by Anthology
Lukas sobered, and shook his head.
“She has earned a punishment, and yes, he will make that hurt.” He paused when Jacqui tugged on his hold again, and made to rise off the chair. “Stop that, little dove, now.”
He hadn’t meant to put quite so much forceful intonation behind that command, but Jacqui instinctively responded anyway. She kept a wary glance on the door, no doubt imagining untold terrors happening to her friend, and Lukas suppressed a sigh.
“Good girl. When I say he will make it hurt, it’s just that. It wouldn’t be punishment if he didn’t, but once it’s over and done with the slate is clean. He would never harm her, however, and like I said, everything would stop if she used her safe word, punishment or not. She is perfectly safe. Jake cares about your friend a great deal, as you’ll come to see, if I agree to take you through that door.”
That got her attention, because she frowned at him.
“What do you mean, if? I need to see that she’s all right. You can’t stop me from going in there, damn you.”
“Actually, little dove, I can and I will, if I think you’re not ready or likely to cause a scene. Newbie or not, I need to make sure you’ll follow the rules once we enter the club. And they involve not disturbing a scene in process. Some of what you will see in there, will shock you, might even disgust you, and—”
“I’m not as sensitive a wallflower as everyone seems to think I am.”
Mimi gasped at the blatant interruption, and Jacqui looked across to her, as though surprised she was still there. She glared at the other woman and then fixed her expressive eyes on him.
“Well, I’m not, and yes I get it. Just take me through there and let me make sure Lauren is okay, and then I’m out of here, okay. I shan’t take up any more of your precious time, and…”
She stopped speaking when he got up abruptly, and stepping to the side, pulled her up out of the chair.
“As you wish. I warn you however. If I have to escort you off the premises, you will get more than a little birthday spanking. Are we clear?”
He rather enjoyed the way her mouth fell open in silent surprise, before she nodded, but he needed to hear her say the words.
“Speak up, little dove. Rule one of being under my care. Communicate. I’m not a mind reader, and unless I specifically instruct you not to speak, you will tell me what is going on in that pretty head of yours, so again I ask you. Are we clear?”
“Yes.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he raised an eyebrow, and looking confused for a second, she rushed on. “I mean, yes, Sir.”
4
Lord only knew what made her be so snarky around Lukas. She certainly hadn’t meant for that to come out quite as annoyed, and judging by the renewed gasp from Mimi, Jacqui had fucked up again. Really, though, it was be snarky or resolve into a drool of feminine goo at Lukas’s feet.
She should have known he was a Dom, really. It was there in every line of his body. The quiet power and air of authority he carried himself with. The hint of danger. Those were the very same qualities that had made her lust after her neighbor in the first place, and when he raised that eyebrow at her like he was doing now…. Jesus… She had to fight the urge to sink to her knees right there and then.
Which would no doubt please him, but, right now, the urge to make sure Lauren was all right consumed her. Perhaps it was silly to worry over her. After all, as Lukas had pointed out, she was Master Jake’s sub, and thus no doubt used to whatever punishments he dished out. She had no problems imagining her friend being in trouble a lot. She was far too forthright to just bow and accept things without questioning and pushing things. In all honesty Jacqui still had a hard time accepting that Lauren was a submissive. She would have pegged her for a Domme, which just proved to show what Jacqui knew. Nothing, it seemed.
“Words, little dove. You’re thinking mighty hard there.”
Startled, she looked up to find Lukas watching her. There was concern in his cornflower gaze this time, replacing the earlier flare of heated lust. Finding herself at the receiving end of his attention, seeing him adjust the very physical evidence of how much she was affecting him, had further ruined Jacqui’s equilibrium.
Nothing would ever come of this—she’d seen him with enough women to know she would only ever be a one night stand at best—but, hells bells, it was her birthday, and you only lived once, and all that jazz.
“I was just wondering if that offer of a birthday spanking still stands.”
She didn’t dare look at him as she uttered those words, but she’d surprised him, if his sharp intake of breath was anything to go by. His heavy hand settled on her nape as he pulled her closer into his frame, and Jacqui closed her eyes as his spicy musk enveloped her.
His hot breath ghosted across the sensitive skin under her ear, as he spoke. “If that’s what you need, I shall be most happy to oblige you.”
He pulled away, and Jacqui instantly missed his warmth. Lukas grinned at her when she opened her eyes, and holding his hand out for her to take waited.
“Can we check on Lauren first though?”
A brief flare of something crossed his features at her question. A shudder went through her when she placed her hand in his. The jolt of connection was immediate and breathtaking. Seeing him frown as though he’d felt that too, made her feel marginally better. Maybe it was just static electricity arching between them, rather than this overwhelming pull to another person. Maybe it was the ambience of this place, and the fact that her nerves were shot, that seemed to make this moment into something far more significant than it was. When he pulled the white wrist band off her arm, however, and replaced it with a black one, her stomach churned.
Mimi had said it meant you were owned, but…
“Just for tonight, little dove. I don’t want anyone in there thinking they could try it on with you.”
Jacqui stared down at the band, and Mimi cleared her throat. “Surely the white will suffice, Sir. I—”
Mimi slammed her mouth shut, and looked to the floor at Lukas’s unblinking gaze at her, and taking hold of Jacqui’s hand again, he pulled her along.
“You know, I don’t like to share, Mimi.”
Jacqui had no time to ponder that odd statement, because in the next instant, he’d propelled her through the doorway and into the open plan area that made up the main play area of the club.
Just like the busy carpark had suggested, the place seemed filled to capacity. Every station was occupied, and even over the heavy beat of the music, whose vibrations travelled up through the soles of her feet, the other sounds reached her ears loud and clear. The slap of leather on skin, the moans, the odd scream, and Lauren’s pain filled cry of twenty.
It made Jacqui spin round, and she barely suppressed a gasp, when she spotted her friend.
Tied to one of the spanking benches, her pencil skirt torn and the fabric yanked up to her waist, her bare ass and pussy were exposed for all too see. With her legs tied down and spread at an obscene angle, she was secured so effectively that she only seemed to be able to move her head. The angry red welts on her ass cheeks and the back of her thighs really got to Jacqui, however. Before she could do or say anything, Lukas was behind her. One arm around her waist he held her pinned to him. Despite her worry for her friend, Jacqui couldn’t help but notice the long, thick, cock branding her ass. With her heels on she was just the right height, and Jacqui clearly needed her head examining for that to occur to her now.
Lauren and Master Jake had attracted quite a crowd, and she winced as Jake raised the lethal looking cane in his hand again.
The bamboo made sickening contact with an as yet unmarked part of Lauren’s behind. Her ass cheek wobbled from the impact and Lauren cried out in pain, before she croaked another number.
“Twenty one. Please, Sir, no more.”
Her friend’s whole body tensed when Jake stepped away and around her. Yanking her head up by her hair, he studied her, and Jacqui wanted to scream at
him to stop. Seeing Lauren’s face all blotchy from her tears, her make up smeared, made her want to snatch the blasted cane out of Master Jake’s hands, but the expression on his face stopped her.
He didn’t look angry, but sad and disappointed, as he got to his haunches. Jake let go of her hair, dropped the cane to the ground, and framed Lauren’s face in his large hands.
“Give me one good reason why I should stop, girl,” he said.
The sounds of Lauren’s soft crying could be heard very clearly in the temporary lull of the music, and Lukas tightened his hold on Jacqui, as though he anticipated what was going through her mind right now.
“Shush, just listen and observe. You’ll see.” His urgent whisper in her ear got through to her, and despite her misgivings she stopped struggling against his hold. “Good girl.”
Those two words really shouldn’t make me feel pleased, should they? Besides her attention was taken up again by what was happening in front of her. It seemed the crowd was waiting too, and it made Jacqui wonder if she was missing something here.
“I asked you a question, pet. Did you or did you not deserve this punishment?”
Lauren cried harder, and after what seemed like an eternity, she nodded.
“Yes, Sir, I did. Thank you for making me see the error of my ways.”
A huff escaped Jake’s chest and a murmur went through the crowd when he picked up the abandoned cane and held it up to Lauren’s lips.
A strangled groan escaped from Jacqui when the woman kissed the cane and looked up at her Master. There was no mistaking that look of adoration, and Jacqui found herself grateful for Lukas’s strong arm around her waist, or she would have been in danger of sliding to the ground as her legs gave out.
Why on Earth did Lauren look at Master Jake as though he’d just done the best thing ever? That made no sense at all. Neither did Jake kissing her, before he untied her.
“Good girl, then, let’s talk of this no more. Up you come, pet.”
The gentleness in which he loosened her from her restraints, massaging her arms and legs to ensure her circulation spoke of his care, as did the way he pursed his lips and gently traced the welts on her behind.
Jacqui winced anew as he did so, and Jake’s jaw tightened. He looked furious for all of one second before he grabbed a blanket someone handed him, wrapped it around her, and scooped Lauren up in his arms. In the next instant, Jake stood in front of Jacqui and Lukas.
Jacqui blinked under his intense stare, and shifted her focus to Lauren. Eyes at half-mast she snuggled into her Master’s chest, and smiled at Jacqui.
She didn’t hear what the two Doms were saying to each other. Her attention focused on her friend.
“Don’t look so worried, babe. I’m fine.”
Some of Lauren’s usual spark returned when Jacqui snorted at that statement and glared at her.
“You’re not fine. I’ve seen your ass.”
Lukas’s silent chuckles against her back, made heat rise in Jacqui’s cheeks. Maybe she had blurted that out a bit louder than she had meant to.
Sure enough Master Jake’s deep voice meant she had to look up at him. “The state of my pet’s backside is none of your concern, girl. It should be red raw after the stunt she pulled on me.”
An uneasy silence fell between them, as Jacqui had no idea how to respond to that, especially as Lauren locked eyes with her, and seemed to be silently pleading her to let it go. Lukas’s arm tightening in seeming warning further reminded her that it wasn’t her place to judge. Even so, she couldn’t help but speak up for her friend.
“She only did so for me.”
Jake’s eyebrows rose and his jaw clenched.
“Careful, little dove.” Lukas’s whisper in her ear made her heart beat faster, but it also gave her courage. Had he not said mere moments ago that she needed to communicate, so that was damn well what she was going to do.
“I mean, she knew I’d never go along with this otherwise, not because I don’t want to, but because I’d never have had the courage to step outside of my comfort zone otherwise, and yes, I know she shouldn’t have lied to you, but I really don’t want her to get into any more trouble, and…I’m just gonna shut up now.”
Lukas’s lips seemed to curve into a smile next to her ear, and she could hear the amusement in his voice when he spoke for her ears only.
“Breathe, woman, and relax. Her punishment is over.”
Jacqui drew a much needed breath into her lungs at his encouragement.
“Look at me, girl.” Master Jake’s command, delivered in that quietly deceptive drawl of his meant she yanked her gaze up to meet his, and she had to blink twice at what she saw. He, too, seemed amused at her outburst if the twinkle in his eyes was any indication.
“I see Lukas will have his hands full with you, and if you carry on with that sass, then I predict your behind will be as sore as my pet’s before this evening is over, but then that may be exactly what you need.”
Shifting Lauren slightly so that he could grasp Jacqui’s wrist, he studied her black wrist band and flicked a glance up at Lukas behind her, before he smiled and released her. “You’re in good hands, little one. We’ll see you around.”
With that, he turned on his heel and strode off through the crowded club and up the stairs at the other end.
Lukas released his hold on her, and spun her around by the shoulders until she faced him. “You, little dove, seem to have a death wish tonight.”
Jacqui bit her lip and hugged herself, only to have him pull her lips away from her teeth with his thumb, as he grasped her chin. “Stop doing that. The only marks your beautiful skin will get tonight are the ones made by my hand.”
She gasped at the sinfully erotic images that immediately bombarded her, and when she looked up it was to see him give her his most wicked smile.
“With your consent, of course, and bearing that in mind, let’s look around, so you can familiarize yourself with the set up, and see what you might want to try out.”
His grin deepened when she seemed utterly incapable of uttering a response to that, and spinning her around again, he marched her over to what she knew was a St. Andrew’s cross. Ropes had been erected around the area in a wide square, and it dawned on Jacqui why, when the leather clad Dom uncurled a whip and cracked it through the air as though to test it. Jacqui all but jumped out of her skin at that terrifying sound, and she scooted back into Lukas’s comforting presence.
A crowd quickly gathered to watch this Dom, as he cracked the whip several more times.
“He’s testing the strength, and getting a feel for it, judging the distance he needs to the cross, before he uses it on his chosen submissive.” Lukas murmured the words in her ear, and kept up a steady commentary of what was happening, as said submissive appeared, and was strapped to the cross. Some negotiation occurred, and much to her surprise the Dom started with a soft suede flogger.
“He’s going to warm her up with that, before he starts on her with the whip.”
Jacqui nodded to Lukas to show she understood. Even so she jumped every time that flogger hit the woman’s skin, even if she seemed to be enjoying it. Spread eagled against the cross as she was, the sub’s underwear was soaked through with her arousal, and she moaned through every harder strike with the flogger. By the time the Dom put down the flogger and picked up the single tail, Jacqui wasn’t even flinching anymore. She was dimly aware of Lukas stepping sideways, his attention on her reaction rather than the flogging they were witnessing, but she was too caught up in what she was seeing to pay him much heed.
The Dom lifted the sub’s head to talk to her, and Lukas’s voice was in her ear again. “He’s checking to make sure she’s still with him. This is where the traffic lights come in. If she signals green, he’ll carry on, if it’s orange, he’ll give her a minute to compose herself, and if it’s red, this will all stop right now. I would wager a guess she said orange, as they’re still talking.”
Sure enough, the Dom
checked the woman’s restraints, by running his fingers underneath them, and up and down her arms and legs. Soothing moves over skin reddened by his flogger, while he kept talking to the submissive in hushed, low tones, which seemed to relax her further, as she sagged against the cross. When he lifted a water bottle she took a few sips, and nodded at something he said.
“There you are; she’s all right to carry on now.”
Jacqui glanced up at Lukas as he said that to her, and she missed the first strike of the whip. She heard the crack, felt the air displacement as they’d been pushed closer to the rope fencing by the throng of people who’d gathered to watch, but the sound had lost its menace. Lukas smiled his approval as he studied her, and then nodded to the cross.
“You don’t want to miss it. Master Aaron is an artist with the whip.”
Sure enough, when she wrenched her attention back towards the action she was soon enthralled. Master Aaron’s skill was beyond doubt as the whip seemed to dance through the air, whispering across his sub’s skin in the lightest of touches, before it made contact.
Far from the terrifying images that the crack brought to mind, this was a dance, and one the bound woman clearly enjoyed. Eyes closed, mouth slightly parted, every stroke of the whip, every fine line that appeared on her skin as Aaron stepped up the intensity of his whipping was another step in that macabre dance. He paused every few strikes to check on her, and Jacqui found herself blinking away tears at the care he showed. Made more astonishing, as far as she was concerned, because the unknown woman was not his sub. Her green wrist band signaled her unattached status, not that Jacqui would have ever guessed that from Aaron’s interaction with her. The care he showed, especially as the scene drew a close, made that previously unspecified longing she always experienced when she read a good BDSM book spread from her belly to her fingertips, until she felt consumed by it.
Reading about it was one thing. Seeing it first hand was an entirely different beast, and without even realizing it, she snuggled closer to Lukas. The fact that he let her, that both his arms came around her, as he rested his head on her shoulder, his even breathing ghosting across her jaw, made her feel safe, and almost as cherished as the young woman, who was now free from the cross, and sat on Master Aaron’s lap, while he talked her down from her high.
