by Brynley Bush
He explains for the audience. “That means that the Dominant partner has total power over the submissive in everything, not just sexually but in all elements of the submissive’s life. There is an incredible level of trust involved on the part of the submissive and a huge responsibility for the Dom.”
He flashes his megawatt smile at all of us, and I can see why Rachel fell for him. “Which is why it makes for the perfect final challenge. Both Roman and Emmett will be given a list of things—kinky and nonkinky—that they must complete with their submissive to earn points. These things might include recreational outings, role-play scenarios, punishments, challenges, the use of toys, and other things that have been hand chosen for each couple based on their personal strengths and weaknesses to make things more interesting and to test the true extent of your D/s relationship and the trust you’ve developed between you. So if you hate nipple clamps, you can be pretty sure you’ll be wearing them at some point over the weekend, or if you’re afraid of heights, you may find yourself bungee jumping or zip-lining over the tree canopy.”
I feel my stomach sink. If I’d known this, I would’ve played the games a whole lot differently.
“In addition to the challenges chosen by the Power Games team, the Doms have come up with a few challenges and scenarios of their own that they’d like to explore with their submissive.”
Roman catches my eye and winks at me deliberately, and I have a sneaking suspicion he’s going to thoroughly enjoy pushing through the last of my limits.
We spend the rest of the day packing, and the next morning we’re on a plane headed for Costa Rica. The show has chartered a private jet for us and the crew that will be staying at the private resort with us. Halfway through the flight, both Roman and Rebecca have dozed off, and the camera and production crew are either asleep, watching the movie playing on the overhead screen, or absorbed in their tablets, laptops, or phones, making me desperately wish I had my own device so I could listen to music.
Emmett catches my eye, nodding toward the restroom. I casually get up and make my way to the back of the plane. No one looks up when Emmett follows a few minutes later, and he pulls me into the restroom with him, locking the door.
He grabs my chin in his hand and turns my gaze to his. “Are we okay, Ava?” he asks, his eyes worried. “Nothing is worth losing what we have, and definitely not these games. You know I would walk through fire before I would do anything that would hurt you.”
I sigh, leaning my forehead against his chest as he encompasses me in a reassuring hug that only Emmett can give.
How have I let the games get to me like this, making me doubt everything I know about Emmett? I’ve been removed from real life so long I’ve gotten wrapped up in this alternate reality and lost all sense of perspective. Emmett is still Emmett, my best friend and my protector. Of course there’s nothing more between us. My reaction to his touch was purely physical. I probably would have reacted the same way if I had been partnered with Michael. As always, Emmett had only done what was in my best interest, and I love him for it. I refuse to let anything come between us.
“Of course we’re okay. We’ll always be okay. But things are going to change,” I say wistfully. “One of us is going to win and work for the Helix, and one of us will be going back home to New York. Things aren’t ever going to be the same again.”
Suddenly, I want to cry. Although I’m so much stronger than I was when I arrived at the Helix five weeks ago, I don’t feel ready to face the world without Emmett.
He rubs one roughened thumb over my cheek. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.”
* * * *
Roman
We arrive in Costa Rica midafternoon and are taken to a small, remote resort along Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. I have to admit Logan’s outdone himself. I’ve traveled around the world extensively, but this is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen, with a pristine white-sand beach that bumps up to a tropical jungle that stretches as far as the eye can see. The five-star resort tucked among the trees is equally beautiful, with a laid-back tropical vibe with an Asian flair. There are fewer than half a dozen private villas, and between Ava and me, Emmett and Rebecca, Logan and Rachel, and the small production crew, we have the place to ourselves. There’s a small hotel staff to cater to our needs and an indoor/outdoor restaurant that will provide all our meals. There’s nothing else around for miles, so unless we run into one another, we’re more or less alone in our little paradise.
We’re shown to our villa, and I enjoy watching Ava ooh and aah over the open-air living area, the hammock for two that hangs at the opening to the dense jungle beyond us, the outdoor hand-carved tub, and the stunning view of the Pacific just steps away. After we’ve unpacked, we go for a walk along the beach, the warm water lapping over our bare feet. I stop abruptly and pull her to me, my fingers twined in her long dark hair as I kiss her deeply.
“This is the last step of our journey,” I rasp. “Do you understand the concept of a Total Power Exchange?”
She shrugs. “It doesn’t sound much different than the ways things already are between us.”
I smile at that. “It pleases me more than you can know that you think that, Avalon. And that’s true to a certain extent, but this will take us one step further as you give your total submission to me. I will own every inch of your body and soul, every thought in your mind, your every emotion. When we leave this island, you will be totally and irrevocably mine.”
I take her chin in my hand, tilting her face up.
“These are the rules for the next three days. I own you. The balance of power between us is one hundred percent mine and zero percent yours. You will follow my orders without question. If you fail to do so, you will be punished.” I smile knowingly. “And I do know how you love to argue with me.” More seriously, I add, “You must ask my permission for everything—from what you order to eat to whether you may sit down to whether or not you may orgasm. I will use your mouth, your pussy, and your ass however and whenever I want.”
Her mouth drops open. “You want a doormat?”
I chuckle. “I don’t think you could be a doormat if you wanted to. But no. I’ve already told you I love your fire.” I lower my voice. “But for these three days, I want to control everything about you so I know that every thought you have is about me. I want you to be unequivocally and totally mine.”
She swallows hard. “May I ask what’s on our checklist?”
“You may ask all you want, but I’m not going to tell you. I love surprising you, and for the next three days you’re going to be at the mercy of my very vivid imagination. I was thinking we’d start with a candlelight dinner.”
An hour later, her eyes widen in surprise as she walks into the spacious living area that opens to an outside patio. She takes in the candles I’ve set up along the low bordering wall of the patio and along the window ledge next to the dining room table, the bottle of champagne, and the food set out on the small bar. However, the long, thick dining room table made of polished hewn wood is bare, and the chairs around it have been moved.
“Come here,” I command.
She crosses the room to me, her bare feet silent on the polished wood floor. When she’s next to me, I grab the hem of the summer dress she’s wearing and pull it over her head. To my delight, she’s not wearing anything underneath.
“Well, this is a nice surprise,” I drawl. I caress her soft curves, relishing the goose bumps my fingers create as they dance across her naked skin.
“Climb onto the table.”
She slowly climbs onto the table on her hands and knees.
“On your back, arms above your head.”
She wordlessly moves onto her back and lifts her arms over her head so she’s stretched across the full length of the table like an offering. She watches me intently as I come to stand next to her. With gentle fingers, I caress her cheek and rub across her lips before trailing down between her breasts and over the flat, taut expanse of
her abdomen. I stop just above her pubic bone, but not before her hips tilt upward in anticipation.
“I’ve planned a feast for myself tonight,” I say, turning to the bar and picking up a plate holding sushi and two pairs of chopsticks. Using the chopsticks, I place a piece over her navel. It dips deliciously as the cool food touches her bare skin. “If you’re good, you’ll get to eat as well. Don’t move!”
She fights to stay still as I place the sushi strategically over her naked body.
“Good girl,” I say. I hold a piece to her lips, and she obediently opens her mouth. She chews carefully, never taking her eyes off me. I choose a piece for myself, trailing the tip of the chopstick erotically over her skin as I deliberate over which one to select. I pluck a piece of sushi from between her breasts and pop it into my mouth.
“Ah, I forgot the sauce,” I say.
I take a dollop of spicy mayo and swirl it over one erect nipple. She gasps softly but doesn’t move. I decorate her other nipple as well. Her breath is coming faster now. I grab the sesame oil and drizzle it over her torso and across her mound, and her hips wiggle slightly as the oil slowly drips over her slit.
After the next bite of sushi, I close my mouth over her nipple, swirling my tongue around it to lick off the mayo. Her back arches, and she moans softly. I finish chewing and select another piece, sweeping it over her other breast to coat it with the mayo before putting it in her mouth. Her eyes close as she chews the morsel. Using the chopsticks, I grasp one hardened little nipple and tug. Her eyes fly open, and her entire body jolts, sending the remaining pieces of sushi flying onto the floor.
I tsk softly. “I told you to stay still. Now I’m going to have to find something else to eat to satiate my hunger. And as always, there are consequences for your failure to obey.”
Her eyes are leery as I take each pair of chopsticks and place a rubber band at either end, binding the sticks together. Using my hand to push up her breast, I lower my head and take the taut nipple into my mouth. I lick across it with my tongue before sucking it into my mouth, teasing the responsive peak with the light scrape of my teeth. I move to her other nipple, repeating the process until it too is erect and rigid before releasing it, appreciating the way her rosy nipples pucker even more as the cool air whispers over the wet tips.
Taking one pair of chopsticks, I pry the sticks apart as much as the rubber bands will allow and place them over her nipple, sandwiching her tender flesh between the two pieces of bamboo. She cries out as I move my fingers and she feels the full bite of the chopsticks ruthlessly squeezing her nipple. She squirms in anticipation as I open the other pair, and I take my time, knowing that making her wait will increase the effect. Once both of her nipples are squeezed between the chopsticks, I pick up the sesame oil and pour more liberally over her body.
“I believe I promised you a candlelight dinner,” I say, setting the bottle down so I can devote all my attention to coating her in oil. My hands rove over her body possessively, massaging the oil sensuously into her skin until it’s shimmering in the candlelight. She’s torn between the pleasure of my hands luxuriously stroking her body and the merciless pain of the chopsticks squeezing her nipples, which are hopefully now slowly and deliciously throbbing. I take my time, reveling in my ownership of her sweet curves and soft skin, knowing she’s mine to touch and take as I please. I concentrate on her torso, massaging in firm circles over her abdomen and sweeping strokes up her sides and over her upper chest and neck as I grip her throat lightly. I move back down between the valley of her breasts and to her mound, massaging over the swollen and damp lips of her pussy before pressing against her pubic bone as she fights to keep still.
When I think she’s suffered enough, I remove the chopsticks, and she whimpers in pain as the blood returns to the deprived points, but she doesn’t move. I pour more oil onto my hands and slide them over her now hypersensitive breasts. She arches into me, once again caught on the cusp between pleasure and pain. I rub and knead gently, her nipples becoming even harder under my flattened palms. Satisfied that I’ve adequately prepared her, I pick up a candle and hold it over her oil-slicked body.
Her gaze meets mine, her eyes wide with fear.
I tilt the candle slightly and one perfect drop of red wax lands on her stomach, and she clasps her fingers together as it cools and hardens.
“You do not have permission to move,” I remind her cruelly. “Do you want me to restrain your arms?”
“I’m yours to restrain or not as you wish,” she answers softly.
My cock throbs at her words. Her submission is all the sweeter because I know exactly how much it costs my little spitfire.
Her eyes are lowered, her chest rising and falling rapidly, and I want nothing more than to sink my cock into her wet pussy. But first we have a few items to check off the list.
“No restraints,” I dictate. “We’ll put your training to the test. But a blindfold will add nicely to your experience since you’ll never know exactly where that hot wax might fall.”
I tie the blindfold over her eyes, throwing her into darkness, and pick up the candle again. I wait several long, deliberate moments as she becomes more and more anxious, knowing what’s coming but not knowing when or where, her breath growing shallow with anticipation. I begin to drip wax onto her from various heights and onto different parts of her body to get her into the right head space. It doesn’t take her long. She lets out a moan of pleasure with each splash of hot liquid, and her fingers curl into fists as she struggles to keep her arms over her head. My sweet submissive has made amazing progress, and I feel a surge of pride at the way she checks her body’s natural instincts, proof that her Dominant’s control over her is stronger than any rope.
I take my time, decorating her pale skin with the colorful array of candles, alternating between individual stinging drops and burning streams that sear her sensitive skin. I particularly enjoy watching the wax drip onto her nipples, and the knife-sharp intake of her breath and the little whimpers that follow as the hot liquid hits the sensitive peaks and then hardens. She breathes deeply through her nose, trying to hang on to her last shred of composure. When I’ve finished, she’s vibrating with urgency, and her pussy lips are glistening.
I stop to take a picture of her skin drizzled with multicolored wax, the most beautiful canvas I can imagine, before retrieving a knife from the kitchen and methodically scraping away the wax with the blunt edge of it. Unlike the last time she was blindfolded and I used what she perceived as a sharp object on her skin, she doesn’t panic or move, and I feel humbled by her trust that I have finally earned.
When all the wax has been removed, I kiss her. It’s a slow, deep kiss, the kind that reminds a woman that a man knows the secrets of her soul and plans to exploit them all, one by one. I know her skin is incredibly sensitive from the wax, and I use that to my advantage, stroking and caressing her until she’s wriggling on the table. I immediately stop touching her, and she pouts. Luckily the blindfold’s on, so she can’t see my wide grin, or she’d take full advantage of the fact that I find her adorable, and try to sweet-talk her way out of the punishment she knows is coming.
Without warning, I close the jaws of the alligator clamps simultaneously over her still-hard nipples. I’m sure the wax has made them even more sensitive, and she cries out at the completely unexpected but sweet bite of pain. I slip a finger into her, and her pussy ripples lightly. She’s on the very brink of coming.
I slide my finger out and grab her shoulders, pulling her back so her head is hanging off the table. I place my cock against her lips, and she opens her mouth obediently, her tongue automatically darting out to explore the tip.
“You’re going to make me come with only your mouth.”
I feed my cock into her open mouth, and she eagerly takes all of me.
“You’re also going to make yourself come.”
She freezes. Ava is noticeably reluctant and self-conscious about touching herself, which is probably why it’s
on our checklist. I’m sure the show’s writers have pored over the footage from the past five and half weeks, trying to find the things that will be the most uncomfortable and challenging for both teams. It no doubt makes for excellent television. Hopefully I’ve prepared Ava enough that it won’t take much for her to send herself over the edge.
The clamps are linked together by a chain, and I take the chain in my hand and tug, causing the clamps to bite into her sensitive nipples as they’re pulled away from her body.
“Touch yourself, Avalon,” I order more sternly.
She hesitantly slips her fingers between her legs. I slide my cock into the wet heat of her mouth, her position allowing me to easily touch the back of her throat without her gagging.
“I’m going to fuck your mouth while you fuck yourself with your fingers. But you have to make me come before you’re allowed to make yourself come.”
She sucks me enthusiastically as I thrust in and out, and I pull steadily on the chain, encouraging her. Her fingers slowly build up speed, becoming wet with her juices as she works them against her clit. It’s fucking hot as hell having my cock in her mouth as I watch her masturbate, and the power I wield over her with each tug of the chain is heady. Given her reticence, I expect her to take a while to bring herself to orgasm, and I’m determined to hold back as long as I can to enjoy her lush mouth. But she surprises the hell out of me by coming first, her hips thrusting wildly as the orgasm vibrates through her.
Her uninhibited responsiveness is my undoing. She unmans me, taking my control as my balls tighten, my muscles clench, and my cock explodes on her tongue. Still caught up in the throes of her own pleasure, she swallows my cum quickly and automatically, finally growing still but keeping my cock in her mouth.
