Punishing for Pleasure (7 page)

*****

Dex stood in front of Meri watching as she worried her bottom lip. He could almost hear the wheels of her mind spinning. His oldest sister had always been completely focused, but he’d often seen the same completely disconnected look in his sister, Sarah’s, eyes. She was less than a year older than Dex, so they’d spent a lot of time together as kids and he had asked her once where she went during the times she seemed “unplugged” from her surroundings. She’d grinned and proceeded to map out her latest mental road trip. He remembered being completely stunned at how each thought had seemed to ping her mind in a new direction. She’d compared it to mental scavenger hunt, where each discovery was a clue that sent you in search of the next random piece of the puzzle. The one thing his sister had said that had burned into his memory was that she often dreamed of being able to escape the “noise” in her head. She’d laughed and said all those thoughts bouncing around in her head were loud, and she wished she knew how to quiet it all down.

He’d seen that same look in Meri’s eyes a couple of times at the club, but when he and Ash had worked together they’d been able to quickly focus her attention. Dex found it interesting that Ash’s touch alone wasn’t working—it was something he and Ash needed to discuss. If he was right, they would be able to provide that brilliant mind of hers with relief a lot more effectively until they had a chance to condition her responses to them as individuals. Until then, they needed to work together to keep her safe and bind her to them. Dex had grown tired of waiting for Ash to make a decision about Meri. He knew his friend as well as he knew himself, and didn’t doubt she was perfect for them, but Ash still hadn’t let go of his anger at Catina’s betrayal. Dex hadn’t ever met the woman Ash had caught in bed with his college roommate, but he’d seen the fire burn in Ash’s eyes anytime the subject came up.

Dex knew a couple of his girlfriends had cheated while he’d been away on missions. SEALs and their significant others were a tight group, so keeping secrets was almost impossible. But he hadn’t taken their infidelity personally. Actually he considered it their character flaw, not his, and he’d simply walked away. But something about Ash’s situation had left a deep gaping wound that never seemed to quite heal. Dex hoped his friend got it resolved before he managed to fuck up things with Merilee Lanham, because since the moment he’d first seen her, his mind had been screaming “Mine!”

Dex leaned forward and kissed the tip of Meri’s nose before flashing her what his granny had always called his Snidley Whiplash smile. “Let’s get this sweet subbie’s punishment taken care of so we can fuck her, what do you say, Master Ash?” He might have been talking to his friend, but Dex hadn’t taken his eyes off hers. Not wanting to miss the way her pupils dilated when she knew there was pain in her immediate future didn’t affect him as much as it did Ash, but it was still a hell of a motivator. Her breathing was faster and the pulse pounding at the base of her throat told Dex everything was still on track.

The wide wooden paddle he’d chosen from the bag in his truck was made of maple and would bring the blood to the surface quickly, sensitizing her with each stinging swat. But it wouldn’t be enough to give her the burn she needed to really let go. He and Ash had gotten in the habit of betting silently how many strokes of Ash’s single-tail or belt it would take before Meri floated happily into sub-space, but today wasn’t about that. Today was about punishment and reminding her that she not only didn’t have to face everything alone, she wasn’t supposed to. They might not have made a formal commitment to her, but he was certain Meri knew she’d made a huge mistake.

Dex sensed Ash’s hesitance but he wasn’t going to let him back down, Meri needed both of them. She enjoyed the lighter side of BDSM she found with him, but she also craved the darker elements that she’d come to expect from Ash. He’d be having a serious heart-to-heart discussion with Ash in the near future, but in this moment there was only one person he planned to focus on and that was the beauty standing in front of him.

Ash stepped back and let Dex take the lead during the first part of Meri’s punishment. He’d notice Dex’s gaze flick to him several times and knew his friend had picked up on his trepidation. Sometimes the man was more intuitive than was convenient. Ash moved just enough to the side that Meri would be able to see him remove his belt before she was bent over the table. There wasn’t any question about the fact she had more than earned what was coming and her body language told him that she knew it as well.

“Do you have on panties, sweetness?” Dex hated panties with a passion that amused all of the other Doms at the club. Ash had seen him reject unattached subs in clubs all over the world simply because they’d been wearing panties. Ash smiled when Meri’s barely audible answer caused Dex’s brows to pull together. “I’m fairly sure I’ve made my view of those offensive garments very clear. And don’t give me that bullshit excuse that you didn’t know you were going to see us when you got dressed this morning. First of all, I hate them
all of the time
,
not just when you are with us. So for the time we’re together, you will not wear them unless Master Ash or I give you specific permission to do so. And secondly, we have been together for several hours. Your first and best opportunity to remedy this problem was as soon as we got out of the truck up on the hill.”

Ash’s cock was instantly rock hard just thinking about Meri stepping from the truck and immediately pulling up the prim skirt she was wearing and stepping out of whatever lace and elastic concoction she had on. There was a small part of him that hoped she made this mistake often because watching her slide little scraps of silk down her well-toned legs would be something to look forward to. Ash looked at Meri with a cocked brow, “Tell me exactly what you think Master Dex thinks you should have done, pet.” He’d suspected Meri hadn’t really taken Dex’s warning seriously, and the pink that flooded her sweet face confirmed his suspicion.

“Well, I guess he wanted me to tell him I had on panties and—”

Dex quickly interrupted her, “No, that is not what I meant at all.” Ash had to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep from smiling because Dex’s sharp tone had obviously surprised her. “You should have slid that delicious little ass of yours out of the truck and immediately pulled your skirt up and removed your panties. And that is exactly what we’ll expect in the future. You’ll then hand them to one of us, hanging them from one finger. Do not hide them or your spanking will occur right then and there.” Even though she was still fully dressed, Ash could smell her arousal and it was a temptation he was already battling, he had no idea how he was going to finish the scene.

“Now, pull your skirt up around your waist and push your panties down to your knees. If you are going to behave like a bratty girl, that’s how we’re going to handle you.” Ash watched her do as Dex had directed, he wanted to pump his fist in the air when he saw all the moisture in the crotch of her silk thong. “Bend over the table and grab the edge. I’m going to spank you for your deplorable disrespect of Master Jax at the hospital. He isn’t your Master, but he is still a Master at the club and you know better than the way you acted. This is meant as a teachable lesson and it is punishment. You are not allowed to come, but I won’t gag you unless you are rude.” Ash watched as Dex took an unusually hard stance with Meri, he knew if she hadn’t had on panties this portion of the punishment would have gone much easier for her.

Dex adjusted her position and rubbed his hand over the smooth skin of her ass and Ash could hardly wait to watch it change from lightly tanned to scarlet. He knew by the time they were finished, the skin would have moved through all the shades of pink and rose before turning a brilliant shade of crimson. Hell’s fire would be burning over her ass by the time they’d finished, but he knew she needed this as much as they did. He and Dex had to believe she would come to them the next time she had a problem, and she needed the reassurance that they cared enough to push the issue.

The first blow had been solid and had lifted Meri up on to her toes. “Remember, your safe word will always work, no matter where we are, sweetheart. But I don’t think you’ll need it, because you need this too, don’t you?” Dex’s question had ended with two more hard smacks. Meri had closed her eyes trying to lose herself in the pleasure, but neither of them were going to let her go that easily.

“Open your eyes, pet. Keep them on me while you take the punishment you have more than earned.” Ash hadn’t meant for his words to sound as hard as he knew they had, but he was already battling for his own control. Her eyes opened slowly and were quickly filling with the dreamy distance that told him her mind was already transforming the pain into pleasure. He’d met several masochists over the years, but he’d never met one that could float into the mindset as quickly as Meri once they managed to get her focused. She was the type of submissive every sadist dreams of, yet fears the most.

When Dex had finished, Meri’s skin was bright red and her tears had puddled on the table under her pretty face. Dex was speaking to her in soft tones, and Ash knew from experience his friend had pushed Meri, but not nearly far enough to get her where she needed to be in order to find the cleansing release she was seeking. Her eyes went wide and almost glittered in anticipation when he started folding the belt he held in his hands. Watching her, he asked, “Every time you look at this table you see the
gift
your intruder left, don’t you, pet?”

Ash wanted to laugh at the startled expression on her face. It wasn’t unusual for Dex to make insightful observations during a scene, but Ash usually kept himself firmly in his role as the sadist Dom. It took her a couple of seconds, but she finally whispered, “Yes, Sir.”

“Let’s see if we can’t replace that memory with something else, shall we? The next time you walk into this room, you’ll look at this beautiful table and the memory will be of laying over it with your bare ass presented to your Doms for punishment as their friends looked on.”
Aha, I didn’t think you were aware of our audience
.
Even though she had a spectacular body, Merilee Lanham was like most women in her lack of confidence. She didn’t realize that her curves, the lush hips, nipped in waist, and softly rounded breasts were what evolution had programed the male brain to pursue.

When she unconsciously started to slide her legs together and stand, Dex’s palm in the middle of her back kept her in place. “Stay right where you are, sweetheart, or you’re going to earn another punishment.”

Meri frozen in place and Ash tilted his head to the side and watched her toes slowly uncurl against the cool tile, and he wanted to smile at the cotton candy pink color of her toenail polish. Panties had always been Dex’s issue, but shoes were what Ash wanted his sub to forego. There was a vulnerability about being barefoot, and Ash had long ago noticed the feeling seemed to be especially true with the more hardcore submissives. Even if they weren’t consciously aware of it, the message was still there and was rarely missed. She slid her feet back to their original position and Ash watched as her breathing slowly returned to normal. He just continued studying her, noting every shiver and nervous twitch until she finally seemed to let go and let her mind relax. Returning his gaze to hers, he felt like he could fall into the bright green orbs. It was as if he’d fallen into the cool azure water off the coast of Aruba and he found himself surrounded by the unusual color all the time he fought his way back to the surface. He’d never seen a woman whose thoughts were so clearly written in her face. Reading her need to please, he pushed back his body’s demand for immediate satisfaction and moved his hand to his supple leather belt and let is slowly slide over his palm.

“When this is finished, I’m going to make you something to eat. We won’t be tending the stripes you’ll have because you need to feel their burn and the soreness they’ll bring for several days. This is a punishment, pet, and we want you to learn from it. But tomorrow, when you look at this table, your pussy is going to slicken at this new memory.” Meri’s eyes flashed for just a brief moment of trepidation and he was pleased to see even that small bit of survival instinct, because quite frankly they were all too rare.

Moving back behind her, Ash frowned at the deep bruising he already saw starting to show. Looking up at Dex, Ash wasn’t surprised to see the stricken look on his face. Folding the belt in half rather that leaving the tail out, that would help moderate the damage, but there wasn’t much more he could do at this point unless Meri used her safe word—and he knew there wasn’t a chance in hell that would happen. The first strike surprised her. She yelped and moved, but quickly corrected her position and whispered, “Sorry, Sir.”

By the fourth lash he saw the tears begin to subside and after the seventh lash her eyes were unfocused and she’d clearly vacated that busy mind of hers. The next two were harsh—not because he’d wanted to, but she needed the extra push to go over. Just as he swung the tenth strike, he demanded, “Come for me, pet.” He dropped the belt, letting it clatter against the floor as he slid his fingers through the soaking folds of her pussy lips. With pinpoint accuracy he pressed against her G-spot and felt the rush of her sweet cream over his fingers as she screamed their names. The convulsing of her vaginal muscles as they locked around his fingers pushed his tenuous control to its very limit. The feel of her silky fluids sliding through his fingers as they were pushed from her core brought on a tightness in his chest that felt like a steel band closing around his heart, anchoring him to her.

*****

Dex watched everything play out in front of him and felt as if he was being pulled by some magnetic force into the scene. There was a depth to this moment that he hadn’t even realized was missing when they’d previously played with her. And even though it was supposed to have been all about punishment, she’d taken everything they had given her with such grace that Dex had seen the moment Ash’s focus snapped, he hadn’t fucked her, but he’d given her the release her body was burning for and they’d all found pleasure in the moment. For several seconds, Dex stood stone still—willing his body back from the edge. He hadn’t lost control and come from a visual alone since he’d been fifteen, and he certainly didn’t plan to do it front of the woman who was fast becoming the center of his world.

When he finally decided his legs might actually hold him up if he took a step, Dex turned toward the kitchen to get a damp towel and came face to face with Peter Weston. Peter simply smiled and handed him the cool, damp cloth he needed.
Damn empaths, always
just a step or two ahead of you.
Peter smiled shyly and shrugged in acknowledgment of Dex’s thoughts.
Christ, I feel sorry for the women he tops.
Dex grinned at his friends as Peter and Carl stepped quietly from the room to give them a few minutes alone with Meri.

They finished stripping her and then cleaned her with the soft cloth. Dex smiled as goose bumps raced over her dewy skin. “Exhausted, but still so responsive. Come on, let’s get you settled while Master Ash makes you something to eat. You’ll kneel in the corner of the kitchen and wait.” He saw her eyes flare for just a second before she banked the emotion. He was betting she was worried about kneeling on the ceramic tile floor, she hadn’t seen the large pillow he'd placed there earlier.

As he helped her into position, his hand skimmed over the burning skin and he heard her moan. He gave her ass cheek a small squeeze, a move that would have brought a yelp from most subs and a scream of pain from many, but Meri simply groaned softly as her body absorbed the sensation. Her mind was still blurring the line between pain and pleasure to the point she was unable to tell any difference between the sensations. Her entire body was flooding with endorphins so her mind would be feeling as if it was free-floating in a pleasurable post-orgasmic state of pure pleasure. The physiology of pain and pleasure was just one of the elements of the lifestyle Dex found most fascinating.

When Dex first started sharing women and scenes with Ash, he’d worried about his friend’s more extreme kinks. Dex had struggled to understand how anything but light pain could bring pleasure, and for several months he’d held Ash back while he studied everything he could about masochism. In the end, all the studies, articles, and interviews pointed to one simple truth—it was all about wiring...some people were just wired in a way that let them smudge the line between pain and pleasure until the two were virtually indistinguishable.

It hadn’t seemed to matter how many journal articles Dex read or how many expert opinions he sifted through, the information all led to that same conclusion. He’d laughed when he realized one of his old southern granny’s favorite sayings was the bottom line it had taken dozens of “experts” years of study to figure out. She might have been lacking “any of those fancy sheep skin diplomas,” but she was abundantly blessed with wit and wisdom. Granny had reminded him hundreds of times to “thank your lucky stars not everybody likes the same things, cuz that’s what makes the world such a fascinatin’ place.”
Truer words were never spoken
,
Granny.