by Sara Brookes
As she stood Alex took a moment to drink her in. She’d chosen to wear dark purple tonight, perhaps in defiance to the white she’d worn the night she’d been dismissed. To show them she wasn’t the same.
The catsuit hugged every single curve she had from head to toe. Bright-yellow piping accentuated those curves, exaggerating the lines of the cincher she’d tightened around her waist. Polished metal glinted as she pushed off the couch, the lengthy heels of her boots appeared to have been dipped in silver.
The eye-catching clothing selection certainly made her stand out in a sea of black. He had no doubt all gazes had been on her since the moment she’d walked back through the club doors. His certainly had.
Elena was a force to be reckoned with inside the walls of Element Twenty-Six. And she had no trouble showing off—or accepting—her power.
“Appreciating the clothing again, I see.”
“Hell yes.” Only one woman could make me this hard.
“Then I think I should be able to return the gesture.” She handed him a small duffle bag. “Go change and then meet me center stage. Then it will be my turn to ogle you.”
Once in the changing room he nearly choked when he opened the bag. He’d expected the cock ring. Thanks to her, he’d found he actually enjoyed the sensation of the metal wrapped around his dick.
The surprise, however, was the pile of leather. The dark, supple strips were a statement unto themselves. What exactly had he agreed to again? Once he walked through the changing-room doors, stepped on that stage, they’d be front and center. All eyes focused on them with nowhere to hide. A captive audience watching with intense interest.
Because of his transgression by interfering with a scene last year he knew this was necessary. It was why he’d insisted on such a scene. His way of asking for forgiveness from Elena and the rest of the members of the club. He’d stepped on their turf. Caused a disturbance in their normally controlled chaos.
And now he would do something that would help Elena recapture a part of herself. The way she’d held herself when he’d first walked in and saw her was a strong indicator it was necessary.
His angel needed her wings again.
Excited by the possibilities in front of him, he stripped and stuffed his clothing into an empty bin. Familiar with how to use the ring he slipped it into place then followed by sliding on the chaps. The material was tighter than he expected, but not so tight he couldn’t move. Certainly not as tight as the pants he’d worn for her before.
With his ass and cock exposed, he might as well have been completely naked. Why had she even bothered to give him anything at all? As he turned, he caught sight of himself in the mirror hanging on the wall.
What he saw stunned him.
Gone was the emaciated form that had confronted him a year ago. The shadowed eyes. The heavy five o’clock shadow. The workouts he’d been doing had given him muscle definition again. The newer, bolder version of Alex Conners was healthy, happy and horny.
He turned, ready to walk through the doors and clean up this last bit of his fucked-up past. Though it probably wasn’t true he felt as though all eyes were on him as he stepped out into the club. Surprisingly he wasn’t embarrassed by his state of undress and being surrounded by people.
Those same people were wearing just as little. Some even less.
His gaze swept the club again, spotting Rick and Aimee talking to Elena. Since their scene was the one he’d ruined by rudely interrupting he was glad for their presence.
This night wouldn’t just be about Elena’s return.
This would be his atonement.
He paused mid-stride, a heaviness weighing his chest as he spotted the staging area Elena had selected. A large machine-type device jutted into the center of a network of metal that extended toward the ceiling in two arcs. He was stunned by the sheer size of both, the mass of the metal suspension frame overwhelming. Chrome shone in the blazing overhead lights, dazzling the senses as well as the mind. The combination of such heavy metal with the mechanics of the device flowed in a way he never would have thought possible.
She’d taken something harsh and industrial and made it into a thing of beauty.
He’d known she was capable of such work, but this piece was absolutely stunning. Even for all the obvious care and attention she’d given it the images forming in his mind about just what the entire device was capable of sent a streak of nervous energy through his stomach.
“Do I want to know what your intent is with this?”
“You’re imaginative, Alex. Can’t you figure it out?”
He studied the contraption for a few more seconds. “Yeah, I can. That’s the problem. Mostly I’m trying to decide what is worse.”
“Because of the fact you know exactly what it’s designed to do or the fact you’re getting hard looking at it?” She held out another item of leather, a half-smile twitching the corners of her painted lips.
Ankle cuffs.
Those were unexpected as well. Then again he hadn’t predicted the extravagant frame she’d constructed either. Paired with the image he held in his head of him trussed up in her suspension piece, the ankle cuffs made perfect sense. “I’m not supposed to enjoy this, right?”
“Depends on how you look at things.”
“This is punishment. Submissives aren’t supposed to enjoy being reprimanded.”
Elena knelt, lifting the hem of his chaps. She circled the leather around his ankle, threading the strap through the buckle and fastening it. Her fingers hooked under his jaw, tilting his head toward her as she brushed her lips lightly against his. “You’ll enjoy my punishment. Always. But that doesn’t mean you won’t experience a wide range of emotions.”
“I’d be disappointed if I didn’t.”
Alex gulped as he approached the roped-off area with Elena’s name scrawled on a small whiteboard. Her dark-purple bag sat in the center of a table. For the first time since he’d convinced himself this was what he wanted his confidence faltered.
A firm hand stroked between his shoulders. “Relax, Alexander. You’re safe with me. Nothing will happen that you haven’t experienced in some way already.”
“I trust you.” And he did. Implicitly. Or else he wouldn’t have insisted on coming.
She went about her work methodically without comment, guiding him to stand in front of her suspension frame. Surprising. He’d expected her to maneuver him into the belly of the frame and show him her intent for the machinery mounted to the base. Instead she secured his arms high overhead and his ankles to chain links mounted on the floor.
The pose exposed his entire body to the gathered crowd.
He swallowed the lump in his throat. There was nowhere to hide now. Determined to see this through he held his chin high, proud to help Elena realize this moment.
With a flourish Elena turned to face the crowd. “I present to you my submissive, Alex Conners. Here tonight for the fulfillment of a punishment he earned.”
A thrill buzzed through his system hearing her acknowledge him in such a way. Her submissive. She’d marked him as hers in public. Claimed him. He wanted nothing more than to hear her make such a claim as her pussy surrounded him.
“For those unaware, Alex stepped on a few toes the first night he came to Element Twenty-Six. It wasn’t entirely his fault. Some of us have found ourselves in similar situations. See, Alex’s wife shamed him for wanting to explore this part of his sexuality.”
A chorus of boos and hisses lifted in the air as he felt a telling flush erupt over his chest. He hadn’t expected her to expose the history of what had brought him to this moment in the first place.
“As you can see he was determined to overcome and for the past several months I’ve been showing Alex there is no shame in voicing your desires. Guiding him through this acceptance. An apt pupil, Alex has flourished in his education. Much to my pleasure.” As the crowd murmured their approval, Elena reached back, skimming her hand down his bare torso. A trail of lust and
heat followed her touch as her fingers circled the base of his cock.
Her gaze met his, fire and hunger brightening the color of her eyes. Releasing him, she circled around, pressing her leather-encased body against his back. He exhaled slowly as her luscious curves taunted him. He wanted to feel her body against him free of the confines of her outfit.
He still wasn’t used to this animalistic need that kept consuming him. He wasn’t sure he ever wanted to get used to it. Not after being so staunch and conservative for so long.
He’d never been this hot for a woman. Never been as needy as she made him. Never felt as though he’d die if he didn’t get to touch and taste her. A ferocious pleasure raced through his system as she shimmied against him. She kept speaking to the crowd, but the words blurred together in his head, the buzz of need eradicating anything but his desire for her. The rawness of the passion he held for this woman astounded him, making him feel as though he were going to combust.
Her lips pressed against his shoulder, her voice whispering over his charged skin as she spoke in a low tone meant only for him. “This will be different than previous times, Alexander. You’ll derive pleasure from serving me.” She reached under his arm, tugging on his chin so she had access to his mouth. Her lips pressed softly against his.
“This is going to hurt. Maybe even be so agonizing it forces you back to another part of your life you thought you may have already dealt with.”
“I trust you,” he repeated.
“I know you do.” Her chest shifted against his back as she breathed deep. “That’s what makes this so hard.” Without warning something wide and flat struck his ass. An angry flash of pain radiated from the area, causing him to flinch.
Hurt. A lot.
Far more than he’d expected because Elena offered nothing to help balance the pain. No reassuring stroke of her hand over the heated area she’d struck. Preparing for the next assault, he clenched all his muscles.
“If you don’t relax you’ll just make it worse when I hit you with the tawse again.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
“You can. I know this is unusual and not something you’re used to. But I promise it will all be worth it in the end.”
He understood he deserved this. Knew he owed it to the other members because he’d been bullheaded and misunderstood the situation. Putting his faith in Elena, he called on each of his muscles to ease.
Nothing could prepare him for the next strike. His voice rumbled in this throat, a guttural noise, which sounded foreign and primal.
“That’s it, Alexander. Let them hear your pain.”
He swallowed, waiting for the moment the item struck again. Just when he thought the hit would never come. The tawse battered him with a vengeance. His voice raised this time as he was caught unawares. Three hits in rapid succession causing a strangled scream to slip through his clenched lips.
“Almost done, Alex. These will be the hardest yet. I have faith in you. You can do this. For me. But most of all for yourself.”
Adrenaline raced through his system, coiling in his gut as he waited. The first strike came, delivering blinding agony. He cried out as the last of his defenses fell away. She was right. He thought he had dealt with this kind of pain already. But the glimpses she’d given him the first time they’d scened together didn’t compare to the pain streaking through him now.
The agony.
The feeling of absolute helplessness.
“Let it out. You’ve held it inside you for far too long. Let it go, baby.”
The hard, flat leather slapped him again and he released a vicious howl in response to the pain. Tears sprung to his eyes, every nerve in his body alive with energy as his soul began to purge.
The tawse pounded against him again, lofting his voice to the ceiling as the pain scorched through him. Unable to control his thoughts and body he struggled against the bindings holding him open and exposed. Anger he’d secreted away in the darkest recess of his consciousness tore free, giving rise to new wounds.
He roared, loud and deep, as raw as he’d ever been.
Arms wrapped around his torso, pulling him into a comforting embrace. He shuddered, struggling for breath as his body continued to purge the remnants of the lingering shadows darkening his humanity.
“Relax, Alex. It’s over. I’m here.”
His arms were freed from the chains, the metal clanking heavily together. Turning, he gathered Elena up into his arms, sighing heavily as her fingers curled against the back of his head. He held her close, drawing on her strength to keep him upright.
Her warm, soft lips pressed against the side of his neck, whispering comforting words that barely made it through the haze clouding his mind. He couldn’t stop his body from shaking and it had nothing to do with the pain washing over him.
Her lips ghosted over his face planting small kisses as she sipped the tears streaking down his cheeks. “It’s over. Done. You don’t have to hurt anymore, Alex.”
“I know.” His turmoil still tangible in the air surrounding them he slid his hands around her jaw, cradling her face between his hands. “Thank you.” His lips sealed over hers, he felt more connected with her than ever before. As his tongue slipped past her lips he realized for the first time in his life it felt damn good to be alive.
She’d given him peace.
He swept her up in a passionate and consuming kiss, far more emotion spilling from him than he’d originally intended. She returned the emotion tenfold, kissing him with equal fervor. The crowd behind them roared in approval, evidently pleased with the fulfillment of Alex’s punishment.
As they broke apart, her lips red and swollen from the power of his kiss, he tilted his forehead against hers. Her hands bracketed his rib cage, her fingers touching the heated edges of the places she’d hit across his lower back. His skin tingled, the sensation spreading through him with a welcoming heat. “So do I get to find out what you really built this thing to do?”
“I’d like to show you, but only if you’re feeling up to it.” His eyes fluttered closed as she tilted her head and skimmed her lips over his jaw. A flare of heat flashed bright, her soft laughter trailing over his throat as his cock jumped against her body.
He knew she needed this part now as much as he did. Needed the comfort of something different than punishment. To balance the pain with pleasure. “I think I can manage for you.”
She moved away, gathering the items she would need. He watched with rapt interest, trying to loosen the knot in his stomach when she set a bottle of lubricant on the table. Whatever she intended to use it for she kept to herself as she gestured for him to join her inside the network of metal.
Her work was quick and efficient, her goal clear in her mind as she pointed to where she needed him to hold or support his weight while she worked. She wrapped his torso with rope, using the network of intricate knots to help suspend his weight evenly. Each layer she added dragged him down under her spell so he became lost to her magic.
She added chains next, more for visual effect than anything because his weight was already distributed. Her hand wrapped around his ankle, securing a long length of chain to the leather. Suspended completely in the comfort of the obvious love of her work and attention to detail, both for the frame and for him, he’d never felt so free.
He knew with absolute certainty he could never go back to vanilla sex. Not now. His eyes were wide open. He knew all the possibilities spread out before him. He also knew the only one he wanted to be with was Elena. He had one hell of an uphill climb to contend with given her attitude toward love and romance. But damn if he wasn’t ready to dig in and fight for her.
“Ready?” He nodded, watching as she leaned over and removed some kind of angled chock from under the front supports. The entire frame rocked forward with a violent jerk and he held his breath as the ropes and chains around his body absorbed the motion.
The ropes took his full weight as his body sagged into submission.
; Looking down between his legs as his body swung, he confirmed the machine really was attached to the frame. The weight of his body acted as the counterbalance. Once his movement stopped, any further motion would send the entire contraption rocking. Given the angle of the machine he had no doubt what she intended to do with the bottle of lube now.
His thought was further realized when a cold wetness spread between his ass cheeks as something wet was poured there. He closed his eyes, listening to her move around the stage preparing him. Her dexterous fingers brushed against the pucker of his anus, pulling a quiet groan from him as sensation radiated wherever she touched.
She took her time, expertly preparing him with more lube as she teased the rim. The tips of those fingers breeched his passage, drawing a strangled groan from deep in his chest. They stroked and kneaded, sweeping so sweetly over the bundle of nerves she kept massaging.
As he surrendered to her slow pumps of his ass, his cock strained against the metal ring with an unyielding stiffness that made him blind with need. His body relaxed against the ropes even more, her hushed murmur of approval washing over his skin as she added another finger. He accepted it without complaint, welcoming the spread of heat through him as she built his arousal even higher.
“You’re ready now aren’t you?”
“Yes.” He barely managed the word before he felt the hard press of something against his anus. Not her fingers this time. Something…firmer and more intrusive. A plug perhaps? When the item continued to spread him wider he was shocked by its size. Not the plug. The feel and texture was different than before.
Fear he couldn’t do this after all swept through him. He wouldn’t displease her again. Couldn’t. He would accept what she had to give him even though he felt stretched, expanded to the limits of what he could handle. Yet as the item continued moving forward, opening him wider and wider, panic set in.
“I can’t—”
“Shhh…relax for me. Good. See, you can do this. Just like last time.”
The device slid past the tight ring of muscles, pulling an unexpected groan from deep in his gut. As the item continued to slip through his opening, his body went rigid, tension coiling tightly to the point of pain.
