Western Dreams (Rescue Me Saga Extras #1) (6 page)

Her response seemed strange, but Megan didn’t really know the woman all that well. “Ryder and I are just beginning to get settled in but are dying to come and try your restaurant. I’m hearing good things.”

Angelina beamed. “Let me know ahead of time, and I’ll prepare a memorable special that night.” Being a chef was her calling, apparently.

“I have a feeling
all
of your dishes will be memorable.”

“And you would be correct.” Marc D’Alessio approached. “Hi, Megan.” He wrapped his arm around Angelina’s waist and smiled down at her. “This woman puts an amazing amount of love and care into each dish she makes.”

Ryder arrived with their bottles of water. “Megan and I need to come to your place soon.”

“My thought exactly,” Megan agreed.

The crack of a bullwhip made Megan jump, then laugh self-consciously.

“Sounds like Gunnar’s planning to play tonight,” Marc said. “He’s usually much quieter with the single tail.”

“Actually, that might be for our benefit. That’s why we’re here. He’s going to train me to throw one.”

Marc nodded. “You couldn’t ask for a better instructor.” He glanced down at Angelina. “Maybe you’d be interested in that someday, too?”

She shook her head. “I doubt it. Let’s stick to the Florentine floggers.”

Marc grinned. “My pleasure,
cara
.” Turning his attention to Ryder and Megan again, he said, “If you’ll excuse us, there’s a cross over there awaiting my lady’s pleasure.”

Megan was tempted to follow and watch, but Gunnar walked up to them at that moment. “Glad you made it. I think we’re all set. Megan, Ryder has asked for a demonstration first.” He had? “How would you feel about being my target tonight?”

She glanced at Ryder who smiled. “Totally up to you, but I thought we ought to see if you really enjoy this kind of play first. It’s probably going to take me weeks of practice before we can try anything ourselves.”

Staring up at Gunnar again, she wondered what it would be like. She’d been curious since Ryder had asked her. His intense stare sent a shiver up her spine, but Ryder was here to keep an eye on things, and she’d spelled out her hard limits precisely on the form she’d filled out. But it was never a bad idea to confirm when negotiating with someone who might not have seen the form yet.

She smiled. “I’m good with it.”

Gunnar grinned. “Judging by the way your ponytail jumped a few minutes ago when I cracked the popper, we’re going to start with something easy and painless. Excuse me for a few minutes while I look over your form briefly.”

When he came back, he led her over to the large area devoid of equipment or furniture. No doubt he needed a wide space to throw the whip without hitting unintended targets. Only, at the moment, she would be the bulls-eye.

“First, because I can’t see your body with your clothing on…”

Surely he didn’t intend for her to strip naked. She looked at Ryder, whose attention had shifted to Gunnar as well. He didn’t seem at all happy about the prospect, either.

“…I’ll need to confirm some things and ask some additional questions before we begin. First, are there any medical conditions I should be made aware of? Any skin grafts, superficial injuries in targeted impact areas on your back, ass, or thighs?”

“I can’t think of anything that might be a problem in that area, but…” She felt awkward about telling someone she barely knew this, but didn’t want to withhold information that might be important. “I had a hysterectomy when I was twenty-four.”

Gunnar’s brow shot up, but he masked his surprise again quickly. “Any recent impact play?”

Again her gaze went to Ryder, and she smiled before giving Gunnar her attention again. “Spankings, paddlings—and a run-in with a riding crop. We haven’t taken anything to extreme, though, if that’s what you mean.”

He turned to Ryder who nodded.

Gunnar addressed her again. “Your safeword is scarlet?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Got it. Now, stand here and put your hands over your head, clasping them.” She did as instructed, and he stepped back. He curled the whip and threw it in her direction, making it pop just to her left. Her heart felt as though it jumped into her throat, but when he repeated the move again to her right, she managed to hold still a little better. “Well done.”

She glanced over at Ryder who nodded and smiled.

“Now I want you to feel the whip on your body. Are you ready?”

Probably not, but she replied, “Yes.”

He grew somber, and the next thing she remembered, the whip was hurling toward her. However, instead of striking her with a sting, it wrapped around her waist in more of a hug. “Amazing!” She turned to Ryder again. “Definitely have him teach you that, Sir!”

Ryder chuckled. “Will do, brat.”

She shrugged, but decided she ought to be on higher protocol while here so as not to make her Dom look bad in front of the others.

“Ryder,” Gunnar said, motioning him over, “just as with a flogger or any other implement you intend to use, you’ll want to warm her up slowly, letting the whip caress her skin, both in places you plan to impact as well as others. Here.”

He handed the coiled whip to Ryder, who took it, walked around behind her, and rubbed the whip across her shoulders and shoulder blades and then down the hollow of her spine. The smell of leather excited her nearly as much as its touch. He circled around in front again, uncurling the whip. Holding onto the handle with his left hand, he grabbed a spot near the other end of the four-foot braided leather with his right. He stretched the whip taut with a snap before brushing it lightly over her collarbone and upper breasts. Each time he came near her nipples, when her anticipation for the feel of it on her sensitive peaks was at its most intense, he moved back up again and started over. Finally, after several repetitions, he stopped teasing her and rubbed the leather up and down directly over her nipples, only leaving her ready to beg for more.

He grinned. Couldn’t he tell she was close to crumpling into a puddle at his feet? He always read her arousal and other moods so well. When her breath became shallow and rapid, he proceeded down and over her abdomen to her thighs encased in black leggings. Though she’d tried to prepare for anything tonight, she hadn’t expected to be included in Ryder’s lesson like this.

Continuing his slow tease over her body, he looped the whip around her left thigh and ran it slowly up her inner thigh, coming painfully close to her pussy before sliding it down her right inner thigh. She wanted to scream, or grab his hand and guide it where she wanted him to be. As if aware of her thought, Gunnar stepped around behind her and took her by the elbows, guiding her hands into a box hold behind her back.

She drew a shaky breath. Having two men dominating her at the same time had her senses on overload. Feeling the heat of the two men only ignited the flames inside her even more.

Ryder reached between her legs to give Gunnar the end of the whip and then stood tall again in front of her, smiling. “Your pupils are dilated, breathing rapid. I think you’re going to have a love affair with the whip, Red.”

“Oh, Sir, we’re already quite fond of one another.”

He chuckled. “Then I think it’s time for the two of you to become better acquainted.” As if the two men had exchanged some silent signal, both lifted the whip at the same time until she straddled it. The braided leather pressed between her outer lips and against her clit. When they began sawing it back and forth, she gasped in surprise. Each bump of the whip’s braids over her oversensitive nerves felt like a flick against her clit until she shook on the inside with suppressed need.

They increased the rhythm until she trembled visibly. Just when she thought she might have to ask for permission to come, they stopped, and she tried not to collapse. Ryder closed the gap between them and kissed her before whispering in her ear, “Red, you’re making me so fucking hot.”

“Oh, Sir, you don’t know the half of how hot I am right now.”

He took his free hand and rubbed between her legs, and she sucked in her breath when he touched her, trying not to lose it. “Judging by your response just now, I have a pretty good idea.”

“Well done, Ryder,” Gunnar said. “I can already tell you’re going to be a natural with the whip—and make this little sub quite happy.” He tugged playfully at her ponytail. “You can release your arms now. Shake them out.”

Without waiting for her to do so, Gunnar walked over to a table where a grocery-store bouquet of daisies had been placed on the table. He tore away the cellophane and broke off three blossoms on three- or four-inch stems before approaching her again.

“Stretch out your arms from your sides and parallel to the floor.” She did so, and he placed a flower in each hand, with her fingertips holding the stems and the blooms protruding outward. He didn’t step away. Instead, he held out the third one in front of her face. “Open your mouth and take the end of the stem between your teeth.”

Her brow wrinkling in confusion, she did as he told her. “Good girl. I’ve taken away your ability to speak your safeword, but if you need to stop at any point, just drop one of the flowers and give me a thumbs down sign.”

Megan nodded her understanding.

Taking his mark in about the same place as he’d thrown the whip before, Gunnar sent the whip hurling toward her, cracking the popper to her left. She jumped, but not nearly as much as she had the first time. Then, an instant later, he did so on her right. She held tightly onto the three daisies, although she nearly bit through the one between her teeth. Adjusting it with her lips and teeth again, she tried to prepare for whatever he intended to do next, but the man was unpredictable.

“Good job, Megan. You’re already showing better control of your body’s natural responses than you did earlier this evening.” At least now she was halfway expecting the sound, although he still seemed to try to catch her off guard. Yet his praise empowered her. She glanced across the space at Ryder, who once again stood out of range of the whip. His nod and smile of approval melted her insides.

“Before we continue, I want you to take a few deep, cleansing breaths—in through your nose and out through your mouth.”

She closed her eyes and filled her lungs slowly, then released the air at an equal pace watching the flower petals flutter as she exhaled. After the third complete round, most of the tension had left her body. Megan nodded her readiness, deciding to let her eyes remain closed.

“Open your eyes open and focus on me,” Gunnar commanded, and she obeyed. “I want you to become accustomed to seeing the whip hurling toward you so that, over time, your natural reflex to flinch or jerk will go away. Only then will you be a safe target for your Dom to play with.” She hadn’t thought about how her unpredictable movements would make this unsafe for them both.

“Now, I want to show you there’s little to worry about in the hands of someone trained to throw a whip. Of course, I should warn you there have been instances when a whip has become inexplicably tangled.”

Her heart pounded. She thought he was an expert.

Ryder asked, “What happened?”

“Let’s just say the popper struck the target in a less than optimal way. Feels like a bee sting, really. I’ve had it happen to me more than you will because I train a lot of people and am often their practice target. But you need to know it can happen, even with a whip master who has twenty or more years of experience. There are risks inherent in this type of play and many others. With practice, though, you’ll minimize them.” He turned to Megan. “The pain lingers only briefly—and the mark may last an hour or two—but even so, there won’t be any welts or cuts. Not the way I throw a whip, anyway. Or the way I’ll be teaching your Dom to do so. I am aware that you aren’t interested in being marked long-term.” Did she detect a hint of disappointment in his voice?

“By the time I allow Ryder to do whip play with you, he’ll be well versed in all of the safety precautions and an expert with great precision.” He turned toward Ryder. “Otherwise, I won’t give you the go-ahead to use the whip on her. Understood?”

Ryder nodded. She had no doubt her husband and Dom would take this as seriously as he did every other safety aspect he used when they played.

Now she hoped to keep from flinching when Gunnar hurled the whip her way again.

*     *     *

Ryder’s pride in Megan abounded. Almost unflinching in just a matter of minutes. He wished he’d started his training weeks ago and would be the one wielding the whip tonight, but he also wanted to make sure he knew what he was doing before going anywhere near her with one, except for the incredibly sexy introduction to the whip he’d given her moments ago. His lady loved leather, especially when it came in the form of a braided bullwhip.

Gunnar turned to him and gave him some instructions on what to watch as he prepared. Forcing himself to pay close attention to the man’s hand, wrist, and whip, Ryder watched him spring into action.

Crack!

He moved so quickly, Ryder was left wondering what he’d done. He glanced back at Megan, one flower in her mouth, another in her right hand, but in her left, only a stem remained. Ryder’s attention went to the floor where the head of the daisy lay snipped off but otherwise undamaged.

“Incredible.” Would he learn to do that without hurting Megan or completely missing the target? Damn, he intended to if he had to practice in the round pen every night and spare moment. The look of awe on Megan’s face would be worth every minute.

“Let me slow it down for you this time,” Gunnar said. Addressing Megan, he said, “Just hold that pose. We’ll be with you again in no time.”

Placing the handle in Ryder’s hand, Gunnar showed him by guiding him through the paces how to get the whip to curl and roll toward the target—thin air, in his case—and let him practice several times until he, too, could throw it smoothly.

“When you go home, I want you to repeat that about a hundred times—every night—until I see you again for our next session. If you want to try for precision by consistently hitting inanimate objects, line up some empty cans on a fence or wall for starters.”