Page 27

by Red Phoenix

“Two,” she purred, obviously enjoying the light caress of the whip.

Brad continued with gentle strokes, teasing her with them. He noticed she stuck out her ass farther, silently begging for more attention. That was when he cracked the whip over her head and she screamed, before bursting into giggles again.

“It sounds so scary.”

He smiled, delivering the next stroke with more power. The startled cry that followed was quite charming.

“Color, slave?”

She took a few deep breaths before answering, “May I have another to decide?”

He gave her an equally challenging stroke on her right cheek, and she squealed again before panting out the word, “Gr…een.”

“You’re sure?”

She nodded her head vigorously. “It’s…exhilarating.”

He was pleased that the bullwhip thrilled her and started his rhythmic strokes, watching her ass redden with each carefully placed lash.

When her voice heightened in pitch as she counted out the next number, he chose to stop. Brad let her bask a moment in the glow of the sub-high the whip created. Part of his talent lay in making the session a dance of sensation and longing. He enjoyed reading his sub during play and gauging the flow of the session based on her need and experience.

He suspected Shey’s enthusiasm could get her in trouble with a less-experienced Dom. It would have been easy to interpret her eagerness as an okay to let loose in a volley of demanding strokes. However, as a novice, she deserved this gentle introduction.

Brad knew it was better to leave them longing for more than to destroy a sub’s newfound love of the intimidating instrument. Still…he did insist on showing her just how powerful his whip could be.

“Slave, would you like a mark?”

“Oh yes,” she purred.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Brad let his whip fly, leaving not one, but two consecutive marks—each perfectly centered on her butt cheeks. She cried out at the intensity of the burn, and stood there gasping for breath.

Brad lowered his whip, placing it on the table as he made his way over and untied her blindfold, letting it fall to the floor. Wrapping one hand around her throat, he pulled Shey’s head back and kissed her like a man possessed.

She met his passion with her own. The high created by edge play always made for a satisfying coupling… It would be a shame if they both had to leave the scene unfulfilled.

“Slave, may I touch you here?” he asked, his other hand hovering over her naked pussy.

“Please…Master.”

He slid his fingers over her swollen outer lips and began slowly swirling his middle finger over her clit. Shey groaned deeply as he continued to kiss her. Brad decided if he could not possess her physically, then he would do so by claiming her orgasm.

“Don’t resist me,” he commanded.

Shey moaned in response as she pressed her back against his body and attempted to open her legs wider, her thong still at her knees.

To have this control over her—delivering pain, then orchestrating her pleasure—was the ultimate turn-on. Brad pushed his hard cock against her, wanting Shey to know the level of his arousal as he slowly urged her orgasm.

Her whole body stiffened just before she screamed passionately as her climax washed over her. He tightened his hold around her waist to keep her from falling. Shey collapsed against him, shuddering in his arms. “I’m completely undone…”

“But I haven’t finished with you yet,” he growled in her ear.

Brad unceremoniously threw Shey over his shoulder, smacking her lightly on her sore ass, inciting a small squeal.

He walked over to the couch to grab a pillow before carrying her into the dining room and laying her down on the table. He gently placed the pillow under her tender buttocks after pulling her thong back up to provide Shey with a semblance of modesty, straightening her pretty bow.

“You mentioned wanting to eat in here.” Shey whimpered as he took off his hat and laid it on the table before slowly lowering himself to the ground. “Well, prepare to get eaten, darlin’…”

He pushed the material of her thong to the side to take his first lick of her. Her pussy was sweet and enticing, letting him know she was a lover of pineapple. It was an enjoyable treat he hadn’t expected.

Shey shook her head back and forth, moaning when her body began to quiver uncontrollably. He easily brought her to another climax with his tongue. She squeezed his head hard with her thighs as her orgasm took hold and her clit pulsed against his tongue. It was worth the slight discomfort, knowing he could elicit that kind of reaction from her.

Shey mewed softly afterward. “Oh my God…oh my God… I can’t believe I came that hard. Where have you been all my life?” She rubbed her hands over her breasts and down toward her loins, purring in satisfaction.

He smiled from between her legs, stating, “I find particular satisfaction in a woman’s pleasure. It’s part of my attraction to BDSM.”

“I always assumed the Dom would be concerned about his own needs, not mine.”

“We’re all different, but that’s where my enjoyment lies.”

She looked up at the ceiling, a blush covering her chest as she murmured, “No wonder you’re so popular with the ladies…”

He picked her up and carried her out of the dining room.

“I can’t,” she protested, apparently thinking that he was headed toward the bedroom.

Brad chuckled as he sat down on the large leather sofa with her still cradled in his arms. “Can’t what, slave? I never leave a sub without aftercare.”

She snuggled against him. “Oh, aftercare…I’ve always wanted to experience that.”

Brad kissed the top of her copper head. “You were courageous tonight.”

Shey looked up at him shyly. “Thank you.”

He kissed her on the lips tenderly. “And it was a pleasure being your first.”

Her pupils were large and luminous—a by-product of the endorphin high their play had induced.

Fuck, she is beautiful…

Brad rubbed his hand against her buttocks, purposely grazing the marks he’d left.

“Ooh…” she squeaked, squirming in his arms.

“I like that you chose to wear my marks.”

She glanced down where his hand rested. “It’s a shame I have nowhere to show them off.”

He rubbed the area gently. “My marks were meant solely for you, Shey.” Using her given name took the conversation to a more intimate level and signified the end of the scene. She responded by cuddling closer, purring when he started lightly caressing the curve of her buttocks.

“Do you think I would make a good sub, Master Anderson?”

He noticed she avoided looking him in the eyes when she asked. Brad held her tighter, feeling unusually possessive of her. “You would make a good sub for the right Dominant…but you must be more cautious next time. Asking a complete stranger to do whatever he wants with your body could get you in serious trouble.”

She looked at him sheepishly. “What you don’t know is that I’ve had a crush on you ever since I saw you on the red carpet, the night you protected Miss Bennett at the premiere of her documentary. Even though she wasn’t your submissive, that protective look in your eye as you put yourself between her and the attackers was…well, it totally melted my heart.”

Brad shook his head. “I didn’t even realize I made the news that night.”

She blushed when she admitted, “I printed out every picture of you I found on the Web. Every picture.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Should I be worried then, Miss Allen?”

“No, I’m not a stalker,” she answered with a giggle. “You have to admit you’re an incredibly handsome man. I’m positive I’m not the only one with a Master Anderson shrine in her bedroom.” When he continued to look at her warily, she added, “Remember, you came to my hotel tonight.”

Brad laughed as he held Shey tight, enjoying the feel of her in his arms—a li
ttle too much—and was reluctant when it was time to let her go. He released his hold and helped Shey to her feet.

“You should really eat more. It feels like a tiny gust could blow you away.”

Shey gave him an awkward smile as she slipped on her clothes, readying herself to leave.

Once she was fully dressed, Brad came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, unhappy the time had finally come to say good-bye. “It’s been a pleasure spending the evening with you, Miss Allen.”

She leaned her head back and sighed. “I wish it didn’t have to end…” She paused for a moment and then turned around in his arms, looking up at Brad with those sparkling blue eyes. “And it doesn’t have to, at least not yet. I have a secret I’d love to show you.”

Although it was getting late, and he knew that prolonging the inevitable was unwise, Brad smiled down at her and shrugged. “Why not?”

“Great, ’cause I’m about to show you my favorite place in the whole wide world.”

Surprise

Brad threw on a shirt and his shoes before following her out the door. In the elevator Shey explained, “About six months ago I was going through an extremely rough patch in my life. I still came to work on time and put in my best effort—heck, I doubt anyone on staff had a clue how depressed I was—except for Mr. Nyte. I don’t know how he knew, because I’ve never met the man in person, but I got a note one night at the end of my shift.”

Shey dug through her purse and handed it to him to read.

Dear Miss Allen,

Life is a journey. When I lose sight of that, I visit my sanctuary. I offer it to you now. Please feel free to visit it whenever you feel the need. Your thumbprint has already been encoded, but the key included in this letter is also required to enter.

If the room is in use, the keypad will deny you access so there is no chance of you disturbing me.

Miss Allen, your hard work and dedication to our clients have not gone unnoticed. However, your smile is missing, and I would like it to return.

Sincerely,

Mr. Nyte

Brad handed her back the note, stating, “That was a thoughtful gesture.”

“I had no idea what a gift he’d given me until I saw the place. It’s like a miracle—an oasis in the middle of the Nevada desert.”

“Do you think he’ll be upset if you share it with me?”

Shey shook her head. “Although I would prefer to ask, I have no way of contacting Mr. Nyte tonight. Since you will be leaving in the morning, I don’t see the harm.”

They stopped on the highest floor, but the doors didn’t open until Shey pressed her thumb against the touchpad. She guided him through a series of hallways until they came to a green door.

Shey pressed her thumb against another security lock, and the door opened into a small foyer. Shey shut the door behind them and then approached the second door with a golden keyhole. She took a similarly colored key out of her purse and inserted it into the lock. She turned it, a look of excitement on her face as she said breathlessly, “Prepare to be amazed!”

The door slowly swung open, and the first thing that hit him was the clean scent of freshly cut lawn. He stepped into the darkened room and was startled to feel the floor give a little under his feet. Looking down, he looked down and saw it was covered in a carpet of living grass. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a virtual forest before him, complete with leafy trees, a running stream in the middle of the massive room, and the wide expanse of sky above them protected by a barrier of clear glass.

“It truly is an oasis,” he murmured as she led him inside.

“In the daytime, the air is full of butterflies and the sound of birds chirping. It reminds me of the magical candy room in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It has the same surreal quality, doesn’t it?”

She guided him over to the stream and pointed at the water. He looked down and saw the outlines of giant fish swimming about.

“Even the water is teeming with life.”

Shey pointed excitedly at a large fish as it swam by. “That one there I named Troy 2.”

Brad stared at her in disbelief.

“But you can call him T2.” Shey giggled, bumping her shoulder against him. “What can I say? I really love my cat.”

“Apparently…”

“There are even squirrels and hummingbirds here. It’s like a cornucopia of animal life in the daytime, but when all the creatures are asleep at night, the real magic begins.”

She lay down on the soft grass and beckoned him to join her. Brad stretched out beside her, and they stared up at the stars together.

“In Vegas, it takes a really tall building to be able to see the stars,” she explained. “I come up here instead of eating during my dinner breaks whenever I get the late shift.”

“Is that why you’re so thin?”

Shey turned her head toward him, frowning sadly. “I pretty much stopped eating when I found out Laura was carrying Sam’s child. It was bad enough when they got married a year ago, but when that happened…I kind of broke inside. She was living my life, and I was stuck with nothing. No partner, no marriage, and no…baby girl.”

Brad huffed. “Amy has a child as well, so I completely understand that sentiment.”

Shey put her hand on his and squeezed. “It’s nice to have someone who can relate. My friends told me to just get over it, but I’ve needed this time to mourn the life I will never have.” She smiled at him. “I haven’t eaten this much in a long time, though. I think I may finally be ready to move on.”

“What does moving on look like for you, Shey?”

She shrugged. “Not much different, I suppose. I plan to keep working here at the Nyte and helping my parents out on the weekends. It’s my lot in life, but I accept that now.”

“Are your parents ill?”

“No, they’re just old. I could never leave Vegas because of them. They’re the only family I’ve got.”

“No brothers or sisters?”

Shey’s face crumpled. She turned her head away when she told him, “I’d rather not talk about it.”

Brad grasped her chin and gently turned her back toward him to kiss her sweet lips. “Then we won’t, Shey.”

He looked back up at the stars and stated, “I wish you could move to LA. I’m certain you’d love life on the beach. There’s always something to do, and when the pressure gets to be too much, you can sit by the ocean and let the waves carry your troubles away.”

“It sounds wonderful,” she agreed wistfully.

“Too bad fate has determined our paths aren’t meant to mesh. My life is in LA, and yours is here with your family.”

“Yeah…to be honest, I don’t think it would ever work between us anyway. I couldn’t handle you training submissives every day. I know it’d make me a jealous wreck.”

“Being the headmaster does make having a committed relationship harder,” Brad confessed. “Not many women can wrap their heads around the fact it’s simply a job for me. I don’t allow emotional attachments with my students.”

Shey laughed. “Well, we saw how well that worked for Sir Thane Davis.”

“Ah, but Brie was the exception. He’d worked there for years without incident before she came along.”

“Still…I don’t think many women could handle having their man train other women to be good submissives.”

Brad crossed his arms under his head and let out a long sigh. “I suppose that means I’m doomed to live alone.”

“Me too…”

“Fate is a bugger.”

Shey giggled. “Yes, he certainly is.”

Brad growled in resignation as Shey snuggled up against him, and they both grew quiet as they gazed up at the stars. The sound of the trickling stream, along with the occasional rustling as animals moved about in the dark, enhanced the peaceful revelry.

Suddenly, the sky lit up as a brilliant trail of light shot across, causing Shey to cry out in delight. “Did you see the shootin
g star? Did you make a wish?”

Brad chuckled. “No, I gave up wishing on stars a long time ago.”

“Well, I haven’t.” Shey proceeded to close her eyes and mouthed words to herself.

What she didn’t know was that he’d actually made a wish as the bright light trailed across the night sky—he just wasn’t willing to admit it, especially when there was no chance of it coming true.

Shortly after the shooting star, Shey’s phone started ringing. She glanced at it briefly, quickly dismissing the call. “Must be a wrong number.” She stared at it again and let out a low groan. “Crud, I really have to go. I just saw the time. It’s already two in the morning, and my shift starts at six.”

“It’s that time then.” Brad stood up and offered his hand to her. “We both knew it would come to this.” He took one last long look at the sanctuary before leaving. “I’m glad you brought me here. I’ll never forget it—or this night with you.”

She smiled as she entwined her arm in his and they made their way down the hall to the elevator. Once they reached his floor, she hesitated for a moment. “I hate to say good-bye.”

“You can spend the night,” he offered, hoping against hope she would agree.

Tears came to her eyes when she shook her head in answer.

Brad stepped out of the elevator and nodded in understanding, tipping an imaginary hat to her. “Take care of yourself, Shey.” He stood and watched as the elevator doors began to close. He almost thrust his hand out to stop them, but remained still. He knew the headmaster position he’d accepted precluded him from pursuing Shey further, so he allowed the doors to close and walked back to his room, sighing heavily as he unlocked the door.

Some things weren’t in the cards…

He’d known that before the evening had even started. It was foolish to wish it was otherwise now.

Cayenne met him at the entrance, meowing piteously. He picked up the tiny kitten and petted her behind the ears. “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid.” Brad walked over to the scenic window that overlooked the flashy city below him. “As much as I wish it were otherwise, I have to face the fact that I’m unlucky in love…even in Vegas.”