Chapter 31

“Can you come from pain alone?”

Master Xavier’s words barely penetrated the twilight-like space where she seemed to float.

“No, Master Xavier.”

“Are you sure?”

The tip of the flogger tails landed on the inner curves of her ass, near her anus, and the sting of pain sent a jolt of pleasure through her pussy.

“No, Master. I’m not.” She wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

A warm palm came to rest on her back. “These last few will be the hardest.”

That was the only warning she got before pain exploded across her ass. Mae screamed, tears leaking from her eyes.

“You’ll take another one.” Master Xavier’s voice was deep, his breathing a bit ragged too.

Mae couldn’t speak, but she arched her back, presenting her ass more fully.

“Good girl.”

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The final three blows came in quick succession. Mae didn’t have time to scream, she barely managed to breathe. Her legs started to give out and she reached back with one hand, grabbing Xavier’s forearm, holding on to him as if he were a life raft in the middle of a stormy ocean.

He grabbed her by the upper arm and neck, raising her to a standing position and turning her to face him. Within the shadows of his mask his eyes glowed like emeralds. He was breathing hard, his jaw muscles tensed.

Mae realized that he was as lost in the storm as she was. This is what had always been missing from her scenes before. Never before had doing something to her, playing with her, had the kind of impact on a Dom that she could see in Xavier’s eyes.

The ground shifted under her feet, the earth seeming to tip sideways only to right itself, the world slightly different than it had been a moment ago.

“Master, please.”

He searched her face. “What do you want? To come? To get fucked?”

With the last of her courage she reached up, laying her palm on his cheek, feeling both skin and leather under her hand. “Kiss me.”

Xavier’s eyes closed and he bent his head, resting his forehead on hers. Mae’s heart clenched, and she knew, though she couldn’t say why, that though he was the Master of pain and pleasure, power and control, he didn’t know gentleness.

She took the flogger from his fingers, dropping it to the floor, then guided his hands to her waist, resting them there. Rising onto tiptoe, Mae kissed him.

Xavier tasted like mint, and his lips were firm and wet against hers. For a moment he didn’t react, and Mae felt a pang of fear—she’d overstepped, she’d read the moment wrong.

Xavier shuddered, then his arms were tight around her back, crushing her against him as he ravaged her mouth.

Mae’s nails scraped against the smooth surface of the mask. She wished she could bury her fingers in his hair, wished she could see his face.

Xavier deepened the kiss, his tongue dipping into her mouth. Mae sucked on his tongue, and when he shifted, one leg sliding between hers, she eagerly ground against his thigh. She couldn’t wait to have him inside her, his cock filling her.

When he wrenched away, taking three quick steps back, Mae was left gasping, her body thrumming with need.

“Our play time does not include sexual contact, except for what’s on the checklist.” His face unreadable, hidden from her.

Mae wanted to curse. There’d been something between them. Maybe he hadn’t felt it the way she did.

That thought made her stomach knot, but it didn’t feel like the truth.

“What if I want sex? What if I want to add that to our session?”

Xavier didn’t answer her questions. “It’s nearly four a.m. You’ll sleep in the Subs’ Garden.”

“What if—”

Xavier grabbed her by the back of the neck, his will washing over her. “You will sleep in the Subs’

Garden.”

“Yes, Master Xavier.” She didn’t bother to hide her frustration—both sexual and emotional, and it showed, her words sarcastic and biting.

Master Xavier’s hold tightened just a fraction, but his jaw clenched, lips a thin line. She’d pushed him too far.

Xavier took her by the upper arms and forced her to bend over the horse. His movements were sharp but controlled.

“Grab your ankles.”

“Master Xavier, I’m sorry, I just—”

“Now, Mae.” He pressed his hand against her abused ass.

The flare of pain sent a shudder through her. Disappointment and frustration from the truncated kiss were suppressed by a resurgence of the sweet submissiveness that had filled her while he beat her.

Mae hooked her fingers in the D-ring cuffs around her ankles.

“You’re going to sleep in one of the bunks in the Subs’ Garden. You will meet me back here at noon.

Eat before you arrive. You will not orgasm, either by touching yourself or by asking another submissive to touch you. Do you understand, Mae?”

“Yes, Master Xavier.”

“It seems you have a hard time remembering your place unless you’re actively being dominated.” He pinched her abused ass.

Mae was having trouble thinking; all the blood was rushing to her head. “I’m sorry, Master.”

“It is who you are.” The words were matter of fact, and it gave Mae some hope that he didn’t sound disgusted. “It means that I cannot let you go without reminders, as I have no desire to start over again.

Have you been trained for anal?”

“Yes, Master Xavier.”

“What have you taken up your ass?”

“Plugs and cocks.” She forced the words out, terribly aroused.

“Can you sleep in a plug?”

“I never have before, Master.”

“Then you will tonight. Stand up.”

Mae straightened and braced her hands on the horse. Xavier reached around her and casually pinched her nipples. “I’m going to get a few things. I will be gone no more than five minutes.”

“Yes, Master Xavier.”

He grabbed her jaw, turning her to face him. “I don’t want to leave you unbound. Have you ridden a wooden horse before?”

Mae shivered. “No, Master. I promise I won’t—”

“You won’t worry about it. You’re mine, and you will trust me to give you what you need, and what I want you to have.”

Mae bit her lip to stop from screaming that what she wanted was for him to kiss her again, for him to put his hands, mouth, and cock between her legs.

“Straddle the horse.”

With a moan of dread, Mae obeyed. The wooden horse was a diabolical device, consisting simply of a wooden beam that the sub was made to straddle. Then either the sub’s legs were tied up or the horse was raised so that she couldn’t touch the floor, forcing her to rest her body weight on their sex.

She was tall enough that she had only to raise her heels an inch off the floor to keep her body weight off her pussy.

“Arms folded behind your back.” Xavier attached a strap to the D ring of her right cuff, brought the strap around her front, then attached it to her left wrist so she couldn’t straighten her arms. In this position she was slightly off balance, which was going to make it harder to keep her weight on her toes.

Xavier cupped her left breast, thumbing the nipple. It felt so good that Mae’s concentration broke. She tipped off balance, sitting hard on her already abused pussy. Yelping she jumped back onto her toes, her sex throbbing.

“Mae?”

“Yes, Master Xavier.”

“You’re not allowed to come.” He pinched her nipple for emphasis, then left, boots ringing on the tile.

Mae practiced her yoga breathing and tried not to think about how desperately she wanted Master Xavier, or how much she’d enjoyed this time with him. She hadn’t come, and yet she’d felt more satisfaction than she had in her last play session, which had included more orgasms than she could count. Neither of those things made any sense.