Masters of the Castle: Witness Protection Program

by Maren Smith

  The man’s hand had twitched toward a nonexistent shoulder holster the minute Holly had bumped him, even holding a cup of coffee. Flint had seen him with another man on the bus that brought them to the resort yesterday, along with the woman he’d escorted so quickly from the buffet. He wasn’t concerned about her, though. It was the two men he was worried about. At least one was an agent, meaning both probably were.

  His cover was so deep that not even his team knew exactly what he was doing. They’d been told he’d been loaned out to Homeland Security for a special project, which wasn’t even a lie. His handler and his direct supervisor were the only people who knew his exact assignment, and it had to stay that way. If one of the agents recognized him, he risked destroying two years’ worth of work.

  Flint took a small bit of comfort from the knowledge that the two agents likely weren’t the only law enforcement here, and they’d be just as focused on keeping their involvement quiet as he was.

  Taking the long way around so he could scan the crowd for Carmen, he led Holly to two vacant chairs close to the front. Holly had been right about Carmen skipping this event.

  On the small stage at the front of the room, a bulky man was already speaking and introduced himself as Master Kade. A woman stood next to him, unbowed by the heavy hand he laid on her shoulder. When he introduced her, she grinned and blew a kiss to the audience.

  “All right, ladies and gentlemen. We have in our audience several subs who have earned themselves demerits over the last week. I want a few of our disobedient ladies to stand up and volunteer as demo partners for anyone who needs one.”

  No hands went up and the man on the stage scowled. “All right, then. I’ll sweeten the pot. If I think your partners have done a sufficient job reddening your little backsides, I’ll waive the full hour of demerit time.”

  Holly raised her hand and stood up. “I volunteer as tribute.”

  There was a beat of silence before the room exploded with laughter. His lips twitching, the man on the stage clapped his hands for silence. “All right, kajira Holly. Do I have anyone who’s interested in teaching our lovely comedienne here the error of her ways?”

  “Me.” Wearing a fresh shirt, the unknown agent from the restaurant walked across the room and stepped forward, moving to stand next to Holly. Leaning down, he whispered something in her ear that made her flush pink, then turned his attention to Flint.

  The light of recognition flashed in his eyes, making Flint wonder if he would have to arrange for an accident for the man. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea and wouldn’t do anything to cause serious harm, but it was too important that Carmen be allowed to go free until his handler came back with the information he needed.

  Holly turned to face her chair and bent over, her hands resting on the seat. The agent flipped her costume over her hips and laid a hand on the curve of her lower back. He spared one glance for her to make sure she was steady and, following the instructions from the man on the stage, blistered her pretty ass in a very expert fashion that made Flint’s cock stand up and take notice. Though he wished he was the one delivering the spanking, he enjoyed watching a professional at work almost as much as he liked watching Holly’s ass bounce every time a blow connected to her generous flesh.

  Holly squeaked at the last swat to the crease between her ass and thigh and tried to stand. Holding her in position, the man leaned over her and whispered, “Dane Morgan. We met in Cybercrime with Agent Carter, 2007. Can we agree not to shoot each other?”

  Flint nodded and watched as the agent helped Holly stand before kissing her cheek. He would wait and see what the two agents did and hope he wouldn’t have to arrange anything messy to take them out of play.

  “I assume you will pay more attention to where you’re going in the future?”

  Sniffing, she wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good girl. Have a seat next to your Master, little one, and have a good day.” He gave Flint a nod and left the demo.

  Holly lowered her butt to the seat, wincing as she made contact with the hard plastic.

  From the stage, Kade laughed. “All right, Holly. Your demerits are taken care of and you’re free to go if your Master has other plans for you.”

  Squirming on her chair, she said, “Thank you, Master Kade.”

  The sounds of hands striking flesh and high-pitched squeals of pain and pleasure egged Flint into something he probably should have done in the privacy of their suite. Leaning over, he hooked a thumb under her collar and tugged her closer. “You bet your pretty pink ass I have plans for you. We’re just getting started, kajira.”

  Pulling her over his lap, he added to the reddened marks on her bottom. Dane had done a thorough job, but he’d missed a few spots. Aiming carefully at a pale swath of skin at the edge of her tender sit spot, Flint let his hand fall, delivering a hard spank to the unmarked flesh. She squeaked and kicked out. Shifting her on his lap, he swung his leg out, trapping her calves.

  He continued, delivering six more hard swats to her tender backside. Christ, he could spank her all day, just for the opportunity to see her alabaster skin turn pink and bounce under his hand.

  Rubbing her ass, he leaned down. “Are you going to do anything else so monumentally stupid to put yourself at risk again?”

  “He was looking at you. I didn’t like it. And you’re wasting time, F— Master Miguel. You wanted us to stay low and hide.”

  Flint swatted her ass, aiming for a spot Dane had already painted pink. “Watch it, kajira. You very nearly messed up.”

  She hissed, her hand flying back to protect her bottom. “And I volunteered so we could get my demerits done before Carmen wakes up. I’m not the one risking things.”

  He caught her hand and held it behind her back then added two more swats to her thighs because she was right, damn it. Watching her get a spanking and getting in a few licks of his own had driven all logical thought out of his head.

  Flint helped her off his lap, making sure she was steady. She tried to rub the sting out of her bottom but he brushed her hands away, allowing the pink silk to fall over her burning ass.

  “You’re right. Let’s get out of here.” Gripping her leash in one sweating hand, he led her through the crowd, hurrying her along through the corridor and up the stairs to their suite. The door shut behind them and he let out a sigh of relief.

  “Nadu, kajira.”

  Carmen wasn’t the only danger in this resort. The biggest danger was kneeling at his feet.

  Flint was pissed, and Holly could understand his reasoning. Admittedly, she hadn’t thought her plan through very well. It had been the best she’d been able to come up with at the time. She just wished she knew what he and the strange man had said in their whispered conversation over her back.

  He pulled the do not disturb sign from the door knob then opened the door to hang it outside. The locks clicked, loud in the quiet room. Turning, he glared down at her. “Stand up.”

  “Flint, I—”

  “Stand, kajira. Don’t make me tell you twice. You also forgot my name.”

  She winced and got to her feet, her head lowered to avoid his angry glare.

  “Hair.”

  Holding back a sigh, Holly obeyed, allowing her hair to fall forward as she bent at the waist. Wrapping his fist in the red strands, Flint led her to the bed. Her knees hit the edge of the mattress and she put her hands down to catch herself before she fell. Despite his anger, her pussy twitched at the thought of her imminent punishment.

  Muttering under his breath, he let her hair go and stripped the top sheet and coverlet down, dropping them in a careless heap on the floor before arranging the pillows to form a kind of bolster in the center of the bed. His footsteps sounded behind her and she closed her eyes at the sound of the dresser drawer being pulled open.

  She knew what those drawers held. Flint had only given her a taste of their delights this morning, and this was a punishment. “I thought we were going to
the Dungeon.”

  “Later. There’s plenty here to make you a very repentant kajira. Lose the costume.”

  Releasing the ties holding the sides of her costume together, she straightened and shrugged the pink silk off her shoulders, allowing it to drop to the floor at her feet. “Master Miguel, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

  The drawer slammed shut, but he didn’t move into her field of vision. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have. You should have kept your head down and done as you were told. Hopefully, you’ll remember when I’m finished with you.” Snapping his fingers next to her ear, he said, “Now, get on the bed over those pillows. I want to see that ass in the air.”

  Holly scrambled to obey, her knees quivering at his low growl. Despite his obvious irritation, he stroked her back, his fingers gentle as he petted her spine.

  “Why are you being punished, Holly?”

  “Because I put you at risk, and—”

  “No. That’s not why, but you’re right about the risk part. Try again.”

  “Because…” She couldn’t think of who else she’d put at risk. Maybe the man she’d spilled coffee on had been another agent, and Flint would now have to make sure he didn’t get close to Carmen.

  Flint sighed and laid a coil of rope on the bed. He knelt next to her and, taking her hand, wrapped several turns of the hemp around her wrist, checking to make sure he wasn’t pinching her or cutting off her circulation. He did the same thing to her thigh, effectively tying her wrist to her knee. After repeating the tie on the other side, he held a dragon’s tongue in front of her face.

  Damn. That thing was going to sting on her already sore bottom. She tried again and said, “Because I put your operation at risk.”

  “Wrong again.”

  The lash fell on her upturned ass, sending a sharp sting deep into the muscle. Holly gritted her teeth and tried to relax against the next blow. Flint painted her backside with the stinging implement, his methodical strokes never landing in the same place twice.

  “One more chance before I take you downstairs and find someone good with a single tail, kajira. We’ll put you on a cross and let everyone watch.”

  The lash fell again, catching her inner thigh. She shrieked, though the sting wasn’t as bad as it might have been. She was more surprised by his threat than by the touch of the implement, and was doubly shocked by the punch of arousal she felt from his delicious words. “I don’t know, damn it! I’m sorry I put you at risk!”

  “I already told you it wasn’t me.” Flint pushed the handle of the whip between her thighs, stroking her wet pussy. “And look at that,” he murmured. “It looks like someone is enjoying this too much.”

  Holly whimpered at the sensation of the rough leather on her sensitive folds, pressing her core into the handle. She bit back a hiss of displeasure when he pulled it away, but he soon replaced it with his fingers. She almost missed the hard bite of the whip handle against her pussy, but forgot all about it when Flint pinched her clit, rubbing it to ease the sting. Her pussy clenched around air and she groaned when he took his hand away.

  “I almost forgot something. Maybe this will help jog your memory.” He stepped away for a moment but returned quickly.

  A trickle of cold liquid spilled between the cheeks of her ass and she flinched. Flint chuckled and rubbed the lube into her crinkled rosebud, slowly working it into her ass with a thick finger to loosen her. A second later, she felt the intrusion of a plug, and relaxed to allow him to insert it. The base of the plug breached her ass and she let out a soft whimper as Flint twisted it, seating it deeply inside her.

  “What’s your safeword, kajira?”

  “Artichoke.”

  “Good girl. Say yellow if you need a break, okay?”

  “Yes, Master Miguel.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut as he stepped away once again. Her brain was too muddled with pleasure from the plug in her ass and the lingering heat from her spankings, and she didn’t protest when he wrapped a black scarf around her eyes.

  “Maybe this will help you remember.” He grabbed her hair and she felt his warm breath against her ear. “If you can tell me why you’re being punished, I’ll let you come. Until then, I’m going to keep you right on the edge as I whip your disobedient ass.”

  He pushed something into her empty pussy and leaned back. She heard a click and the thing inside her hummed, vibrating against the plug. She gasped in pleasure, the sound cutting off when he started working her ass with a different implement.

  This one was thuddy and wide and she recognized a leather prison strap. Rather than a sharp pop of sound, it gave a meaty whap that made her ass jiggle. Damn, it hurt! It felt amazing, too, especially when he caught the base of the plug in her ass, jostling it against the toy in her pussy.

  The vibrations increased, massaging her G-spot until she couldn’t catch her breath. She let out a soundless moan and tried to press her hips against the pillows to rub her aching clit. From behind her, Flint laughed and the toy stopped its maddening teasing.

  “Naughty girl. Why are you being punished?”

  Holly couldn’t think! She’d been right on the verge of a tremendous orgasm, her body still shaking with the need to come. Who else could have been at risk? She shook her head back and forth, hoping to jog something loose that would satisfy him. The strap fell on her sit spots, already sore and tender from his play.

  When he stroked her back, his gentle touch so different in contrast to his punishment, she got it. “Because I put myself at risk,” she whispered.

  She screeched when he turned up the vibration on the toy in her pussy, the maddening sensation increasing when Flint stroked her clit, pinching and rolling the sensitive flesh between his fingers.

  “That’s my good girl. Come for me.”

  Squeezing her eyes shut behind the blindfold, she allowed free rein to the orgasm barreling down on her. Someone pounded on the door, stalling that massive thing in its tracks.

  “God fucking damn it all to hell!” He kissed her cheek softly, giving her ass one last sharp swat. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.” Leaving the toy running, he left her whimpering on the bed.

  Though she’d never considered herself a violent person, she hoped he killed whoever had knocked.

  Chapter 9

  Flint cracked the door, opening it just enough to see his unwanted guest. He wondered if Holly would like Carmen’s head stuffed and mounted as a birthday present. He’d been this close to watching his beautiful kajira come apart on his fingers.

  Carmen’s eyes widened as he looked down. “Jesus, cover your junk before you put someone’s eye out! It’s no wonder you can’t go through airport security without a body scan.”

  “What do you want? I’m busy.” Flint made no move to hide his hard cock, letting it remain in full view, along with the heavy gold ring bisecting the tip.

  His face darkening, Carmen growled, “Watch your tone with me, Mario. You need to pull your dick out of your bitch and get back to work.”

  Pitching his voice low, Flint leaned forward. “I am at work, boss. She might know something about how to get to the third floor. All I have to do is make her feel good enough to trust me.” He stroked himself, running a thumb over the piercing.

  Carmen flushed and took a step backward. “Oh.” He took one more glance at Flint’s erection and coughed to clear his throat. “Sorry I cock blocked you, man. We’ll meet later and you can let me know what you find out.”

  The embarrassed disgust on Carmen’s face was worth exposing himself to everyone passing down the hall. Flint slammed the door without answering and threw the deadbolt over its hook on the frame.

  He stood at the door, stroking his cock as he watched Holly squirm on the bed. Her skin glistened with a thin sheen of sweat, making her gleam in the light from the window, and the jeweled base of the plug in her ass sent rainbows over her skin.

  “Flint?” Her voice quavered on his name.

  He walked to the bed a
nd knelt next to her, caressing her back to soothe her as he turned off the vibrating toy. “It’s okay, Holly. He’s gone.”

  “Sorry, Master Miguel. Did I hear him right? Did he really say he was sorry for cock blocking you?”

  “Yeah.” He brushed her hair away from her sweaty face, pulling it over one shoulder before scattering kisses on the soft skin of her neck. He wanted to reward her for remembering his alias, though he loved hearing her say his real name.

  “I can’t even imagine that.”

  Flint smirked, though Holly couldn’t see it. “I guess he saw something that reminded him of his manners.”

  “I didn’t think he knew what those were.” She bit her lip and turned her head to face him. “Can you untie me now? I’ve learned my lesson, and I won’t do anything else to put either of us at risk.”

  “Are you uncomfortable?” He checked her fingers and legs for circulation, making sure the ropes weren’t pinching.

  “No, I’m fine, but—”

  “Then we’re not done yet. I haven’t given you your reward for figuring out the right answer.”

  He turned the egg up and Holly squealed. She was such a vocal little thing and he loved hearing the sounds she made during playtime. Letting the egg drive her nuts, he twisted the plug in her ass and fucked her with it, his strokes slow and methodical as he worked the plug in and out.

  When she started moving her hips to meet his thrusts, he almost lost control of himself. He wanted nothing more than to feel her wet heat surround his cock, feel her clench down on him as she came. But he couldn’t. Holly was meant for better things, and he had too many sins blackening his soul to risk tainting her with them.

  The only thing he could give her was a weekend full of pleasure and a hopeful promise to keep her safe. If she remembered him after this weekend, he could at least make sure the memories were good ones. And maybe, just maybe, he could soften the blow of watching him do nothing when Carmen murdered her friend.