~*~
When Evan returned from the bathroom, Ruby was seated on the bench. She had removed the e-stim toy from its wrappings. It consisted of a fabric strap with a small Velcro cuff on either end. Long wires protruded from each of the cuffs, ready to attach to the power box.
He stood in front of Ruby, his hands on his hips. “If you want to use that thing on me, you’ll have to get me hard. I’m not into erotic pain—at least not into receiving it.”
Ruby laughed. “You could have fooled me when you took that single tail whipping.”
“Uh huh,” Evan replied blandly. “But you don’t fool me, my sweet little sub girl.”
Ruby raised her eyebrows. “I’m definitely a sexual masochist and bondage bunny, but submissive?” She wrinkled her nose. “Not so much.”
“We’ll see,” Evan said lightly, sensing a challenge.
“Let’s get this party started.” Ruby picked up the tube of gel that had come with the band and squirted some on her fingers. She reached for his cock and he moved closer.
He sighed with satisfaction as she stroked his rapidly hardening cock with the skilled fingers of one hand while cupping his balls and stroking his perineum with the other.
“That didn’t take long,” she said with a knowing smile. Keeping one hand lightly on his now throbbing shaft, she smoothed the page of instructions that had come with the device against the bench and read aloud, “Get ready for a thrilling experience. The dual bands act like cock rings to keep you hard, while the gentle zing of electricity delivers shivers of pleasure to your cock and balls.”
While Evan wasn’t especially looking forward to the experience, having Ruby touch and stroke him in the process made it worth it. She squirted more gel onto her fingers and coated his hard cock with it. Kneeling in front of him, she wrapped the Velcro cuffs on either end of the strap around his shaft, one at the base, one just below the head.
As she attached the wires to the power box, she said, “The electricity goes from one cock band to the other. We can position them all sorts of ways to give you different sensations. The directions promise that you’re going to love it,” she added with a grin.
“We’ll see,” Evan said noncommittally, though he was mildly curious how it would feel.
“Puta madre, right?”
“Uh, yeah,” Evan said, a small stab of anxiety poking into his gut.
“Don’t worry,” she laughed. “I’ll be gentle.”
The first jolt felt like fizzy champagne bubbling over his shaft. She zapped him again and again, slowly increasing the intensity. As the currents edged from pleasure to pain, the old masochistic hardwiring from his youth must have kicked into play. More likely, it was because a gorgeous, naked woman was kneeling in front of him turning the dial. Whatever the reason, his balls tightened with an impending orgasm.
She wrapped her fingers around the shaft between the cuffs and stroked him while still sending a steady current of buzzing electricity through his cock. Evan gave himself over to the sensations, heightened by his desire for her. Before long, a ribbon of ejaculate shot onto Ruby’s lovely breasts.
“You did good,” she said approvingly as she detached the wires from the box and then pulled the Velcro cuffs from his deflating shaft. “Though if I were a proper Mistress, I’d make you lick this come off my tits.” She scooped a blob of the goo onto her finger and held it up to him.
“In your dreams,” Evan replied.
~*~
As they showered together, Ruby marveled at how comfortable she felt with this man she’d only just met. Admittedly, they’d packed plenty of intensity into their brief time together, but it was more than that. On some deep, basic level, she trusted Evan, as if they’d known each other for years instead of merely days. She was used to relying on her gut, and her gut told her Evan Stewart was special. Beyond his drop-dead gorgeous looks and his obvious skill as a Dom, she liked how easygoing he was. She didn’t get that sense of neediness or expectation that so many guys brought to a new relationship. He, like her, seemed content to take life as it came.
They dressed, repacked his gear bag and went back downstairs. Ruby was just about to suggest they go out for a pizza or something, when Evan’s phone pinged in his pocket.
He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. “Damn. I’m really sorry, but I have to get going. I promised Bob I’d help him unload some equipment.”
Ruby at once readjusted her expectations. Maybe it was a good thing to take a little breather. After all, they still had plenty of time to pick up where they’d left off.
“No apology necessary. I had an incredible time.”
Evan looked momentarily perplexed. “Maybe I could just tell him something came up and I can’t make it. We could grab a bite or something.”
“No, that’s fine,” Ruby assured him. “It’s all good. I had a wonderful time, Evan. Thank you.” She moved closer and brought her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.
When they parted, he said, “Let’s connect again, soon, okay? You’ve got my card.”
“I do,” Ruby agreed. “And we will.”
Ruby lingered at the door as he walked to his car. She waved as he drove away.
Back inside, she got the cats their dinner and then hung out with them for a while in the sunroom, still basking in her sense of wellbeing as she stroked their satiny flanks.
She sat up abruptly, startled out of her dream. Binky was on her chest, Cuddles on her head. With a yowl, Cuddles toppled to the sofa, while Binky leaped gracefully to the ground, her tail swishing with displeasure.
“Sorry about that, kittens,” Ruby apologized. She got to her feet, her muscles stiff, her mouth dry. “I think a glass of wine and a nice hot bath are in order. What do you two think?”
The cats, who had resettled themselves on the windowsill, pointedly ignored her.
“Suit yourselves,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll be down later to give you your midnight snack.” She went into the kitchen and sliced an apple, which she took upstairs, along with a large glass of red wine.
She drew herself a bath in the huge master bathroom, adding lavender-scented oil to the Jacuzzi. Piling her long hair into a coiled knot on top of her head, she eased herself into the hot, fragrant water. Her body felt properly used and sore in all the right ways. Closing her eyes, she sighed contentedly.
Life was good.
~*~
That evening in the warehouse as Bob and Evan unloaded and arranged the equipment in the dungeon space, Evan couldn’t get Ruby out of his head. She was different from most women he hooked up with. Usually—no, always—Evan was the one who pulled away first. While he truly adored playing with submissive partners, he was careful to head off any potential clinginess or neediness at the pass.
He hadn’t had to engage in any evasive tactics with Ruby, however, for which he was grateful. She was refreshingly independent. She hadn’t even tried to give him her contact information, though now he wished she had. It would have been fun to send her sexy midnight texts to keep her juices flowing until they met again.
Bob and Evan finally finished the equipment setup to both their satisfaction. Bob put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the dungeon space. He had managed to procure several fine pieces of gently used equipment, including two St. Andrew’s crosses, two spanking benches, two padded bondage tables and a wicked looking set of wooden stocks. “Looks pretty good, huh? This will save me a bundle.”
“Yeah,” Evan agreed. “You did good. I’ll call the wholesaler first thing in the morning and adjust the order.”
His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He smiled to himself. So much for her assertion she was going straight to bed. “Gotta get this.”
He eagerly pulled his phone from his pocket. Turning away from Bob, he clicked on the call. “This is Evan,” he said, striving for a nonchalant tone.
“Hi, this is Darlene from Credit Card International,” a mechanical voice droned. “Did you know we can help ge
t you out of debt with a rate as low as—”
What the fuck?
Annoyed, Evan clicked off and shoved the phone back into his pocket.
As they walked back together toward the office, Bob said, “So, did you get a chance to check out the new gear we’ll be selling at the grand opening?”
An image of Ruby leaped into his brain, naked, trembling, eyes shining, chest heaving, lips parted… His voice came out hoarse when he started to answer. He cleared his throat and tried again. “I sure did. We tried out all the more complex pieces and had no problems. I’m comfortable I’ll be able to handle any hands-on product testing during the event.”
“That’s good to hear. So,” Bob added with a leer, “who did you get to volunteer? I bet I can guess.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Allie’s sexy little friend, Ruby. Am I right?”
“You are,” Evan said, unable to stop the smile that spread over his face.
“Man,” Bob said with a rueful grin, “what I wouldn’t give to be twenty years younger. Ah, well. There are still plenty of submissive fish in the sea interested in an old fart like me.” He rubbed his hands together. “How about let’s go celebrate with some pizza and beer, my treat? Then I’ll take you over to Hardcore. It’s ladies night tonight,” he added with a comical waggle of his eyebrows.
Ruby was taking up entirely too much space in Evan’s head. He pushed her from his mind and said with more enthusiasm than he felt, “Sounds like a plan. Let’s do it.”
Hardcore was one of the seedier BDSM clubs in Portland. Located in the basement of a gay bar, it provided just the right combination of gritty funk and BDSM action to keep his thoughts from straying where they shouldn’t.
After agreeing they’d scope out the place on their own, Bob quickly disappeared with a platinum blonde in a black satin bustier and very high heels.
Evan watched a couple of scenes in progress. A skinny guy in bike shorts lay on a bondage table being worked over with vampire gloves by two girls who looked like twins, both with long black hair and big lips painted bright red. Evan quickly lost interest and moved on to a naked woman bound face forward to a cross. Her voluptuous ass jiggled each time her partner struck her with a wooden paddle, but her loud squeals grated on his nerves, and after a while, he moved away.
Someone put a hand on his arm. He looked down to see an attractive girl with curly reddish blond hair, blue eyes and a splash of freckles over an upturned nose. Her small breasts were bare above a waist cincher, her legs covered only by fishnet stockings held up by garters. She wore clunky platform shoes on her feet. Oddly, she had a small, sparkly crown on her head like something you’d get at a party supply store.
She looked almost too young to be legal, but when she spoke, her voice was deep and confident, though her fake British accent left something to be desired. “Excuse me, Sir,” she said, dropping into a rather pretty curtsey, “would you be interested in spilling hot wax on my breasts and then flicking it off with a single tail?”
In spite of himself, Evan’s cock nudged in approval at the invitation. If she was old enough to be here, she was old enough to play. If nothing else, it would pass the time well enough while he waited for Bob. “Sure,” he agreed. If nothing else, it would pass the time.
The girl led him to a bondage table with a workstand beside it that contained several candles in glass containers, the wicks already lit. Evan doubted the use of such candles was legal in the club, but no one seemed to notice or care.
He helped the girl onto the table. Then he picked up a candle and examined it. “Are these safe for wax play?”
“I use them all the time. I’m the hot wax queen of Hardcore,” she replied, touching the plastic and rhinestone crown pinned in her hair. “You’re my first prince of pain tonight.” She began to undo the tiny hooks that held her waist cincher in place. “Please, your Majesty, cover my breasts in burning wax and then flick it off. I promise a royal reward.” She stared pointedly at his crotch.
Evan declined her offer of a reward, but still managed to pass a rather pleasant hour. And he didn’t check his cell phone—not once.
Chapter 6
The next morning, Ruby drove over to Liam and Allie’s place. Allie opened the door, welcoming her inside with a hug. “You get some good rest yesterday?” she asked.
“Uh, not exactly,” Ruby said with a laugh.
“That sounds intriguing,” Allie said as she led Ruby back to the kitchen. “Rylee did mention you and Evan might be hooking up.”
When Ruby didn’t deny it, Allie added with a grin, “You do realize I’ll require full details.”
“Can I get a cup of coffee first?”
“Sure. How about some breakfast?”
“No, thanks. The cats and I already ate and did our morning exercises together.” She looked around the large, modern kitchen. “Where’s Liam?”
“Liam’s not here, unfortunately. He’s a grant writer for non-profits. Usually he works from home, but he went out to meet a client.”
“That’s cool you can both work from home,” Ruby said. “No commute, no fixed schedule.”
“Yeah, it is pretty great.” They sat down together at the kitchen table, coffee mugs in hand. Allie set out some homemade chocolate cookies. “I remembered these were your favorite back in college.”
“Yum,” Ruby said, picking up one of the cookies, which was still warm from the oven. “Cookies definitely don’t count as breakfast.”
“Absolutely not,” Allie agreed, also taking a cookie from the plate.
Ruby moaned appreciatively as she took the first bite, her eyes fluttering shut with bliss.
“These are Liam’s favorite, too,” Allie replied around a mouth full of cookie. “I lived alone for so long that I had pretty much given up baking. I’ve enjoyed rediscovering it now that I have an appreciative partner with a sweet tooth.”
“You’ve made quite a life for yourself, Mrs. Byrne,” Ruby said. “A husband, a house, a successful career doing what you love. What’s next? Babies?”
Allie grinned and shrugged. “We’ve been married two years now, so, yeah.” She patted her flat stomach. “It’s definitely something we’ve been talking about.”
“You have to do more than talk about it to get pregnant,” Ruby teased. “Seriously, though, you guys will make gorgeous babies.” She put her hand over her old friend’s. “You look so happy, Allie. There’s this joyous, serene glow about you that I’ve never seen before.”
Allie sighed happily. “Liam is the love of my life. And the best part is he’s not only my husband, he’s my Master. He owns me in the best possible way.”
Ruby nodded, trying to imagine what it would be like to settle down with just one guy in just one house in just one city forever and ever and ever… She couldn’t suppress the shudder of horror that slithered along her spine at the thought of voluntarily placing such shackles on her life.
Allie shook her head and laughed. “You should see your face, Ruby. You’d think I was describing life in prison with no chance of parole.”
“Oh, no. I’m sorry,” Ruby said quickly, embarrassed she’d been so easy to read. “I think it’s fantastic. Truly, I do. But you know me. If I stay in one place for too long, I get antsy.”
“Sure, I know that,” Allie replied. “And I get it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t fall in love, right? Speaking of which, I now demand full details on your hookup with Evan Stewart.”
Ruby grinned, her heart skipping a delightful beat as she thought about Evan for the hundredth time that morning. She adopted a posh British accent. “A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”
Allie guffawed. “Since when? Tell me everything this instant. That’s an order.”
Ruby snorted a laugh. “Okay, okay. After I helped Rylee with Taggart’s stuff, we went to breakfast. When we came back to the warehouse, he was there. Turns out he needed a volunteer to try out all this extreme restraint equipment Bob had bought for resale.”
> “A likely story,” Allie interjected with a snort of her own. “But a good one.”
Ruby spent the next twenty minutes detailing the intense, delicious hours she’d spent with Evan, getting hot all over again at the sexy memories. Allie hung on her every word, squealing with excitement as Ruby described the various scenes. It was as if they were back in their college dorm room all those years ago.
“So what’s next?” Allie asked, when she’d wrung every possible detail from Ruby’s memory. “When are you going to see him again?”
Ruby shrugged. “We didn’t really make any plans.”
“You totally have to see this guy again,” Allie said emphatically. “What if he’s Master Right?”
“I’m not looking for Master Right,” Ruby replied with a laugh, though an odd pang of longing shot through her, if just for an instant.
“Okay, okay,” Allie capitulated. “But still, you gotta see him again, right? Don’t you want to?”
“I do want to,” Ruby admitted, her smile lingering. “There was something between us—something I haven’t experienced for a long time. If I were looking for someone, he might be the one…” She trailed off, her mind veering suddenly toward the secret fantasy she only let out occasionally, and then usually only when she was alone in her bed at night, her hand between her legs, her defenses lowered by the impending orgasm she was spinning with her fingers.
“Hey,” Allie said softly, startling her. “Where did you go, Ruby? Your face went all dreamy and still.”
“Oh,” Ruby said, snapping her head up. “I was—nothing.” She shook back her hair and pushed away from the table. “We’d better get up to your workshop or we’ll never get started on those canes.”
~*~
Evan looked at his phone for the umpteenth time that morning. He was tempted to throw the stupid thing against the wall. In spite of staying out later than he’d meant to, he’d woken early, grabbing his phone in case he’d missed her call or text the night before, but the screen was blank.