by Karen Nappa
He quickly secured her to the cross using a belt around her waist as well as ankle and wrist cuffs. Then he massaged her shoulders and ass to warm her up before the main event. She relaxed as he worked her shoulders but squealed when he moved to her ass. All her nerves there were sensitive from the plug.
"We'll start easy with a couple of different floggers to warm you up and get you ready for the fun part. I'm not planning on breaking the skin, but I promise you'll feel the pain you need."
"Thank you, Captain," Suzie said in anticipation.
He started with gentle strokes of a deerskin flogger. He knew it wouldn't arouse her, but he wanted to start slowly so there would be less potential for damage. Gradually, he increased the intensity of the flogging before moving on to one made of braided cowhide. Again, he started easy, but he built up the intensity more quickly than before. She wiggled her hips when he struck her buttocks, no longer clenching them as she had done around the butt plug. When he finished with the harsher flogger, he moved closer and checked in with her. "What color are ye, rùnag?"
"Green, Sir. It feels really good."
He reached around her and pulled on her nipples for a few minutes before reaching into his sporran for nipple clamps, which he quickly applied, giving her no chance to get used to one before he placed the second.
"Ow! That hurts!"
"They're supposed to. You'll take it for me, too, won't you, rùnag?"
"Yes, Captain." Suzie turned her head toward him and licked her lips in invitation. Connor leaned down to give her the kiss she wanted. He dominated her mouth, demanding everything she had to give. Before he broke the kiss, he reached down to her pussy to check her arousal. When he felt the wetness, he jammed three fingers into her. Suzie moaned as he repeated the action two more times before retreating to get his whip and move on to the main event.
The first few strokes of his whip to her ass and her shoulders felt like lines of bees stinging her all at once, but they didn't really hurt. Then a stronger hit to her ass woke up all her nerve endings and she tried to flinch away. She clenched her buttocks at the next, and the burn inside from the peppermint picked up again. This time, it didn't hurt so much, blending in with the sting of the lash. She had no more time to think after that as the lashes of the whip came faster and the pain took over all her senses. The pain had built until it reached the point of pure sensation and she didn't know if it was pain or pleasure. Whatever it was, she felt wonderful.
Connor saw her slip into subspace and continued the whipping with both harder and softer strikes, crisscrossing her shoulders and ass with welts and red marks. He loved the patterns he was creating. He started lashing her with just the tip of the whip for extra sting, and Suzie moaned in pleasure. He stopped for a moment and moved close to her to check in.
It took a moment for his question to penetrate. "Green, green, Sir. More please?"
"All right, but only a few more." He could tell she was at the point of not being able to make decisions anymore. He decided he would bring her out of her happy place and reached around to remove the nipple clamps simultaneously. He watched her struggle against her bonds as she tried to reach down to relieve her pain. It was probably good his little spitfire was restrained or he might have gotten a hit or a kick. He put his hand over her arms to emphasize that she was helpless and drank in the agony on her face. Her face relaxed as the pain eased and he stole a kiss before he stepped back. He gave her another ten strokes, so light, they would barely disturb the piece of suede he practiced on and one last hard stroke across both ass cheeks that would leave a welt she would feel for several days.
"That's enough for tonight, rùnag, let's get you down." He moved to release her from the cuffs and belt then grabbed a soft blanket to wrap her in. He settled her on the floor next to his toy bag with a bottle of sports drink to help her re-hydrate and replace lost electrolytes from the intensity of the scene. He cleaned the station with the same care a medical team would use to sanitize an operating room, regularly checking to make sure she was all right. When he saw that she had drunk half her drink, he gave her some of her favorite dark chocolate to continue her recovery. Once he was finished, he picked Suzie up and carried her to a nearby couch. Connor turned to get his toy bag, only to find Bryan right behind him with it.
"You've got yourself a lovely little masochist there, Captain."
"Aye, she is that," Connor said.
"I don't suppose you'd be interested in sharing her sometime? Just with the whip and floggers, nothing sexual."
"I hadn't given it any thought," Connor replied. "I have no intention of letting another man near her sexually, but a double flogging is something she might well enjoy. I'll discuss it with her and get back to you."
Bryan left them alone after that, and he pulled Suzie into his lap. "How do you feel, rùnag?"
"Really good, Captain. That was great. Except for my asshole. It still burns." Her pouty mouth made clear her unhappiness on that point.
Connor chuckled. "We'll take care of that when we get back to my house. Do ye think ye can walk down the stairs?"
"Yes, Sir. I'm feeling really good." She dropped the blanket and stood up, completely unaware of her nudity. Connor kept the blanket in case she noticed it before she got to the locker room. He let her carry her shoes and kept a hand on the small of her back as they went downstairs. Connor exchanged nods with several Doms as they moved through the lounge area to the locker rooms.
Suzie started as they reached the door. "I'm naked! Wh-what happened? I had a blanket. It was bad enough to walk around in my underwear, but this? How could you let me?" Her voice rose in pitch and volume as her rant continued. "Captain." She tacked on as an afterthought.
"Ye dropped the blanket when ye got up. I brought it in case ye needed it. I'll ignore yer rudeness just now because ye're coming out of subspace. Now go in there and get yer coat so ye don't catch yer death when we go outside."
Suzie went into the locker room to find half a dozen women in various stages of undress. She had her hands over her breasts and pussy in a vain attempt at modesty. Sonja noticed her first and put her hands on her hips as she said, "Girlfriend, what are you trying to cover up? You ain't got nothing everybody in here hasn't seen before." Her exaggerated accent pulled Suzie out of herself and she couldn't help but smile, even as her eyes welled with unshed tears. Kate came over to Suzie and put her arms around her. "You're a beautiful woman, with or without clothes. Your scene was exquisite. I only wish it had been me with the whip."
"I-I don't know what to say. Thank you, I guess?" Suzie's brain was slow to process everything that had happened that evening. "I've never felt anything like it."
"Come over to the mirrors and have a look at your marks. Captain Connor is a master with the whip," Kate said.
The three-way mirror gave her a great view of her back and ass. "Wow, I love how they crisscross all over the place." She reached back to her ass to check out the biggest welts. "Ow, I'm going to feel those for days. Could you take a picture for me, Kate? My phone is in my bag by my coat."
"Sure." After Kate had taken several photos of Suzie's back, Suzie accepted another hug from the woman. Then Sonja gave her another before letting her go to her locker for her coat. Connor hadn't allowed her to wear any additional clothing over her lingerie.
Suzie wiped her eyes and put a smile on her face as she left the locker room. Connor was lounging against the opposite wall. "Everything all right, rùnag? Are those tears? Come here." He opened his arms, and Suzie moved into his embrace.
"Nothing's wrong. I'm a little overwhelmed, but the tears are happy ones."
"Sure?"
"Yes, Captain, I'm sure. Could we go, please? My ass is still burning."
"Yes, we can, and we will." Connor picked her up and headed for the parking lot. He settled her in the car with a blanket he kept for emergencies over her legs, turned the heater on full blast, and headed for his house.
Suzie was feeling more like herself by
the time they arrived at Connor's. She insisted on walking to the door under her own power. Once inside, she went over to the couch and sat down, pulling her feet under her and holding her coat tightly.
"Are ye still cold, rùnag?" Connor asked.
When Suzie nodded, he wrapped her in an afghan from the back of his couch. "Wait here. I'll get you something hot to drink." He went into the kitchen to heat up milk for hot chocolate. As he paced until the microwave dinged, he worried that Suzie might be in subdrop. If so, she needed warmth and calories and plenty of cuddles. So much for his plans.
Suzie sipped her hot chocolate appreciatively. Connor had added a generous amount of scotch to her drink. Connor poured himself a glass of Bowmore scotch. "Did you put your good scotch in my hot cocoa?"
"Of course not. A client of mine gave me a bottle of Johnny Walker black. It's the only way it's any good. Hot or dumped in Coca-Cola."
When he brought out some chocolate chip cookies, Suzie started giggling.
"What's so funny?"
"Just thinking that it's ironic that you're bringing me food I made for you."
"I suppose it is, a little. How are you feeling now?"
"Better, but I'm really, really tired. Can we take a nap before whatever else you had planned for tonight? Please?"
"My plans are irrelevant. All that matters is you. Let's get you to bed and we'll see how you feel in the morning. How's your ass?"
"It still burns a little, but it's only little twinges when I clench. How long does this last and how do I get rid of it?"
"We'll take care of it when we get upstairs. Do you want another cup of hot chocolate?" he asked as he tossed back the last of his scotch.
"No, Sir. I'd like to go upstairs and get rid of this burn. I'm good now—all warm and toasty." She unwrapped herself from the afghan and took off her coat. "Can we go upstairs now?"
Connor wrapped the afghan around her shoulders. Then he picked her up and headed for the stairs, all thoughts of fucking her ass gone for the night. When they reached his bedroom, he placed her carefully on the bed and went to the bathroom to get the fractionated coconut oil that would neutralize the remaining peppermint oil. He returned to the bedroom a few minutes later to find Suzie fast asleep. He decided the coconut oil could wait and rearranged her under the covers before joining her. His erection was slowly going down, but he remained half-hard all night long.
Chapter 14
" W hat's going on, Josh?" To Tim's irritation, his voice pitched high like a girl's. He hated the way it kept cracking and changing. They were sitting in the backyard treehouse. Tim was proud of the treehouse he and Josh had built together, but he wasn't happy. Josh was being stand-offish and had been leaving him hanging, over and over in the last few weeks. "We're supposed to do the science project together and you're doing shit, leaving all the work to me. You don't show up at soccer. Last week, we were one man short during the match—Eli and DeShawn were down with the flu and Mickey's still recovering from his knee injury."
Josh shrugged and muttered, "Stuff to do."
Tim threw his hands up in exasperation. "It seems like you've lost all interest in life. Does this have something to do with that Ethan guy?"
Something sparked in Josh's eyes, but his voice stayed flat as he answered, "What do you know about life?"
Tim felt his blood boil. "What's that supposed to mean? You're only a year and a half older than me. Does that make you the wise guy or something? I know plenty about life. My father died when I was seven and I saw it all."
Josh shrugged. "Whatever."
"Fine." Tim huffed. "Be that way! He climbed out of the treehouse, not looking back at his friend. Tim didn't want to stress over Josh. Tonight, Mr. Connor would be staying over again. What if he turned out to be as bad as the Ethan dude? Why on earth did his mom need a boyfriend? Maybe she was going through a phase and then it would be just the three of them again. They had it good together, didn't they? They didn't need a man. His life sucked. Tim's shoulders drooped. Why had he picked a fight with Josh today?
When Connor arrived for dinner, he saw Tim standing in the side yard kicking his soccer ball against the garage wall. His shoulders were hunched over; his eyes were dull and his mouth set in a grim line. Instead of going into the house, Connor walked over to the boy. "Hey, lad." He leaned down, placing his hands on his thighs.
Tim gave a short nod of acknowledgment and continued kicking his ball.
"What's bothering you?" Connor inquired.
Tim shrugged his shoulders and didn't look up. He might have kicked the ball harder, but that was his only reaction.
"Want to talk about it?" Connor tried again.
Tim shook his head.
"All right," Connor pushed himself up, "know that you can always talk with me." He went inside to the kitchen.
Suzie was standing at the sink, looking out the window at Tim. She smiled up at Connor, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. He placed a chaste kiss on her lips, "Is the lad's mood bothering you?"
She nodded, her eyes sorrowful. "I don't know what's wrong with him. He has trouble sleeping, he doesn't eat, and he's complaining about stomach aches. I've taken him to the pediatrician and there's nothing physically wrong with him. I ask him about school and he tells me everything's fine. I'm at a loss for what else to do."
Connor pulled her into his arms. "He's had a lot of changes this last year—starting middle school, his aunt getting married, his grandfather and Mary. To top it all off, he has to deal with his mom having a man in her life for the first time since his father died. It's a lot to take in, especially at his age." He rested his chin on top of her head.
Suzie snuggled into his big hard body. She loved the way he made her feel small and cared for. "You might be right. But somehow, I think it's more than that. I guess we have to keep an eye on him and try to keep the lines of communication open. At least Abby's doing well. I'll call him; dinner's ready. Would you call Abby, please?"
After they finished dinner, Tim and Abby sat down to finish their homework, while Mr. Connor and Mom settled down with coffee.
"How is math going, Tim?" Mr. Connor inquired over the steam coming from his coffee cup.
"What do you care?" Okay, even he knew that was rude.
His mother's spine straightened at his tone and her face turned dark. Mr. Connor slowly shook his head at her and mouthed, 'let me.'
Yeah, right 'let him.'
Mom gave a small nod and Mr. Connor addressed Tim, "I do care, Tim. I'm with your mom, and you and Abby are important to her, so you're important to me as well. Important enough for me to want to help you and take care of you. Why won't you let me?"
Tim stiffened. "Stop pretending you're my dad!" he shouted.
It seemed as though time had frozen and the force of his voice was accentuated by the dead silence that following his outburst. Mr. Connor's jaw looked like granite and Tim turned away from him. Unfortunately, that brought his gaze to his sister who stood frozen with a hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes. Damn it. He averted his gaze and stole a look at his mom. He wished he hadn't. Mom had risen from her chair. She had her patented mother look on her face and her hands on her hips—that look that told him he was loved but also that he had messed up. It was her 'I'm not mad, I'm disappointed' look. Nobody had that look down better than his mother. Tim's shoulders slumped. He hated to disappoint her. Tears sprang to his eyes and he fled the room before any of the others could react.
Tim bolted out of the house, not bothering with his jacket. His mind was reeling with the look of horror on Abby's face and his mom's reaction. He cursed out loud. Where to go? He couldn't go to Josh. Josh had enough troubles. No, Josh was no option, especially after yesterday. Granddad! Yes! Tim slowed his pace. He would go to his grandfather.
Connor felt the rejection like a punch in the gut. No, he wasn't the boy's father, but he was trying to help. He rose to his feet as Tim bolted. Before he could utter a word or do anything else, the boy had rushed o
ut of the room. The next moment, a small trembling body was pressed against him and he was holding a sobbing Abby.
Connor consoled Abby for a moment, and her small face looked up at him. Despite the tears that ran down Abby's face, she smiled up at him. "You might not be our dad, Mr. Connor, but I love you, and I would like you to be our daddy."
"It would be an honor for any man to be your daddy, lass." Connor managed to smile back at her, and he felt the pain ease from his chest. She was a sweetheart, all right. He realized how much he liked the idea of being her father but, glancing at Suzie, knew that the idea was premature. When he looked more closely, he realized she hadn't even heard Abby.
"I'm sorry, Connor." Suzie looked at him with sad eyes. "He isn't rude, usually. He needs to apologize to you. He…" her words trailed off and the sadness in her gaze was replaced by horror. "Where did he go?" She raced to the front hallway and found Tim's coat by the door. "He didn't take his coat with him. It's dark and cold."
"Let's try his phone. He wouldn't go anywhere without that," Connor said.
Suzie grabbed her own phone and pushed the speed dial for Tim's number. They waited for a moment and then heard Tim's ring tone coming from upstairs. Suzie groaned with frustration and fear.
"Who are his friends? Where would he go?" Connor asked.
"Josh is his best friend, but I don't have his number. Maybe it's on Tim's phone. I'll check upstairs." She came back down with Tim's phone a few moments later and checked through the limited contacts list. The phone was supposed to be only for emergencies. Then she found it—Josh, 816-555-3267. She quickly pushed 'call' on the phone only to be met by a recording telling them the phone number was no longer in service.
"Damn. Josh just shows up. I'm not sure where he lives when it comes right down to it. Let me find the list from the soccer team and see if any of his friends live close by. He spends most of his time with Josh outside of school." She went to the kitchen where Abby was struggling to focus on her homework despite the tears rolling down her face.
