Sure Thing (11 page)

He smiles at me, holding my gaze. “I’ve been doing this stuff a long time, Ashley, and you’ll benefit from my experience, really you will. But, I’ve never yet found a way to top a sub gently—and I don’t really think either one of us is here looking for gentle. Are we, Ashley?”

“I, no, no I suppose not…” Pity, but it’s true.

“Right, so I’m not going to try for gentle then. But I can do slow. I can take this at your pace, give you all the time you need to adjust, to keep up. I’ll want you still there with me, at the end. This is about physical pain, yes, but it’s not meant to be an emotional battering.” He smiles at me again, then winks as he stands. “I’m going to strap you around the waist too. It’s really important that you remain very still because I’m going to open your legs wide and I don’t want to accidentally hit anything delicate because you’re wriggling around.”

Despite my fears there’s a distinct rush of wetness between my legs at his words, at the implication of intent behind his statement. Moments later the leather strap encircles my waist, tightening around me. He steps back, and I tug against the restraints. I quickly realize that although my legs are free and I can move my head and shoulders slightly, my upper body is pretty much immobile, bent over the bench. Ready and perfectly positioned for spanking or whatever else he might have in mind.

“Would you like a sip of water, Ashley?” Tom is crouching beside me again, a small bottle of mineral water in his hand.

I nod thankfully, becoming aware of the dryness in my mouth. He trickles a few drops of water between my lips. I swallow gratefully then ask for more. He obliges, then offers me more still. Eventually I thank him, tell him enough, and he straightens again. He moves away to stand behind me.

I wait, expecting any moment to feel the harsh sting of—what? A whip? A cane? Or maybe his hand, like that other time, which seems a lifetime ago now?

It is his hand I feel but not a slap. He’s caressing me, his palm softly kneading my buttocks, first one side, then the other. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t tell me what he intends to do, doesn’t ask permission. With his other hand he traces the valley separating my buttocks, sliding his fingers between the cheeks of my bum to explore me thoroughly. I gasp, spread my legs instinctively for him as he strokes the soft, moist folds. I am wet, hot, ready, and he obligingly slips two fingers swiftly into me. He waits a moment as I clench around him, then withdraws, before thrusting in again, hard and fast. I moan with pleasure, rotating my bottom against his hand, trying to ride him, greedy for more. He steps closer, leaning forward to reach around me to take my swollen clitoris between the finger and thumb of his other hand. He squeezes, strokes me firmly.

“I want you to come. Now. Now, Ashley.”

His command is delivered sharply, obedience expected. Demanded. His fingers are unerring, accurate, insistent. I have no option but to comply, and I do come, on command, immediately, my orgasm rippling forcibly through my helpless body. I am gasping for air, my pussy clenching madly at this relentless onslaught, but he is not content with just one release. He continues to finger-fuck me, the friction building as he thrusts, strokes, demanding my response.

He doesn’t speak to me again, but still the tension builds, desire curling through me once more and I groan into the soft leather as my body succumbs to the inevitable. Unbelievably, he forces another hard, punishing orgasm from me before he finally relents and slowly withdraws. Even then, he’s not done. Without a word he slides his thumbs upwards to position them at either side of my tight anus. He presses, pulls, gently easing the sphincter open. I gasp again, surely he can’t be…

“No!” My denial is one of disbelief rather than refusal, but he stops, waiting for a signal from me. With some effort I will my muscles to relax, to accept. He waits, silent, his hands still on me as I lie immobile under him. I realize he’s waiting for permission, waiting to be sure.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean you to stop. It was just…please, continue…”

And he does, carefully working my anus until he can insert the tip of his thumb, generously lubricated with my own juices. Leaving his thumb in place, lightly pressing inwards, he drops his other hand to attend to my desperately throbbing clit. My third orgasm is on me in moments, the most powerful yet, delivered with a tenderness and care not previously evident. There’s no conversation between us, but he is reading my body perfectly, listening intently to every sigh and moan to know exactly what’s happening to me, exactly what effect he is having. I am boneless, totally relaxed, totally dependent on the straps pinning me in place as my own muscles give up the effort entirely.

At last I am alone, his wonderful fingers no longer on me, in me. He stands back, and I feel his eyes on my sated body. Dimly, I know that it must be now. It must be time for my initiation into his dark world of pain, and I am ready for it, longing for it. I hear his footsteps crossing the room then coming back. He’s unhurried, quite at ease, and making me wait. I crack open my eyes as I hear him passing my head and catch a glimpse of—a leather strap, I think, long, heavy, black, the glint of metal studs catching in the light. He moves back into position behind me, and despite all his earlier delightful attention I tense up again.

“Open your legs, please, Ashley.” His voice is hard now, the implacable Dom back in full force.

I obey, even though I know that he has his weapon in his hand and
will
hurt me. But not this way, never like this. And sure enough, as I open for him he deftly slides a small, smooth object deep into my pussy. A moment later the pulsing starts, and I groan in ecstasy as the vibrator massages me from the inside, calming and caressing.

He’s leaning over me, the fabric of his shirt and jeans against my naked back and buttocks. He lifts my hair to murmur into my ear. “Close your legs and squeeze around it, Ashley. Enjoy, it’ll help you, and you’ll earn it. Now, are you ready?”

“Yes,” I whisper. And I am. I really am.

“Your safe word, Ashley? Tell me what it is”

“I don’t, I can’t…”

“Smithy’s Forge. Is it still Smithy’s Forge?”

“Yes, yes that’s right.”

“Okay. Your safe word will stop everything, dead. Use it if you have to.” He slides his hands under me, cupping my breasts, his thumbs firmly circling my hard nipples. I groan, and he pinches them, hard.

“Pay attention, please. Are you listening to me, Ashley?”

“Yes,” I whisper my response, my body already tingling from the vibrator inside me and him caressing my sensitive breasts.

His breath tickles my ear as he continues his instructions.

“If you don’t want to stop, but just want me to slow down, give you more time to regroup, or maybe you’ll need to ask me something, need to talk, then you just say ‘amber’. Like on traffic lights, it tells me to proceed but with caution. I’ll know you need help to be able to continue, and I
will
help you, Ashley. We’re in no rush, we’ll take as long as we need to take, and I won’t let you go too far.”

“Me go too far…?”

“Yes, you.”

He pinches my nipples again and I yelp.

He chuckles. “Subs often do try for too much, especially inexperienced little newbies like you. Apart from using your safe word if you get desperate you’ll be in no position to control any of this, so that’s my responsibility. And you
will
be safe.”

“Whether I like it or not…”

My wry comment earns me a curt “Precisely” as he straightens, steps away. The cool air flutters once more on my back, momentarily, before I scream as the first blow lands on my right buttock.

“Just my hand at first, Ashley, to give you a few moments to adjust. Then maybe ten strokes with the strap. Does that sound okay to you?”

Ten? I draw a deep breath. “Yes. Ten sounds fine.”

“Right. Don’t try to switch off. Accept the pain, feel it radiate around you. Through you.”

“Easy for you to say, you bastard… Aah!” I scream again as the second blow lands, this time on the left.

“I’ll let that remark pass, this time. Let the vibrator distract you between the blows, squeeze hard on it, that
will
help you.”

He lands the third blow and I scream again, my body jerking under the force of his hand. But he’s right about the sweet little pulsing vibrator deep inside me, gently comforting me, reminding me that I deserve to feel good. And it occurs to me he placed it there, just for me, just for that reason.

His hand slides between my legs, touching me briefly, coolly. At first I think he’s going to take away my pulsating ‘comfort blanket’ and I’m ready to protest, to plead even, but then I realize he’s actually testing my pulse rate. Good grief! Then his fingers are gone and I feel the fourth hard slap. This time I jerk but manage not to cry out. Incredibly, I’m actually getting used to it, the slaps are not such a shock, I know what to expect now. And I can handle it. I really can. I squeeze my pussy even tighter around the vibrator, loving that sensation inside me even while the external pain is killing me.

Tom’s words confirm my progress toward submission. “You’re doing fine, Ashley, really well. Try to breathe evenly, concentrate on breathing in and out, slowly.”

I moan, twisting my hands to grip the padded edges of the bench grimly, and just hang in there, reaching for the soothing pulses rolling sweetly along the walls of my vagina as the next four or five slaps are delivered. My bottom feels to be on fire, and I begin to think the vibrator’s losing the battle. Tears on my face but I don’t think I’m crying. Not yet. Soon, probably. Then a brief respite as he checks my pulse rate again before firmly massaging my abused, burning buttocks.

“Do you want a drink?”

I shake my head, I really don’t want to have to look at him or let him see my face at this moment. I’m not entirely sure why, but I want to stay hidden in my hair, maintain my privacy. Until it’s over.

“Are you okay to go on?”

“Yes.” My voice in remarkably strong, even, given the circumstances. And I stiffen for whatever’s coming now.

“Are you forgetting your manners. Ashley?”

I shake my head, confused.
What does he mean?
Considerate, at least on this occasion, he helps me out.

“Yes, what?”

“Sir. Yes, Sir.” I manage, I hope, to suppress any hint of resentment in my tone, but in truth that term of respect does not come easily at this moment. If he did detect my less than enthusiastic sentiment, he’s letting it go for now.

“Good girl”

Or maybe he simply has other ways of exacting retribution. The bastard makes me wait again. He paces slowly around me, checking my restraints, testing various pulse points, ensuring my circulation isn’t restricted at all. Then he returns to his position behind me. Long moments pass as I lie there, tense, stiff, so utterly terrified I can hear my own heartbeat. The vibrator’s still there, valiantly doing its thing, but fear is winning hands down now.

I hear the faint swish as the strap whizzes through the air a moment before it lands, hard and cruel across both my buttocks. My scream is one of absolute agony, fading into a strangled whimper as the shock subsides. I am rigid, shaking, would fall to the floor but for the straps holding me in place. Tom waits a few moments, enough time for me to safe word if I’m going to, then I hear the swish again as the strap once more connects with my quivering buttocks.

I scream again, and now I am crying, really sobbing, uncontrollably. Still I don’t use my safe word, although every self-preservation instinct I possess is screaming at me to make this stop. Tom gently lifts my hair from my face, telling me to open my eyes. Dom or no Dom, I will not obey him this time. I shake my head defiantly, screwing my eyes tight shut. I’m expecting firmness, insistence, but my Master is full of surprises, it seems. This time he doesn’t command, he doesn’t instruct me in that hard, cold Dom voice. Instead he strokes my face gently, uses his thumb to wipe away my tears before placing his lips soft on mine.

“Amber?” His question is soft, gentle, generous.

I nod, my gratitude almost overwhelming.

“Look at me, Ashley. Please.”

I wait a few moments then force my eyes to open, to meet his searching, emerald gaze. His face, just inches from mine, is kind, concerned, and utterly, utterly beautiful to me at that moment. How have I ever managed to attract the attention of a man like this? By allowing him to strap me to a bench and beat the shit out of me, apparently. At that irreverent thought I manage a faint smile from somewhere and he returns it before kissing me again.

“Are you okay to carry on? Do you want more time? Or would you like to stop now?”

“No, I want to finish, if I can. How many more…? I mean, how much…?”

He smiles, his expression warm, amused even. “I agreed ten strokes with the strap this first time, but now I’m thinking five.”

“No, ten. Really, please.” I feel a sense of failure, of disappointment but I’m not sure with who or why. I just know I need to finish what I started.

“Right, seven. That’s my top offer…” He raises a stern finger to silence my objections. “My call, Ashley, not yours. I dish it out, as much as I think you can take. And that’ll be seven strokes today. No more. So, are we ready? Can we get back to it?”

He slants one last amused glance at me, pushes the water bottle between my lips and insists I take a few sips before standing again. He trails his fingers lightly along my arms and down my back, feathering them over my buttocks as he repositions himself. Even that light caress on my bottom causes me to wince, but I plant my feet firmly on the floor, strengthening my stance to meet the coming assault.

And Tom does not disappoint. The next five strokes are administered with brutal precision, first from one side then the other, never landing in exactly the same spot twice. I suppose that’s to avoid damage to my skin, but it also serves to spread the torment evenly across my entire bottom. The vibrator long since forgotten, I make no attempt to suppress my screams as the strap lands. With each stroke I jerk and cry out, but then I return to stillness ready for the next blow. And the next.