. Her muscles tensed and she struggled against the bindings, gulping for air. What was she doing? She shouldn’t want this. How could she want this? No. This wasn’t right.
“Kendra. Don’t.”
Don’t what? Don’t run? Don’t be a slut? Don’t shame yourself like this? Too late. She was clammy and hot, feverish and cold. And she couldn’t breathe. Oh God, she needed air. She gasped, trying desperately to suck air into her lungs but couldn’t. No. No. No.
“Kendra. Open your eyes.” The sharp command broke through the fog and rambling words in her mind. “Now. Open your eyes and tell me what you see.”
No. No. No. She couldn’t look. Didn’t want to see.
Warm hands cupped her face and she tried to twist away from the touch, but they held her firm. A choked sob left her mouth then warm lips were there, brushing hers with soft, tender touches that broke through her barrier with their gentleness. She stilled, a shallow breath hitching into her chest.
This was different. Affectionate. Kind.
The lips returned, warm and moist, to brush over her bottom lip before it was nibbled on. Again, the action was so soft, so not Eric, that it stirred a longing deep within her. Roughened pads traced her cheekbones, abrading her skin with light caresses as another nibble on her lip was immediately soothed by the stroke of a tongue.
“Who do you see, Kendra?” His voice was low and filled with a grated command. But there was no anger. No force. “Tell me who you see.”
The strokes on her cheeks continued, a repeated back and forth pattern that was calming in its gentleness. She was so hot, her flesh flushed with heat, but she shivered when a chill raced over her skin. Gasping, she sucked in a deep breath, catching a full whiff of sandalwood.
Not Eric.
Her eyes flew open to stare at the blue-eyed, dark-haired man treating her with such kindness. No, he was definitely not Eric.
Chapter Twelve
“Deklan.”
The throaty answer almost knocked the wind out of him. He was so relieved to hear his name and see the clarity in her eyes. He’d thought he’d lost her again—knew he almost had. His mind raced through the last few minutes, trying to identify the trigger that had pulled her away, but he couldn’t nail it.
“That’s right,” he confirmed, his thumbs still brushing her cheeks. “It’s Deklan. Not him. You’re safe.”
Her pupils were large and dilated from her panic, but her chest dipped and rose at a more normal rate with each slow breath that she took. Again, he wanted to kill the man who’d put this fear in her.
“Yes,” she whispered. Her attention shot to his mouth and she slowly moistened her lips, as if she was remembering the kiss.
Invitations weren’t needed, but he accepted hers. Something he never did. He didn’t question the instinct had made him kiss her to get her back and he didn’t regret it either. Her lips were soft and slightly chapped from where she’d chewed on them, giving them a roughened texture that reminded him why she’d been biting them in the first place. She looked so fucking hot strapped to the table, writhing in bliss and pain.
Trusting him.
He kissed her harder this time, pushing his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers. She responded, meeting his aggression with a rising one of her own. She had a fight within her that pulled at him. Her mouth was hot and she tasted bitter like fear and sweet like passion. He gripped her face, tilting her head for a better angle to thrust his tongue in farther. His dick was already rock hard and aching in his pants, but it pulsed even more with the searing fire stoked from her kiss.
Deklan trailed his hand down her chest to pinch and twist one of her nipples, causing her to moan into his mouth. He eased back and she tried to follow him, lifting until she was forced to stop. Her head dropped back to the table, and he released the nipple to run his fingers over her chest and circle the other one. She lifted her eyelids to reveal blue eyes dark with desire and passion.
“Who am I?”
“Deklan.” To his relief, there was no hesitation or fear in her throaty answer.
“We’re still green?” He had to be sure.
She squirmed on the table, lifting what little she could of her chest toward his circling finger. “Yes.”
Thank you, he silently answered, unable to speak the words aloud. He rewarded her by giving what she begged for. He gripped the nipple in a punishing hold that had her wincing against the ache. He scanned her body, the sight filling him. She truly was stunning when she gave in to the pain. He was amazed at the way she responded so quickly to his touch. Even more at the way he responded to her.
She was like no other. Her submission meant so much more, knowing that this wasn’t easy for her and that she was coming out of a situation that had destroyed her trust. For her to give it to him was humbling. It was what he’d wanted, but now that he had it, the responsibility was both daunting and heady. He wouldn’t let her down.
Stepping away, he picked up the flogger and brought it down on her stomach. Not hard, just enough to sensitize her skin, waking her nerve endings so she was aware of every part of her body. He moved quickly
now, over her abdomen, up her chest, now her arms until her skin was pink and flushed. She whimpered, a hoarse blend of need and angst that went straight to his groin. The adrenaline was running high in his system and he recognized it for what it was, letting the buzz take him.
Sweat eased down his back and over his brow and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. He swallowed back a groan and adjusted himself, accepting the dawning truth. For the first time in years, he ached to fuck a client.
But he couldn’t.
He tossed the flogger aside, needing to touch her, to feel her under his hands, her every response sinking into him. Moving between her legs, he ran the blunt tips of his nails down her breasts, over her ribs and across her firm, muscled abdomen to the top of her pubic bone. Her hips bucked and she gave a silent cry against the harsh scratching over her sensitive skin.
“Yes,” she whimpered, a deep pool of mixed misery and ecstasy in her voice. She looked to him, eyes blazing with emotion, and said one word. “More.”
Jesus Christ. She was so fucking perfect.
He gave into his base need and dropped to his knees to suck her clit into his mouth. She let loose with a long, high wail and thrust her hips up what little she could. He pushed on the vibrator still in her ass and flicked her hard, swollen nub with his tongue. She tasted like lust and smelled of musk and arousal. It was pure heaven, and he had to reach down to adjust himself once again before his zipper left a permanent impression on his shaft.
“Please, Deklan.”
Holy fuck. Her desperate plea shot straight to his throbbing dick. He was hard enough to pound nails and for once that sense of satisfaction he got from withholding his release was replaced by impatience and a flaming need to come.
He leaned back with a growl and smacked her ass right over the vibrator, knowing the area would be good and tender now. The stimulation would drive her crazy, but she wouldn’t come from that alone. Teasing her more, he eased the vibrator out of her anus, stroking it over the ring of nerves that guarded the opening before plunging it back into its full depth.