“I feel guilty eating all of Allie’s food,” Crash had said as they drove toward Grandpointe.
AJ snorted. “Buffy, since you’re not yet fluent in Crashspeak, that loosely translates as he doesn’t want to eat turnip cookies and tofu dip. He’s been whining about Twinkies for the past two days. I think they based Woody Harrelson’s character in Zombieland on Crash. Do you think Allie will get upset that we want to supplement her goodies?”
“Not if she’s smart. If it’s a choice between him eating the profits they’re making from this workshop or allowing him to bring in a supply of snacks, I can’t imagine she’d complain. It’s not like this is a health food resort, exactly.” Sami twisted around to give a reassuring smile to Crash, who was sitting in the backseat. The Saturn wasn’t a tiny car, but he was huddled up like a bear in a laundry basket with an expression of abashed hunger.
No grocery stores were open at that hour, and they didn’t have time to have Carly cook breakfast for them, so they settled for buying out the Little Debbie section of a gas station. When they’d gotten back to Clifftop, most of Sami’s discomfort was gone. She was having trouble maintaining her self-imposed distance from them. There was something just so comforting about the two men.
She got another twinge when they’d started the rope bondage class, but AJ and Crash’s solicitude made it impossible to be afraid of them. They couldn’t possibly be good enough actors to be hiding any kind of nefarious intent or evil alter egos behind their sweet goofiness, she thought. It was odd how she could feel safe and vulnerable at the same time. She wanted to like them—she couldn’t help but like them, if she was honest. At the same time, they were men, and she’d become nervous around all men recently, especially ones so obviously capable of violence. They were modern-day gladiators, after all. No doubt it wasn’t a healthy attitude. But was it really smart to try to get over that self-preservation instinct with two such brawny, muscular, hulking specimens?
By the time Crash had made such a comical disaster of AJ’s bondage attempts, she was determined to try to work through her issues, for their sakes as much as her own. Crash stood back and watched, munching, as Phoenix tried to coach her through the double column tie around AJ’s wrists in the back. His arms were so bulky that he could barely touch his own fingers.
“You need to do some yoga,” she told him, chuckling to herself as she imagined him in a downward dog. She almost missed it when Phoenix demonstrated how to tie his hands down at his sides instead. When she tried to wrap the rope around him, it proved necessary for Crash to come and help her, since she couldn’t reach all the way by herself.
“Maybe you should stick to handcuffs,” Crash said.
She frowned at them both. “Maybe I should put the two of you on diets.”
“Nah. It’s all muscle, baby,” Crash said, demonstrating by backhanding AJ in the stomach.
AJ apparently hadn’t been prepared, and he doubled over, gasping in surprise. Sami had to grab at him to keep him from falling over, and Crash stepped in to catch them both. They all ended up in some kind of odd huddle, with Sami in the middle. She didn’t dare move until she was sure that AJ had regained his footing, but that meant having him leaning into her with Crash supporting them both from the other side.
“I could get used to this,” Crash said, smiling down at her.
AJ scowled. “Could you get used to it some other time? A little tied up here.”
Crash stepped back, allowing Sami to move as well, and they went back to work. Sami found that her hands were shaking a little, and she glanced surreptitiously at Crash to see if he noticed. What had he meant? He’d been flirting with her off and on, at least whenever he wasn’t hunting for food, but she’d written it off as a typical guy thing. Part of her was jumping up and down, squealing in delight that such a big, handsome guy was showing interest in her, but the other part was folding its arms and declaring that he couldn’t possibly be serious.
Phoenix finished critiquing Roy’s work and came back over to help Sami. Lucy had flung off all her clothes and now she pranced around, giggling wildly and shaking her bound tits for the benefit of anyone who was looking. She seemed especially determined that AJ and Crash should notice her body. It was pretty nice. Not skinny, but attractive. Susan had refused to take off any of her clothes and stood stiffly, complaining that the rope was too tight.
Phoenix worked very patiently with Sami as she spliced rope after rope and wound them around AJ’s enormous body. Around the chest, over the arms, cinched under the elbow, and over the shoulders. Crash hovered over her, making jokes and occasionally dropping crumbs on her work.
“There you go. A simple rope harness,” Phoenix said finally, pointing them to the mirror so they could all see it.
“That’s great, babe!” AJ said, and Crash shook her hand with a solemn, “Congratulations, Buffy!”
“It is cool, isn’t it?” Sami felt an inordinate flush of pride. It was kind of silly. There was no way she would ever use this in the real world. It felt really good, though, to have accomplished something even so unconventional as tying someone up. She realized she hadn’t had any sense of accomplishment in quite some time. It was almost like part of her was waking up again. It was even quite sexy, she thought, regarding her handiwork. Surprising that something like that could be a turn on, but the texture of the rope in her hands combined with the sensuality of wrapping it tightly around his body had definitely gotten her a little aroused.
She began to untie AJ, and Crash helped unwind and separate the rope. As she worked, a familiar unease began to replace her exhilaration. Both of the guys had been tied up. Now it was her turn. She wasn’t sure how she was going to react to it, but fair was fair. They’d been good sports. Roy was now letting Lucy practice on him. Greg had offered, but Susan had refused, saying she didn’t think rope was her thing at all.
The sight of Susan’s tight lips and disapproving eyes made up her mind. Lucy was vaguely silly, bouncing around naked, obviously trying to attract the attention of AJ and Crash, but Sami decided that was better than Susan’s uptight prissiness. It would be ungracious of her to refuse to reciprocate.
“Okay,” she said when all of the rope was lying in neat little bundles at their feet. “I guess it’s my turn.”
They stared at her.
She narrowed her eyes at them. “Do you think you can do this without accidentally killing me or knocking the building down?”
They didn’t seem to appreciate her attempt at humor. Both of their faces were full of concern. It made her feel like an invalid. They thought she was a wimp. All she had to do was ask and they’d let her off the hook without a word.
It was tempting, but that was the easy way out. All of her self-respect would vanish if she ran now. Besides, she wanted to find out what that rope felt like on her skin. She looked down at their huge hands and concentrated on not drooling. Those hands wrapping rope around her—she should be terrified, and she had been at the beginning of the class, but something was loosening inside a little and now she wasn’t. She put a challenge in her eyes and looked from one to the other.
They gulped in unison, staring at her like she’d offered to strip for them. It made her go hot all over. Praying she wouldn’t have another panic attack like last night, she handed the bundle of rope to AJ. “Here. I’ll be waiting while you guys figure it out.”
She marched over to the snack table to see if there was anything Crash had overlooked. She really was going to gain a lot of weight this week if she wasn’t careful, she told herself. The guys had gone into a kind of huddle, talking in low voices and occasionally giving her worried looks. Finally AJ came over with a handful of rope and looked at her seriously. Over his shoulder she could see Crash’s anxious face. She almost giggled as the thought occurred to her that Crash had sent AJ over to make sure she hadn’t finished the food.
“Are you sure you want to try this?” AJ said in a hushed, serious voice as if they were discussing state secrets.
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She sighed. “Yes, I do. I’m not going to freak out, I promise.” She led the way back to where they had been working, hoping she could keep her word.
“Do you want to leave your shirt on?” Phoenix asked her with the same conciliatory expression.
It was too much. They were all acting like she was on the verge of some kind of nervous breakdown. It was probably understandable, given the way she’d been acting, but she’d had enough. She stripped off her shirt and tossed it to the side. “No, but I think I’ll leave my bra on, if that’s okay.”
The next half hour was heaven. Both of the guys worked on the rope, commenting frequently on how much better it was to work with her than each other. Even though they apologized for every touch, the feeling of their hands brushing against her skin as they straightened and adjusted the rope sent tremors through her. Sami closed her eyes and allowed herself to ride the wave of sensuality. For some reason, as soon as the first loop encircled her, she could feel her blood pressure dropping and her mind sinking into a zone that was almost like the drowsy stage of sleep. Background noises became muted, and she lost all sense of time, only aware of her skin, their fingers, and the rope that was encasing her in a cocoon of safety and warmth. Was this what that subspace thing they mentioned earlier felt like? If so, she might have to take this D/s stuff more seriously, because it was really addictive.
“How does that feel? Is it too tight?” AJ’s anxious voice brought her back from her dreamy musing, and she opened her eyes reluctantly. The guys were standing in front of her, peering into her face, each with a hand hovering uncertainly around her shoulder as if they thought she was about to faint. Phoenix and Allie stood a few feet away, watching them thoughtfully.
“No, it feels nice,” Sami said, aware that her voice was thick and her eyelids felt heavy. She didn’t think she was in any danger of passing out, although she could easily have lain down on the couch and drifted off into a nap.
She shook her head a little. “I mean, it’s just fine. Is it getting hot in here?”
Allie smiled. “Rope affects me that way, too. Your temperature will go back to normal when they take it off. Lunch will be in about ten minutes, and then we’ll have another presentation this afternoon that I think you’ll all find very interesting.”
Chapter 7
“Gather around, everyone.” Allie motioned for the group to join her in the well-lit corner of the barn. Unlike the rest of the play space, which was shrouded in shadow and soft lighting, this corner had a spotlight shining directly over a chair. It seemed to have been designed for a person to sit with their front leaning on a padded cushion and their back fully exposed. As if it was becoming second nature, Sami began to look for the tie-down points she knew had to be there. Sure enough, there were shiny eyebolts at intervals down both of the outside edges.
The woman next to Allie started talking, and Sami tore her gaze from the chair. “Hello. My name is Beth, and this is my girl, april. I know many of the people who have taught your classes so far have had titles like ‘Sir’ or ‘Master,’ but I don’t use them. I am april’s Dominant, but I just go by Beth.”
She looked around at the group, who nodded, although they all seemed a little nervous, Sami thought. She noticed that Susan looked as apprehensive as she felt and wondered just what an “edgeplay” class would entail. The strong presence of Crash and AJ behind and on either side of her was beginning to feel natural and comforting. That surprised her. After the months of hell with Ron, she didn’t think she would have ever felt this way around men again.
“Today’s class is going to cover a couple different forms of play. Many consider them a bit more radical, but we are here to show you that not only can they be combined, but they can be designed to give your bottom a very satisfying experience. We have negotiated a scene that will involve knives, needles, and electricity all in one. Before we begin, however, is there anyone who has a serious problem with any of those or the possible sight of blood? I don’t want anyone to pass out and miss any of the fun.”
Sami gulped but steeled herself. She was a healthcare professional, she reminded herself. There was no way she would embarrass herself like she did last night. Needles didn’t bother her at all. They were a common part of many massage practices. Knives, on the other hand, freaked her out just a wee bit. She took another breath and scooted a half step back toward the two men behind her. They had been so sweet during the rope class. If she were braver, she might give in to the temptation of telling them she was more than a little interested in—who? She honestly couldn’t say which one she would have picked. AJ was gorgeous and so gentlemanly, but so serious. Crash was just as beautiful as AJ, but he wasn’t serious at all, and while that could be fun, it could be a bad thing if he refused to ever get serious. She allowed herself a moment of picturing what it would be like to lie between both of them, being caressed and kissed by four hands and two mouths. She knew they could be sweet and gentle, and she let herself drift for a moment in an erotic fantasy of them both touching her, like Karl and Brad had done with Allie. Then reason returned. It would be a huge mistake to believe they were being anything other than nice. Besides, most guys didn’t like to share their girlfriends. She would make a total fool of herself if she expected anything more than flirting from either of them. She turned her attention back to Beth.
“All right then, since no one has run screaming from the room, let’s get started. For today’s scene we will be suspending the normal dungeon etiquette of not interrupting a scene by talking or asking questions. I—sorry babe, I mean we—want you to ask questions. This is meant to be a learning experience and the best way to learn is to do, but since that isn’t practical the next best thing is to ask when you don’t understand something. Does everyone understand?”
Sami was impressed that Beth didn’t continue until she had looked at each of them and received their nod of agreement.
“Okay, then. Let’s get to the fun. In a normal scene, april and I don’t talk a whole lot, but today I will be explaining as we go what we are doing and why. As I’m sure you’ve already discussed, ritual is an important part of many relationships in the kink community. It is no different for us.”
She turned and pointed to the ground in front of her. april immediately knelt down, facing her. Sami watched in amazement as the love and trust between the two women played out across their faces. She leaned forward to hear better when Beth began speaking softly to april. “I love you, my beauty.”
“And I you, Ma’am.”
“I will let no harm come to you while we explore.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course, Ma’am.”
“Are you ready for the scene we negotiated?”
“Absolutely, Ma’am.” april bent forward and gently placed a kiss on the palm of each of Beth’s hands.
As Beth helped the submissive to her feet, Sami took a good look at the simple white cotton dress april was wearing. It seemed to be made of a cheap material and was ill-fitted, hanging off her frame like a potato sack. Sami was surprised at the choice, since she had assumed all of the people in the lifestyle had exotic wardrobes. It was a silly idea, she knew, but last night at The Keep, everyone had looked so sexy and elegant. It would be great to have nice, sexy clothes instead of her simple blue top and skirt to wear to parties like those. She imagined herself being part of a leather community like the one in Grandpointe, where everyone knew and trusted each other. An image rose in her mind of herself in nothing but some black lace, following AJ and Crash around a club, maybe on a leash. They would look incredible dressed in black leather, and she would be the envy of every woman there.
She shook her head. Useless dreams, she told herself. They might be friendly, but she would be an idiot to read anything more than a temporary flirtation into it. Suddenly AJ’s hand stroked her arm, and he whispered, “Are you okay?”
She smiled and nodded at him and then turned back to the acti
on.
april had taken a seat and draped her arms around the upright section of the chair, resting her left cheek on the padded upper edge. Behind her, Beth had drawn a wicked-looking dual-bladed knife from a tooled black leather sheath. “We like to play on the softer, more sensual side of things and generally focus more on the sensations than the pain.”
As she spoke, Beth’s arm curled around april’s neck, and april lifted her head from the cushion to rub her face against Beth’s forearm. Sami could almost feel the heat of the love radiating from them. It made her ache for a loving relationship of her own. Once she would have had the courage to throw caution to the wind and make a play for at least one of the studs standing patiently behind her, if not both. Those days were gone, though. She wasn’t Buffy anymore, as much as they seemed to like calling her that.
There was a sudden loud, violent ripping noise, and her attention snapped back to the couple in front as everyone let out a simultaneous gasp of surprise. Beth had slashed through the back of the dress, parting it in two like the Red Sea. It fell to the sides, showing that april had nothing on underneath. Suddenly the choice of clothing made more sense. You wouldn’t wear something nice just to cut it off. She gave a little shudder imagining herself in that position, but april, like Allie and Lucy, seemed to actually enjoy being naked in public. Sami wondered if that kind of confidence was a requirement of the lifestyle or a side effect of it.
She gazed at the shining blade, mesmerized as Beth passed it back and forth across april’s exposed back. She would have expected a cascade of blood, but she saw that Beth wasn’t breaking the skin at all, although there were long red welts showing where the knife had traveled. april sighed and seemed to shiver each time Beth began a new line.
Double Dom Fantasies Page 8
