Nailed (5 page)

“No cheating. If I wanted you to pleasure yourself I’d order
you to do it. Remember that. Perhaps we need to step this up more quickly.”

In the darkness behind the blindfold, tears had already soaked
through the silk, but they were tears of pleasure as much as pain. Perhaps even
more so. Fresh ones rained down her cheeks when she felt the sharp bite of the
ruler. Ouch! She tried to move her body from side to side but she had no
balance, immobilized as she was. The ruler stung far more than the leather but
once the first blow had landed her endorphins kicked in. Lust flooded her, her
entire body in the grip of an erotic fist.

Flame was impatient for the next strike of the ruler,
flinching when it fell yet at the same time so aroused it was taking every bit
of her self-control to hold herself together. Her ass and thighs were already
flaming. The ruler only increased both the heat and pain level. Even as she
cried out and more tears saturated the silk band, her body begged for more. The
harder she tried to squeeze her thighs together the more frustrating it became
that she was spread so wide.

How easily she fell into that erotic cloud with a Dom who
really knew what he was doing. Not that the ones she usually played with
weren’t expert, but Tyler seemed to have…what? That extra ability with the
instruments of pain? To enjoy it as much as she did, not just because he had
the control? With so many others she detached herself from the scene. Not a
trip to subspace but a removal of self as if it was happening to someone else.
She embraced the sexual pleasure but something was always missing.

Don’t go there. Do not take that trip again.

Her conversation with herself faded to smoke as Tyler
continued to wield the ruler with expertise. Then the slaps with the ruler
ceased and Flame sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing. She
waited tensely for the cane, the most painful of all the instruments, but one
that she craved. By now, sensation had so consumed her body that she wanted to
beg Tyler to hurry.

She heard him moving behind her and she tensed for a moment,
expecting the first bite of the instrument. Instead she was shocked to feel his
calloused palm smoothing over her stinging ass and thighs. What shocked her
even more was to feel his lips traveling the same path. They were followed by
the smooth wetness of his tongue, traveling a path through the hot crevice
between the globes of her burning ass and down through her very soaked slit.

A sound of frustration burst from her throat as she tried
without success to push herself onto his tongue. His laugh rumbled against her
skin.

“So hot and so wet.” His deep voice was tinged with
satisfaction. “You’d love to have my tongue all the way up in your cunt, wouldn’t
you? But not yet. We’re far from done here.”

Before she could collect her thoughts, the first blow fell
from the cane, followed in rapid succession by another and another. She lost
count after a while, her body now consumed with pain in every area and her
pussy throbbing so hard she felt it at every pulse point. Her cries echoed in
her ears and more tears soaked the silk binding her eyes.

As the stinging blows rained down on her and the pain
increased, the pleasure rose and she slid into the welcoming grasp of subspace,
the place she took herself to embrace the pain without rejecting it. She had a
sense of flying, of being out of body, where the more intense the pain the more
intense the pleasure. He could do whatever he wished as long as the erotic fog
was wrapped around her. By the time Tyler was finished, every nerve in her body
concentrated on fulfillment. On the climax she needed with such desperation.

The blows ceased and again Tyler skimmed his hands over her
flesh, following with a trail of light kisses.

Please fuck me!

Even as detached as she was, the thought ran through her
mind over and over again.

As if he could read her mind Tyler placed one final kiss on
her ass. Flame heard the crinkle of a condom being unwrapped and seconds later
the head of his cock prodded at her opening. God, she really wanted to squeeze
her thighs together, to clench herself around him, but the spreader was doing
its work.

His hands were warm on her hips, his fingers strong as he
gripped her.

“Wide open, this time, Flame. Every bit of that delicious
cunt exposed.”

He drove into her with one swift thrust, filling her
completely. Every nerve fired, every muscle contracted. Desire spiraled through
her and she focused only on one thing—fulfillment.

Tyler pounded into her, riding her with as much force as
he’d wielded the instruments of punishment. Pain was overridden by the need for
release but even that he seemed determined to deny her. Before he could command
her to come, his body stiffened and his cock pulsed inside her as he poured
himself into the latex.

Her tears now were of frustration, of a need so great she
didn’t know what to do with it. Surely he wouldn’t leave her like this. None of
the subs she’d spoken with had alluded to this at all. Instead they all said Tyler
was a Dom focused on giving his sub as much satisfaction as himself.

Then what was happening here?

She had lost all control of herself in a more complete
manner than she had for a long time. It frightened her, not because she feared
for her body but for her inner soul. She’d promised herself never to go this
far over the edge again yet here she was, wondering if all those women had
lied. If Marco had made a mistake in approving her scene with Tyler.

But then he touched her, releasing her wrists and removing
the spreader. With a gentleness she hadn’t expected he lifted her from the
ottoman. The next thing she knew she was placed on her back on leather, arms
and legs straightened. The bench. She could tell by the butter-soft feel of the
material.

Unexpectedly Tyler pressed his mouth to hers, his tongue
tracing the seam of her lips. The touch shocked her. She never kissed in any of
her scenes. Most Doms agreed that it was too personal. So why had Tyler done
this?

Suddenly his mouth was gone and something hard and smooth
slid into her pussy.

“Now I’m going to let you come,” he murmured in her ear.
“And I’m going to watch you. Don’t move your arms or legs. Understood?”

“Yes, Master.” She could barely get the words out, hanging
as she was on the edge of release.

He turned on the vibrator and as soon as it began its hum,
rasped his thumb over her clit. She was aroused to such a point that the moment
he touched her the climax began unwinding inside her, rushing through her with
whirlwind force. Mere seconds passed before she convulsed, spasms rocking her
body, shaking her. She clenched the muscles of her cunt around the vibrator and
rocked as much as she could. In the darkness of the blindfold everything was
intensified. The orgasm gripped her hard. By the time it began to ease, she was
gasping for breath and her heart nearly thudded out of her body.

Flame had no idea how much time passed before her body
quieted. She’d needed all her internal control to bridge the space between
reality and subspace. She hadn’t bothered to tell Tyler how much pain turned
her on or how easily she slid into subspace during a punishment session. That
was dangerous, she knew, but she hadn’t anticipated the instantaneous
connection between them and how it would affect her. The abbreviated session
the other night hadn’t done more than scratch the surface for either of them.

Next time. Yes, next time she’d speak to him about it first.
Or have Marco tell him and designate it as a subject off limits for discussion.
That way if he turned out to be like
him
,Marco would sense it
and either cancel the session or monitor it. Meanwhile she consciously evened
out her breathing and centered herself.

Tyler slid the vibrator from her and again smoothed his hand
over her body. He gently squeezed each breast, brushed a finger over each
sensitive hardened nipple, cupped her pussy and dipped a finger inside for one
moment.

He surprised her again by brushing his lips over hers before
unfastening the blindfold. When she opened her eyes he was smiling at her but concern
was etched on his face.

“Just lie here a moment. Take slow, deep breaths. Let
yourself come back to reality. And don’t rush it.”

She did as he told her, her head taking the journey back
from subspace until she was acutely aware of the reality of where she was and
the man standing next to her. The man who aroused her just by standing next to
her. And who made her feel things she didn’t want to feel.

“Why didn’t you use your safe word?” he demanded, although
he kept his voice low and his tone even. “Or tell me you were a pain junkie? We
didn’t even discuss subspace or how you handle it.” His face sobered. “We
didn’t discuss a lot of things and that’s not my style.”

She shook her head. “I guess we were both just…anxious.”

One corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “Or eager. I’ll
admit I got caught up in the pleasure. Next time we get all the nuts and bolts
out of the way first. Taking a sub too far over the top is not my style.”

Flame’s heart did a tiny somersault of happiness. “All
right.”

“Flame?”

“Yes, Master?”

“Tonight was about a lot more than sex. You know that.”

Her stomach knotted. No. It couldn’t be more. How could she
trust again?

“I don’t think—”

“Right.” He touched a finger to her lips. “Don’t think.
Except about the connection we’ve made and what it could mean.” He caressed her
eyelids through the mask. “I think that’s enough play for tonight. Let’s get to
your aftercare. You’ve earned it.”

For which she was eternally grateful. As it was she’d be
walking stiffly and sitting gingerly when she went to work the next day.

Tyler searched in one of the drawers until he found what he
wanted before returning to the bench.

“Close your eyes and concentrate on relaxing.” His voice was
low and soothing. “I wish you’d let me remove your mask.”

“No.” She nearly shouted the word, her hands curling into
fists. Would he be angry with her now? Real anger? Had she ruined everything?

“Ssh. It’s all right. But when you take it off be sure to
use medicated wipes on your cheeks.”

For the next several minutes, he tended to her body, first
using soft wipes everywhere then applying something thick and cooling to her
skin. He turned her over as if she weighed nothing and spent a great deal of
time applying the substance to her very sore ass and thighs. The more he used,
the more the stinging faded. Oh, she’d be sore tomorrow. No doubt about it. But
Tyler was doing his best to ease the aftereffects.

When he was finished, he turned her over onto her back again
and helped her sit up.

“When you get home,” he told her, “be sure to draw a hot
bath. Do you have the special salts to put in the water?”

She nodded, staring up at him. “I’m all set.” She let out a
sigh. “I like my Doms to leave the room first.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Any special reason?”

She shrugged. “Flame’s Rules.”

He cupped her chin, his hand gentle. “We have a lot to
discuss, you and I.”

“I think…I think it would work best if you called Marco to
set it up next time.”

Because I lose my mind where you’re concerned and forget
everything I need to remember.

His face sobered and his gaze locked with hers for a long
minute.

“Fine,” he said at last. “Tell him to expect a call from me
shortly.”

They were both silent while he dressed, as if they’d said
all that needed saying for the night. He paused at the door, his hand on the
knob.

“Soon, Flame. Very soon.”

Then he was gone.

She collapsed back on the table. She’d be paying for this
session for days to come but that was nothing compared to the tumble her
emotions were in. She’d embraced the pain he’d given her, so high on it she’d
taken a while coming down. That hadn’t happened for a long time and it
frightened her that she’d found a Dom who could take her there again.

She knew she’d give in to almost anything he wanted to do
with and to her and that could become a problem. She’d taken that trip once
before with disastrous results. Tyler might be a different breed of man but
maybe her judgment was flawed. She felt things for him she didn’t want to feel
ever again.

What in hell was she going to do?

Chapter Five

Tyler pulled into his parking space in the underground
garage, climbed out and locked his truck. He checked his watch. Seven thirty.
He doubted if either of his brothers would be in yet but he had notes to go
over before he talked to them. He had some good candidates to discuss for the
permanent supervisor positions. His briefcase also held construction notes on
the Wyoming project that required input from Josh as far as design was
concerned and Alex regarding adjusting cost projections. They’d built in some
wiggle room on the budget but they had a long way to go and he didn’t want to
tap into it if he could avoid it.

He pushed the button for the elevator. Whistling tunelessly
as he waited for the
thunk
indicating it had reached underground level.
Scenes from the night before began running through his head, just as they had
from the time he’d arrived home. He liked to think he connected with his subs,
that he was a good Dom and they all felt a little something for each other. But
the very, very hot Flame had seared herself into his brain, as well as other
parts of his body.

He couldn’t believe how fast this had hit him. It wasn’t
just her sexuality or her complete obedience that lingered in his brain. For
one thing, she’d actually arrived once on a weeknight, which had to mean she
hoped he’d show up. Right? He hadn’t called Marco specifically to set something
up because he wasn’t actually sure until he saw her that she was the reason he
was there. He didn’t like to think a woman had that much power over him.

Since then he’d been with her several more times, each time
more intense both sexually and emotionally. He couldn’t push his return to
Wyoming back much longer. He had a good crew working the site but some things
needed his personal attention, especially with so much on the line.

It stunned him to realize how deeply she had invaded his
blood. His system. His emotions, for god’s sake. He wanted to strip her down to
the bare essentials and learn what really made her tick, both as a woman and a
sub. To see how far he could push her. But the second night he’d missed all the
warning signals until almost the end of the session. He’d been so absorbed in
what he was doing he hadn’t realized Flame was a pain junkie and had floated
into subspace. The sight of her reddened ass and thighs, the crisscross of
stripes, had so inflamed him he’d almost forgotten his responsibility as a Dom.
If he hadn’t caught the edge of what was happening with her he might have done
her real harm.

Who were the Doms she’d been with who had driven her to that
state? Or had she always been that way and a series of Doms had merely brought
it all out? After that he was careful to look for the signals. The signs. To
back off when he needed to. It was clear to him that this whole thing with
Flame was different than anything he’d had with any other woman.

Next time they were together he would question her. Insist
on answers. But he had a funny feeling that simple answers wouldn’t tell him
what he wanted to know. There was something very deep there. He was teetering
on the edge of a level of personal involvement he’d made a habit of shying away
from. Only suddenly it didn’t frighten him. He wanted to see her outside the
walls of Finesse. To learn about her as a person, not just as Flame. He’d tried
to bring it up the last couple of times and she’d shut him down. Well, not any
more.

As he pushed the button for the elevator again, behind him
he heard the
tap tap tap
of heels on the concrete and turned to see who
else was coming to work with the chickens. Jack Shelton’s coworker, Jenyfer
Something-or-other, was walking stiffly toward the elevator, slim briefcase in
one hand, cell phone clapped to her ear with the other. She was obviously
engrossed in her conversation because she was only about three feet from Tyler
when she looked up and spotted him. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes
behind her glasses widening.

She said something into her cell and turned to head back the
way she’d come, walking faster this time but just as stiffly. Tyler stared
after her. What was with this woman, anyway? This had happened a couple of
times over the past weeks and it puzzled him. He didn’t think in their limited
contact he’d done anything to make her shy away from him. They hadn’t even
exchanged a word, for god’s sake. Jack had said she didn’t participate in
client meetings. Maybe she was afraid of men. If so, what had made her that
way? And was that how she acted with the men in her office?

Maybe she really did have a stick up her ass.

And why did he even care? She was a polar opposite of the
women he spent time with. He should just put her out of his mind and get on
with his work. God only knew he had plenty of it. But it was like an itch in a
place you couldn’t scratch. He just couldn’t leave it alone. If he had time
maybe he’d give Shelton a call or drop by his office and casually ask him about
her.

Wait. Jack had told him his boss was interested in the
McMann Development account and Tyler had passed that along to Alex and Josh.
The suggestion had kind of taken a back seat, as immersed as they were in
everything else. Maybe he could nudge them to at least take a meeting on it.
That would give him an excuse to stop by Shelton’s office and work Jenyfer
Whatever-her-name-is into the conversation. Whistling again he stepped onto the
elevator and pressed the button for his floor.

He was on his third cup of coffee, still working on his
notes, when he heard activity in the reception area and Leah, their new
receptionist, stuck her head in his door.

“You’re in early,” she commented. “Can I get you some fresh
coffee?”

Leah had been with them two months, hired when the sudden
abundance of phone calls and general office work had overloaded Janice, who
served as Josh and Alex’s secretary. Tyler did his own computer work and let
one of the women pick up his messages, but the increased workload had made that
too burdensome. Leah was young, bright and so excited to be working for them.
Fresh out of community college, she had aspirations of some role in business
management. The McMann brothers gave her enough work besides answering the
phone to give her a taste of it and a chance to hone her skills. Plus her smile
and enthusiasm warmed even the most irritated visitors.

“I probably shouldn’t,” he told her, “but yeah, I’ll have
another cup. Thanks.”

“Sure thing, Mr. McMann.”

He grinned at her. “Tyler, remember? If you say Mr. McMann
no one will know who you’re speaking to.”

“Yes sir. Sorry.” A faint blush crept up her cheeks. “I’ll
do my best to remember.”

Are they making them younger or am I just getting old?

Tyler pushed the annoying thought away and finished
reviewing his final notes. Then he punched the intercom button for Alex.

“Got a few minutes?” he asked when his brother answered.

“Sure. Shall I get Josh, too?”

“Yeah. I’ve got some prospects to discuss and another idea I
want to revisit.”

“Okay. I’ll buzz him.”

Both of his brothers still carried that honeymoon look about
them, even though Josh had been married for a year and Alex for several months.
Marriage-shy for most of his adult life, Tyler wondered exactly what it was
they found so fascinating about some woman that they were willing to spend the
rest of their lives with her. He’d ask them except then they’d want to know why
and that was a can of worms he wasn’t ready to open yet.

“I’ve got two guys I believe would be good permanent hires
for supervisors,” he told them. “They can handle the responsibility and work
out any problems with me via a phone call. They’re good decision makers and
when I’m here between Wyoming trips I wouldn’t need to spend every day going
over job sites. A short visit will do it.”

He looked at the notes on the yellow pad he was holding.
He’d researched and talked to these men in great depth. One was already on the
payroll overseeing one of the jobs they had going. But Tyler had worked with
both of them before and everything he’d learned about them had verified his gut
feeling. He gave his brothers a rundown.

“If you think they’re good, then let’s put them on,” Alex
said. Then, ever the moneyman he asked, “Did you discuss salary with either of
them?”

Tyler nodded. “About midrange in the limits we discussed.
Enough to make them happy with some wiggle room for bonuses or incentives.”

Josh nodded. “Okay. I’d like to meet with each of them since
I’ll be working with them more than Alex. I’d like them to understand what I
expect, too.”

“No problem. Let me call them and see what’s good. If it
works out okay, I can have them fill out their insurance and payroll forms and
get them on board.”

“What about the supervisors on the job now?” Alex wanted to
know. “Will there be any bad feelings?”

Tyler shook his head. “Two of them function best when they
know I’m looking over their shoulders, even if it is from miles away. The third
one is one of the guys I’m bringing in. And the other one I’ve worked with
before, so we’re good.”

“Okay, then.” Josh took a swallow from his coffee mug. “Now
that we’ve got business out of the way, where did you disappear to last night?”

Tyler frowned at him. “Disappear? Why? What’s up?”

“That’s what I’d like to know. Ness and I both got home late
for work and were headed out for dinner. We thought you might like to join us
but you didn’t answer either your landline or your cell. What’s that all
about?”

Tyler desperately searched for some kind of answer. He
always turned his cell off at Finesse. It was one of the club rules. They
expected members to make arrangements so even emergencies could be handled. He
sure hadn’t expected either of his brothers to be looking for him.

“I went for a run,” he said finally. “Forgot my cell.”

“Yeah?” Alex gave him a weird look. “So how long did you
run? Because I tried to call you around ten and couldn’t get you either.”

“Jeez, what is this?” He sat up straighter. “I didn’t think
I had to check in with you guys every hour or anything.”

Josh shrugged. “Never mind. It was just a damn dinner
invitation. I didn’t think I was invading your personal space.”

Tyler gritted his teeth. The three brothers had an
incredible relationship and he didn’t want to change that. But he still
believed they’d never adjust to his particular sexual preference and he didn’t
want to take a chance and find out.”

“Sorry, guys.” He drank from his mug. “I didn’t sleep too
well so I’m a little cranky. Anyway, I have one other subject I want to touch
base on—Larkin and Associates.”

“What about them?” Josh wanted to know.

“Remember I mentioned I met one of their junior partners?
Jack Shelton? He said his boss would love to have a meeting with us and tell us
what they have to offer.”

Both brothers looked at Alex.

He shrugged. “Sure. I said I’d like to hear what they have
to say. The way we’re expanding, our accounting’s about to get more complex so,
okay. Set something up.”

Tyler nodded. “Maybe I’ll drop down and see him. He seems
like a good guy. Someone we’d hang out with.”

Alex laughed. “Maybe you would but unless he’s married we’d
bore him to death.”

“I don’t know his marital status but I’ll check it out.” He
unfolded from the chair as casually as he could. “Think I’ll see if he’s in
now.”

He could almost feel his brothers’ eyes boring holes in his
back as he wandered out of the office. Too bad. He wasn’t about to satisfy
their curiosity. Certainly not until he satisfied his own. He thought about
calling first then decided he’d just drop in casually. If Jack was out or busy,
he’d leave him a message.

Jack Shelton was not only in, he was happy to see him and
pleased about the opportunity to work together.

“I’ll tell the big boss,” he said. “Score a few extra
points.”

“Happy to help.” Tyler paused. “Say. The woman who hustled
past us the other day.”

Jack lifted an eyebrow. “Jenyfer? Miss Tightass?”

“Yeah. About her. What’s up, anyway?”

“Why? Something happen?”

Tyler shrugged. “Not really. It’s just that I bumped into
her leaving the garage the other day and she ran like her hair was on fire.
That wasn’t the only time. And this morning I came in early to get some stuff
taken care of and she walked up behind me. Sort of, anyway.”

“Sort of?” Interest gleamed in the other man ‘s eyes.

“Yeah. I heard her heels on the concrete and turned to see
who it was.”

“She comes to work well before anyone else,” Jack said.
“Can’t figure out why. She spends all day doing her thing in her office. And
she always leaves when everyone else is gone.”

“Well, this morning I spotted her in the garage and when she
saw me, I thought she’d have a heart attack. She turned around and hurried back
to her car. What’s with her, anyway?”

“Don’t know. For a while I thought she was gay because she
avoids interacting with just about everyone but Larkin. But she’s the same way
with the women.”

“Maybe she’s got some kind of bad incident she hasn’t gotten
over.”

Jack lifted a shoulder. “Don’t know. She’s a mystery to
everyone. But she’s got the best brain for figures of anyone I’ve ever met.
She’s also a hell of a forensic accountant. If someone’s hidden money she’ll
find it like a homing pigeon. Larkin says she’s better than he is, which is
saying something. I guess that’s why he puts up with her oddness.” He studied
Tyler. “Don’t tell me you’re interested in her.”

“No, nothing like that,” Tyler hurried to assure him. “Just
curious is all.”

“Good, because she’s bad news where men are concerned.”

“Well, thanks for the info.” Tyler pushed himself out of the
chair. “I’m only in town until the end of next week. Then it’s back to Wyoming
for a month. Think we can manage lunch before then?”