The Heart of the Matter: A Doms of The Cage Novel (The Dom's of The Cage Series Book 2)

by P Nelson

  “Finished looking your fill?” He smiled, and it made Elizabeth want to curl her toes. “You don’t get to make excuses for yourself or them. You already admitted to trying to manipulate me into getting what you wanted. As you know, subs are meant to ask for what they want.”

  “But I was asking for what I wanted. You weren’t listening to me.” Elizabeth gave into the urge and stomped her foot. It felt good to release some of the pent-up tension she felt.

  “Yes, but you failed to realise there are two people in the power exchange, sweetheart.” Eric cupped her chin with one of his hands. “You need to learn patience and to trust your Dom. We’re going to work on those two issues in our relationship all night long.” The words were a promise as Eric pressed his firm lips to Elizabeth’s mouth. Hungry for the taste of him, Elizabeth responded right away and let his tongue explore her mouth. She bit back a whimper when he raised his head.

  Looking past Eric’s shoulder, Elizabeth could see a very contrite-looking Delaney being strapped into the cuffs above her head on the spreader bar by a very determined Martin, while Linkin took care of her ankles. The corset and micro mini she had been wearing lay discarded at the side of the cage. Beside Elizabeth, she could hear Calla arguing with Flynn.

  “You’re not my Dom,” Calla’s voice held a razor’s edge cutting into Flynn.

  “If you were my sub, you’d be much better behaved,” Flynn ground out.

  “Believe me If I were your sub, I would probably be suffering from whiplash trying to keep up with all your moods. You’re worse than a teenager,” Calla had folded her hands in front of her and stood her ground. “There’s no way I’m being punished for something I told Elizabeth was a terrible idea.”

  “You should have called Master Eric.” It looked as if Flynn was going to be just as stubborn.

  “Master Eric is a big boy, I knew he could take care of himself.” She looked over at the others and flushed.

  “Is that your professional opinion?” Flynn’s voice was low, and Elizabeth knew only a very few people standing in the immediate vicinity would have heard his last question. Calla’s back immediately stiffened, and her face fell. Elizabeth’s heart went out to her friend. She knew Calla was having a hard time getting over the fact she had almost allowed someone like Jerry to come into the club.

  “Before you bust my balls, Calla,” Flynn stepped into her space, and Elizabeth had to strain to hear what he was saying. “You need to purge this from your system here and now. Otherwise it will eat you up, and I can’t see you like this anymore.” Calla appeared to be considering his words, and Elizabeth was sure her friend was going to call bullshit.

  Instead Calla spoke in a rasping voice, “Not you.” Calla’s chest heaved. “Master Dillon or Master Mason can do it.” Flynn was already shaking his head, but Elizabeth wasn’t given an opportunity to find out what the answer to her request because Eric used his finger and thumb to turn Elizabeth’s head.

  “Eyes up front, Elizabeth. Are you prepared to take your Master’s punishment?” Eric’s voice was hard.

  “Yes, Master.” Elizabeth replied dutifully.

  “Good little sub. Up you come.” Eric ushered her onto the stage and made her stand underneath the spreader bar on Delaney’s right. Elizabeth craned her head to the side and watched as Martin and Linkin took turns admonishing Delaney whose head had fallen forward, her replies too soft to reach Elizabeth’s ears. “Eyes forward, my little gossipy sub, you will soon learn to take direction only from your Master. Arms above your head, beautiful.”

  Elizabeth didn’t think a reply was necessary as she felt Eric gently pull her right arm into position. She felt the clasp of leather over her skin and her heart jumped into her throat. Eric methodically restrained her other wrist before widening her stance and bending over to restrain her ankles. Elizabeth tested the cuffs around her wrists and found she had no movement in her lower arms because of the bar, but she could still flex her torso around.

  “What’s your safe word, Elizabeth?” Eric asked as he stood in front of her with a pair of scissors. She eyed them and tried not to think of Jerry and the knife he had used on her.

  “Rainbow,” Elizabeth replied.

  “Good, sub. We’ll use the stoplight system tonight. All you have to do is use your safe word or red to halt the scene. If you need to halt and discuss, say yellow. Do you understand?” Eric was studying her face hard, and Elizabeth realised he was trying to read her inner thoughts. Part of being a Dom was understanding her limits even when she didn’t understand them herself. Elizabeth made sure her voice was sure and steady.

  “Yes, Master, I understand.” Elizabeth held his gaze. Eric nodded at her.

  “In that case, you’re wearing far too many clothes.” Eric stepped around her and for an instant Elizabeth’s breath caught. He was going to undress her in front of the crowd behind her. The sounds of conversation and leather creaking rose from the kinksters at her rear. Along with the noises of the dungeon the whole effect was erotic enough to make her nipples hard, but the pictures Jerry and his accomplices had emailed to all her co-workers filled her head.

  “Stay with me, Elizabeth.” Eric’s voice filled her senses, his heat pressed into her back, and she nodded. “I need a verbal response from you, Elizabeth. Where are you?”

  “I’m green, Master.” Elizabeth bit back her fear and concentrated on the man behind her.

  “I would say you’re heavily leaning towards at least a yellow, Elizabeth, but I will continue until I see fit.” Eric’s voice held a note of warning. He would not take her safety for granted, and Elizabeth knew he would stop the scene in a second if he thought she couldn’t take it anymore.

  “Yes, Master,” Elizabeth agreed. Eric grunted, and she felt the cold steel of the scissors against her flesh and his hands working her skin away from the sharp edges. All at once the corset eased and fell in a pile between her legs. The thong came next falling to the ground. The entire dungeon would be able to get a big eyeful of naked Elizabeth. The crowd would only get a glimpse of her ass and pussy from behind, but the thought still made her blush.

  Eric’s hands were busy soothing her skin where the corset had left red marks even though it had only been against her skin for a short time. Elizabeth felt him easing into the scene, relaxing into her body and Elizabeth’s heart began to ease, maybe this had been the right decision, after all.

  Looking over at Linkin, Martin, and Flynn, Eric nodded at them to signal he was ready for the scene to begin. Elizabeth had looked fucking delectable when she saw the stage hadn’t been prepared for the scene she had planned. He had felt like the big bad wolf sweeping down to devour Little Red Riding Hood as she figured out what had happened. And he would devour her tonight. Up until the point she begged him for mercy.

  “The subs you see before you, restrained for their punishment,” Flynn’s voice cracked out over the dungeon, “have been very naughty. Colluding together on ways they can top their Doms from the bottom.” He made it sound like the crime of the century, and Elizabeth winced at the accusation in his tone. “They have earned their Masters’ wrath and a good spanking in the process.” Flynn paused for a minute to heighten the dramatic effect. Each one of these subs has earned herself one hundred smacks with their Master’s chosen implement.” He held up a paddle, same with both Linkin and Martin. As much as Elizabeth believed she was an expert, Eric held up his hand. He wasn’t ready to use a paddle on her ass in public for the first time.

  “Let this be a lesson to all of you subs.” The warning in Flynn’s voice even made the hairs on Eric’s arms stand on end a little. “This paddle will meet your ass if you so much as sneeze in rebellion. Punishment will be swift, fierce and not pleasurable whatsoever.” A few whimpers from the crowd met his announcement, and Flynn looked back at the stage.

  “All you subs will count out as one. Do you understand?” Flynn barked out. Eric watched as Elizabeth responded in the affirmative along with the rest of the girls.

/>   “Good, gentlemen, let’s get ready.” Flynn stood beside Calla and rubbed her ass a few times. Eric did the same with Elizabeth. He felt her usual response to his touch and was relieved that sexual chemistry was not one of things they had almost lost these past few weeks. Flynn nodded and Linkin brought his paddle down and the same time as Eric used his hand to connect with Elizabeth’s ass.

  The shouts of the three subs rang out in the dungeon; Eric listened as Elizabeth counted out the first number after Calla and Delaney. It only took a few more swings before each of the girls was choking back their tears and counting in unison for their Masters. Eric kept a watch on Flynn, Martin, and Linkin as he delivered each blow. The latter two were, mercifully for Delaney, taking turns to punish her ass rather than striking at once. It was up to the four Doms on stage to make sure the subs could stay together as they counted their punishment.

  Halfway through Elizabeth was crying openly, her hands clenched on the chains holding her arms above her head to the spreader bar. Her legs had become weak and her body sagged forward. Elizabeth’s ass has gone a very pretty shade of red, along with her upper thighs and every second number she let loose with a very pretty hiccup.

  Eric’s cock was hard in his leathers as he watched Elizabeth struggle to take the punishment she earned by trying to circumvent him and force him to play without discussing the scene with him. That this behaviour was dangerous and could lead them into situations neither of them wanted to be in was ignoring one of the main tenets of BDSM. Communication. Eric realised he hadn’t always been willing to accept her readiness to play again, but she should have accepted his own need to wait a little longer.

  The sting in his hand was a welcome reminder of everything he had missed from the lifestyle since his self-imposed hiatus with Elizabeth. Hell, even before he had taken Elizabeth as his sub, he had felt the ennui of long-term practice without a permanent sub. With a grin, he realised that was not going to be a problem any more. Elizabeth challenged him on every single level and a future spread out where he spanked her into submission on this dungeon floor filled him with an excitement he hadn’t felt in ages.

  “One hundred,” Elizabeth whispered out between red lips, and Eric checked her expression to find she had floated out of this world into subspace. His dick tightened even more, and his chest expanded. He had brought her this peace in the storm, and her beautiful body was going to be his plaything all night long.

  Chapter 19

  Eric quickly undid the bindings around her ankles and massaged the skin to make sure he hadn’t done any permanent damage. Snatching up one of the black silk robes from the table on the side of the stage he stood in front of Elizabeth’s face and watched her expression as he undid her wrists from the leather restraints on the spreader bar above her head. Her hair had fallen forward, but he could still see the tear tracks down her cheeks. He might have to get her to wear extra mascara in future so he could see the black marks down her face. Elizabeth tried to lift her head.

  “Shhhh, sub. Let me take care of you.” Eric soothed as he placed her free hand on his shoulder. “Hang on to me for a second.” He made short work of the other restraint and slipped the black robe over her nakedness. Picking her up in his arms like a groom with a new bride, he let her snuggle into his chest for a minute before going down the stairs to the main floor of the dungeon.

  The crowd around the stage had dissipated after the punishment ended, and there was no sign of sex from any of the couples. Martin and Linkin were already heading up to their privacy room upstairs. Flynn held a languid Calla in his arms while he argued furiously with Dillon. Eric stepped a little closer to try and diffuse the situation. Flynn looked like he might eat Dillon alive.

  “You know it’s wrong to play with her head. Let me give her the aftercare she needs.” Master Dillon stood at his full height; gone was the joking, happy-go-lucky porn star face he normally showed to the whole world.

  “I gave her the punishment, it’s my right to give her the aftercare,” Flynn enunciated each word as he were speaking to an idiot. “Get out of my way.”

  “Don’t even think about making threats you’re unwilling to back up,” Dillon said quickly. “I don’t know what your drama is with her, but unless you’re willing to make this permanent.” Dillon waved a hand at him. “Then, I suggest you hand her over to me.” Eric knew Dillon could get over-protective with the subs, especially if he thought they were getting into situations they couldn’t handle. He couldn’t believe he was challenging Flynn’s right to give aftercare to a sub after punishing her.

  Flynn passed Calla over to Dillon. His hard expression didn’t change at all. Calla’s eyes opened, and she looked at Flynn. The longing and hurt in her expression was painful to see, and Eric glanced away. He looked down at his own sub and smiled as she curled farther into his chest. He intended to make sure she never questioned his Dom rights again.

  “Master Eric, good to see you back at The Cage.” Master Gaige nodded to him in greeting. Eric took in the sight of Gaige and Lilith together on the dungeon floor. He was dressed in leathers and Lilith stood beside him with perfect poise in a corset and boy shorts. At one time only a few weeks ago he would have felt a crushing mix of jealousy and disappointment. Now he only felt happy that the two of them had found each other.

  “Thank you, it’s good to be back.” Eric inclined his head. There was no way he was going to loosen his grip on Elizabeth.

  “We wanted to meet your new sub, but it looks like it will have to be another time.” Master Gaige noted Elizabeth’s sleepy gaze. Eric looked down at Elizabeth with an inward smile. He had loved being in threesomes with Gaige and Lilith, but now he had his own sub’s needs to look after. If she wanted a threesome, it was something they would have to discuss at length because he wasn’t sure he wanted to share her.

  “Another time, but let’s catch up soon.” Eric smiled at Lilith and she gave him a look of understanding.

  “I’ll see you at work next week anyway, Master Eric,” Lilith reminded him.

  “Yes, I’ll see on Monday, bright and early, sub,” he replied before turning away from the couple who he had admired so much. In a way, Eric still admired them, but now he had his own relationship to foster and grow.

  Walking through the crowd of people enjoying their evening of kink, either by participating in the various public scenes on the dungeon floor, or simply catching up with friends, Eric pulled the good vibes to him. The past few weeks had been the longest Eric had ever gone without visiting The Cage since Flynn opened it a few years ago. A part of him didn’t think he missed it at all. Now he was here, in the midst of the lifestyle, Eric realised he had missed it and the time he spent away from his peers made him appreciate it all the more. He was a perverted freak, but he was proud to fly his freak flag.

  Eric shifted Elizabeth in his arms as he went up the black spiral steps of the warehouse. He felt her gaze on his face, and he couldn’t help but smile.

  “How are you, sub?” Eric fumbled with the doorknob on the privacy room.

  “My bum hurts,” Elizabeth said plainly, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

  “I suspect it hurts far less than Calla or Delaney’s.” Eric shouldered his way into the room and looked down into Elizabeth’s face. “Can you stand on your own?”

  “Yes, Master,” she replied and he let her slide down his body, nudging his aching erection as she went. Elizabeth immediately disrobed and fell to her knees in slave pose. Eric walked back to the door and made sure it had closed properly. He studied the shape of Elizabeth’s back as it arched down to flare into her hips, and an ass so juicy, he wanted to bite it. He was going to have to get some relief and pace himself if he was going to put his full plan into action.

  He walked around Elizabeth and went over to a high-backed chair sitting next to the huge bed in the middle of the room. Sitting down, he started to take his boots and socks off.

  “Master, may I ask a question?” Elizabeth’s voice was so
ft in the harsh industrial-feeling room.

  “Yes, sub,” Eric replied, standing up to take off his leather pants. His cock was hard and his balls heavy with the need to release. Sitting back down again, he spread his legs wide and rubbed his aching flesh with lazy strokes.

  “Why did Calla get punished? I swear she didn’t help me, and she actually warned me this whole thing wasn’t going to work.” Elizabeth’s words tripped over one another as she spoke.

  Eric made himself comfortable as he played with his cock and stared at Elizabeth. He could see her perky pink nipples through the cascade of her blond hair. He wanted to pinch them, feel the silkiness of the strands of her locks spread out over his thighs as she took him in her mouth. All in good time.

  “Helping you was only an excuse to give her a spanking. Flynn knew Calla had been allowing guilt to eat her alive for what happened with Jerry. A good spanking and a cleansing cry were what Calla needed to help her get over her feelings. Do you understand?” His voice was gentle.

  “Yes, Master, I understand. It makes sense.” Elizabeth nodded her head as she said the last words.

  “Good girl.” Eric leaned back in the high-backed chair, and moved his ass forward so his cock was pointing to the ceiling between his legs. “I want you to crawl over here on all fours and wrap your lips around my cock.” He watched as Elizabeth lifted her eyes from the floor and stared across the room at him. Heat flushed her skin from her chest all the way up her neck until he could see a blush staining her cheeks. Her breath started to come out in little pants, and Eric could see her nipples were already hard.

  “Yes, Master.” Her compliance was barely audible as she braced her weight on her hands and lifted her ass off the ground. Looking up at him with her blue eyes rimmed in red from crying, she never tore her gaze away from his face as she crawled over to him. Kneeling between his outstretched knees, Eric watched as she replaced his large hand with both of her own. The feeling over her skin against his hardness made him want to erupt immediately all over her exposed breasts. Keeping a handle on his lust as hard as he watched her pink tongue come out and lick his shaft all the way from his balls to the tightening skin of the head of his cock.