But he did enjoy the view. Her inner labia were puffy and gleaming slickly. Her clit was already swollen, a dark, glistening pink and poking out from the hood. I think she’ll get off quickly. But that wasn’t the plan. “I’d say she’s ready for me.”

An obvious tremor shook her short body. Yes, she was definitely ready for him. He tilted his head toward the St. Andrew’s cross.

“Wait, sweetheart. I want access to your breasts.” After eyeing Sally’s height, Vance adjusted the footboards—pedal-like boards that could be screwed into the bottom of the X frame to position the submissive higher on the cross. In this case, so that her breasts wouldn’t be pressed into the center of the X.

“Up you go,” Vance said and helped her step onto the boards, facing the frame. She reached up and closed her hands around the eyebolts, putting her top half into a V position. With the higher position, her stomach rubbed on the center of the X, and her breasts pushed out between the wooden arms.

Vance walked around in front of her and smiled. “You know I like restraints. I consider them a visible symbol of the trust between a Dom and a sub. But tonight, I’m not going to use any. You’ll stay in position—because we want you to. Can you do that?”

Her breathing had slowed as her body unconsciously prepared itself, as her mind slid her down the path to submission. “Yes, Sir.”

“We’re going to start light, baby girl,” Galen said. After moving behind her, he ran his hand through her rich brown hair and used an elastic hair tie from his pocket to anchor it on top of her head and out of his way.

She looked over her shoulder at him. Her eyes held a touch of anxiety and—

His heart seemed to expand into a glowing ball of pleasure. “You trust me, don’t you?” For that was what he saw in her eyes. Open, defenseless trust.

“Yes, Sir,” she answered without thinking.

This was the wonder of being a Dom, that someone would let him have control over her, that she trusted him to care for her when she did. “Remember you have a safe word. This time I want you to use yellow if I get close to your limits. Is that clear?” He ran his hand up her neck, kissed her slowly. Soft, sweet lips.

“Yes, Sir. I will.”

“All right then.” Galen picked up his light deer-hide flogger and used it to warm up her skin, walking back and forth behind her, striking her upper back, occasionally going down on a knee to work over her pretty, round ass. Her golden skin colored beautifully to a rich red color and gradually showed a slight pebbling. Her breathing evened out, came slower as she sank into the sensations.

He loved watching the descent, the slide of tension out her body.

Sally’s head was still up. Galen chose a heavier flogger and positioned himself where he could see the side of her face as he laid the leather on her back. Harder. Her expression would tighten, and she’d breathe out through the burst of sensation. Not real pain—not yet. But getting there. A pretty sight, watching her take what he gave her.

He moved behind her and increased the intensity.


CHRIST IN NEVER-NEVER land, that felt as if she were being slammed into by a million tiny hammers. He wasn’t going to go easy on her, was he? She closed her eyes and inhaled through the edgy pain, through the edgy response that followed. The arousal simmering under her skin kept growing, even though the last strike had been powerful enough to knock her body forward against the cross and jostle the clothespins around her breasts, adding a whole new level to the sensations inside.

Whap. Whap.

No time to breathe between. Each blow just a little more forceful than the previous ones. She filled her lungs and opened her eyes. Galen was beside her. His dark gaze swept over her, studying her, before meeting her eyes. “You’re doing good, pet. Give me a number for the last couple.”

He wanted to see if their assessments added up. How hard had the blows been? “Maybe six?” God help her if he ever got to a ten.

“About what I thought. Can you take more?”

Oh, she wanted to; she’d do anything for him. And she wasn’t close to her limit yet. “Yes, Sir.”

The small smile of approval made her melt inside and resolve to take anything he could give her. Her mouth firmed.

Rather than looking pleased, he frowned. “I expect to hear yellow if we get to that point, Sally. Don’t disappoint me.”

“Okay. Yes, Sir.” Yes, Master. My Master. When he looked at her like that, when she knew that he saw her…she could take so much, much more.

“Good.” He unbuttoned his black shirt and tossed it to the side. He was pumped up by the flogging, and his olive skin stretched tightly over his exquisite musculature. Streamlined steel. A triangle of black hair on his chest pointed down toward his black jeans. Tight abs. God, he had a great body.

As he used a figure-eight technique, he moved behind her, hitting her on the left upper back and swirling the tails before striking the right upper. The left slightly lower. The right. He’d lightened his blows, and the flogger felt wonderful. She had a feeling her endorphins were kicking in, flooding her system with happy juice. Leaning her head against her arm, she waited for the next one.

A burning feeling detonated in her outer breast. “Ow!”

Vance stood in front of her, holding the clothespin he’d just removed.

The flogger hit her back, shoving her into the cross. Another clothespin came off, and she squeaked at the sharp pain. The flogger hit a second later.

“Breathe, pet.” Galen’s cheek rubbed against hers as he checked in with her. His voice was as dark as his eyes.

Tilting her head, she stared at him, seeing his enjoyment with the scene, with the flogging, with her submission. With her.

She sank into his pleasure, opening under it like a night-blooming flower. And she pulled in a breath.

“Good girl.” As Galen stepped away, she managed to turn her face forward and meet Vance’s dark blue gaze. The same pleasure showed there.

And the floor seemed to drop from under her feet. Everything in her wanted to continue, for them to push her to new places, take her higher.

As if she’d spoken the request, Vance nodded. With the next clothespin, he wiggled it slightly, teasing her, and just as the flogger struck her back, Vance removed the pin. Her back felt as if she were glowing, her breasts…the sensation was…was…not quite pain, but a thick burn, like a syrup of sensation. She was starting to feel as if she’d been breathing the dentist’s gas. Wonderful, wonderful place.

The Doms worked together, clothespins coming off, flogger like punctuation. Heat increasing front and back. Over and over.

Galen moved to her other side, using his backhand, and damned if it wasn’t harder yet. Vance had removed all the clothespins.

Her breasts were swollen, and each throb somehow coincided with the pulsing in her pussy. The flogger blows were sending her higher, making her giggle even as some tears spilled over.

“She’s sliding into subspace.” Vance moved into her field of vision, and he had the nicest smile.

“Adorable, isn’t she?” Galen’s voice was like the velvet dress her mommy had made her. “Time for something a little harsher.”

With a contented sigh, she leaned her face against her arm, waiting for the next thumpety strike.

“What the hell?” Galen sounded so pissed off that Sally blinked and turned her head.

Oh shit. The pretty fog in her head receded.

Standing over his toy bag, Galen held up his heaviest flogger. The strands had been tied into pretty bows until the business end looked like a mass of ruffled leather flowers.

Don’t laugh; don’t laugh. Giggles rose so fast and violent that she choked, trying to hold them back until her ears were ringing. She couldn’t…and then she was laughing so hard she had to hold her stomach. Oh God, stop. The stunned expression on Vance’s face set her off again until her sides hurt worse than her back. A wave of laughter spread from one side of the dungeon to the other. Oh man, they were going to kill her. Tears streamed down her face as she gasped for breath.

Warm hands closed over her breasts. “You’re in big trouble, sweetie,” Vance murmured, playing with her breasts, rolling one nipple and the other, sending molten zings down to her clit in surges of pleasure. He ran his fingers over the tender areas where the clothespins had been, and her entire body turned as liquid as a snowman on a sunny day.

With a glint in his sharp eyes, Vance tugged at her nipples until she moaned for more. His scent wafted to her, crisp and bright, like a spring morning in Iowa. And when he kissed her, she wanted him so bad that if they’d been in private, she have tried to rip his clothes off.

His tongue invaded, played; his lips were firm. His hand cupped the back of her head, positioning her so he could take her deeper until her lips were swollen and her body hummed with need.

“All yours,” he said eventually, and he wasn’t speaking to her. To Galen? Oh God.

She felt Galen’s warmth a second before his body leaned into her from the rear. Even through his heavy jeans, his erection was solid and thick against her buttocks. He closed one hand over her breast, using it to anchor her to him. His other hand cupped her face, turning her so he could take her mouth in a punishing kiss. Even though her breasts were aching and tender from Vance and the clothespins, when Galen pinched one nipple, she felt only want. Even her pussy felt swollen as she rubbed her bottom against his erection.