An older couple, a man and a woman in jeans and matching white T-shirts, were dripping wax from flaming candles onto the sub’s body, and they were holding the candles over even their own heads to make sure the wax cooled enough by the time it hit that it would be hot but not burn.
She walked closer, trying to get a better view. She’d enjoyed waxing until she’d been burned. Well, enjoy was a relative term. It had excited her, the little sharp bursts of pain that faded, the way wax hardened on her nipples and then shifted as they crinkled in excitement. The pretty colors were fun too, turning her body into a temporary piece of art, even more ephemeral than a sand mandala. It made her feel sexy. And these two knew what they were doing, working together wordlessly, turning the already lovely girl into a beautiful waxen princess. She edged closer and watched them work.
The Dom put down the candle and picked up a knife. It was a long thing, the sort of knife Stu would love, bigger than his six-inch cock. It shined in the spotlight. There was no way to tell how sharp it was, but in her imagination it was a razor blade, and a touch of it would draw blood. She stared, frozen in place. No. No. No.
A man moved in her way and she couldn’t see what was going on. Part of her was relieved, but part of her needed to see and know that it was going to be all right, that they weren’t going to cut that helpless girl. She found her voice. “Down in front.”
The man didn’t move. He was tall, big. Strong, no doubt, despite a sizable beer belly. One of those who thought that black jeans and a black T-shirt was as much effort as men could be expected to make to dress up at a fetish gathering.
“You’re a sheila who likes it rough, aren’t you?” He grabbed her right elbow and held her arm up, apparently so he could see the scar better.
“No.” She jerked her arm away. “Let me go!”
“Heh.” He let her right arm go only to grab her left. “Burn. My, you do like to play rough. My kinda girl.”
“I am not.” Fear rose in her. What if he wouldn’t take no for an answer? She knew no one. She forced herself to think, to figure out her options. His grip was too firm to wiggle out of.
“Oh yes you are. And a Yank too. I guess they make ’em different over there. Could use a little change. You’ll be in safe hands with Master Jules.”
Jules, huh? A knee in the family jewels was definitely an option. She looked down, saw that he was wearing sandals, and slowly smiled.
“That’s what I want to see,” said Jules.
“Let me go,” she repeated. Her heart was still pounding but she managed to say it calmly and firmly.
“Now you don’t really want that.” Jules grinned, and it wasn’t a pretty sight. She’d seen hockey players with better smiles.
“The lady said let her go, Jules,” said a man’s voice as she lifted her leg and brought her heel down on Jules’ vulnerable foot. He shrieked in pain, several notes higher than she had thought his voice would reach. He let go, which was a good thing for him, because she was willing to try to see if he could get up another octave with his balls in his stomach.
“And she appears to have matters under control,” observed Nick drily. She couldn’t imagine a more welcome sight. She could hurt Jules, but she couldn’t beat him. In the end, she’d have to rely on the community banding together against a bully, and she didn’t know this community. Jules presumably did, and so did Nick.
“I suggest you leave before I change your name to Julie,” Zoe told the man. Regretfully, she stopped grinding her heel into his foot.
“Huh?”
“I think she’s suggesting she’s going to emasculate you if you don’t get out of her sight,” Nick explained. “I’ll hold you while she does the work. Trust me, plenty of other people here will cheer. I know of at least three women here who will join the party. If there wasn’t a new bouncer, you’d never have gotten in at all. Leave.”
“I’ll get out of your way,” said Jules, backing up.
“You’ll get out of the club,” said Nick. “And you won’t ever come back.”
The two glared at each other for a moment, and then Jules beat a hasty retreat.
Nick laughed and grinned at Zoe. “Onya!” he said, giving her a thumbs-up.
“Huh?”
Nick looked sheepish. “Sorry. Good on you. Er, well done. He’s a real piece of work.”
“Oh! Um, thanks.”
“I have to admit, I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“The knife!” She had forgotten it for a moment but now she had to know. She stepped around Nick, who turned to look at what she was looking at.
The older man was sliding the knife along the young sub’s body, flecking up little pieces of wax. But that was it. Order had been imposed on frozen rivulets of blue and red. She watched, fascinated, as the woman poured a little more, noting that the man never did his blade work when the sub was twitching in response to the sudden heat of the wax.
“Sophie and John are really into what they do. They’ve become real experts at it,” said Nick. “As safe as safe gets.”
Zoe took a deep breath, and another, and calmed herself. “I’m okay,” she said.
Nick grinned. “Good to hear it. I thought you had other plans.” He frowned. “No, that’s not quite the truth. I thought you were scared to be here. Or perhaps scared of me. Which?”
Zoe nodded. “Probably a little of both, actually.”
He nodded toward her left arm. “If someone had done that to me, I’d be scared too. Wax?”
Zoe wasn’t sure she believed him. He didn’t look as if he would be scared of anything, he was too solid. But she didn’t really know him. “Yes.”
His gaze shifted to the other arm. “Single tail?”
“Yes.”
“And on your feet?”
“Cigarettes. And a cane, once.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I’m surprised you didn’t drive your heel through his skull one day while he slept. I assume this is the ex you mentioned when we first met.”
“He liked to chain me to the bed while he slept. It was hot, at first.” She shrugged. “I was a fool.”
To her surprise, he didn’t argue. “I don’t think you’ll be a fool again.”
She appreciated that little bit of honesty. But she could easily imagine becoming foolish for Nick if she let him seduce her. “No. I should go.”
He didn’t grab her or try to stop her. “I don’t think that would be the best idea. Stay. Please.”
What kind of Dom said please? “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?”
“You have to get back on the horse that threw you, or it’ll kick you later on. I don’t know anything about you, really, but I know you were hurt by some jackass, and that in spite of that, you came here. Something draws you. Maybe it’s not an irresistible force, but it’s strong. Chances are it will draw you again. And if you don’t face it down, you’ll be weaker to face it the next time.”
Zoe stared at him. He didn’t know her, that much was true. But somehow she felt he’d seen deeper inside her than anyone had for a long, long time. “I’ll stay.”
“Good girl.” He touched his open hand to hers, and after a moment’s hesitation, she placed her hand inside his. His strong fingers closed around her small hand and she fought back a moment of panic before she managed a smile. His hand felt nice and warm, and he’d waited for her to signal consent before holding hers.
Baby steps.
Chapter Three
Nick led her away from the spotlights to a dark corner of the big room. He wondered if he’d have the courage to come to a party like Indigo after the abuse Zoe had suffered. His first impulse was to protect her from everything and make sure nothing happened to her. But one didn’t get over one’s fear of riding a horse by watching it from a distance. He’d have to be very careful.
“Inside Indigo, if you yell ‘safe word’, help will come running, and lots of it. Might take two or three of ’em but they’d take me down eventually.” He grinned to let her k
now he was half joking, but he didn’t have any doubt that was exactly what would happen. Normally he’d be part of the help.
She nodded to him. “Simple. No complicated word to remember. I should have tried that when that guy started being all pushy.”
He chuckled. “His foot might not thank you, but what you did looked pretty effective.”
“I feel kinda bad about it.”
“Don’t. He’s had it coming for a long time. I wish I hadn’t interrupted before you really worked him over.”
She looked at him. “Are you poking fun of me?”
He shook his head. “I’m impressed at the way you take care of yourself. He’s at least twice your size, but I think you had him under control. Amazing how those most into giving pain sometimes are the least able to deal with it when it comes their way.”
She looked at him curiously. “And you? Are you into giving pain?”
“Only the good kind.” He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. “Intensity. Pleasure. I enjoy the dynamic of top and bottom, Dominant and submissive, the feeling that I’m in control. And I like giving my partners the freedom that comes from knowing they aren’t in control.”
She smiled, wistfully he thought. “I don’t know how out of control I can stand to be.”
He nodded. “You mentioned that you didn’t want to be tied up. Ever again, I think you said. But there are things we can do that don’t involve being restrained.”
“Hmm,” she said, sounding doubtful.
“And that don’t involve hurting you, either.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“This.”
He reached around her waist and pulled her to him. “Like this.” He kissed her full on the lips, the way he’d been imagining kissing her since he first saw her. She tasted sweet, and her lips parted to let his tongue inside. In moments her lips were moving against his, kissing him back as passionately as he was kissing her. Her breasts squished against his chest as he picked her up off the ground, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight. He wanted more of her, wanted to turn and pin her against the wall and feel her legs around his waist. Heat surged inside him, his cock straining against the seam of his pants. He rubbed her thigh, just below the hem of her dress.
When she squirmed, it took all his self-control to let her go.
“That was…” She pursed her lips, seemingly searching for the word.
“Acceptable?” he suggested.
“I think so.” Her eyes glittered, hinting that wasn’t exactly the word she was looking for. “We might have to try again. To make sure.”
He kissed her hungrily and she pressed her body against his. He’d tried to avoid letting her feel how turned-on he was, but there was no doubt she noticed it now. But she didn’t back off. He didn’t remember enjoying a kiss so much in a long time, not since he’d lost his virginity when he was fifteen. Her body was soft and yielding. He cupped the curve of her ass and she moaned softly, sending vibrations through his lips.
“You promised no restraints,” she murmured when their lips parted. “I get to keep my hands free at all times.”
How sweet it would be to hold them behind her back while he kissed her, both wrists encircled by his one large hand, leaving the other free to roam her body without impediment. But he understood her need. “I promise. Tonight, no restraints, and your hands stay free.”
He didn’t know if there would be other nights. Not many even in the best case, since she was going to go back home in a few days. But he wanted to see how much of her trust he could win in that short period of time. He didn’t just want to heal her, he wanted to fuck her silly. He stopped kneading her ass, even though its softness felt good against his palms. She needed his serious attention, and he was going to go crazy if he kept making out with her.
“No gags either, so I can always call for help if I need it,” she said.
“I don’t like gags anyway. Agreed.”
She looked him straight in the eye. “Then, if you’re willing to try with me, I’d like to be yours for the eve—for one hour.”
He gave her butt a squeeze, and in the process bunched up an inch of her dress. An hour. He could do plenty with an hour even though she’d been about to say evening, and he would have liked that even more. “I’d love that.”
She shivered in his arms. She’s scared, and she’s going on ahead anyway.
“Brave girl,” he told her. In his experience, people tended to live up to what one expected of them, as long as you were reasonable. He wanted to encourage her bravery without spooking her. First, though, he had to know what he was working with.
“Any injuries I should know about? Medical conditions?”
She shook her head. “Nothing like that. Just some scars. I’ve got a high threshold of pain, but I really don’t enjoy it.” She paused, as if considering whether to say the rest.
“Out with it, little sub.” He smiled at her to take the edge off it. Stern was not the way to go with this brave but skittish woman.
“I used to like it. But I don’t think I could anymore.”
Always she keeps coming back to the pain, even though she doesn’t want it and I told her that I wasn’t into giving it. “Don’t worry, Zoe. I won’t hurt you. I promise. If I do something that hurts, say something.”
“A safe word?”
“I was thinking ‘ouch’ would do fine.”
“Oh!” She giggled. “I’ll, um, do my best. Believe it or not, that might be a challenge.”
He nodded. “Your best is all I expect.” Some Doms wanted their subs to be as stoic as possible, and he’d been with a few experienced ones who had been trained that way. Personally, he wanted to know how a sub was feeling, to hear her moans and squeals, to see the expression on her face. If he was into dishing out pain he’d want to hear a whimper and a scream, he suspected. People who weren’t into the interaction, as far as he was concerned, might as well be playing with a blow-up doll.
“Stay here.” He let her go. “Just as you are. I’ll be back in a few seconds, and you won’t be out of my sight.”
“Um, okay.”
He didn’t move. “Let’s start with some proper respect.”
“Oh!” She looked down at the ground and took a deep breath. When she looked up, her face was unreadable. “I know how to do this, Sir, really I do. It’s just been a long time.”
“How long?”
“I left my former Master just over a year ago.” Her face wasn’t unreadable then at all. Sadness, and shame.
“The one who abused you?”
“Yes. Sir.”
“Well done, then. And before that? How long has it been since you played with someone who deserved your trust?”
She thought for a moment before giving him an answer. “Four years, Sir.”
“That’s a long time, as you said. But I still expect to be called Sir when you address me.” He decided not to tell her there would be consequences if she didn’t. So far, he didn’t know what kind of consequences would reinforce what he wanted without reminding her of the abusive relationship she had escaped not long ago. From what she said, it sounded as if she’d been with him over two years, and it clearly still had a strong effect on her. She was still, in some sense, rebounding. And how better to do that than with someone she couldn’t possibly have a long-term relationship with, someone who would spend most of his life fifteen thousand kilometers away?
“Yes Sir.” Her back straightened and he thought he saw a trace of a smile, and genuine pleasure in saying the formulaic words.
“I’ll be right back.”
Ten meters away there was a pile of blue cushions. There were other piles of them scattered around the club. They’d been a feature of Indigo for most of its existence, nearly a decade now, after a group of subs decided they were tired of being asked to kneel on the floor and wanted some comfort. A dark-blue once, they were now faded and grayish, but still very functional. He got the best-l
ooking one of the lot and brought it back with him. He set it at Zoe’s feet.
She started to kneel on it and then stopped, straightened and looked at him. “Is that for me, Sir?”
“Yes. You may kneel.”
She nodded and knelt on the pillow, facing him. She spread her legs, hesitantly for a moment, but at a nod from him she spread them farther until her knees were farther apart than her shoulders were wide. To sustain that position for long took practice, and strain showed on her face, more than he wanted but he wasn’t about to repudiate her sacrifice by telling her not to. The hem of her dress rose on her thighs, revealing soft, creamy flesh, black panties and a scar on her thigh. She pulled it back over the scar.
He crouched next to her and pushed the dress back up an inch. “How’d you get this?” He didn’t want to make her relive bad experiences, but he did want to know what ghosts haunted her.
“Knife, Sir. For crying out during a scene.”
Fucking hell. “If you cry out during a scene with me, you’ll get a warm hug and a hungry kiss.” He feathered his fingers over the inside of her thigh, neither avoiding nor seeking out the scar.
He was rewarded by a sharp intake of breath and the heady scent of a woman aroused. “Feels good, doesn’t it? You’re a beautiful woman, Zoe. You deserve to feel good.”
“I’m damaged goods, I’m afraid.” Her hands fluttered, as if she was not sure what to do with them.
“No damage that matters, or that can’t heal. Put your hands behind your back, and hold one wrist with the other hand.”
He watched as she obeyed and her chest pushed out as her shoulders went back. His cock responded, and he had to remind himself not to go too fast or rough with her.
“You’re soft and lovely.” Her brushed the side of her breast with his knuckle, then slid his other hand farther up her thigh. The back of his hand rubbed against her panties and they were very damp. “You clearly don’t need pain to be aroused.”
“No Sir.” She let out a breath and smiled as if she was relieved to discover it.
Around them the partygoers bustled, chatted and played, but he shut them out to focus on Zoe.
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