Liam was grinning, the pride evident on his face as he hugged his wife to his side. Taggart bent down and kissed Rylee on the mouth as he pulled her into a bear hug. They led the girls to the recovery couch, which was near the back wall of the dungeon. The girls collapsed side by side on the couch. Ruby rushed over and inserted herself between them, putting her arms around their shoulders.
Evan offered to help as Taggart and Liam returned to the water area to squeegee the floor and coil the ropes.
“Nah, we got this,” Liam said with a shake of his head. “But you could make tea for the girls.” There was a glass electric kettle on the counter near the recovery couch, already filled with water. Evan turned it on and found mugs in the cupboard above, along with tea bags and a small plastic bottle of honey shaped like a bear.
He turned to the girls still nestled together on the couch. “Honey in your tea?”
“Yes, honey for me,” Allie said. She had coiled her copper-colored hair into a knot on top of her head. Her face was flushed, her smile luminous.
“Me, too,” Rylee echoed, her face also flushed, her dark hair damp and tucked behind her ears.
“How about you, Ruby,” Evan asked. “Would you like some tea?
“Not for me, thanks,” Ruby said, getting up from the couch. “But let me help you.”
Ruby put the tea bags into the mugs and squeezed in some honey as Evan poured in the boiling water. “We make a good team,” she said.
“In more ways than one,” Evan said, flashing his I want you smile at her.
They handed the tea to the girls, who accepted the hot mugs with thanks. The guys had finished cleanup and now approached the group.
“This place is really something,” Evan said appreciatively. “I’d love to check out that rope suspension rig you’ve got set up there.”
“Sure,” Liam said. In the center of the space, Liam had hung thick ropes from the ceiling beams, the ends knotted around large metal rings perfect for suspending a naked sub girl. “You’ll need a volunteer.”
“You read my mind,” Evan said, fixing his gaze on Ruby, who had followed them. “How about you, Ruby? Care to continue where we left off this afternoon?”
Her saucy smile reached her eyes. “Sure, but I think something more intense than a flogging would be fun,” she suggested, to his delight. “And how about we shake things up a bit, hmm? You already had a turn to be the Dom. Now it’s mine.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Evan said, now confused.
“You look like a guy who enjoys a challenge,” she continued in a bantering tone. “Why don’t you strip for me, and we’ll see what you’re made of?”
Now he got it. She expected him to refuse, but she didn’t know him. He hadn’t pegged her for a switch, but looking at her now, with her hands on her hips and the challenge clear in her saucy expression, he didn’t doubt her. Nor would he miss this chance to scene with her.
“That’s quite an offer,” Liam said with a laugh. “But Evan may not be hardwired to receive a whipping with as much grace as I heard you demonstrated today.”
“Evan might not be up for it, but I’d be happy to volunteer,” Taggart interjected, approaching the group. “After all, turnabout is fair play now and again. We should be willing to experience what we mete out.” He turned back to Rylee. “That is, if it’s all right with you, babe?”
Rylee lifted her tea mug in consent. “Sure, why not?”
“No, that’s okay,” Evan said quickly, his skin already prickling in anticipation. “I got this.”
He’d play Ruby’s game, but he’d raise the ante. “I’m willing to submit to you, Mistress Ruby,” he said with an easy smile. “But only if I get the chance to Dom you in return.”
Ruby pursed her lips as if considering the offer. Then she tossed back her thick, glossy hair, her dark eyes flashing. “Okay. You’ve got a deal.”
Evan unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall from his shoulders. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room, but he kept his gaze on Ruby as he kicked off his shoes, undid his belt and slipped his jeans and underwear down his legs.
He walked to stand beneath ropes that were suspended from the beams. He glanced at Ruby as he lifted his arms up to the cuffs. She was watching him with an enigmatic smile. Determined to play the game, he smiled back.
Liam and Taggart secured his wrists and then stepped back to stand beside their partners. Evan could see Ruby in his peripheral vision as she moved toward the wall that was hung with a wide variety of whips and floggers. He was vaguely aware the others were watching the unfolding scene, but his focus was on Ruby.
She returned with a short-handled single tail whip, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “Think you can handle something a little more intense than a flogging, boy?” She cracked the tail in the air near his ass.
Evan’s heart kicked up a notch. Who was this girl? “Sure,” he replied, not missing a beat. Though it had been a long time, he could still remember the sweet, stinging kiss of a single tail from his early days in the scene. “Can you?”
“Try me,” she replied, her words sending a shiver of lust through him.
She appeared in front of him, eyeing his naked body as if she owned him. His cock stiffened beneath her scrutiny, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. She knew her power, but what beautiful woman didn’t?
“I’ll warm you up first,” Ruby said. “Just in case, what’s your safeword? That is, if you even have one?”
“Puta madre,” he replied, thinking of his early submissive explorations with Mistress Marta.
“Pooty whatee?” Rylee asked from behind him.
“He said puta madre,” Ruby answered for him with a laugh. “It’s Spanish for motherfucker.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a chuckle. “Not quite as poetic as quicksilver, but it gets the message across.”
She moved behind him and ran her fingers lightly over his ass cheeks before smacking him lightly.
Rather than pulling away, he leaned into her, welcoming the warming slap of skin on skin as she slowly but steadily increased the intensity. Her touch was sure and firm. Though he wasn’t into the spanking itself, he did like the feel of her hand on his body.
When his bottom was tingling, the blood flowing beneath the skin, she spoke from behind him. “How about ten strokes? Think you can handle that?”
“Yes, please, Mistress,” he said with a smirk.
The first stroke whipped over his left buttock. He drew in a breath, but managed to remain quiet. The second one landed on the other cheek in the same spot, her aim perfect.
Again and again, the lash flicked and stung over his flesh. Sweat prickled beneath his arms as the throw snapped against him. Evan kept his lips pressed tightly together, flaring his nostrils to keep from gasping with pain. As the years had passed, he’d lost his love of masochistic play, his sensibilities shifting solidly toward the D side of the D/s equation. Though he got no erotic pleasure from the whipping, he could still appreciate her skill and grace.
“Ten,” Ruby finally said as Evan sagged with relief against his cuffs.
“Good job, Evan,” Taggart said heartily, coming up beside them. “I’ve watched you scene before at the conventions, but this is the first time I’ve seen you submit. You took that like a real sub. I’m impressed.”
Evan shrugged, mildly embarrassed at the praise.
Ruby appeared again in front of him. “Thank me, boy.” She lifted the whip to his mouth.
Evan gave the whip a cursory kiss. “I’ll thank you, all right,” he said with a grin. “Now it’s your turn.”
“You think so, huh?”
“I know so.”
Liam and Taggart released him from the ropes while Ruby wiped down the whip and returned it to the rack. Rylee and Allie walked over, still in their robes, their clothing in their hands.
“I hate to break up the party,” Taggart said, “but Rylee has a Jiu Jitsu competition in the morning and she needs to get her rest.”
He clapped Evan on the shoulder.
“And Liam and I need to clean the kitchen before bed,” Allie said with a meaningful glance at Liam that made Evan wonder what was going on.
“That’s right,” Liam continued smoothly, picking up the theme. “But don’t let us interrupt your scene. You two can stay down here and take all the time you like.”
Allie smirked at Ruby, and the two couples disappeared up the stairs.
After they’d gone, Ruby grinned at Evan. “She used to do that back in college too.”
“Who used to do what?” Evan asked, though he was pretty sure he knew.
“Allie. She orchestrated their group exit just now, you can be sure of it. That girl’s always been an incurable matchmaker. Even back in college, she’d try to fix me up with some guy or other.” Ruby laughed, affection in her tone. “It never worked out.”
“Maybe it’ll be different this time,” Evan said, keeping his tone light. He bent down and grabbed his clothing, though he made no move to get dressed. His ass was still stinging from the whipping. “Be that as it may, I need some aftercare, Mistress.”
“That you do.” Ruby craned her head to see his ass. “You have several nice marks there. You did pretty good, for a Dom,” she teased.
“Yeah? You did pretty good for a sub girl.”
“Uh huh,” she said with a toss of her hair. She led him back to the recovery couch. Sitting down, she patted her lap. “I’ll just put Arnica on those welts and you’ll be good as new.”
Evan dropped his clothing in a heap by the couch. He lay across her lap, his cock instantly hardening against her thigh as she smoothed the soothing balm on his welts. When she was done, she gave him a light pat. “There you go. All better.”
Evan lifted himself and sat beside her on the sofa, wincing slightly as his bottom made contact with the towel she’d spread there.
Ruby reached for one of the bottles of water that had been thoughtfully placed on the side table beside the Arnica and a small pile of hand towels. “Want some?” she asked.
Evan shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m good.” He smiled. “Now it’s my turn.”
Ruby started to rise from the sofa. “Ten strokes? Piece of cake.” She looked around the empty dungeon. “Can you handle the ropes on your own?”
Evan reached out for her arm and gently pulled her back down to the sofa. “I don’t plan to whip you, Ruby.”
She lifted her eyebrows in evident surprise. “You don’t?”
He shook his head. “I want to spank you.”
“A spanking?” She made a mock pout. “But I like a challenge.”
“I’ll make it a challenge. Don’t worry.” He pointed to his lap. “Now, get naked and present your ass, sub girl.”
She stared at him a moment, her mouth working as if she were about to protest, but then she just nodded. Her eyes on his, she unbuttoned her blouse and let it fall from her shoulders, revealing her bare breasts. She stepped out of her slippers and slid her pants and underwear down her thighs while Evan tried not to gape.
“Okay,” she said, kicking the pants away. “I’m all yours.”
~*~
Ruby had figured Evan for a guy who could dish it out, but wouldn’t be able to take it. Boy, had she been off the mark. He’d handled the single tail with considerable grace. If she hadn’t experienced his flogging earlier that day or felt the power of his dominant persona that radiated like an aura from his being, she would have believed, based on their quickie scene, that he was a sub.
She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been so attracted to a guy. It was as if they shared a secret, and she just needed to get closer to hear what it was.
She lay over his lap, keenly aware of his erection, which was trapped between her thigh and his flat stomach. She would have liked something more intense than a spanking, but at the same time, the thought of Evan’s big, strong hands stroking and smacking her bottom would be nice foreplay for whatever else he might have in mind.
He placed one hand on her lower back and used the other to lightly smack her ass, alternating cheeks. His touch felt good, and she sighed contentedly as she relaxed against his strong thighs.
The first hard smack startled her, its warm sting spreading over her flesh. She moaned softly in appreciation as the second stroke landed, just as hard as the first. Again and again his hand crashed down, smashing her pelvis against his legs. Her skin quickly heated, the force of his hard, insistent palm dragging her down into an undertow of erotic pain that nearly threatened to engulf her. He was doing something with his palm that brought extra sting to each swat, and soon she was panting in her effort not to cry out or beg him to stop.
Unable to help herself, she wriggled against him in a vain effort to avoid the brunt of his iron palm. As she twisted, her legs parted and her sex came into direct contact with his bare thigh. The pleasant friction distracted her as his leg came up to meet her sex.
She swiveled her hips as he continued the hard spanking, her clit now making direct, intense contact with his leg. A tremor of pleasure shot through her loins with each smashing stroke on her burning ass. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest, the blood pounding in her ears, her breathing a ragged rasp in her throat.
Still his hand came down, his other hand on her lower back, holding her in place as his thigh continued to move provocatively against her throbbing clit. She yelped in a steady, breathy staccato, unable to stop. She was either going to scream her safeword or have an orgasm, or both.
And then…
Then the alchemical transformation took over. Pleasure and pain melted together, reforming into something so powerful and intense Ruby could barely process it. A huge, cresting wave of sensation rose through her, lifting her from her body and hurtling her into an encompassing silence, as if the world had suddenly ceased to exist. She was floating in a vast, white space, her body weightless, her mind a blissful blank. Her spirit soared into a silent, breathtaking vista of the most profound peace she’d ever experienced…
~*~
Ruby lay still, her breathing deep and even, her eyes closed, a soft smile on her lips. During the spanking, she had moved from stoic endurance to panting struggle and finally into that dark, sweet place where no Dom could follow.
Evan put his mouth close to her ear. “Hey,” he whispered. “You okay?”
“Yes,” she breathed so softly he wasn’t entirely sure she’d spoken.
He stroked the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Moving carefully so as not to disturb her, he reached for the tube of Arnica she’d left on the end table by the sofa and squeezed a large dollop onto his palm.
He’d been so involved in the scene, he hadn’t noticed the toll it had taken on his hand, which was nearly as red as her sweet ass, still stinging from the steady, constant impact. He rubbed the balm over his palm, and then squirted more onto his fingers, which he gently massaged into her burning skin.
His cock throbbed. It would have been simple enough to flip her over and sink his shaft into her tight, wet heat. He briefly considered it, but then dismissed the idea. When he took Ruby, he wanted her fully conscious.
Instead, he lifted her gently and turned her over, cradling her in his arms. Her eyes remained closed, though she sighed, a small smile lifting her lips. As he looked down at her pretty face, so peaceful in repose, he marveled that, though they’d only met a few hours before, on some level he felt as if he’d known her since the moment he’d been born.
He snorted softly, amused at himself. He wasn’t one who went in for romantic notions or poetic thoughts. Yeah, he wanted to fuck her, but he’d wanted to fuck her since the moment he’d seen her. That didn’t mean they had some kindred connection. No, it was just the scene talking. He’d been moved by her ability to fly at his hand. It made him feel tenderly toward her.
He shifted her so she was more upright, though he wasn’t quite yet ready to let go of her. In fact, he would have been content to hold her forever…
/> ~*~
Ruby lay drifting in a deep, peaceful place. As she came slowly to herself, she became aware of the thrilling, low notes and rough music in Evan’s voice, though it took several more seconds for her brain to process the sound as words. She opened her eyes, taking a moment to focus on his handsome face.
His expression of concern softened into a smile. “There you are. You left the planet for a while. Everything okay?”
She smiled back, the veil of languorous peace burning away as full consciousness returned, though the lingering sense of wellbeing remained. “Everything’s great,” she said, beaming up at him. “What the hell did you do to me?”
He gathered her a little closer, dipping his head so that for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he said softly, “I gave you a pretty intense spanking, Ruby. I was waiting for a cue that you wanted me to stop, but you didn’t give me one. I hope I didn’t go too far.”
“No, not too far. It was…” How to explain? Language so often failed when it came to flying, a state she rarely achieved, and certainly never before during a casual scene with a virtual stranger. And yet, that was what had happened, no question about it. With only his hand, this man had taken her to that secret, sacred place deep in her psyche that she’d only visited a few times in her life, and then only after extensive BDSM with a trusted partner.
“It was…?” he prompted.
“Perfect,” she replied. “Absolutely perfect.”
~*~
Evan lifted Ruby from his lap and set her on the sofa beside him. He reached for a bottle of water, twisted off the cap and handed her the bottle. She took a long drink and gave it back to him. As he returned it to the side table, she pushed back her hair. “Can you hand me my clothes, please?”
“I don’t know. What if I want to keep you naked?” Evan replied with a grin, not entirely kidding.
“It’s good to want things,” Ruby said with a laugh, but she continued to hold out her hand.
With a mock sigh, Evan reached down for the small pile and handed it to her. Bending back down, he reached for his jeans and boxers.
She winced as she pulled up her underwear and pants. “Ouch,” she said with a grimace. “That was quite a spanking, Master Evan.”