My Liege of Dark Haven (28 page)

“My pleasure,” deVries said smoothly.

“B-b-but…” Greta stuttered in shock and tried to retreat.

Had she never been taken to task for her behavior? Then again, her unpleasant personality might be why she didn’t have a Master.

Smiling slightly, deVries grabbed Greta’s long hair and wrapped it around his fist before dragging her toward the prayer benches in the center of the room.

“Next up, please,” Xavier said.

Abby closed her eyes again. A minute passed. The next person administered a tentative tap as if terrified she’d be a candidate for a deVries lesson. The following few swats hurt—oh, they definitely hurt—but none came close to Greta’s.

Then nothing happened. As minutes passed Abby breathed slowly, trying to deal with the burning of her skin.

“You’re done, pet.”

She jumped.
Done?
Relief rushed through her.

As Xavier moved closer, she pulled at the restraints. “Let me out.”
Now, now, now.

“Shhh.” He ran a hand down her back in a soothing stroke. “I’m going to rub some cream on your very red ass. You’ll still have bruising, but this will help.”

“I want free.”

“No.” His smile flickered. “This will hurt, Abby. And I have enough scrapes from cliff diving. I don’t need more dealt out by a pretty little submissive.”

I can’t take it.

As he stroked the cool ointment over her tender skin, stinging flared from even his light touch. She yanked on the restraints, harder and harder.

“Abby, if you don’t stop, I’ll swat you myself.”

She froze.

“Good girl. You were punished, pet, and this is what happens afterward.” He continued, not missing a spot.

Every inch of her bottom throbbed and burned.

“Done.” He tossed the tube into his bag. After undoing her straps, he slid her glasses back on, then lifted her to her feet and looked her over.

She bet she just looked wonderful—dressed in wrist cuffs and glasses, red-eyed and covered in sweat. After a moment of dizziness, she found her balance.

When he wrapped a blanket around her, she realized her damp skin was chilling.

“With your permission, I’ll clean up, my liege.” Dixon stood a few feet away with paper towels and a spray bottle. His face was white. “So you can… Uh, I left water beside the couch.” When Abby tried to smile at him, his eyes filled with tears.

“That was thoughtful, Dixon. Thank you.” After claiming his cane, Xavier put an arm around her waist and guided her to a couch. Cane or not, he was still steadier than she was.

Keeping her wrist in his hand, he sat down and reclined against the arm with his injured leg beside the back cushions. He tugged her down onto his lap.

As his jeans scraped her bottom, pain flared, and she moaned. She hurt—hurt worse than she ever remembered. Why was she here? These people didn’t like her. They never would.

Xavier gathered her close, sliding farther down on the couch so she sprawled on top of him with no weight on her butt.

She struggled to get up.

With a firm hand he tucked her head against his shoulder. “Settle a bit, little fluff. You had a hard time.”

Her eyes blurred with tears as her body obeyed him. She closed her hand on the material of his shirt, hanging on tightly. People had hit her. Even the ones she’d thought were friends. Hurting her on purpose. She couldn’t keep the question back. “Why were they so
mean
?”

He laid his hand on her neck and curved his long fingers over her nape. His thumb stroked her cheek. “Abby…”

A sob ripped up through her tight throat, and she tried to choke it down. More came, and she buried her head against him and cried. She was guilty, and they’d hit her and she’d deserved it. Only she thought some were her friends. They’d humiliated her. And it hurt. It
hurt
.

“That’s right,” he murmured, his arm tightening. “Let it out now. I’m proud of you, Abby.”

By the time she finished, his shirt was soaked with her tears, and her eyes were even puffier than before. Her throat was raw, yet she felt…different. Cleaner. Lighter. “Thank you,” she whispered.

He half laughed. “You’re very welcome.” He kissed the top of her head. “Bottling everything up isn’t good, and you do it more than most, pet.” As he wiped the tears from her face, she was grateful he’d instructed her not to wear makeup.

“I guess.”

“You asked a question.” He was silent a second. “Most lifestylers believe a suitable punishment and true repentance can clear damage done to a relationship so the wound doesn’t fester. They’re the ones who swatted you hard enough to sting, but not more. A few of the submissives…” The sound under her ear was almost a growl. “I think some might be envious of the attention you get.”

“From you,” she whispered.

“Yes.” He moved his hand and stroked up and down her bare back. “I’m afraid so, and I regret that you suffered more because of it.”

Like from nasty Greta. Then again, that sub wouldn’t be comfortable sitting any sooner than Abby. DeVries wasn’t known for gentleness. “It wasn’t your fault.”

He kissed her lightly before continuing, “Finally, those who know you well usually gave you swats so light as to be laughable. I doubt you even felt Lindsey’s. A few, like Rona, handed over their bands and didn’t take a turn. Simon said Dixon cut his into confetti and left it all over the reception desk.”

She realized her eyes had been closed for much of the punishment. “Really?” An aching knot inside her loosened, allowing a real breath.

“Yes, pet.” He reached around her to open a water and put it in her hands. “Drink that.”

The cool water tasted better than anything she’d ever had in her life. She guzzled half the bottle before taking a breath.

He chuckled and settled himself more comfortably. “Now relax.”

As the world moved on without her, she watched her thoughts float by and listened to the lazy
lubb-dupp
of his heart. Each breath he took lifted his chest, like a boat rocking on a quiet lake. People conversed nearby, and the rhythm of the dungeon continued with moans, the sounds of whips, floggers, paddles, and a scream or two.

Eventually the world snapped into place as if someone had changed the focus on a camera, sharpening the image. Her fingers tightened on his shirt.

“You ready for the next part?” Xavier asked.

“No.” She pulled in a breath. “But I’ll never be.”

“Are you sure you want to continue? There’s nothing forcing you to stay a member of the club, Abby.”

“I know.” She lifted her head, wondering if she could explain to him…if she even understood it herself. “I want to be able to come here, and not only for my research.”

“Go on.” His gaze stayed on her face.

“I’ve made friends here, and they’re…open. Relaxed about life and involved in more than academics and social activities. I like them, and I don’t want to lose them.”

“That makes sense.”

She faltered out the last part. “If I use their point of view, I see it’s fair to make me experience being watched, like what I did to them.” A cold ball of ice grew in her belly as she thought of the machine. “But I hate it, and I might hate you.”

“It’s a risk.” His expression showed he meant it seriously, and he realized what this could do to their—whatever they had. “But if I gave you a meaningless, easy punishment, you’d continue to feel guilty. And I’d feel unhappy that I let the members down because of you. A D/s relationship can’t survive long with those kinds of emotions.” He kissed her forehead. “Let’s get this over with before you stew yourself into a puddle.”

No. No no no.

Chapter Nineteen

Could the little fluff last? Mouth tight, Xavier led Abby to the center of the dungeon, past the stairs. From the dismay on her face, she’d hoped her punishment would occur in a corner or a private theme room.

When she spotted the ominous-looking red machine with two dildos, her eyes went wide and scared.

He arranged her on her back on the hip-high gynecological table and turned her head so he was all she saw. “You can do this. Some submissives beg for this as a reward for good behavior.”

“They can have my turn, my liege. No problem.”

A woman who could be sarcastic despite her fear was a treasure. “You’re very generous, pet.” Smiling, he lifted her legs onto the padded knee supports and pulled her hips down until her ass hung slightly over the table’s end. After adjusting her feet in the soft stirrups, he tightened straps over her ankles and thighs. He moved the supports even farther apart so the blonde curls of her pussy were exposed completely. She gave a convulsive shiver.

Working his way up, he cinched a strap above her mound and another below her breasts, removing any chance of wiggling out of the position he’d put her in. He checked that her wrist cuffs weren’t affecting her circulation or nerves and clipped them to D rings beside her thighs.

Even as the members started to gather, Abby’s gaze stayed on his face as if he were a lifeline. He pulled in a breath. This wasn’t going to be easy for either of them, but they had to do it. This would be his punishment as well for not questioning a new applicant more carefully.

As Xavier walked to the head of the table, Abby obviously saw the audience, and her body turned rigid. Although she’d enjoyed the camaraderie of the club, she wasn’t an exhibitionist—which made this a most appropriate punishment.

But she didn’t need to suffer quite so much. He picked up a blindfold.

LET ME OUT of here!
Abby bit back the scream as more and more people crowded around her. Her legs were strapped down and pulled wide apart, exposing everything to their stares. Somehow her eyes wouldn’t close to blot them out. She couldn’t—

“You’ll do better with this.” Xavier removed her glasses, laying them beside her fingers, then blindfolded her. “You’ll know the people are here, but you don’t need to see them,” he said quietly.

Thank you. I think
. She wasn’t sure the darkness was better.

His hand ran down her arm, then her leg as he moved to the foot of the table. “I’m going to insert the dildos now, pet. The first is small, since you’re not used to anal play.”

She gasped as something pressed against her anus. A flare of stretching pain made her stiffen as it breached the ring of muscle and slickly slid in.

“Abby, I’ll adjust the machine so nothing can go too far.” He patted her thigh. “You’re already in for a long ride. No need to scare you further.”

He pushed the other dildo into her vagina. The thing wasn’t huge but filled her completely. Gritting her teeth against protests, she tried to wiggle away and realized her lower half was immobilized.

I don’t like this
. She swallowed, then stiffened again as something settled over her mound. Soft and squishy and cool, it pressed right against her clit as Xavier secured it with straps around her legs.

Someone asked a question in a low voice, and Xavier answered, “Since this will last awhile, soft is better. Irritating her clit right away would take the fun out of it.”

Thanks a lot.

He chuckled. “Look at that face. Is a little submissive displeased with her punishment?”

People laughed.

He rubbed her shoulder, and it was scary how much she craved his touch. “I don’t want any portion of your body to feel neglected, so I’ll add these.”

A hard circle slid around her right breast; then she felt a gentle squeeze as if a mouth were sucking on her nipple. Her back arched up. The cold device vibrated erratically, but the suction continued. He did the other breast, and she shivered.

“You’re ready to go, pet. Remember—
red
and
yellow
for safe words.” He raised his voice. “Doms, your green band gives you one minute at the controls. Be warned, though. She isn’t allowed to climax until the end, so if she gets close, I’ll use the foot pedal to halt the action, and you’ll lose your remaining time.”

General laughter.

“I’ll take the first shot,” a gruff voice said.

Silence, and Abby started to panic. Xavier had left her here with all these men, at their mercy. “Yellow. Please, yellow.”

A hand closed over hers. “Little fluff, what’s wrong?”

He’s still here
. “Don’t go. Please.” Tears burned her eyes. “I can do it, but don’t leave me.”

He kissed her lightly. “Abby, I’d never leave you. I’ll sit beside you the entire time, but…you can’t see me, can you? Hmm.” She heard the scrape of a chair, the rustle of his clothing as he sat. “Here you go.” He opened her fist and closed her fingers over something soft and thick.

He’d put his braid in her hand.

“Will that help?”

The feeling of drowning in panic receded; she had her life preserver. “Yes, my liege. Thank you.”
So, so much.

“You’re very welcome. And Abby, if you feel someone touch you, it’s me. I’m the only one who gets to touch. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” A tenseness inside her relaxed slightly.

“The machine might be uncomfortable at times, but we’re going to keep you lubed up. Tell me if you start to feel dry.
Yellow
again. Clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Fire away, Garrett.”

The dildo slid into her pussy. In, out—slick and firm as the one in her anus started to move, much more slowly. The thing over her clit buzzed softly, vibrating, only she wasn’t in the least interested.

Coldness trickled between her legs. Someone had squeezed more lube on her, making the dildos penetrate with soft, slurpy noises.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” she heard.

“Speed it up, Garrett,” a man urged.

She squeezed her eyes shut, despite the blindfold, wishing she could shut out the sounds of the people as well.

As if he knew her thoughts, Xavier said, “I took away your vision, but I want you to hear them talking about you, Abby. Part of this is to show you the difference between playing in a friendly…family…or performing like a zoo animal. A lab specimen. Do you understand?”

“Yes, my liege.” Tears dampened the blindfold.