She struggled to hide her disappointment. Here she was, naked on the lap of the man of her dreams, and he'd really only taken things to second base. She'd m.a.s.t.u.r.b.a.t.ed in front of him, but he hadn't partic.i.p.ated. Doubts plagued her. What if he was doing this to prove a point, not because he actually wanted to train her?

"Don't do that." He gripped her arms loosely and ran a rough caress up and down them. "Don't hide your feelings from me."

"I'm sorry, Master." Those reservations wouldn't subside. She couldn't meet his gaze.

He grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. "Tell me what's wrong."

She decided to be blunt. "I don't want you doing this because you feel obligated. If you don't want me, then I wish you'd just tell me."

By way of responding, he took her hand and put it on his c.o.c.k. The hard length stirred, throbbing through the layers of fabric separating their skin. "I want you. I will have you, but I refuse to rush things. We do this on my schedule. I'm in charge, remember?"

She flexed her fingers in antic.i.p.ation, involuntarily squeezing his c.o.c.k. He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, he removed her hand and set it on her thigh. Their eyes met, and she realized just how close he was to throwing her to the floor and f.u.c.king her senseless. She marveled at how quickly he vacillated between seeming to have no pa.s.sion and appearing to be barely in control.

"Crawl to the bedroom. Bow your back to lift your a.s.s high. Hide nothing that belongs to me."

Scrambling from his lap, she tried to land on the floor with as much grace as she could manage, but on her best day, she wasn't all that graceful. Add the semidegrading nature of the position into the situation, and she wasn't sure she could even manage s.e.xy.

Keith kept his gaze on Kat's naked a.s.s. He'd made women crawl before, but his goal had always been to subjugate them. While his original intention with Kat had been the same, the move had backfired. One glimpse of her sculpted little a.s.s and those glistening nether lips and he'd been tempted to jump on her and rut like a tiger in heat.

Before he caught up to her in the hall, he snagged his bag of tricks from where he'd stashed it next to the landing. If she had been a little more used to him, he would have extracted a crop from it and peppered her a.s.s and c.u.n.t with taps and pokes as she crawled.

He shouldn't be here with her, not like this. Screw the promise he'd made all those years ago to Malcolm to keep his hands off Katrina. Keith knew full well why he had no business touching her the way he'd only ever dreamed about. It's just training, he reminded himself. He could justify training her. After all, this was really his one talent where women were concerned. He knew how to blow their minds with s.e.x. It was afterward, when they wanted to do relationship-type things, that it all went to h.e.l.l.

But Kat didn't want that. She wanted to maintain their friendship, and she wanted him to train her. They were two completely separate things. He'd just make d.a.m.n sure this fantasy went on for as long as he could drag it out, and then he'd live on these blissful memories for the rest of his life. It would have to be enough, and it was far more than he deserved.

She stopped in the middle of her bedroom floor and sat back on her heels. Her posture was good, but he didn't like the placement of her hands. She'd kept them on her thighs, palms up.

"Link your hands together behind your neck."

That position made her small, high b.r.e.a.s.t.s stick out a little more. Her nipples were still swollen and red from the clamps and from his rough play. She trembled the tiniest bit. He knew putting herself on display made her uncomfortable, and it thrilled him that she didn't hesitate or try to hide her nudity.

He set the bag on a chair next to her dresser and pulled out a flogger made from the softest deerskin. While tonight's goal was pleasure, he also wanted to see how sensitive she was. They both needed to learn to read her body's signals. She needed to know what she could and couldn't handle; he needed to know how far he could push her limits.

"Hold out your hand."

She accepted the flogger from him. First she stared at it, and then she lifted her gaze to ask a silent question.

"Touch it, Kitty Kat. Run your hands along the falls. Drag the tips over your thighs. Get to know this flogger, because I'm going to turn your skin pink with it. I'm going to tie you up and whip your a.s.s, back, thighs, and calves. Then I'm going to turn you around and give that same treatment to your b.r.e.a.s.t.s, stomach, and p.u.s.s.y."

A bit of color drained from her face at his frank description. Her eyes widened, and her puzzled expression altered to show her trepidation.

Chapter Four.

"What's your color, Kitty Kat?"

Katrina didn't know. The falls were soft in her hands, but even soft leather would have a bite when it was divided into strips about half an inch wide and slapped against naked flesh. Using the technique he'd taught her, she breathed to steady the emotions rioting inside.

When she'd asked him to show her a variety of experiences, she'd known she wouldn't clamor for them all. But if she didn't do this, her training would end, and she would spend the rest of her life wondering if she'd bailed too soon.

"Green, Master."

He didn't smile. Other than to turn back to his black gym bag, he didn't react at all. While he rummaged around, she studied the flogger closely. The black-and-purple braided handle was half the length of the falls, which she estimated to be a foot and a half long. She didn't count the falls, which continued the color scheme from the grip, but she figured there were between thirty and forty. It felt nice in her hand, strong and st.u.r.dy, yet soft and pliant. She wondered what it would be like to wield it.

"Stand, slave."

She stumbled to her feet, not sure whether they'd fallen asleep or she was just that nervous. Keith held out a hand to steady her. Lifting her gaze, she attempted to smile. Her effort fell short, and she cleared her throat, mostly as a distraction. "Thank you, Master."

He grinned the same c.o.c.ky, s.h.i.t-eating grin he'd used when he'd instigated the water fight at Layla's party, and he took the flogger. He tossed it on the foot of her bed. She watched it arc the short distance and land with a soft thud, the same way it would no doubt land on her back.

What was she thinking? Maybe she did like some rough nipple play, but that didn't mean she wanted to have her body tenderized by a huge whip. A moment of panic stole her focus. She worked to stabilize her emotions. When she had herself under control, she looked up to find Keith studying her in that intensely silent way he had about him. He waited. Everything about him exuded dominance and confidence, but she felt no pressure to proceed.

"I'm ready, Master."

He held out his hand, and she put her wrist in it. In seconds, he had wrapped soft cuffs-she guessed neoprene-around her wrists and secured them with Velcro. Then he knelt in front of her and wrapped matching cuffs just above her knees.

"Spread your legs."

Belatedly she remembered that she should have been standing with her legs shoulder-width apart this whole time. But when she complied, he tapped her inner thigh to coax her to widen even more. By the time he was satisfied, she had to bend at the knee to remain standing. Her muscles strained after only several moments, d.a.m.ning her for not doing lunges.

From his bag, he produced a metal bar that he threaded through loops attached to the cuffs on her legs. She'd heard of a spreader bar, but she hadn't seen one before. It kept her spread wide, completely exposed and at his mercy.

He helped her waddle to her bed, which wasn't very far away. Her condo was small, and the room size followed suit. He bent her over the side of the mattress and adjusted her position until she was exactly where he wanted her.

"Put your arms above your head. I like strict restraint, but I'm going easy on you tonight."

Like his other comments, this one did nothing to set her at ease. Now she would have to figure out what the h.e.l.l he meant by strict restraint. She would ask, but right now she had other things on her mind. She stretched her arms above her head to find him already standing on the other side of the bed, waiting for her compliance.

He snapped her cuffs together, attached a rope, and bent down. From his movements, she deduced he'd tied the other end to the bed frame. An experimental tug proved her correct. When he stood, he dug into his pocket and came out with a piece of black fabric. "A blindfold will heighten the experience."

Dread twisted in her stomach. She didn't necessarily want the experience heightened. She just wanted to get through it. A fast-forward b.u.t.ton would be helpful right about now. "Do I have to?"

His eyebrows knit together in mild reproof. "Kitty Kat, do you honestly think I'd put you through more than you can bear?"

She wasn't convinced. It must have shown, because he got on his knees, putting his face level with hers.

"Isn't that the point of doing all of this? Experience new things? Push your boundaries? Kat, I know what I'm doing. I need you to trust me. Try the blindfold. You can do this." Using the powers of persuasion inherent in those startlingly sincere eyes worked wonders on her confidence. What Keith wanted, Keith invariably got. He'd done this to her before, and she'd caved just like she was doing now.

"Okay. I'll try it."

"Master." He'd kept his tone gentle, but she didn't make the mistake of thinking she had an option.

"I'm sorry. I'll try it, Master."

He brushed a kiss across her cheek, and she began to grasp the extent of his power. With just the tone of his voice, he could elicit a heartfelt apology from her.

The world went dark.

"Rest your head on the bed, slave. If you don't relax, you'll strain your neck."

Nothing happened for far too long. She could hear him moving around the room. The floor creaked in two distinct places. Though she'd rested her cheek against the comforter, she couldn't relax. He was going to beat her, and she'd given consent.

Then she felt his legs press next to hers. His hips pressed into her a.s.s, and the weight of his hands pushed into the bed near her head. He didn't say anything, but she felt the light caress of his finger as he moved her hair away from her neck, and then the softest kisses fluttered along her spine. Heat from his body radiated into hers. He'd removed his shirt.

"Beautiful Kitty Kat. You're so f.u.c.king gorgeous. Spread out here like this, waiting for the kiss of my flogger. Offering your sweet secrets up to me." His vehement whispers rumbled through her skin via his roving lips.

He explored her upper back, sending gooseflesh streaming in all directions. She gasped when his teeth sank into the fleshy part of her shoulder. The man bit like a G.o.d. Tingling sensations joined the gooseflesh. Now she shook for a different reason. Rekindled desire had replaced her trepidation.

His weight shifted as he climbed off the bed. She tensed a bit, knowing what was coming next. But something soft brushed the places he'd just kissed. It took her several seconds before she recognized that he was trailing the falls over her skin. It felt good. This puzzled Katrina. As with the clamps earlier, she'd expected some kind of pain that would morph into pleasure, and so this unexpected gentleness knocked her completely off balance.

The length of his pa.s.ses increased. Soon she felt the caress run from her calves to her shoulders and back to her feet. The rhythm lulled her into a relaxed state.

The first slap of the whip was far less dramatic than she'd imagined. It didn't whistle through the air. It didn't hurt at all. The small stings were so light the impact felt like a ma.s.sage. Keith kept a steady rhythm, but he moved up and down her body. Soon a weightless feeling came over her. She felt a little as if she were floating and a little as if she were flying. Why did this instrument have such a notorious reputation?

All too soon, he stopped. The pleasant, disoriented feeling didn't. She sighed and settled into this curious consequence of the flogging. Vaguely she registered that he'd flipped her over and moved her so that she was more fully on the bed.

"Master." She murmured his t.i.tle reverently. At this moment, she'd do anything he wanted.

He subjected her front side to the same delicious treatment. She didn't know how long it lasted, only that she could lie here forever and let him do this. She could see why submissives begged their Masters for this bliss. Before long, the ma.s.sage ceased. When he freed her arms and repositioned her so that her arms were wrapped under her knees, drawing them up as high as she could hold them, she didn't wonder at his intent.

"Are you still with me, slave?"

He'd spoken directly below her ear, and then he caught her lobe between his teeth. She shivered and tried to release her leg so she could pull him closer. That was when she noticed he'd snapped her wrist cuffs to the spreader bar.

Her eyes flew open. She didn't remember when he'd removed the blindfold, but it was gone. The soft lights from her twin lamps combined with the buzzing in her head to make everything seem surreal. "What have you done to me?" Her question could have been heated, but she couldn't seem to find the energy to want to protest her circ.u.mstance.

He chuckled. "I made you my slave, Kitty Kat. I've given you a precious gift. Now I'm going to take my reward. I'm going to f.u.c.k you however I want as long as I want, and there's nothing you can do but lie there and take it."

She had pictured their first coming together as fiery and pa.s.sionate. He'd hold her down and kiss her hard as he rocked his body against hers. But in all her fantasies, she'd fully partic.i.p.ated in the lovemaking.

From the triumph glittering in his eyes, she knew he hadn't considered similar scenarios. Deep down, she was glad he'd bound her like this, and she liked the way he claimed her. She liked being at his mercy, his to use as he wanted.

She nodded. "All right, Master."

As if he'd been waiting for her agreement, he swept his tongue inside her mouth and ravaged her with all the fire and pa.s.sion she'd originally imagined. He gripped her face between his thumb and forefinger, holding her in place as he f.u.c.ked his tongue into her mouth. She felt owned, mastered, and she loved it.

He broke the kiss and knelt up, swiftly discarding his pants. She wanted more time to look, and she badly wanted to touch him, but he didn't seem inclined to give her the opportunity. Keith didn't have her restrictions. He touched her everywhere, never pausing as he explored her body with his hands, and his kisses trailed closely behind. He made his way down her sensitized flesh and sucked her c.l.i.t into his mouth.

She writhed beneath the onslaught, trying both to get closer and to escape. He kissed her p.u.s.s.y the same way he'd kissed her mouth and sucked at her nipples. She wanted to cry out, to beg him to stop, but the sharp pain converted into liquid heat, and she came in his mouth.

Between her legs, he moaned and lapped even faster. "f.u.c.k, yes. Give it to me. That's my o.r.g.a.s.m, slave. You may thank me."

The buzzing in her head nearly drowned him out, but she had enough of her wits about her to understand that not thanking him would be a serious offense. "Thank you, Master." She had the feeling she would be thanking him a few more times before the night was over.

Keith rose to his knees and took in the gorgeous sight before him. Kat lay on her back. The spreader bar kept her knees far apart, and the way he'd attached her wrist cuffs forced her to hold her knees high and wide. Juices, proof of her recent o.r.g.a.s.m, glistened in the lamplight. She'd tasted every bit as delicious as he'd imagined, and she'd responded beautifully to his brutal style, first fighting the onslaught and then surrendering to it.

Her dark brown hair streamed over the emerald comforter and highlighted the dreamy, sated expression on her face. She was at his mercy, and he couldn't imagine a more perfect moment.

Dragging two fingers through her cream, he snagged a little of that lubrication. A bit of languor faded from her expression, and she watched him intently. This was what he desperately wanted and most feared-a slave who made him the focus of her attention because she was interested in him, not just the things he could do to her. For his entire life, he'd avoided these kinds of emotional entanglements. Kat was a heap of trouble he couldn't resist.

He rubbed her essence on his c.o.c.k and pumped his hand up and down his shaft. Gaze fastened to his c.o.c.k, she licked her lips, and her chest rose and fell a little more rapidly.

"Want this, slave?" Her lips parted, and her breaths came even faster. If he didn't watch it, he'd shoot his wad before he got inside her. On second thought, that sounded like a better option. If he wanted to follow through on his plan to drive her insane with need, he had to relieve some of the tension that had been building ever since she had unb.u.t.toned her shirt in the kitchen. "Don't worry. I'm going to f.u.c.k that sweet, soft c.u.n.t eventually. Right now I'm going to make you watch."

Her eyes flared wide. He watched shades of desire and curiosity cross her face. He wanted to ask if she'd ever watched a man touch himself before, but he was afraid she'd answer in the positive. He'd rather not know. Besides, what he was doing now drove her crazy. He could tell she wanted to be the one touching him, pleasuring him. Evidence of her longing sent him over the edge. His b.a.l.l.s drew up, and he aimed for her stomach, spilling his e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.e on her smooth flesh.

Waves of need washed through him. The small climax had only whetted his appet.i.te. His c.o.c.k began to harden again before it went completely soft. He visually traced the trail of his s.e.m.e.n up her abdomen. If he were going to be nice, he'd wipe it away. But it pleased him to have her wear the mark of his dominion, and she didn't seem bothered by it.

Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over hers, teasing but not delivering. They'd skipped an important part of the prescene discussion. "I'm going to use a condom, Kitty Kat, but I still need to know whether you're on birth control."

She nodded. "I am, but I do prefer the added protection. You can never be too careful."

Keith grinned at her warning. Malcolm had knocked up his girlfriend while using protection. Kat had a life plan, he knew, that didn't include an unplanned pregnancy. No matter. Since he planned to never reproduce, he'd elected to have a vasectomy years ago, a fact he'd never shared with anyone.

He kissed her hard, and she responded in kind. The effects of her o.r.g.a.s.m and the deerskin whip had vanished. That was the problem with such a light implement. When she was ready, he'd introduce her to something with a lasting bite.

She licked and bit the inside of his lower lip. The sharp pain quickly faded to pleasure, and he moaned involuntarily. The little minx would soon figure out he was as much a m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t as he was a s.a.d.i.s.t. He usually hid that detail because he didn't trust his subs enough. Most were manipulative and would use that fact to try to top him. Nothing killed his hard-on faster than a sub topping from the bottom.

To distract her, he circled her c.l.i.t with his thumb and slid his finger into her hot sheath. She moaned and tried to cant her hips to take more. She was tight, and the position into which he'd bound her meant she would be extra snug.

He broke the kiss and let her catch her breath as much as she could with his finger pumping into her. She moaned when he added another. Pa.s.sion lightened her eyes to cinnamon, a color he had never seen before on her. Ordinarily her irises were like dark chocolate. They lit when she was happy and darkened to nearly black when she was upset.

"What a tight, hot c.u.n.t you have for me, slave."

A shudder rocked her shoulders, and she flexed around his fingers. It seemed graphic talk turned her on.

He extracted his fingers and moved to tease the tight ring of muscle around her back entrance. "Have you ever been f.u.c.ked here?" Without waiting for her response, he eased one finger inside. They hadn't discussed this topic, so he technically should have asked first.

She stopped breathing, and her eyes rolled back. "Yes. I can take more. Please, Master. Please give me more."

Shocked at the huskiness of her unexpected request, he added two more fingers when he should have only added one. He wasn't sure if he'd stumbled upon something she was just discovering or if she had answered in the affirmative. He rocked in and out, f.u.c.king her a.s.s with his fingers. "Like that, slave? Do you want your Master to f.u.c.k your a.s.s?"

"Yes. Oh G.o.d, yes!" She bowed and writhed, finding the strength to move despite her position. "Harder. You don't have to be gentle. I like it rough."

He withdrew his fingers and wiped them on a moist towelette he'd stowed in his bag of tricks. His c.o.c.k wanted to be in her a.s.s, pounding its way to oblivion. It would get there eventually, but he wanted her p.u.s.s.y first.

"You're very cruel, Master."

She sounded pleased, so he took her observation as a compliment. He knelt between her legs and grinned as he rolled a condom over his c.o.c.k. "Just wait."

She watched him anxiously, her muscles taut with need. He loved the wanton way she responded to him. Shifting on his knees to get the right angle, he positioned his c.o.c.khead at her opening. This first time, he'd take her slowly, let her become accustomed to the way he felt.