Spring Training (5 page)

The distinctive snap of Mistress Lola donning rubber gloves jerked him out of his reverie. Before he had time to process what that meant, she pried his ass cheeks apart, smeared cold lube in and around his anus, and shoved a finger inside him.

“No!” He tried to expel the intruder, but she leaned into him, using her body to press him forward against the web of chains.

“Breathe, slave. It’s done. Your ass is mine.”

Flames licked his insides, set his skin on fire. With her free hand, she reached around to stroke his limp dick. By degrees, he gave in to the inevitable.

“There. Much better.” She explored his inner recesses, twisting, retreating, and thrusting, finally settling on a spot that made his cock stiffen. “Go wherever you need to in your mind, slave. Go there and enjoy because you’re going to ejaculate. I guarantee it.” She sounded so sure of herself, so completely confident his body would betray his mind.

He focused everything on defying her, but his cock remained hard, the promised explosion building.

She fondled his balls, tugging them when they wanted nothing more than to coil tight. “Give it to me, slave. Give me your orgasm.”

The fireball rolled, gaining momentum. He saw his hand, massaging Brooke’s breasts, stroking her stomach, watching the tension mount.
Mine. All mine.

His dick felt like a cannon, firing out of control, pulling him under, blinding him in a haze of humility. He’d never come so hard in his life.
Brooke. Sweet Brooke. How do you endure this?

She tended him where he was, gently cleansing his genitals with a warm cloth then rubbing salve into the welts across his back. Working in silence, she allowed him time to find his equilibrium. When she released him, he had to brace himself against the wooden frame for a moment until he was sure his legs would hold him.

“Get dressed,” she said. “I’ll meet you at the front desk. We need to talk.”

He nodded before heading on weak legs to the room down the hall where he’d left his clothes.

CHAPTER SIX

“Where did you go?” Mistress Lola sat across the table from him in the mostly deserted diner, her slim hands wrapped around a white ceramic mug filled with steaming black coffee. She’d told him her real name was Diane and to call her that in public, but he couldn’t get his head around the common moniker just yet. Not after what she’d done to him.

Holding on with both hands, he sipped from his own mug. He didn’t need to ask what she meant by her question, but he did need time to gather his scattered thoughts. The scalding brew helped clear the post-orgasmic fog from his mind so he could form sentences.

Aftercare. Of the extended kind
. He recognized the signs of a sub in need of attention. It had just never applied to him before. Until tonight. She had driven him into a place inside his head he’d never gone before, a place so foreign to him being there had shaken him to the core. Hell, he was still shaking.

“I was with Brooke.”

Nodding her approval, she relaxed against the back of the booth. “Want to talk about it?”

“No.”

“Think of it as post-game analysis.”

Taking another fortifying sip, he contemplated telling her where she could go, but like any sub pushed past their comfort zone, he needed to talk about what happened. “I’m going to talk about it. Give me a minute.”

She looked younger without the dark makeup. He never would have taken her for the pearls and sweater set type though. It was a bit disconcerting, knowing what he did about her.

“Take all the time you want. I’m not going anywhere.”

He drained his cup, ordered another then finished off a plate of chili-cheese fries before he felt stable enough to talk about what he’d experienced without breaking down like a nut case. “I don’t know how she does it.”

“Brooke? She’s strong. All subs are, or they’d be certifiable in no time flat.”

“She’s the strongest person I know.”

“Tonight was the first time you’ve ever ceded control to someone else.”

“Yes.”

“How did you feel about that?”

He shrugged, staring sightless at his crumpled, grease-stained napkin. “Vulnerable. Scared out of my mind.”

“Is that all?”

“Weak.” He sighed, slumping on his forearms crossed on the tabletop. “That was the worst. It was…humbling. Humiliating, not being able to control my own body.”

“Would you have been humiliated if you had told me to make you come that way?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so.”

“Was it that much different than a blow job?”

“The end result was the same, but I choose when or if I’m going to end a blow job before it goes too far.”

“And what about it made you feel weak?”

He glared at her. She glared back. “You don’t seriously think I’m going to say that out loud in a public place, do you?”

She glanced around, returning her hard gaze to him. “No one’s around. Besides, we were just talking about blow jobs.”

“That’s different, and you know it.”

“How?”

He huffed out a breath. “It just is, okay?” He leaned in closer. “You know full well that was the first time anyone did that to me.”

“That?” She laughed and leaned in so her face was less than an inch from his. “You mean, stuck something up your ass?”

“Jesus, woman!” His gaze darted around the room, seeking assurance no one was close enough to hear her softly spoken words. Satisfied, though no less embarrassed, he sat up straight. She did the same, smiling as she resumed her relaxed pose on her side of the booth. “We’re through discussing this subject. Move on.”

“Okay, okay.” She waved off his rapidly deteriorating mood.

He resumed his position, slumped on arms crossed on the table. He was better than when they came in, but he hadn’t regained all his strength yet. He had a feeling he would need to conserve as much energy as possible to get through the rest of the conversation.

“What were you scared of?”

He was right about needing to conserve energy. He stared at her, determined to keep at least this one thing to himself. There was something about her penetrating gaze that said she already knew what he was going to say, so what did it matter? “Liking it. I was afraid of liking it.”

“Care to elaborate on that?”

He scowled at her from his guarded slump. “No.”

“How did you feel about being restrained?”

“It scared the hell out of me. All I have is Frank’s word that you aren’t the kind of woman to cut a man’s dick off.”

“Is that all you felt?”

What is she, a mind reader?
He pushed his unused knife around with the tip of his index finger. “I felt…free.”
Make sense out of that, will you?

“It’s not an unusual feeling, Todd. The restraints are more symbolic than anything else. They tell a sub their Master is in charge. All decisions are taken from their hands. All they can, or need, to do is accept what happens to them.”

“I didn’t want to accept.”

“No, you didn’t, but I took the choice away from you.” She sat forward, mimicking his posture. “Tell me, Todd. Was the orgasm pleasurable?”

His cock twitched as the memory exploded in his brain. He’d never come so hard in his life. The way his stomach muscles ached, it was a wonder he hadn’t ejaculated his guts through his dick, too. Pain. Pleasure. It hurt too good to describe. He nodded. “Yes. You know it was.”

“I do,” she confirmed. “Do you think it would have been as intense if you’d had a say in how it happened?”

He didn’t even have to think about his answer. “No.”

She sat back again, silently observing him. He felt like a frog in mid-dissection, his skin split and pinned open. Nothing private. He studied her as intently. The smug expression on her face said only an idiot wouldn’t follow her questions to a logical conclusion.

What the hell is she trying to get me to see?

“Wait.” He ran an idea around in his head just to make sure it didn’t sound completely crazy. “Are you telling me Brooke knows this? She knows the orgasms are more powerful because she has no control over how or when they’ll come?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” She smiled like he’d offered her a million bucks instead of acknowledging that his sub had complete control over him, even when she had no control at all.

“But that’s not the reason she wants a twenty-four/seven relationship.”

“No, it isn’t.”

He rolled that around in his mind for a while. No committed relationship was entirely about the sex, not even the vanilla ones, but sex was an important element. Being able to express love through physical intimacy was necessary to the human condition, no matter what form that expression took. Signaling for a refill, he slid his cup to the edge of the table.

“Have you ever had a slave of your own?”

“I’ve had a few. One lived with me for over a year before he asked to be released.” She quieted while the waitress refilled both their cups, inquiring if they needed anything else. They both declined, sending her on her way. “Before you ask, he entered a PhD program in another state. He couldn’t stay, and I couldn’t go with him. We’re friends now.”

“You didn’t love him?”

“I did at the time, but we both knew from the beginning that it wasn’t forever. He had a life he wanted to pursue, and I have mine.”

The coffee worked its magic. His hands weren’t shaking anymore. “I’ve been wondering. Why did Frank recommend you for this particular assignment? What makes you qualified to help me?” No sooner had the words left his mouth than he realized how offensive his questions might be. “Wait. I didn’t mean it to sound like I don’t believe you are…not after tonight. It’s just…you seem to understand the mind of a sub better than I expected.”

His companion smiled. “No offense taken. I’m surprised Frank didn’t tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“That I’m a switch.”

Todd bolted upright in the booth. “Are you kidding me?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I sub when the mood strikes me, but mostly I top.”

“You’ve subbed for Frank.”

“I have on a few occasions.”

That explained a lot. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned this week, it’s that I’m not cut out to be a sub, much less a slave.”

Her laughter brought a smile to his face.

“If that isn’t the understatement of the year. But seriously, Todd, you’ve done better than I thought you would.”

He sighed. “Yeah, well, I’ve learned a lot. Brooke serves me because it’s in her nature to do for the people she loves. When I take command of the details of our private lives, it provides her with a structure she needs. She’s a strong woman, capable of running her own business, but at home, she needs me to take the responsibility off her shoulders. In my own way, I’m caring for her so she can care for me.”

“On a non-sexual level, that’s all true. What about on a sexual level?”

“We both need for me to control that aspect of our relationship. I don’t know any other way. And Brooke…she wants to explore her sexuality, but she needs someone with a strong hand to guide her.”

“Sounds like you have a good grip on the motivations, yours and hers.”

“Better now than before.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

Brooke woke with a start to total darkness. Pinpricks skirted over her torso in random patterns like tiny mice dancing, their sharp claws tapping out the syncopated rhythm. She tried to sit up, to run from the nightmare, but the cuffs binding her held fast. A scream rose in her throat, stopped short by something pressed between her lips. Increasing her struggles, she barely registered the voice speaking softly in her ears.

“Brooke! Brooke! Babe, relax.” A warm hand on her shoulder brought her back to her senses. “Shh, girl. You’re safe.”

Frank.
Her heart still raced as reality crashed in on her. She was still bound and hooded. His voice soothed while his hands stroked along her torso then out to her fingers and toes, massaging life back into them. The mice had ceased their dancing.
Christ, what a way to wake up
.

Surprised she’d slept, she had no concept of time. Had it been minutes? Hours? Was it morning? Used to waking when most people were still experiencing REM sleep, she guessed the time at pre-dawn, even though her body didn’t feel in the least bit rested.

“It’s time to play, sweetheart.”

Oh, God
. Frank’s idea of playing meant bringing her to the brink of orgasm then leaving her aching.

“But first things first. If you need to relieve yourself, curl your right hand into a fist.”

The idea of walking for a few minutes, even if it was only to the bathroom and back, lifted her spirits. She curled her fingers inward.

“Good girl. It will just take a moment to empty your bladder, then we’ll have some fun.”

Expecting to be released so she could go the bathroom, she nearly jumped out of her skin when fingers parted her labia. She tensed, her mind trying to make sense of what was happening.

“Relax, girl.” Something hard surrounded her pussy, held firm against her skin.

She renewed her struggle to free herself as shame washed over her.
No. Please, no.

A firm hand on her stomach held her hips against the table. “Urinate, girl, or I’ll make you.”

Tears nearly choked her. Biting down on the bar, she relieved herself. She’d never felt as alone as she did in that moment. Her chest heaved as she cried out her humiliation and shame while her caretaker cleansed her pussy with a damp cloth then dried her. She longed for Todd’s strong arms to hold her. If only she could hear his soothing voice telling her how proud he was of her instead of Frank’s cold tone.

After he washed her, time stretched out, endless it seemed. He didn’t touch her. There was only silence in the darkness of the hood. She lay still, trying to discern anything about her surroundings, but deprived of every sense except touch, she could tell nothing. She was hungry, tired, and cold. When he first bound her, the room had been warm, but now her nipples pebbled in the cold.

Her imagination went wild, dreaming up all manner of things Frank could do to her while he held her so completely under his control. None of them were things she wanted. All she wanted was to be released. She needed Todd. Needed for him to hold her. His strong arms always made her feel safe and loved.

“I’m going to use you now, girl.” The words broke into her silent reverie, startling her. “You’re a slave. You have no right to a safe-word.”

The bar was snatched from between her teeth only to be replaced by a larger gag, one that protruded into her mouth, the hilt lying flat over her lips. Frank lifted her head, fastening straps in the back before removing the patch blocking her nostrils.

Goose flesh broke out over her entire body. She prayed Todd was watching, that he wouldn’t let anything really bad happen to her. He trusted Frank, and she trusted Todd.
Stay calm. You’re going to be fine.

Frank pressed something against the underside of her breast, then again on the outside curve. Moments later, he did the same to the other breast, the insides of her thighs near her pussy, another just above her now bare mound.
What’s he doing?

Harsh fingers pinched the hood of her clit followed by the tickle of a thin wire dropping across her thigh. Forceful fingers smeared lube around her labia, delving inside as deep as possible, over and over. She knew what was coming, but wasn’t prepared for the girth or length of the dildo when it entered her.

“I’ve given you time to contemplate your true nature, to come to terms with who and what you are. Your body is mine. I’ll use it as I see fit.”

The first sensation was a warm tingle in both of her breasts. Then her clit began to warm followed by her thighs and her mound and her pussy.

“Feel that, girl? It’s only going to get better, stronger, until you come. You have no choice. Your body will respond even if your brain doesn’t want to follow.”

The next round felt like pinpricks, not unlike the sensations that woke her earlier. The following round was sharper, the stimulation to her breasts sending spikes of need to her pussy where the tiny shocks to her clit and vagina multiplied the feeling.

Her body responded to the stimuli building in intensity, the waves coming faster and closer together. Her heart rate kicked up, and her breathing grew shallow. She tried to fight the natural physical response, tried to reason the impending climax away, but she was on a trip to the peak, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

But Frank could. As suddenly as the stimulation began, it stopped. Her brain felt as if it had crash-landed. Physical need and reason collided, sending shards of reality like slivers of glass slicing through her overloaded synapses. She screamed her frustration against the gag. She didn’t want to come. She
had
to come. Now.

“Why do you give yourself to your Master?”

She wasn’t sure she heard the words with her ears or if her brain conjured them up from somewhere. It didn’t matter. Either way, the question wormed its way into her consciousness.

“Why do you give yourself to a man who is merciless with your body?”

The faint stirring of heat began in her breasts again.

“Why do you want to be a slave? Why do you want to give yourself, body and soul, to Master Todd?”

Her body strained for the orgasm so cruelly denied before as the electrical impulses flitted from one part of her body to another, pulsing, teasing, creating a physical need matched with an emotional need she was powerless to control.

An invisible current propelled her closer and closer to the pinnacle.
Please. Please. Let me come this time. Please.

The buildup came faster, one wave of stimuli almost on top of the previous one. The climb was swift, stealing oxygen from her brain to keep up with the demands of her other organs.

So close. Oh, damn!
She bit down on the gag as her hips rose in response to the strongest jolt yet. Her pussy hurt so good, her thighs quivered with the need to clamp down on the swollen tissue in order to find some relief. Then the sequence began again. Her breasts first, down to her inner thighs. Just then, the sensation she’d experienced before, the mice dancing on her stomach, began again at her navel, sweeping up to one nipple, over to the other, biting at them with sharp teeth.

She writhed against her restraints as need, desire, pain, and pleasure arched through her body from her nipples to her pussy so fast she couldn’t keep up with the sensations. They overwhelmed her brain, her body.

“Come.”

The command echoed through her head, clear and unmistakable in its authority. Current nipped at her clit, nibbled the walls of her vagina.

She came, biting down on the gag and the scream trapped in her brain. Her body convulsing so hard she was grateful for the cuffs keeping her safe. Pain gripped her in an iron fist, demanded she find the pleasure in every involuntary contraction. She wept with the beauty of it, the sheer power her small body held within itself.

“Perfect, girl.” Warm hands stroked her limbs then went to work on her torso. Frank removed the pads from her body then loosened the cuffs. Ankles first, then her wrists. She lay boneless through it all.

“Keep your eyes closed,” he said after he’d removed the headphones and the gag. “I’m going to take the hood off. The lights are low, but you might be disoriented for a while, so best to just keep them closed.”

Wrapped in a blanket, she settled into his lap in the big, overstuffed chair in the corner of the room. How many hours had she spent there in Todd’s arms, loving him, coming down from an incredible sexual experience at his hands?

“You were magnificent, girl.” Frank’s hand smoothed over the crown of her head, over her shoulder to her hip then began again.

She didn’t feel magnificent. She felt empty. Cold from the inside out. She still didn’t know exactly what Frank had done to her, but she’d figured out it was some sort of electric play. A shudder racked her body, making her teeth chatter. He tightened his hold on her.

“We need to get some food and water into you.” He stood, cradling her face against his leather vest as he walked. His scent was familiar, but where she found comfort in Todd’s essence, Frank’s was nothing more than a reminder he wasn’t the man she loved. A wave of loneliness sent her head swimming. She missed her Master more than she thought possible. Another five weeks without him wouldn’t be training, it would be torture.

I can’t do it.

Her trainer set her on the sofa in the den, arranging the blanket to cover her from neck to toes. With reassuring words regarding her physical being, he admonished her to rest, promising to return with nourishment. Like she had a choice. Her limbs felt like rubber, and every time she opened her eyes, the room did the Tilt-A-Whirl thing, spinning off its axis.

Closing her eyes, she clutched the blanket to her chin. Memories of Todd, holding her, murmuring words of praise—of love—warmed her. Her body longed to feel him surrounding her. She always felt safe in his arms. Not so in Frank’s. Another shudder, so intense it forced a moan from her lips, racked her body.

I can’t do this, Master Todd. Not anymore. If you were here…maybe…but not alone. I can’t do it alone.

Her substitute Master returned with a tray he set on the coffee table. After helping her sit up, he fed her hot chicken soup as if she were a child. He had her best interest at heart—she knew he did—but she felt no emotional connection to him at all. She never had. It had always been Todd who rocked her world, who made her feel weak and powerful all at the same time. With Frank, she felt like a helpless object. A toy.

The soup helped clear her head as well as restore some of her strength.

You’re his student. He’s here to teach you how to be a slave.

“You’re looking better, girl.” She drank hot tea from the cup he pressed to her lips. “Nod if you are feeling better.”

She dipped her chin. The room tipped before it righted itself again. “Dizzy.”

“That’s to be expected.” She drank more tea then he helped her lie back down. “Sleep, Brooke. I’ll be right here if you need me.”

Sleep sounded like a really good idea. The ache in her stomach had been appeased. She just needed to let her body process the sparse meal.

“You’ve done good, girl. Your Master will be very proud of you.”

She wanted that to be true, but if he knew what was in her heart, he’d be disappointed in her. Snuggling into the blanket, she closed her eyes. “He saw?”

“Not yet. He wasn’t home to watch. He’ll see it later.”

“What time is it?”

“Three in the morning.”

Her mind processed the time difference. Arizona was an hour earlier. It was two a.m. there, and he wasn’t home? That didn’t make any sense. He had to be at the field early every day. “Where is he?”

“Out. Where is none of your concern, slave.”

He might as well have waved a red flag in front of her as use that authoritative tone of voice. Something wasn’t right. She sat up too fast. The room spun even as her heart sank. She clutched at the back of the sofa to steady herself. “Tell me. Please.”

“He’s fine,” Frank assured. “Where he goes and what he does is no concern of yours. Lie back down and rest. He’ll see the video later. I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you afterward.”

“Why?”

“Because he is your Master. He’ll want to know how the experience was for you. He’ll want to know if you have an answer to the question I asked you.”

She could tell by the look on his face he wasn’t going to give her anything more. Her Master was out somewhere. There was a club in Phoenix Todd had mentioned to her once. He’d spent some time there before he met her. Was he there tonight instead of at home?

Who took care of him while he was away? He had to have someone. He said she couldn’t go a week without an orgasm. Well, neither could he. She’d been so wrapped up in feeling sorry for herself she hadn’t given a thought to his needs. No wonder she was such a terrible slave. Of course, he would turn to someone else.

Images of another woman, another slave, spreading her legs for her Master did more to revive her than any amount of food could do.

“Who is he with?”

“That’s none of your concern, slave.”