Claim

by Sierra Cartwright

  He gave her a moment to protest before leaning down and sucking on an already-sore nipple. He laved the tender flesh, taking away the hurt.

  When he let it go, it throbbed.

  Then he firmly pulled on the tip, distending it and imprisoning it while he attached the clamp.

  She hissed a breath between clenched teeth. She would have said she couldn’t tolerate this much pain, but it had aroused her…fast.

  He repeated the process with her other nipple. “They look pretty,” he said. “Swollen. How do they feel?”

  “Unbelievable,” she said. She swayed a little, testing the metal’s grip. Even the tiny motion made her hotter.

  Kennedy angled a hand between her legs. “Move against me,” he instructed.

  Unable to refuse, she did as he said, gyrating, trying to find a position that allowed her some leverage so that her heated pussy could find some relief. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get enough pressure. Frustration raked at her. “A little help, here, Sir?” she asked. Earlier she’d told him not to be disappointed if she didn’t come during a scene, and he was already proving his dangerous power over her.

  Using his free hand, he hiked up her skirt. With the leather out of the way, she managed more sensation, but not enough.

  Gritting her teeth, she pulled against her bonds, jutting her hips forward so that she could rub her clit against his knuckle. “Yes… Almost…”

  “Ask me.”

  “Please, Master Aldrich.” Even though he no longer touched them, her nipples burned. “Please… I need…”

  He moved his knuckle in a counterclockwise motion, allowing her to create more friction. Though his gaze never left her face, she let her eyes drift shut as an orgasm built.

  She continued to move against him, and he slid a finger inside her panties, inside her. That was almost enough to push her over the edge.

  “That’s it,” he said.

  Then he crooked his finger and found her G-spot.

  She pressed her knees together.

  “Give it to me,” he demanded.

  Crying out, she rode the climax. Her body shook, and when she could breathe again, she realized he’d spread one hand across the middle of her back in silent support.

  The spasms stopped, and she leaned her forehead against his chest, grateful he was there.

  A full minute passed before she pulled her head back. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “If men aren’t getting you off, they’re not paying enough attention to you, not pushing you hard enough.”

  She was afraid he might be right. But that didn’t mean she’d be willing to change anything, even if it meant getting more of what she wanted.

  “You saw your friend work B over. Has a Dom ever used a single tail to remove your nipple clamps?”

  “No. And I can’t say I like the idea.”

  “We’ll leave them, then. For now.”

  She contemplated asking him to take them off, but nerve endings all over her body tingled. She knew it would make the upcoming beating more memorable.

  “How are your arms? Any numbness?”

  She shook her head. Even the gentle motion made the clamps sway.

  Despite her answer, he rechecked the bonds before selecting two more pieces of leather. He crouched to secure her ankles to the O-rings protruding from the bottom of the square.

  If her hands hadn’t been tied, she might have succumbed to the temptation of running her fingers through his hair.

  “Still doing okay?” he asked as he stood.

  Mackenzie pulled on all the bonds to ensure that she didn’t have any cramped muscles. “Everything is fine, Sir.”

  “You couldn’t look sexier.”

  Even though she had clothes on, she felt totally exposed to him. It wasn’t because of the bondage, it was because of the way he looked at her, as if seeing her innermost thoughts.

  “I’ll be warming you up, then starting you off with a flogger.”

  Since her mouth had suddenly gone dry, she nodded.

  “I expect you to communicate. If something is too much, say so. I’ll back off.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He tucked a wayward lock of hair behind her ear. His touch was unbearably gentle and she longed to turn her head and rest her cheek against his palm. She didn’t, though. Ever since Brian had asked for the divorce, she had refused to show weakness to men, either mental or physical. She wouldn’t start with someone as powerful as Kennedy Aldrich. The number of women he was involved with, it would mean nothing to him, and something significant to her.

  After he’d walked behind her, he began to rub her body with long, vigorous strokes, starting with her wrists and moving down. She felt blood rush to the surface as circulation increased.

  When he reached her hips, he pulled up her skirt higher, exposing her buttocks. Through her daze, she recognized the intimacy, but she was already surrendering to his mastery, trusting him to decide what to do.

  He left her thong in place, and a renegade part of her wished she hadn’t requested that from him.

  By the time he’d touched every part of her body, she was eager for him to begin the beating that would allow her to float freely, unconstrained by her obligations and the thoughts she couldn’t escape otherwise. But he wasn’t done, she realized a minute later. He’d simply switched to a broad, thuddy flogger.

  With back and forth motions, he marked her body, her back, ass, upper thighs, even her calves. The flogger felt like a lover’s caress, gentle, fleeting.

  Her muscles loosened and relaxed into her bonds.

  He continued, and she moaned from the sensuality of it all. She’d never experienced anything like this. Even with the alligator clips on her nipples, the earlier pain had settled into a dull ache. No Dom had ever spent this much time warming her up.

  Unless…

  Kennedy was exercising more restraint than she had anticipated. Maybe he’d taken her at her word when she’d said she didn’t need a lot of pain. When he’d started the scene by tormenting her nipples, she’d thought he was giving her a preview of what to expect, and she’d thought he was a bit more sadistic than he was turning out to be. She’d been mentally preparing for him to push her boundaries.

  She wasn’t quite sure how to communicate her disappointment.

  Even though cool air whispered from the overhead vents, her body felt hot from the light beating as well as the orgasm.

  “I love the redness of your skin,” he said.

  Surely that didn’t mean he was finished with her? “Thank you,” she replied. She wasn’t expressing her gratitude for his compliment, rather she’d responded that way because it was expected as part of the scene dynamic. What she really wanted was to tell him to get on with it, push her boundaries.

  Kennedy draped the thick flogger strands over her shoulder. She could barely make out their shapes in her peripheral vision. The knowledge that he’d used them on her made the sight thrillingly erotic. “More,” she pleaded

  Slowly, he pulled the thongs away. The slide of the roughened leather was enough to keep her on edge.

  Then she felt…nothing.

  She waited. Uncertainty made her impatient and she struggled to keep herself in the right headspace. While she liked the thrill of playing with a new partner, not knowing what to expect caused its own set of problems.

  The sounds of the music, something she’d heard before but hadn’t been able to recognize through her haze, combined with the roar in her ears, left her unable to hear his motions. She wasn’t sure where he was, what he was planning or if they were done. It left her a bit disoriented.

  She shifted. “I need—”

  “I hear you, beautiful sub, and I’ve got you.”

  The flogger landed, strands wrapping around her hips to sink into her belly. She gasped and pulled at her bonds as the impact stunned her.

  Before she’d fully recovered, he struck again. Then again. She cried out and reached to curl her hands around
the overhead cuffs for support. The motion made her thrust her breasts out, making the clamps pull taut.

  Overwhelming. Unbelievable.

  “Is this what you wanted, Mackenzie?”

  “Yes,” she whispered.

  He landed the leather strips on the inside of her left thigh, just below her pussy. She tried to shake her leg to dissipate the pain.

  Kennedy moved lower, placing the tips of all twenty-five strands below her knee.

  She moved away, but he must have anticipated that because he landed the next stroke on the outside of her right leg.

  It was as if they were involved in a second dance together, of sizzling pain and blazing arousal.

  When she was sure she couldn’t take any more, she felt his touch between her legs.

  She opened her eyes in time to see him kneel in front of her. Through her panties, he put his mouth on her pussy.

  With all her power, she strained against the bondage, trying to get closer to him.

  He yanked the thong aside, parted her labia with one hand and alternately sucked and licked her clit until she jerked against him, screaming out an orgasm.

  “You’re a sexy woman,” he said as he stood.

  Doms had rarely gotten her off during a scene, but never like that—raw. Demanding.

  She gulped for air as her pulse continued to race. Her body seemed to vibrate.

  He placed a thumb under her chin and forced her to look at him. “How was that for a warm-up?”

  Chapter Three

  “Warm-up?” Mackenzie searched his gaze for any sign he was joking. “We’re not done?”

  “You asked for the paddle. I’ll always give you what you want, as well as what you need.”

  “I…”

  “Unless you’ve had enough? Say the word, and I’ll have you out of the bondage immediately.”

  Earlier, she’d been concerned he might stop too early. But he’d continued, and the flogger had fulfilled her desires. Then the orgasms had been more than she could have dared to hope for.

  He squeezed her breasts then flicked the alligator clips.

  She winced, even as heat arrowed to her pussy.

  “It’s your choice, my responsive sub. The only thing between us is porcupine.”

  This would be the only chance she had to play with Kennedy Aldrich. She’d be filled with restless regret if she didn’t experience everything he had to offer. “Bring it, Master Aldrich,” she challenged.

  He smiled, the motion slow, soft, spreading over his face in a way that made her insides melt.

  It was obviously the answer he’d wanted. It shouldn’t have mattered to her, but the fact that she’d pleased him made her giddy.

  He moistened a fingertip then stroked between her labia.

  Involuntarily, she swayed toward him.

  How the hell had she gotten to be the lucky sub he’d decided to play with? He kept his focus on her. The way he spoke to her, touched her, reassured her made it seem as if they had the club to themselves.

  “Send me a bill.”

  “Sir?” She frowned.

  He pulled a pair of safety scissors from his back pocket and snipped off her underwear. “I’ve wanted to do that all night.”

  “They were expensive,” she protested.

  “I figured that.” He left the silk in a lacy pile on the floor and put away the scissors. “Sometime, I’d like to use a whip on your pussy.”

  She shuddered. “No chance, Sir.” But damn, why did everything he say—no matter how terrifying—form an image in her mind, one that tantalized and made her curious?

  He moved behind her again. “Pick a number. Between five and ten.”

  Mackenzie ran her tongue over her teeth. He rubbed her upper thighs and buttocks, though she was sure his earlier prep work would protect her from bruising.

  “Did you hear the question?”

  “Six. Sir.” If she could take it. This time, she wasn’t sure what to expect. He’d started with maddening slowness. But he’d ended in a way that had stung and made her gasp for air.

  He landed the first at the bottom of her buttocks, lifting her onto her toes.

  She exhaled deeply and willed her body to relax.

  “That’s good. That will leave you better prepared for this…”

  He smacked her upper thigh.

  “Lie!” she yelled as she yanked against the bond that held her leg secure.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “You lied. Nothing could have prepared me for that.”

  He brushed his knuckles across her nape.

  Distracted, she closed her eyes.

  The paddle had a sound all of its own, loud when it made contact. Usually she liked that added dimension, but the way he wielded it, the sound was intimidating, a thundering exclamation point.

  She screamed when he landed the third on the outside of her right thigh.

  “You’re doing well.” He massaged all of the burning areas. “So, so well.”

  Damn him. How could he know she yearned for his approval?

  “How many more, Zee?”

  She spread her fingers and forced her toes apart. During her divorce, she’d learned some relaxation techniques, and they’d never been more valuable than they were right now. “Three, Sir.”

  “Tell me when you’re ready for the final set.”

  “Seriously?”

  “I want you to ask for them.” He trailed his fingers down her back, then between her buttocks. He stroked her clit. “Still wet from earlier? Or wet again from the paddle?”

  “That’s not fair.” She wasn’t quite sure what she was protesting about.

  “Deal with it.”

  Kennedy was implacable, more dominant than she’d originally figured. She realized, too late, that she’d underestimated him.

  As he continued to play with her pussy, her body’s pleasure helped the pain to recede. He knew exactly how to coax a response from her.

  She figured he’d place the next on her other thigh. She tried to center herself. With the way he was touching her, distracting her, that wasn’t as easy as it should have been. “I’m ready, Master Aldrich.”

  Instantly he moved his hand from between her legs and, too late, she realized maybe she shouldn’t have spoken so quickly. Of course, as diabolical as he was, he might not have been ready to take her to completion.

  He blazed the paddle right below the previous hit.

  Fuck. Mackenzie yanked against all four of the restraints. “What the hell?” She turned her head toward him as much as she could, trying to see the expression on his face.

  “You tensed your other thigh,” he explained, moving in so that she could see him. He played with her pussy again, sliding a finger inside then out again, fucking her, encouraging her to let go. “So I took the shot you weren’t expecting, and the one least likely to bruise you.”

  “Thank you for that?”

  “You’re welcome,” he responded, as if she’d had no sarcasm in her tone.

  “Did it have to freaking hurt so much?”

  “No.”

  “No?”

  “You’re the one who said to bring it, Zee.”

  She clenched her jaw, not just from his taunt but because he’d used a nickname that no one else ever had. Mackenzie realized he was a man who’d accept her challenges. What the hell had she gotten herself into?

  “When you masturbate to the thought of me, what would you rather remember? That I took you to the outer edges of your endurance? Or that you wished you’d have had the courage to take what I offered?”

  “I’m not going to think about you.”

  “I thought you’d agreed not to lie to either one of us.” He continued his gentle ministrations. “Two more. If you want them. There’s no shame in stopping now.”

  As if she’d give him that satisfaction.

  In silent response, she moved back into position.

  “Perfection.”

  This time she drew a breath then forc
ed it out, keeping her whole body loose. “Number five, please, Sir.” She was proud that her voice only wobbled a little.

  He caught her with an upward swing of the paddle, beneath her buttocks. Either it hadn’t hurt as badly as the others, or she was better prepared for it.

  “Red may be my favorite color on you.” He traced two of his marks. “Of course, these may bruise, so blue will look beautiful, as well.”

  He stroked her shoulders, then above the waistline of her skirt.

  His tenderness encouraged her to lean into him, but before she could, she said, “I’ll take the last one when you’re ready, Sir.” She’d taught herself not to rely on others for emotional comfort or support, and she certainly wasn’t going to accept it from Kennedy Aldrich.

  This one, this one she heard before she felt it.

  It whistled as it caught the air, then it seared across the fleshiest part of her buttocks.

  Her body convulsed as she tried to twist away from the pain that was already receding.

  Within seconds, he was standing in front of her. He slid two fingers into her damp pussy. “Ride me,” he commanded. “Focus on the pleasure, get yourself off.”

  Her legs felt weak from being parted so far, and the distribution of her weight made it difficult to hump his hand. “That doesn’t happen easily for me.”

  “Quit thinking. Do what I told you.”

  She turned her feet inward and eased forward.

  “That’s it.”

  He wrapped one arm around her waist while she moved against him. She closed her eyes and let go, letting instinct guide her.

  While this felt sensational, she was hungry to have his cock inside her. Tonight, that was against club rules, but if it weren’t, she knew she’d have asked him to fill her.

  She whimpered.

  “Almost there,” he said.

  He pressed hard on her clit and rubbed vigorously, and she cried out as she came.

  “We make a good team,” she heard him say when she once again became aware of the world around her.

  “That was…” She looked at him. “Hot. Freaking hurt.” Probably more than any other scene.

  “And?”

  “Worth it.”

  This time, his smile looked triumphant.

  “You seem happy with yourself.”