Free Agent (4 page)

“I don’t know your name, sir.”

“My name is Todd. Is there anything else?”

“No, sir. I just wanted—”

“No problem. You’re entitled to that much. Look at me.”

Her breath came in short pants, her imagination running a marathon. She looked up. She’d only seen him from across the room a few weeks ago and in her periphery tonight. Confronted with the reality so close, she couldn’t believe what she’d done. He was gorgeous. Tall, broad shouldered, and any woman’s dream of masculine perfection, he made her mouth dry and her pussy wet. She clamped her thighs tight, afraid she might do the unforgivable and come in the hallway.

He’s going to touch me.
“Sir,” she said, though her mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

“Once we go inside, you’re mine until I tell you otherwise. I intend to punish you for stealing an orgasm that was rightfully mine. Punishment is not intended to be pleasant. It is intended to reinforce the discipline you should have in your life. I think you know that since you came to me, but just in case, I need to know you understand.”

“I do, sir. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I wasn’t strong enough to stop. I trust you to help me, so I won’t do it again.”

“The room is ours for the night. Once the punishment is done, I’ll give you the choice to stay and let me guide us both to pleasure or not. You are completely free to choose. I’ll respect whatever decision you make.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Let’s do this, then.” He opened the door, motioned her inside.

She glanced around quickly before he shut the door, and she would be required to resume her subservient pose. It was her first time at this club as the membership dues were out of her reach. Now, she understood why. She’d only caught a glimpse of a few public rooms, following a guide to the social area where Candy had instructed her to meet. The public rooms had been elaborate and well appointed. This, however, was beyond anything she had seen.

Several large pieces of apparatus occupied the floor space. Overhead, an extensive track system held a wide array of chains, bars, and pulleys for bondage play. Closed cabinets lined one wall, presumably filled with anything a Dom might need. Her gaze landed on the spanking bench in the center of the room. Medieval in style, it was modern in construction with thick leather covered pads for a sub’s comfort. She immediately assumed he would restrain her there to administer her punishment.

“Lie down on the bed,” he said, startling her out of her musing. “Face down. You can take off the shoes, but leave everything else on.”

The bed?
Her heart pounded. That seemed much more intimate than the spanking bench. Why hadn’t she considered he would have his own ideas about how to punish her? For the first time since she’d left The Buggy Whip two weeks ago, she wondered if she’d made a mistake in seeking him out.

“Now.” His voice boomed behind her, spurring her toward the bed. Bracing one hand on the edge, she removed one high-heeled sandal then the other before crawling on her knees to the center of the bed and lying down.

“Up you go.”

A soft whir filled the room, and the bed slowly rose a few feet. Table height she guessed.

“Arms above your head.”

Her breasts squashed painfully into the firm mattress, and it took a few tries to figure out what to do with her face. To the left so she could see him? Or the right? She settled on right and raised her arms. He cuffed her swiftly, drawing the connecting chain tight, restraining her close to the line between comfort and pain.

“Everything you’ve done so far leads me to believe you’ve had some experience in the lifestyle and you understand I won’t push you beyond what you can stand. But, this is a first for us, so say yellow if you need a minute before we continue, red if you can’t take anymore. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. Yellow for a break. Red to stop.”

“Good girl. Let me adjust the lighting.” He stepped away, the padded flooring muffling his steps. The overhead lights dimmed except for one spotlight glowing approximately above her buttocks. He returned, clamped his fingers around her ankles. She’d felt a little zing when he’d lifted her wrists to attach the cuffs, but this…oh, Lord! Electricity sizzled across her skin all the way to the tips of her ears, and she knew with a certainty she had misjudged this man. He was going to turn her inside out and leave her an empty shell she was afraid no one but he could fill.

He only wants one night.

The word “red” flashed in her brain like an out of order traffic signal. She should stop this before it went any further. But his hands were traveling up her legs, not spreading them, just touching, sensitizing her skin to the feel of him. He had the hands of a man who worked hard for a living, callused and rough, yet everywhere he touched he was gentle. It was a potent combination that mollified the panicked voice of reason in her head.

No matter what happened tonight, she wouldn’t be the same person tomorrow. He’d already changed her. She was his.

He only wants one night.

“Two weeks ago, I wanted to lay you out on the bar, bare your ass to everyone there, and spank you until you begged me to let you come. You cheated me out of that, too, so tonight I’m going to punish you for both.”

His voice was Prozac to her system. She heard his words, felt his hands on her skin, slowly working their way up the back of her thighs. Then they were under the hem of her dress, caressing the bare skin he found there.

“I knew you didn’t have anything on under this sorry excuse for a dress.” He pushed the fabric to her waist. The air in the room seemed as if it came straight from the Arctic Circle when it met the skin where his hands had been. She squirmed, clenching her cheeks tight when she realized he was looking at her bare ass.

He landed a stinging blow to her right buttock, bringing tears to her eyes. She cried out at the sudden burst of pain.

“Don’t move.” Chains rattled. He jerked her feet wide, secured them with cuffs at her ankles, so she was open to him. “I like the way my handprint looks on your skin.”

He covered the sting with his palm. The heat from his hand went straight to her heart and wrapped it in a blanket of warmth.

“How many times should I spank you for what you did?” He trailed a blunt finger along the tight seam. Her body responded, relaxing, allowing him access to her most secret place. “Tell me what you think. How many times?”

Just touch me
, she wanted to say. “As many times as you want, sir. I took too much from you.”

“You did at that.”

Before she could register the loss of contact, he landed another blow on her left cheek. A whimper escaped her lips, and she just barely resisted the urge to lift her ass to beg for more.

***

He knew better than not to follow through on his promise to punish her. He gained no satisfaction in marring her perfect ass for that reason alone. He much preferred to tease and tantalize…arouse his sub and himself.

Ten hard swats. After the first four she quit presenting, begging for him to grant her release, and accepted he really was going to punish her. Her whimpers and moans of satisfaction had changed to muffled cries, and he didn’t have to look to know he’d brought tears to her eyes. Some lucky Dom would thank him later for reminding her not to toy with her master.

He left her long enough to wet a towel at the sink in the corner. “You were very brave,” he said, returning to place the cool cloth over her red bottom. “Are you okay?”

She sniffled and nodded. As she dragged in a ragged breath, her whole body shook. Todd slipped his hand beneath her dress bunched at the small of her back, stroking slowly. Her skin was warm silk, and her heart beat furiously beneath his palm. After a few minutes, some of the tension left her body, and he relaxed a little, too. She was dealing with the pain in her own way, internalizing the lesson.

“What did you learn?”

Another sniffle. Her lungs inflated, and a breath shuddered out of her. “I learned to ask permission to orgasm, sir.”

“And?”

“I learned not to touch myself without permission.”

He smiled even though she couldn’t see. “Then I have done my job. Is there anything you would like to ask me now?” He let his hand wander the length of her spine, memorizing every inch, every curve. “You can ask for anything you want.”

“Would you…touch me, sir? Please?”

He loved the timidity in her voice. She was aware of his strength now, yet she still craved the pleasure he had denied her earlier. Her knowledge of the lifestyle was apparent, but he didn’t think she had all that much practical experience. Maybe he would push her just a little before he gave her what they both wanted.

“Touch you how? Where?”

She wiggled her ass. “Please, sir.”

“Not until you tell me where. I want to give you exactly what you need, but I can’t do that unless you’re specific.” He lifted the towel and tossed it aside. His palm hovered over her left cheek. The heat was gone but the color remained. Next time, he’d enjoy putting it there.

What next time?
He jerked his hand away before he touched her. No. There was only tonight, and only because he’d had no choice. Her misbehavior had weighed heavily on her, and he would have been a complete ass not to take the worry off her shoulders. But anything else tonight was up to her. She wasn’t his, so he wouldn’t presume anything.

“Sir?”

“Tell me exactly where you want me to touch you. Honesty is one of the best gifts a sub can give her master.”

He waited while she digested his words. She looked like a buffet of sensual delights, lying there trussed and open. Having her covered except for her most vulnerable parts excited him. It was as if they were having an illicit affair in a public place, and if discovery was imminent, he had only to yank her dress back down and no one would be the wiser. Next time, he’d see all of her.

No. No next time.

“Sir, please touch my pussy.”

His heart swelled with pride. She was one brave woman, asking for punishment and then for pleasure. With one finger, he swept a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Do you want me to make you come?”

“Yes, sir. Please.”

“You have been so good, accepting you punishment with such courage, I can’t deny you an orgasm. Let me make it the best you’ve ever had.”

“Yes.” No hesitation.

Her trust humbled him. Someone was going to be very lucky to own her completely. Too bad it wasn’t going to be him.

Todd located a small pillow and slipped it beneath her pelvis, opening her further to him. For the first time, he looked closely at her pussy. She had trimmed neatly. Her outer lips were swollen and rosy with arousal. Parting them, he sucked in a breath at the loveliness of her vaginal opening. Glossy pink petals framed a perfectly shaped slit. He swiped two fingers through the moisture leaking from her and explored lower. A gasp confirmed he’d found her clitoris.

“You are beautiful. I’m going to take my time. Beauty like this should be savored.”

She answered with a groan that sounded like it had begun somewhere near her clit and collected need along the way.

His position, standing over her, allowed him to use both hands at once. With his right, he cupped her mound, pressing her clit into the palm of his hand. He traced her inner lips with the fingers of his left hand, delving closer to the well of heat and the source of the ache driving her to commit the act that had brought them together tonight.

She’d paid for her transgressions, so it was time to give her what she had wanted all along—his touch.

He entered her, his middle finger plunging hard. Her inner walls tightened around him, and her hips lifted, trying to suck him in deeper. He gave her his full length then pulled out before thrusting to his third knuckle once more. Keeping constant pressure on her clit, he sought and found her sweet spot. It didn’t take much trial to rub his knuckles over the sensitive nub. Her shoulders rose, and she pressed her face into the mattress.

Strangled sounds of ecstasy met his ears and drove him on. He pushed her beyond her ability to control her body. Her hips moved in rhythm with his thrusts, seeking the pleasure he had promised her.

She was so damned beautiful. Her responses thrilled and excited him. It was as if her body talked to him, telling him exactly how much pressure to apply, where to touch her, how hard to plunge, when she was too close to the edge. He backed off, letting her come down from the peak before driving her to the edge again. He’d heard mountain climbers talk of unsuccessful attempts to reach the peak, but when they finally reached the top, the accomplishment was sweeter because of the other times they’d tried and failed.

Giving her the experience filled him with satisfaction. Nothing in the world felt better than seeing a woman reach the peak and fly—at his command.

Call him a control freak, but yeah, he loved commanding a woman’s body, especially one that listened and responded like Brooke’s.

She was close. Tension coiled in her body as it had several times before. But this instance was different. She’d forgotten the punishment, had used the lingering pain to fuel her climb to the top. It was time to remind her how she’d gotten this far.