Empowered [Sexual Magic 3] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Jennifer August

  “Chéri, I am not his woman. We are partners, non? We help each other, we don’t belong to each other.”

  From the possessive vibe he’d been gleaning off Noah, Gabriel called total bullshit on her claim.

  “Uh-huh, darlin’, not happening.”

  “What’s not happening?”

  Madelyn gasped and spun around, flattening to the couch and poking her derriere back into the air.

  “Just a little discussion between new friends.”

  Noah’s eyes narrowed at the dark-haired beauty. “She come on to you, huh? Ask her to touch you? Probably her tits, too, right? She loves having her tits played with, provided you stay away from the nipples.”

  The rapid-fire questions and the obvious amusement behind them blindsided him. Gabriel bounced his gaze from one to the other. “Am I being played here?”

  Noah shook out the whip, the whistle deeper, darker than before. “No,” he said firmly. “You are free to touch her, to whip her, to fuck her. Anything at all, Gabriel. While we are guiding you, her body is yours to use.”

  “What about you?”

  Noah snorted. “Hell, no, you can’t use me.”

  Gabriel smiled at the obvious attempt to put him at ease. “I mean, don’t you mind? Wouldn’t that be some weird kind of sharing?”

  Noah’s smile was soft. “It’s what we do, man. Don’t worry about it.”

  He turned back to Madelyn. “You, however, have just earned five real lashes with the cat-o’-seven.”

  “What?” she gasped, lurching upward. “Why?”

  Noah waved her back down. “You know why. Clarissa went to extremes to tell us what a straight arrow he is. She urged us to proceed with great care. What do you do? Come on to him like a common slut without any regard to orders or rules.”

  She wiggled her butt and stuck out her tongue. “Huh. Seems to me five isn’t going to be enough.”

  “I’ll mete those out later.” The whip picked up speed and Noah moved another few inches away.

  Gabriel watched intently, focusing once more on Noah’s technique. This time, when the whip came down, there was a sickening slap and thud which wrenched an appreciative groan from Madelyn. Her skin turned a deep, angry red.

  “Remember, you are only watching right now,” Noah cautioned as though he’d read his mind.

  Hell yeah, he wanted to interfere.

  Five times the whip fell to her body, leaving behind wet, reddened splotches. Madelyn’s musky smell filled the room once more, and her moans grew louder until they crescendoed into a litany of pleading.

  “Please, Sir, may I come?”

  “No.”

  Noah started in on her ass again, which bloomed bright red almost instantly.

  She yelped and danced, grinding her pelvis into the edge of the couch. “Please, Sir, please,” she gasped.

  “No, slut.” He coiled the whip, stepped forward, and stroked it along her ass.

  Gabriel caught her mewl of pleasure, followed by their low murmurings. Too low for him to make out, but the affection was clear.

  Noah once more stepped back and unfurled the whip, cracking the leather in the air. The sound was sharp and intimidating. Gabriel backed up a step, caught the small smug smile on the other man’s face, and moved forward again, crossing his arms and lifting a brow.

  “You may proceed with your demonstration,” Gabriel said. “That is, if you’re done showing off?”

  Rather than the sour look he expected, Noah laughed. “One other thing to note, Gabriel, is how smart-assed your subs are. You’ll soon find yourself keeping a scorecard, even when you aren’t in play.”

  Madelyn straightened up, pushing her black curls from blue eyes hazy with lust. “Yeah, and it’s not fair in the least, but as he likes to tell me, all’s fair in love and whips.”

  Gabriel winked at her then looked at Noah. “Good thing I don’t intend to be your sub then, isn’t it?”

  Noah chuckled again and twirled the whip in a small circle. “If you want more, then bend over, Madelyn.”

  As she obediently resettled herself over the arm of the couch, Gabriel realized Noah hadn’t replied to his statement.

  A frisson trailed up his spine. He shoved the sensation away. Being a Dom was totally plausible, but he would never put himself at the mercy of another man. He’d never bent to another man’s will and sure as hell wouldn’t start now.

  “Now, since Madelyn’s infractions aren’t truly serious, we’ll continue just showing you the way the whips work.” Noah laid into her butt, back, and thighs. His sharp, short, near-vicious strokes quickly raised layers of thin red lines.

  Gabriel lurched forward, but Madelyn’s upraised palm stopped him.

  Noah pulled back, the whip falling silent at his side.

  “I’m fine, Gabriel, truly,” she said, though her voice trembled. “I enjoy the feel. I like the way the leather slaps along my skin.” Her hips undulated with her words. “It turns me on,” she finished softly. She peeked at him through her curtain of ebony curls, and he caught the flush of desire chasing through her eyes.

  Damned if that didn’t jerk his cock even more.

  “Why?” he asked.

  She shrugged and waved a hand at Noah. “More, please.”

  Without a word, Noah began again, the lash striking multiple times along her white skin with speed and accuracy that took Gabriel’s breath away.

  “Watch,” Noah murmured to him.

  His wrist twisted toward the ceiling in midswing, and the whip circled up and between her legs, lashing both and leaving behind matching lines. Musk filled the air. A sweet, sensual smell.

  Noah reeled the whip in and held the tip to Gabriel. “She’s so aroused from being striped she’s getting the ends even wetter with her pussy juices.”

  The aroma lingering on the whip hit him like a linebacker on a quarterback. Gabriel’s breath whooshed from him and he struggled to maintain his focus. Suddenly, all he could do was envision himself wielding the whip, Madelyn’s body pulsing and shaking beneath his blows.

  “Can I try?” he asked, still fondling the whip.

  Noah shook his head. “Not with this. It takes practice. A lot of practice. I have one more whip to show you. It’s vicious and should only be used for very experienced subs and only in times of massive correction.”

  Gabriel swallowed and dropped the whip. “Sounds dangerous.”

  “Can be,” Noah agreed. “But it can also be very rewarding, especially if you have a pain slut beneath your hand.” He retrieved the whip and held it out to Gabriel.

  “It’s a short bullwhip. Only a four-footer, so it can be used indoors.” Noah’s hand encompassed the living room space. “As you can see, Pleasure Isles does all it can to accommodate the tastes of its guests. Hence the high ceilings, sparse furnishings, and wide walls. Plus, no ceiling fans.”

  Gabriel looked up and laughed. “Yeah, that could be bad.”

  Noah took the whip back, unfurling it with a single shake of his hand. The leather tail moved like a live, writhing cobra.

  “This one will take even more practice. Generally, you should only work with it once you’ve gained a greater familiarity of the entire whip family. Single-tail whips of all sizes can impart real pain and injury.”

  Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you sure you should use it on her, then?”

  “Yes!” Madelyn muttered from the couch. “Please, continue. All this talking is becoming quite irritating.”

  Noah leaned forward and smacked her red ass several times. She jumped and wiggled.

  “This is just to show you the various implements available. If you’d rather not see it, that’s fine.”

  Gabriel was torn. He certainly didn’t want her harmed, but he was curious.

  Noah smiled. “One lash. Step back, this thing needs an eight-foot clearance.”

  He scooted back until he nearly ran into the wall.

  “Madelyn, be very still.”

  “Oui.”


  Noah shook the whip out some more, pacing it along the floor and then, in a motion so fast Gabriel only heard the snap of leather on skin, he struck her.

  Madelyn’s groan was loud and full of need. He was shocked. He was also more than a little turned-on.

  Noah curled the whip. “Stand up, little one, we are done.”

  She rose, and her hands immediately clutched at her lower back. Noah stepped forward and rubbed her skin for a few moments. “Any questions?”

  It took him a second to realize Noah was talking to him. “Tons but none that I can verbalize right now.”

  “I didn’t come,” Madelyn murmured.

  “Sorry.”

  “You’re not or you would make it happen.”

  Noah sighed. “We were demonstrating, not scening.”

  Her sly blue gaze slid to him, and she crossed the room, her full tits swaying provocatively with each step. She halted a few inches from him. She reached up and cupped his chin. “I bet you would make me come, non?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not touching you with anything like that until I get some practice.”

  “Damn right,” Noah growled. “Knock it off, Madelyn.”

  The look on her face was pure devilment, and Gabriel figured she was probably lucky Noah couldn’t see it.

  “But I want to come. Please?”

  Noah appeared behind her, his hand suddenly wrapped around her shoulder, and spun her around. “Are you going to be a brat until I make you come?”

  “Oui.”

  He shook his head. “Then of course I will not.”

  Gabriel couldn’t see her expression now, but he would bet money her eyes were filled with tears and her lips trembled. She would be working every angle she could to get what she wanted.

  Topping from the bottom.

  “But, Noah—”

  “Enough,” he roared.

  She fell silent, taking a step back and landing her reddened ass right in Gabriel’s crotch. He gasped and clamped down on her hips.

  He’d been right. Her skin was soft and lush and damned hot.

  “I have an idea,” he said.

  “What?” Noah’s tone held extreme annoyance.

  “Why don’t you whip her, and I’ll practice at the same time, mimicking your technique. That way we all get what we want.”

  “Yeah?” Noah snarled. “What do I get?”

  “You get to take your irritation out on her.”

  Noah looked at him for a second then chuckled deeply and clapped his shoulder. “I like the way you think. All right, but first I think you should try her ass out.”

  “Whoa, what?” He’d not expected that.

  “Madelyn, go back to the couch. And keep your clit away from the edge. No rubbing.”

  She patted his chest. “Of course not.”

  Noah trotted into the bedroom and returned with one of the pillows and set it on the floor to the right of the couch on the coffee table. He checked the distance between them and moved the table farther out.

  He picked up the suede flogger and held it out. “Use this one on her.”

  Gabriel frowned. “But you said it doesn’t do anything for her.”

  Noah’s grin was devious. “Exactly. You’ll get some practice, and she’ll get frustrated. Mind fuck, remember?”

  Gabriel laughed. “Yeah, got it.”

  “Okay, have at her.”

  He hefted the braided leather handle and swung the flogger in the air a few times then approached Madelyn. She wiggled her butt at him. “Go as hard as you want, Gabriel. It won’t hurt me.”

  He grinned at her challenge. Gabriel brought the flogger up chest high then down in a slashing motion on her butt. She sighed and he did it again. And again. After the tenth slash, his arms started to burn.

  Her skin turned a dull red where the flogger landed, but as far as he could tell, she wasn’t bothered by the touches at all. He gave her another few swats before lowering his arm. He turned to Noah. “How was that?”

  “Not bad for a beginner. You picked up my strokes pretty accurately.”

  He was ridiculously pleased by Noah’s praise.

  The big man picked up the cat-o’-seven and handed it to him. “Go practice on the pillow. It’s feather, so you’ll be able to see where your strokes are landing.” He picked up a new whip and shook it out.

  “What’s that one called?”

  “It’s a latigo. Made of leather, meant for high-intensity scenes. It’ll give her what she wants.” He pointed toward the pillow again. “Go on.”

  Gabriel stepped away and looked down at the whip in his hand, testing its weight, feeling the heft. He liked the solid feel of it. It felt right.

  Next to him, he heard the slap of leather on flesh and looked over. Madelyn groaned and panted. Her pretty face was flushed with pleasure.

  Noah laid into her fiercely, continuing to lash her body with the latigo.

  Gabriel turned away and brought his whip down on the pillow, imagining her ass instead.

  The soft thump was somewhat unsatisfactory. He drew back again, struck the pillow, and then, checked the crease. He worked the cat-o’-seven until he felt like he’d mastered it pretty damn good.

  He looked down and picked up the single-tail bullwhip. He wiggled it gently.

  The whipping beside him stopped. “Be careful,” Noah said tightly, chest heaving. “Watch the pillow where you want to strike. The first few times you’ll be way off. Adjust the angle and force of your blows to gain more accuracy.”

  Gabriel nodded and eyed the feather pillow.

  His first blow was so far off the mark, it didn’t even hit.

  He cast a quick look at Noah, caught the man’s quirked-up grin and cursed under his breath. He tried again. This time he made contact. The difference between the whips was instantly tangible.

  A tingle ran up his arm and the sound was sharper, more menacing as the whip landed against the material.

  Close to where he’d aimed, but still not perfect.

  He liked to be perfect.

  “Dieu, Noah, faster. Faster. So close.” Madelyn’s breathy, lust-filled pleas filled the room.

  Noah obliged, his arm becoming a blur.

  Gabriel tried to match the man’s speed but soon found himself tiring.

  “Oui, oui, oui!” Madelyn cried out, her entire body writhing.

  Instinctively, Gabriel turned toward her, too late realizing his mistake.

  “Look out!” Noah shouted.

  To Gabriel’s horror, the bullwhip, in a down stroke, caught her as she surged upward. The force of motion collided in a sickening cacophony of flesh and leather.

  Her scream was unholy in its pain. Noah’s roar deafened him. Gabriel froze as blood immediately oozed from the long, ugly gash he’d inflicted along her spine and down along her ass. Flesh separated from flesh and the wound gaped accusingly at him. Madelyn whimpered and cried, head cradled in her hands.

  “Oh, my God,” Gabriel whispered, dropping the whip. “What have I done?”

  Chapter Four

  “It was my fault, Noah,” Madelyn said.

  “I know,” he said with a growl. “Keep your head down and be still. I’m not done here.”

  “What is taking so long?” she demanded.

  Noah smacked her butt. “It’s only been a couple of minutes.”

  Madelyn shook her head. “Two minutes is longer than normal.” She thought about it for a second and realized he was probably so rattled by the accident that he couldn’t properly concentrate.

  “Zip it, Maddie. Let me work here.”

  His curt tone told her she was right. She rolled to her side and glared at him. “You still blame him.”

  Noah’s gaze flashed just as angrily as hers. “Hell yes.” Then his gaze fell away and she sucked in a deep breath and sat all the way up.

  “Lie down,” he said.

  “Hush,” she soothed, cupping his shoulder. “I think it is yourself you blame instead, non?�
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  He sank onto the bed beside her, head bowed. His fingers twisted the washcloth, mangling it into a tight rope.

  Madelyn’s heart ached for him. Without a doubt, her strong Dom was remembering the disaster that was Krista. She lifted his chin and scooted closer.

  “I’m fine, Noah. It’s a scratch, nothing more. Stop torturing yourself.”

  His green eyes deepened with sorrow and regret. “I swore I’d never allow you to be hurt again.”

  “Chéri, you can’t prevent it. This is the nature of our existence.” She swayed into him, nudging him with her elbow, and gave him an impish grin. “Besides, I like it.”

  He shoved off the bed, raked his fingers through his hair, and stood there, staring out the window, back stiff. “Don’t make a joke, Madelyn. Not about this.”

  Her anger unfurled, and she rose stiffly, reaching for and sliding into her satin dressing gown. “I am an adult, Noah. I choose this life. I live this role. Being Dom does not give you the right to limit me. You agreed to this long ago.”

  A tremor ran over him and her heart melted. She hated to see him in such anguish. Will he never forgive himself?

  The silence stretched into taut discomfort, and Madelyn sighed. “You are the most stubborn cochon. I don’t know why I put up with you.”

  He turned slowly and she was vastly relieved to find some of the haunted look gone from his eyes. “Did you just call me a pig?”

  She scrunched her nose and shrugged. “Perhaps. English is not my first language, chéri.”

  “Uh-huh.” He stepped closer, and she suppressed her own shiver of anticipation.

  How does he make just two paces seem so erotically threatening?

  Noah cupped her chin, caressing her bottom lip with his thumb. “I will always look out for you, Madelyn, even when you do not wish it. However, I also know your boundaries and needs are greater than I can always accommodate. I only ask for you to use caution and common sense.”

  She gripped his wrist, nuzzling against him. “I do, mon coeur. What happened a few minutes ago was a fluke and nothing more.

  “He did not wish to hurt me, he wished to explore his own tastes. Have you forgotten so soon what it’s like to be a new Dom? To be led into the experiences and differences of wielding power for pleasure? He knows nothing of this lifestyle, Noah.”