Blush (23 page)

M
addy looked beautiful, the black lace of her bra and stockings setting off the cream color of her pale skin. She was aroused—aroused by Elijah’s hands, damn it—but she wasn’t even close to trembling with surrender as she did with him. And Alex couldn’t deny that his heartbeat quickened as soon as he laid eyes on her.

“Elijah.” Crossing the floor of the club, Alex nodded to his longtime friend. Though he wasn’t sure how he felt about someone else’s hands on Maddy, there was no one he trusted more.

He was so bloody angry with her—with himself—and when Elijah had texted him to say that she was at the club, he hadn’t thought, had simply come.

He still wasn’t sure what he would say to her. Though he was more tempted to confide to her than he’d ever been with anyone, he didn’t tell people about his daughter, especially not his lovers. He didn’t want them using her affection as a tool to his bank account, his heart, as Lydia had done. As she still did.

So he did the only thing that felt natural in the moment. Alex approached the spanking bench. Making sure to keep his expression masked, he placed a finger under Maddy’s chin, lifted her face so that he could study it intently.

She was angry. She was shocked. She was aroused.

As he stared down into her eyes, her gaze dropped. She was such a natural sexual submissive, yet was so spunky otherwise, that her submission was a beautiful thing.

If she told him what she was hiding—if she trusted him and bared her soul—then he would do the same.

For now, he would remind her of what was between them.

And he would enjoy himself at the same time.

“It’s time to play, little sub.”

•   •   •

M
addy shivered at Alex’s words. What was he doing here? It was clear that Elijah had let him know when she arrived at the club, but after his parting words to her earlier, she never would have thought he’d come.

Was there still hope for any sort of future between them?

“Elijah, prepare her for me, if you would.”

Maddy’s attention was jerked straight back to the present. “What do you mean, prepare me?” Her body tensed as Elijah opened his toy bag. “Excuse me?”

“Silence.” The word reverberated in air that suddenly felt still and hot. Maddy couldn’t do anything but look at Alex. “I do not normally care for public scenes, as I’ve told you. In this case, however, it pleases me, just as it pleases me for Elijah to prepare you for my attentions. Therefore, it will please you as well.”

Maddy opened her mouth, expecting to tell them both to go to hell, but at that moment, from behind her, Elijah unhooked her bra and, in one swift movement, slid it right off.

She tried to speak but was quelled with another commanding look from Alex.

Her nipples pebbled as, with a hand splayed flat on her back, Elijah pressed her down onto the bench. Her stomach pressed lengthwise along the leather, which warmed beneath her skin. Quickly, he secured her wrist cuffs to the remaining lengths of chain.

She was bound and open, and she could do nothing about it.

“Her hair.”

Maddy looked at Alex as he spoke quietly. Elijah quickly ran skilled fingers through the long ribbons of her hair, braiding it neatly so that it was out of her face and she could see.

Then she felt his hands at her waist, warm and sure. Slowly, slowly he peeled her stockings down until the elastic snugged the skin beneath her ass. Her thong followed. The flesh of her bottom plumped out over the top, exposed completely, and the tightness of the elastic created an interesting pressure between her legs.

“Beautiful.” Elijah smoothed his hand over her ass, and Maddy shivered, though this time it was with more pleasure than tension. It was as if, since Alex had given his permission for Elijah to touch her, she was free to enjoy the sensation.

She didn’t have to think, didn’t have to worry. She simply had to feel.

From his leather bag, Elijah drew a small jar. Maddy eyed it warily, remembering the mint and cinnamon oils.

“This might sting for a minute.” Unscrewing the lid, Elijah dipped his fingers in and came back up with a thick white cream.

Maddy opened her mouth to ask what it was, but a small shake of the head from Alex told her that she didn’t have permission to speak. She pressed her lips tightly together as Elijah splayed one hand flat on her stomach, then slid his other hand between her legs.

Next his fingers separated her lower lips, then spread the cream unerringly over the hard nub of her clit. It stung, as he had warned her, and then . . . then she felt blood rush to that small spot, drawn by the sensation-enhancing cream.

She couldn’t stop the wetness that followed immediately after.

“Very nice, sub.” Elijah slid a finger inside her heat, testing her wetness. Maddy clenched her inner walls and looked helplessly up at Alex.

“Soon, babe.” His face was dark, his expression wicked.

Maddy drew a great, shuddering breath, closing her eyes against the sensation.

Something wet drizzled over the crack that divided the cheeks of her bottom, and the eyes she’d just closed flew back open.

“No!” She jerked against the restraints, looking up at Alex, wide-eyed. “Not there.”

Moving until he was directly in front of her, he squatted down onto his heels. “Trust, Maddy, remember?” Then he held her gaze as he ran his fingers over her locket.

She tried to pull away and found that she was restrained tightly enough that she couldn’t.

“You’ve made it clear that’s a hard limit, Maddy. I won’t open your locket.” Alex’s voice cooled off, and Maddy felt a trickle of unease. “But when we’re done tonight, I want you to look back at what we did, think about the trust you felt, and then think about keeping secrets from each other.”

Maddy’s anger faltered at the flicker she saw in Alex’s eyes. Was he going to tell her what he was hiding from her?

She had only a moment to wonder about it before she felt Elijah’s fingers explore her sensitive skin.

“You can use your safe word,” Alex reminded her as he stood up and stepped out of her line of vision.

One set of hands took hold of the cheeks of her ass, holding her open, exposing an area that had never been exposed before. Another hand worked cold liquid through the crack, concentrating on the tight pucker that lay hidden between.

Oh, no. No. Not there.
She tried to pull away and couldn’t.

“Be still.” The one set of hands continued to hold her open; the other pressed something hard against her pucker.

When she resisted, a firm hand smacked across her ass, stinging sharply.

“One more sound, and I’ll gag you.” Alex’s voice was matter-of-fact. “Now relax and it will hurt less.”

Maddy wasn’t sure she wanted anything that hurt at all. She couldn’t quite stifle her cry as the hard object pushed against her entrance, fighting to work its way past the tight ring of muscle.

“Push back against it, Maddy.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Maddy did as she was told. The plug burned as it was worked in, in and out in increments, twisting back and forth, waking nerves that Maddy hadn’t even known she had.

Then her muscles gave, and it was inside of her, burning her from the inside out.

She lost track of time, conscious only of the discomfort. She whimpered as one of the men pulled on the plug, making her nerves sizzle. A hand was worked between her legs, strumming over her clit, and suddenly the burn merged with the heat of pleasure, melting her lower half with suddenly searing heat.

“I think she’s ready for you, my friend.” At the loss of sensation, Maddy lifted her head to see Elijah walk around to the front of the bench. Bending, he caught her cheeks in his hands and pressed his lips to hers for a slow, deep kiss.

Maddy ran her tongue over her lips as he pulled back, confused and needy all at the same time.

“He’s a lucky man, Miss Stone.” As he ran his lips over her ear, she shuddered at the intimacy of his whisper. “He’s also a very good one. Make sure you keep that in mind.”

Elijah stood and turned to walk away.

“Would you like to stay and watch?”

Maddy tensed as Alex asked his friend the question. Her search for pleasure and punishment had brought her to the club, but now she wanted to seek that pleasure with Alex alone.

The front of Elijah’s dress slacks was tented with his arousal, and temptation crossed his face before he shook his head.

“Thank you, but no. This, I think, needs to be between the two of you.” The other man walked away, and Maddy found herself alone once more with Alex.

•   •   •

M
addy was clearly confused and off balance, and that was exactly what Alex had been hoping to draw from her. He didn’t want her able to think, to analyze things in that busy little brain of hers.

He just wanted her to focus on how he could make her feel.

“I wish you could see yourself right now. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful as you, bound and helpless. The lace of your stockings makes your skin look nearly white. Your ass is plump and pale and waiting for my touch.” Alex circled the bench, checking the color of her hands and feet. They were still healthy and pink, so her circulation was good—the cuffs weren’t too tight.

From the leather bag that Elijah had left behind, Alex drew an item that had a very small ivory handle from which cascaded ribbons of golden brown leather. It was a very small flogger—the smallest one he’d ever used, technically called a
pussy whip
.

Alex held it out for Maddy to see. He expected her to question him, and he wasn’t wrong, though much of the anger had seeped from her tone.

“What is that?” Her voice was soft, husky.

Alex’s erection jerked in his pants in response. He wanted to sheath himself in her heat right that moment, but reminded himself that it would only be better if he waited.

“This is a martinet, Maddy. A very small flogger.” He flicked it through the air with a small snap of his wrist, letting her see the way the strands swished. “I’m going to discipline you because I’m upset with you. Do you understand why?”

The softness from her expression fled quickly as she stared up at him. “I’m upset with you, too. Do I get to beat you after you’re done with me?”

Alex swallowed a chuckle. Damn, but he liked her sass, her spunk. The way she pressed her lips together, however, reminded him that they still had secrets from each other.

Squatting in front of her, he ran a finger over her cheekbone.

“I’ve done you wrong by not sharing with you, and I’m sorry for that.” He let the strands of the martinet dance over the exposed nape of her neck, and she shivered. “If you can find it within yourself to trust me, to share with me, then I will happily do the same.” He felt his pulse speed up as he spoke, but he knew that he was doing the right thing.

This was a woman with whom he could share the secret of his daughter. He felt certain that Maddy would never use that knowledge against him or, heaven forbid, against Rae.

He waited, giving Maddy an out. He watched intently as myriad expressions passed over her face, fear and guilt taking hold.

He felt his heart sink as, reaching a conclusion, she pressed her lips tightly together and shook her head. She wasn’t ready.

“Very well.” Tamping down his disappointment, Alex circled back to stand behind Maddy. She didn’t feel she could trust him yet. There was still hope.

Smoothing his hands over the globes of her ass, he savored her startled jump. And oh, how he would enjoy doing it.

“I’m not going to give you a set number of lashes, Maddy. You’ve got me in a mood, and I’ll stop when I’m done.” She began to tremble, but when he checked her over, he concluded that she was more aroused than scared, though there was a fair amount of trepidation as well. To send her fears fleeing, he tugged on the plug still nestled inside her tight opening, smiling wickedly when she cried out.

“Hold on tight, babe.” Stepping back, Alex lifted his hand and brought the flogger down in the first blow.

“Oh!” Maddy tensed and cried out, but he knew that it was more with shock than with pain. The martinet wasn’t big enough to cause much damage, even in the hands of someone inexperienced, which he definitely was not. Besides which, he intended to keep his blows light.

He wanted her to feel a wide range of sensation, but he didn’t want to hurt her, not unless and until she decided that erotic pain was something she enjoyed.

“What’s your safe word?” He grinned as she growled the correct word out.

She was pissed. She was fine.

He didn’t count in his head, simply raining a series of short, soft blows over her skin, alternating placement so that no one part of her would be too sore the next day. Her soft moans drove him forward, releasing a flood of endorphins as he admired the pretty pink hue that painted her skin as the result of his handiwork.

Only when Maddy began panting for breath and he felt himself entering that euphoric state reached by a Dom during some encounters did he toss the flogger aside.

He ran his hands over the skin of her bottom, the heat all the more intense under his fingers with the exaggerated senses of top space. Taking up the bottle of gel that Elijah had left behind, he poured a liberal amount over her hot skin, enjoying the way she jumped back, snuggling her ass against his rearing cock.

“Not just yet, babe.” He worked the extra lubricant around the plug that was readying her for him. Reaching between her legs, he ran his slick fingers over her clit, working it until her body tensed and he could tell that she was on the edge.

Perfect. He wanted her to associate pleasure and not just pain with what she was about to experience.

“Come for me, Maddy.” Getting a firm grasp on the wide base of the plug, he pulled it out as he worked her clit with expert fingers. He felt her drawing tight as a rubber band and pushed the plug back in.

Her cry was loud and sharp edged as the extra sensations in her ass made the rubber band of her arousal snap. He continued to work the plug in and out as he milked every bit of sensation from her clit at the same time. Her fingers clamped down around the legs of the bench, holding on as she rode out her pleasure.