by Lexi Blake
Her insecurity dropped away, and she looked up at the man who seemed determined to give her everything. “Will you help me get on the bench? I might fall.”
A smile lit his face. That pleased him. Helping her pleased him. Over the course of their time together, he’d gotten her into the habit of reaching for him. He held a hand out, allowing himself to be the balance as she lowered herself to the bench. It was thickly padded, but her breasts were bound and it seemed like the bench was meant to split them up in order to assure her comfort.
She would be precariously balanced with the corset on. She tried it and felt a little like a balloon trying to balance on a toothpick. Darn it. He’d said he was allowing her to keep her clothes, not that he was demanding it. He was making her choose. Safety and comfort over her own insecurity.
“Is something wrong?” Lee asked, his voice rising in anticipation.
She frowned. He knew exactly what was wrong, the bastard. He’d spent a week helping her to learn how to let go so she could experience pleasure at its fullest and now he was testing her. What side of Avery would win, he was likely wondering. The one who was afraid to show her body off to a bunch of people who really didn’t matter or the sexy thing who wanted her pleasure and to please her Master? If she kept the corset on, she might be able to save her pride, but she would just be enduring the experience until she could get back up. Or she could do what she’d come here to do. She could explore and figure out where she wanted to be.
She managed to sit back up, well aware everyone was waiting on her. “Sir, can I please take the corset off? I won’t be able to concentrate on the sensation if I’m worried about my balance.”
He stared down at her, one eyebrow arching. “It’s going to make your boobs hang, you understand that?”
She had large breasts and they would hang like pendulums off the sides of the bench. They wouldn’t be perky and petite, but if he wanted perky and petite, then he wouldn’t be here with her. If he needed small, lovely breasts to get him hot, he should not have thought about asking her to be his sub. He liked her breasts. He touched them all the time. He couldn’t seem to wait to get his mouth on them. That was what she needed to think about, not what anyone else would see. “I think you’ll like watching them sway, Sir.”
A brilliant smile crossed his face banishing the distant Dom and bringing back the man who cuddled close to her at night. “The girl learns. Come here and let me get that off you.”
His hands made quick work of the corset, much faster than Eve had gotten her into it. Her breasts swung free, and she could breathe again. And she was more than half naked in front of a crowd. Liam handed the corset off to Alex, and Avery looked around the space. They’d seemed to be alone, but now at least twenty people were standing around ready to watch the scene, including Lee’s big blond friend Ian. He was looking at her boobs, and he didn’t look like he was about to barf. “Where did they come from?”
“Hey, word gets around that a hot scene is about to play out. People come out of the woodwork,” Lee explained. “I think they’ll call this particular scene ‘hot little virgin gets her ass spanked and more.’”
“I’m not a virgin, Lee,” she corrected.
“How little you know, baby. Your pussy isn’t the only place a cock can go. Are you telling me you’ve had anal sex?”
She shook her head. She should have known this was coming. His fingers had strayed there before, brushing across her asshole and pressing lightly in. It had been a dark, forbidden sensation. “No, I haven’t.”
“I’m going to claim it, Avery. Your asshole is going to be mine. I’m going to fuck you every way I can and don’t think I won’t make you love it. Every inch of your body is going to belong to me.” His fingers came out to trace the line of her breastbone. “I can punish you in more pleasurable ways. Trust me, Avery. Let me show you off. Let me show them just how hot my sub is.”
She was standing in front of a roomful of strangers, and it didn’t matter because all that mattered was the pleasure they could find together. Maybe this was for him, too. Maybe he got hot at the thought of showing her off. “Yes, Sir.”
“That’s what I want to hear.” He helped her down again. This time she eased onto the bench, the leather soft on her skin. It wasn’t a shiny leather. It was buttery and comfortable, so much nicer than before. This was how it should have been the whole time.
“You don’t need these anymore,” Lee said, his fingers delving under her panties and pulling them taut.
She gasped a little as they came off. She turned and saw he’d cut them off her. He handed a small knife back to Alex, who seemed to be serving as his assistant torturer. Lee tossed her thong away. She wouldn’t be getting that back. She was naked and on stage, and there was a little part of her that was getting soft and wet and warm. No one had run screaming. No one was laughing. There was a sort of warm appreciation she felt, as though she was surrounded by people who wouldn’t judge her, wouldn’t toss her out because she wasn’t perfect.
She turned her cheek to rest on the bench and looked at them. Besides Lee’s friends, they were a rather motley group. Some were bigger than normal, others had somewhat plain faces. An older couple, the man balding with a little paunch to his belly, held the hand of a gray-haired sub. They smiled at her, approval on their faces.
This wasn’t about perfection. This was about acceptance. These people accepted themselves, and that seemed to make it easy to accept her.
A sense of peace came over her. Whatever happened, it would be all right because he was right here with her.
“What’s your safe word, Avery?” Lee asked. He looked down at her, but she couldn’t look beyond the enormous erection he was sporting. It tented his leathers and seemed to block out all the other sights. He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve been that way since I first realized I was going to get to smack your ass, baby. Ignore him for now. He’ll come into play later. Now answer the question. What’s your safe word?”
A safe word, she’d learned, was a word that once uttered by a sub stopped all action. Whatever the Dom was doing, once that safe word was out, he would stop and help the sub. “Telephone.”
“Good.” He held a length of rope in his hand. “I’m tying you down, but I can have you out in ten seconds if it bothers you.”
She wasn’t worried. He’d played around with ropes the night before, lightly tying her to the bed before he’d put his mouth on her pussy and made her scream. He made short work of it, binding her hands and feet to the bench. She could wiggle her limbs, but she couldn’t escape. She was utterly helpless. He could do anything he wanted with her.
She should be afraid, but all she could think about was the fact that he had the filthiest mind, and she couldn’t wait to see what he did.
“It’s a count of thirty for talking bad about yourself,” Lee said.
She heard a murmur of disapproval go through the crowd. Yep, these were not people who wanted to listen to her complain about her cellulite. She would have to come up with better conversation starters than that.
And then she nearly screamed because his hand met the cheeks of her ass, and it wasn’t the little slap she’d gotten before. Fire flared across her skin because that smack had meant business.
“That’s one, baby,” Lee said, his hand holding the heat to her cheek. “And this is two.”
She gasped, the air threatening to leave her body as he smacked her again. Pain screamed along her system, but if he thought she was giving in over that pain, he was insane. She wasn’t a lightweight when it came to this. Ten years, seventeen surgeries, each one more painful than the last, and each of those horrible incidents had led to one thing.
Walking. Living. Surviving.
And there hadn’t even been a mega orgasm with the world’s hottest man at the end of those surgeries. She felt a smile cross her face. Yeah, she could handle him.
Three came like a crack of thunder, but she was more confident now. Her skin was singing, with ache and pai
n and a weird heat that was starting to build. Sure, some pain was just torture, but some pains, oh, some pains reminded her that she was alive.
Some pains took her away from herself. All the misery of the day slipped away. She didn’t have to think about what had happened with her in-laws here. It didn’t matter. Here she could be in the moment and not worry about the past or the future. She could be in the present, and the present was all about feeling. Tears slipped from her eyes, but they felt cleansing.
By the time he counted out fifteen, she was sure she’d found something wonderful. Her backside ached, but Lee was careful to never hit her in the same place more than a few times. He peppered the spanking across her bottom, spreading the heat all along her skin.
She concentrated on the sensation. Fire and heat soaked her flesh, sinking in and spreading out. It traveled from the spot he’d struck and seemed to flash across her body, sending out all kinds of signals. Her pussy was wet and soft. Her toes curled. Her nipples peaked and ached for someone to touch her. Her mouth softened, ready for stimulation. She felt each slap from her head to her toes, a sensual dance that started with shocking pain and morphed into pleasure, arousal, peace.
Lee was suddenly on his knees. “Avery, are you all right? I asked you a question, and you didn’t answer. Was it too rough? Are you hurt? You’re crying. You have to say your safe word.”
His eyes were narrowed, concern on his handsome face. He brushed away a tear.
She gave him a frown. Why had he stopped? She’d been in a nice place. “I don’t want to say my safe word. Is it already over? I didn’t count thirty. That was barely nineteen.”
“Little brat likes her spanking.” He growled the words with a look of great relief. His fingers came up and skimmed her nipples. “Fuck, Avery. You like it a lot, don’t you? How wet is your pussy?”
He didn’t wait for an answer. He got up and smacked her ass again before his fingers delved between her legs. It was startling, enticing. She was suddenly thankful for the ropes or she might have fallen off the bench. Her pussy wasn’t just wet. It was primed and ready for anything. One little touch made her quiver, want more.
“You’re wet, baby.” One hand was between her legs, his fingers sliding along her pussy while the other smacked her ass just where her thighs met her butt. Avery squirmed because the dual sensations were bringing her out of that peaceful, almost floaty place. It was bringing her to a place where she wanted so much more. “This pussy is so fucking wet. This pussy is just begging me.”
Another slap and she felt a finger slip inside. It wasn’t what she really wanted. She wanted his cock, but she would take what she could get. Oh, she wanted to ride that finger, but he’d tied her down and the way the bench slanted made it hard for her to move her hips.
Smack. His thick finger sat just inside her vaginal walls, tempting her, teasing her. “Oh, does my bratty little sub not like her restraints anymore? Tell me what you want to do right now. I see the way you’re wiggling.” Smack.
She kind of wanted to smack him because he was making her crazy. Now every nerve in her body was focused on that finger sitting inside her pussy when it should be moving.
Smack. Smack. Two hard ones that made her squeal. “Tell me. What would you do if you weren’t restrained? If you don’t tell me, I’ll stop what I’m doing to your pussy.”
She thought about very politely telling him she would likely attempt to bring herself to a nice orgasm by using his finger as a sexual aid. And that would so get her in trouble. Lee liked it when she talked dirty, and somehow when she was with him even the dirtiest things seemed like caring. “I would fuck your finger, Sir. I want to so badly. Please, I need more.”
Another smack, this one softer. “That’s my girl.” His voice was pure dark chocolate and filled with approval. And his finger slipped inside deeper. “Good girls get fucked, baby. Girls who are brave enough to say what they want get it.”
He kept up the smacks, but all of her focus was on her pussy as a second finger joined the first. It still wasn’t enough. It didn’t come close to how thick and hard his cock was, but she would take it. She wiggled as much as she could, trying to bring him in further. His thumb slipped down and started making long, slow, tortuously good circles around her clit. The pain and pleasure morphed into one gloriously full symphony. It didn’t take long before every cell in her body was straining toward orgasm. All that mattered was getting there.
“Thirty,” Lee said, his voice deep. “Your punishment is over, but don’t think for a second I’m done with you yet.”
But it seemed he was done. His fingers came out of her pussy. She heard her own low moan at the loss. She’d been so, so close. This really was punishment of the worst kind.
Lee knelt down and started to work her loose. His hands worked quickly, nearly tearing at her bindings. “Don’t get upset, Avery. I told you I’m not done. I just won’t do it here. One day we can fuck all you like in public, but I’m not comfortable with it yet. I want you all to myself.”
Her backside was sore as he pulled her off the bench, but she let her arms drift up, clinging to him. She cuddled against him. She didn’t care if her bottom was sore because her pussy wouldn’t be empty for long.
And her heart was completely full.
Chapter Fourteen
Liam gently kicked open the door to the privacy room he’d set up earlier today. He’d had plenty of time to prepare since she’d canceled their lunch date. He could admit he’d thought a lot about punishing her for that. The good news was she’d given him another reason to spank that gorgeous ass of hers.
And she’d responded more beautifully than he could have imagined. Her pussy had been soaking wet. A single slip of his thumb over her clit and she would have gone off like a rocket. He’d been tempted to do it just to see how hard he could make her come in front of an audience.
But he was a greedy bastard, and he wanted her all to himself. It had been a little fun to show her off, but he wanted her alone so those little sounds she made would be all his.
The room contained a king-sized bed, a dresser, and a nightstand. He’d stocked the room himself, making sure he had everything they would need. The bed had a nice firm mattress and several hooks to tie a sub to. The whole room was built for bondage play. Under the bed was stashed a spreader bar that would go between her ankles and keep her exposed for his pleasure. He could keep her here all night and then maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about her walking back into the lion’s den tomorrow.
“Get on your knees, baby.” He had plans for her mouth. He slammed the door shut behind him. His cock pulsed in his leathers. She’d been so perfect once she’d made the decision to submit. He’d watched her go from timid to a woman who practically demanded her satisfaction and who didn’t care who watched or what they thought.
He’d never felt as aware of a woman as he did this one. And he was done lying to himself. He’d never wanted one the way he wanted Avery.
The room was lit with only soft candle-like light. Like everything in The Garden, it seemed to be organic as though it flowed from the walls itself. That soft amber light made Avery’s skin look so warm and soft that he was almost sure he could sink into her and never have to come back to the real world. Her dark hair tumbled around her shoulders, curling gently. He stopped and stared for a moment. He’d never imagined he would actually get her naked in front of a crowd. He’d expected her to take her spanking with that corset on. He’d meant to teach her a lesson and had prepared himself to spank her lightly. She would have felt it, but there was no way he would have spanked her hard when he knew bloody well she couldn’t find her subspace while she was trying to keep herself balanced. But she hadn’t taken his bait. She’d taught him the lesson that she was stronger than he’d imagined. Now he took in the sight of her breasts. So full and round. He’d adored the way her tits had bounced with every slap to her ass.
She was even hotter with a sexy smile on her face as she held out a hand so she cou
ld get to the ground.
He was a bastard. She still struggled with balance and here he was practically shoving her to the floor and forcing her to take his cock.
“Are you going to help me, Sir?” She stood there waiting. He’d been trying to train her to wait for his help. She was reaching for him in a way she hadn’t before.
Guilt hit his gut. He was training her for a life he couldn’t live with her. What was she doing? Did she really only want him for sex or did she need more? Could he give her more? “Are you really all right? I was rough on you out there. Maybe you should rest.”
Even in the dim light he could see her flush, but she stood her ground. “Don’t you dare act like that. I’m not an invalid. Don’t treat me like I am. I can’t deal with you thinking about me that way, Lee.”
She wouldn’t have found her sexuality without him. He wasn’t doing anything to hurt her, and she wasn’t weak. She was strong as hell. He took her hand. “You’re not an invalid, Avery. Now get on your knees or you’ll get another spanking.”
She took his hand, seemingly happy with his reaction. “I don’t think that’s much of a punishment, Sir. I rather liked the spanking part, though I think I’ll be sore tomorrow.”
And every time she felt that soreness, she would remember how he’d placed the flat of his hand on her ass, how he’d tortured her, worshipped her. “It will be punishment when I withhold your orgasm a couple of dozen times. Think about that when you turn your smart mouth on me. I’ll tie you down and get you so hot you can’t stand it, and then I’ll stop and wait until you calm down and start all over again. I’ll have you begging for it.”
“That is much worse than the spanking,” she admitted, though she smiled as he helped her to her knees. Her eyes lit up as she settled in. “What is it you want me to do, Sir?”
She was staring right at his erection, the little vixen. She knew what he wanted. She knew how much he wanted it. And he was in a mood to shake things up a little. He could deny himself for a few minutes in order to teach her who was in charge.
