Strictly Business: Hooded Pleasures, Book 1 (23 page)

She nodded, biting her lower lip.

He put his hands on her waist, thrilling to the softness of her skin. “May I kiss you, Mistress?”

“Yes.” The whispered response sent his soul ablaze. “But not yet.”

She gently pushed his hands down and stepped back. Kate sniffled and gestured at the spanking bench. “You know what this is?”

Alex nodded, holding back a shiver at the sight of leather and wood.

“It’s a bit different from your couch.” Kate wiped her eyes. “Let’s see how you like the real thing.” She twirled her fingers with a smirk.

Chapter Sixteen

Kate felt the heated rush of desire as Alex knelt and bent over the wooden frame, pressing his chest to the black leather. His bare ass rose in the air, settling at the perfect height.

She strode to the cabinet sitting nearby and pulled open the drawers. Everything was the same as it’d been the last time she was here.

Paddles, floggers, ball gags, butt plugs and dildos all in their rightful place.

As she and Alex were.

She picked up one of the black leather paddles.

It felt good in her hand, felt right. The hard wooden handle wrapped with bands of supple leather caressed her palm as she took hold.

Matthew made sure to only have the best on hand.

She curled her toes, feeling the cool hardwood floor under her bare feet.

She didn’t feel underdressed. Or exposed.

She was right where she was supposed to be, doing what she was made to do.

Perfect.

Alex quivered as she approached him from behind, his back muscles flexing in anticipation. He didn’t turn.

Kate ran her hand down over his shoulder blades. Her fingers slipped under the collar and gave a gentle tug. “Say my name.”

“Katherine.”

He said it like a prayer.

She moved back and landed a hard slap with the paddle.

“Say my name correctly.”

“Mistress Katherine.” Alex corrected himself, and she could have sworn there was a trace of a laugh in his words.

“Better.” Kate leaned over and pressed her breasts against his bare back. “I believe we usually start with ten to warm up, yes?”

“Yes, Mistress. Please.” The throaty request sent her mind soaring.

He groaned as she laid into him with the paddle, his ass turning a delicious and deeper pink with each stroke. After ten, she stopped to catch her breath and to regain control. She should have put him in the cuffs, but she had bigger plans for this, their first time together.

This was just the warm-up.

He was gorgeous, sweat gathering on his exposed skin as he waited for her.

For me.

Another visit to the drawer retrieved a set of floggers, the varying lengths and materials sure to deliver different experiences.

“Stand up.”

Alex stood, keeping his hands to his sides.

Kate moved behind him. She reached out and ran one hand over the reddened skin, squeezing his ass cheek. His muscles twitched under her touch, adding to her own arousal.

“God, you’re beautiful,” she leaned in and whispered. “You can’t imagine how handsome you look. How strong you’re being. I see it.”

The answering sigh had her shivering with desire.

“There.” She reached out with her left hand over his shoulder and pointed to the St. Andrew’s cross in the corner. “Over there.”

He didn’t move.

Her stomach flip-flopped, tamping down her arousal.

“It’ll be just like in your house.” Kate placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. “Just the same except on a different frame. Don’t be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid. I want—” The whisper was so low she had to move in to hear it.

“What?”

“If my Mistress would allow it,” Alex rephrased it.

“Go on.” She frowned, trying to figure out what he was going to say.

The words came out in a tumble. “I want to be flogged out in the lounge. In public.” He stood up tall and puffed out his chest. “So everyone can see I’m yours. If it would please my Mistress.”

She almost broke right there.

Instead, she moved behind him and let the emotions roll over her, the love from him bringing her to tears.

Alex cleared his throat. “If it would please my Mistress,” he repeated.

Kate hugged him from behind, letting the flogger drop over his cock and balls.

He moaned and rolled his head back as she nuzzled the side of his neck, her eyes wet with tears.

“Yes. It would please me very much.”

Kate shut the door behind her and glanced at her watch.

It was after midnight.

From previous experience, she knew there wouldn’t be many people left in the lounge. Most of the new members would have gone home by now, their curiosity satisfied and their minds made up if they’d return or not. Some of the regulars would have already paired off for the evening and were busy in the back rooms or back at the bar to rest and chat, find another partner if that’s what they wanted.

There was still enough of an audience to fall silent when the two entered the main lounge.

Alex, still naked, led the way with his eyes downcast as he strode past the bar and toward the wooden cross. His bare feet slapped the dance floor in crossing, drawing even more attention. The metal ring at the front of his collar swayed back and forth with each step.

Kate was right behind him. She’d put her clothes back on, not wanting to distract anyone from appreciating Alex’s well-toned body.

She carried Alex’s clothing in a small pile, the floggers she’d chosen for the scene resting on top.

Matthew stood at the bar, deep in a discussion with William. His head came up as the people nearby reacted, the whispers and murmurs a low hum under the music.

He looked at Kate as Alex stepped up on the podium. His right eyebrow arched as if to ask a question.

She nodded.

He smiled and gave his silent approval.

She wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d said no. The number of new members allowed to play in public on their first night was few, enough to count on one hand. She knew it by rumor—it was a rare occasion because of the emotional factor. Being flogged in public might be on someone’s wish list, but when push came to shove, or when slap came to skin, he or she usually broke and ran, unable to deal with it.

No one blamed them. The responsibility lay with the Dominant to decide if he or she could handle it.

She knew Alex could.

Matthew trusted her to know she was right.

His confidence in her abilities helped steady her as she readied both herself and Alex.

Alex stretched out his arms and legs. He leaned against the polished dark wood and turned his head to one side, facing the crowd with his eyes wide open.

The other way would point him toward the wall and offer some privacy, let him keep his emotions to himself.

He wasn’t having any of it.

Kate thought she’d burst with pride.

She stepped up behind him and reached around to fasten the leather straps.

Nervous tremors rocked Alex’s body as she worked on the buckles locking him in place. She drew her hand down his spine, feeling him settle under her touch.

“You remember your safe-word?” she murmured as she moved to the other wrist.

“Yes.”

“Say it.”

“Kill switch. But I won’t need it.” The confidence in his voice drove into her sharp and fast. “I trust you.”

She forced herself to continue, holding back the tears.

He’s giving this to me.

The ankle restraints spread his legs, forcing his balls and cock against the dark blue pad. She imagined the sweet torture, every move increasing his arousal.

And he was going to move, whether he wanted to or not.

This may be his first time doing a public scene, but it wasn’t hers. She knew what was going to happen to him, the emotional rush vastly different from hanging from his kitchen door in the privacy of his home.

“I’m going to start now.” Kate kissed the back of his neck just above the collar. “Thank you.”

He said nothing, but she saw his muscles tense, readying himself mentally for what he’d only read about in books and was now about to experience firsthand.

She stepped back and studied her target, noted the sweat trickling down his spine.

Yes.

Kate felt the curious eyes on her, the veterans wondering at her reappearance and the newer members enjoying the sight. You’d have to be dead to not appreciate Alex’s fine body, the slick skin already springing to life under her previous paddling.

She drew the flogger over the palm of her hand, feeling the tickle of the soft fabric.

She had no intention of tickling Alex with it.

Kate drew her arm back, feeling the surge of heat race through her body.

The first flogger she’d chosen was a lightweight, the long deer hide threads warming him up as she worked him over, crossing back and forth in an X pattern.

She spent some time on his shoulders, giving his ass a bit of a break.

But not for long.

Kate twirled the flogger around and moved down the naked body presented in front of her.

His already pinked butt cheeks tensed as he got into the routine, accepting the lashes without comment. Hands clenched and curled into fists, pulsing with every strike of the flogger.

Alex’s head lolled back, showing his mind was elsewhere, his body producing the chemicals to push him into a different reality.

In a way, she envied him. She couldn’t go all the way there with him, her responsibility keeping her grounded.

But she wasn’t immune.

The music receded into the background as she felt his emotional rush, his sighs and moans winding her up tighter than she’d ever been with Carl. Each gasp, each twitch of his fingers went right to her inner core, pushing her closer to the edge.

She paused to catch her breath and give Alex a short break. A water bottle had been placed near her feet, and she wrenched the top off.

Alex panted as she placed the bottle near his lips.

“Drink.”

It wasn’t a request.

He gulped at the small stream dribbling from the tilted bottle, the water splashing over his sweaty face and spotting the polished wood.

“You’re doing fine,” Kate murmured. “I’m so proud of you.” She nodded toward the audience. “They’re all proud of you. And in awe.”

She nudged him to focus in on the admirers, male and female, watching them.

One woman sitting on the floor curled around her master’s leg, licking her lips as she observed. He caressed her hair and smiled as he watched.

Time to up the game.

“Next stage.” Kate stepped back with the half-empty bottle.

She moved to the second flogger, the horsehair delivering more sting than the soft deer-hide straps. Mentally, she thanked Matthew for keeping such a lovely collection on hand, allowing for such diversity.

A shudder rocked Alex’s body as the new flogger landed on already sensitized skin, adding to the red stripes crisscrossing over his broad shoulders. The thinner strands bit into his back, pushing him to a new level of tolerance.

She took longer between strokes, letting him wallow in the sensations.

Alex moaned as his back reddened under the assault. His entire body shook, and Kate paused, worried if she’d gone too far.

Too much?

He stared out at the audience, eyes glazed, and mumbled something.

Kate leaned in, listening hard for his safe-word.

Say it if you need to
, she mentally whispered.
I’m right here. No one will think any less of you if you—

“More,” he croaked. “Please, Mistress.”

She gasped, reenergized by his strength.

Kate needed it.

Sweat trickled down and pooled at the base of her spine. Her black blouse stuck to her skin, the silk unable to take the heat and perspiration. She stopped and gave Alex another mouthful of water before finishing the bottle off.

Whispers came from the audience, admiration for Alex and for her.

She knew why.

It was unthinkable for a new member to go this far on a first visit, no matter who was accompanying them on the trip.

Everyone would remember this.

Remember Alex.

“Last stage,” she said softly into his ear. “Time to face the boss.”

Kate stepped back and reached for the last flogger she’d chosen.

Bootlace. The light- and dark-brown laces hung down from the handle, knotted at the bottom.

Someone in the audience gave an orgasmic moan, but she didn’t look around, focused on the task at hand.

“Yes,” Alex murmured as if he had eyes in the back of his head and knew what she was doing.

This was one of the strongest floggers she’d used, too afraid to look at the scourges and other metal-tipped ones. This was as far as she’d go, as far as she’d take Alex.

Kate reached back and let it fly.

For you, Alex. All for you.

Alex gasped as the braided cords dragged across the inflamed skin, the red streaks growing and turning crimson with each strike.

She increased her speed, upping both her arousal and adoration for him.

He moaned again. His fingers clenched and unclenched, fists thrusting into the air.

He was burning in a white fire, consumed body and soul.

The pain subsided into a dull throbbing, the tentacles reaching deep into him and caressing every nerve ending, embracing him whole. Every stroke shot straight to his groin, pushing him against the smooth leather pad and raising his arousal another notch. The odd cord sliding under to snap against his balls made him jump even as the lightning blazed through his veins.

Alex ground his teeth together, fighting back the urge to explode. He wasn’t going to come and embarrass himself, embarrass Katherine.

Embarrass his Mistress.

No.

He locked his hips even as the next set of blows fell, the shockwaves rocking his body.

Alex moaned, forgetting everything except Katherine.

My Mistress.

The emotional connection brought him to tears, every touch of the flogger on his skin her fingers drawing over his body, reaching inside to stroke his soul.

Yes.

The fire splintered him into a thousand pieces and gathered him up to put him back together anew and complete.

He rolled his head back and sobbed, flying into that bright light he’d been hunting for so long.

Yes.

Kate felt redeemed, reborn by his gift. She’d left a beaten woman and returned with a wonderful submissive, a handsome and magnificent sub, a man all the Mistresses and Masters in the room would want and knew they couldn’t have.