Chapter 10
CELEST
Every nerve ending in my body sings as the aftermath of release pulses through me. I knew I needed a good lay, but holy shit. A laugh bursts from me, the relief is so great. I’m breathless and boneless in post-coital bliss.
“This isn’t the reaction I’m used to when I fuck a woman for the first time. Or ever.” He pushes up onto his elbow, studying my face, the furrow of his brow telling me he’s not happy. My mind immediately goes to the worst place. I’m a lousy lay. “What’s so funny?”
“I needed that… so much. Oh my God, I really needed that,” I say with delight, throwing my arm over my face. It’s embarrassing how happy I am right now.
Flex caresses the back of my hand with his before coaxing me to drop my arm. When my eyes find his, he has a genuine smile that I’ve never seen before. I expect him to be so self-satisfied like every other Dom. He’s always so confident, oozing sex appeal. “You’re beautiful.”
My breath hitches, taken aback by such a simple compliment.
“I…” My mind goes blank.
“You’re welcome,” he says with a sly wink. There he is —the Flex everyone knows and loves .
“Thank you.”
“I should punish you for having to be told to express your gratitude.”
“Yes, Master. Whatever you see fit.” A thrill courses through me, butterflies taking flight in my stomach. I know he’s just taking pity on me, but I need it. Apparently, I have no pride left.
“Dealer’s choice. This is a one-time-only offer. You can pick your poison tonight. What’s your favorite punishment?” To anyone outside the lifestyle, that is a horrifying question, but for me, it’s my love language. Ridiculous, I know. Most women want flowers or jewelry. Kisses and caresses. I love all of those things, but hands down, I’m always going to be more grateful for a punishment. I don’t want to delve into why I am this way. I know why, but I’ve learned in my years as a submissive that my pleasure is valid. Whatever I derive pleasure from, even if it’s pain.
“I want you to…” I hesitate.
“Celest, you can do and say anything in this room. You can ask for anything .”
“So, if I asked you to bring another man in here and have you both fuck me at once…”
“Is that really what you want, pet?” he says as he trails his fingers over my breasts and down my stomach. His voice is dripping with sex.
“Not tonight.”
With a sly grin and mischief dancing in his eyes, his fingers move lower, a whisper of a caress where I want it most. “Then what do you want from me tonight, pet?” He lowers his head to my stomach, pressing a gentle kiss against my skin, giving me goose bumps.
“I want you to tie me to this bed and flog me.”
“Blindfold or not?” He really is letting me choose. I know it won’t happen twice, so I am quick to answer.
“No. I want to see you while you dominate me. I want to see myself helpless as you punish me.”
He flips me onto my back, straddling me within seconds. Flex grabs my wrists and positions them before pulling restraints from each side of the headboard. “Your wish is my command. ”
Making quick work of tying my wrists, he slowly makes his way down my body, stopping to kiss his way to my waist before leaving me wanting more. He slips off the bed and grabs my ankles, tugging me down the bed until my wrist restraints bite.
“Still sure you want to be at my mercy?” I watch as he reaches for the ankle restraints. A growing ache between my thighs is only heightened when he splays my legs and fixes them in place. There’s no give—no way to relieve my growing arousal.
“Yes, Master.”
I’m entranced as he moves to the wall of canes, paddles, whips, and floggers. I’m already wet just seeing the way he runs his fingers over each item until he finds the one he wants—a long, brown leather flogger. It has a sturdy, thick handle with a ring to ensure a firm grip and a generous head of long leather strips. It’s a loud crack flogger—my favorite.
“Oh, this is going to be fun. Your eyes light up at the prospect of pain at my hands, and I can already see how wet you are for me. This is going to hurt, pet.”
“Good.”
He comes to a stop at the end of the bed. “Forget something?” The flogger makes contact with my pussy, my legs tied down so tight I have no way of escaping the onslaught, and it’s exactly the way I want it.
“Sorry, Master.”
“Good girl.”
As Flex massages my wrists and ankles back to life, I can’t take my eyes off him. His tattoos snake their way around his biceps and across his chest. I’ve always found them such a turn-on, but as I take in the sight of them now, I notice the details—names and dates over his heart. Commemorative.
“What do your tattoos mean?” It feels like an intimate question, but what we just did was pretty intimate .
“Fallen comrades. People I loved dearly.” His voice sounds strained as he lies down next to me.
“Why did you join the Navy?”
“Why not?”
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. You’re a hero in my eyes. Serving your country so people like me can live without the threat of our freedoms being taken away. It’s admirable.”
We lie for a moment, the silence unsettling, but I’m not sure what to say. I hit a nerve. When he finally speaks up, I’m relieved. “I lost people in the Twin Towers. As soon as I was old enough to enlist, I marched into the recruiting office, and I never looked back.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I wanted to be the best of the best, so I worked my ass off just to get into the training for the SEALs. The group you start out with dwindles with every test of endurance. It wasn’t the physical toll that got to me. It’s the psychology. They push your body to the edge and past until your mind is screaming out to just give in. To ring the bell. And the second you do, there’s no going back. You’re done.”
“That’s an insane level of pressure. How did you cope with it?”
“I did what I’ve always done. I just kept going. It’s all I’ve got. I survive and exert as much control as possible in every area of my life.”
“Don’t you get lonely?” I think of my life over the past few years and even further back. I’ve spent years feeling alone. I do what I need to in order for Gracie to be happy and healthy. Then I found the lifestyle, and it curbed that chronic, debilitating loneliness that ate me up at night. I’ve been content with one night in my week to connect with someone and have their touch, even if it wasn’t given from a place of love. Lust is the next best thing. To feel desired.
“If you haven’t noticed, I don’t lack company at the club.”
“I’m aware, but you and I both know you’re not exactly looking for a deep relationship.”
“Is that so terrible? I have friends, and I have lovers.”
“Then why ask me to be both? You could pick any submissive at Venom, and they would drop to their knees and do anything you could possibly want. ”
“Because I’ve watched you up there with Freya. You’re mesmerizing. Then, I saw you with Genevieve, and I knew I wanted to fuck you. You’re gorgeous, Celest. The way your body moves as you bring it to orgasm. God, it’s hot.”
I don’t know whether to be happy or sad. I’m a novelty—a doll to be played with then discarded. “Thanks.”
“Why do you sound pissed?”
“I’m not. What you’re hearing is resignation.”
“Spill,” he says as he draws lazy circles around my belly button.
“You didn’t bring me in here to analyze my feelings. We came to fuck and punish. Now, it’s time to leave.” As much as I’d like to stay in bed with this beautiful man, I know my limits. Getting my hopes up with Flex is a lesson in futility, and I refuse to do it to myself.
I slip out of the bed and into the bathroom, where I stand naked in front of the mirror. Punished and sated, I’m exhausted, but the tension I’ve been carrying for months has dissipated.
The door opens, and Flex comes sauntering in, so comfortable in his own body. I can’t blame him—he looks like a Greek god. “Where do you think you’re going?”
I grab a fluffy white robe that’s hanging next to the shower. “To get my clothes and go home.”
“Not before your aftercare.”
“It’s not a big deal.” My defenses are down, and aftercare sounds too intimate right now.
“Drop the robe, now,” he commands.
“We don’t need to do this, Flex.”
“Bend over the vanity. I won’t tell you twice.” He moves to the bathtub, turns on the faucet, and pours some fragrant bubble bath in before turning his attention back to me. He doesn’t speak, but I can tell he’s annoyed.
I reluctantly do as he instructed, expecting him to caress where he flogged me. Maybe massage some aloe onto my red skin. Instead, he slaps my ass, making me moan at the lick of pain coursing through me.
“When I give you an order, I expect you to comply first time. Do you know why I’m about to spank you, Celest? ”
I don’t answer, and it earns me a second hit. If this is supposed to make me do as I’m told, he’s sadly mistaken. This feels too damn good to give it up so easily.
“If that’s the way you want to play it, then enjoy the show. Eyes on yourself in the mirror.”
He delivers a third slap, and I’m so aroused I should be embarrassed, but all I want is this.
“Don’t you ever address me as Flex in this room, you little slut. When you step foot in here, I am your Master until you leave, and I’ve fucking earned that respect.”
Another hit, and I can’t contain my pleasure. “Yes, Master.”
“That’s more like it. Tell me, naughty little pet… whose whore are you in this room?”
“Yours, Master.” He administers a fourth and fifth spank.
“Say thank you.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Turn around.” I want more, but I know he won’t give it to me. “Spread your legs.”
He leaves me bereft as he strides to the tub, turning the water off before it overflows. Everything here is luxurious perfection down to the abundance of bubbles that float in the rolltop tub.
When he’s satisfied, he comes back to me, dropping to his knees and gripping my ass where it hurts. He licks the length of my pussy, tasting my arousal as I struggle not to buckle. It feels so damn good, but it’s short-lived. “One is all you get. Your punishment isn’t taking a spanking. We both know you get off on it more than most. You’re so fucking wet right now. Denying you is denying myself, so you better do as you’re told next time. Do not think for a second that you can leave this room whenever you please. You will wait to be dismissed. If I have to forfeit devouring your perfect little cunt, you’ll be begging for mercy by the time I’m done with you. Now, get in the tub.”
“I’m sorry, Master.” He stands, his eyes roving my body as he towers over me with such an imposing, muscular frame. He is every inch the Navy SEAL, and it’s sexy as hell. I’m not above begging for him .
“Get. In.” He holds my hand, steadying me as I dip a toe in the water. “Hot enough?”
“Yes, Master.” I lower myself into the water, hissing as my ass stings. It’s a pleasurable pain for me.
“Scoot forward.” My heartrate picks up as he gets in at my back, his legs on either side of me. He pulls me against his chest before wrapping his arms around me. I’ve never been in a bathtub with a Dom before. They would run a bath and leave me to it. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do. “Relax, pet. It’s supposed to be a nice experience.”
“I’ve never done this before.”
“What? Taken a bath?” He chuckles.
“Been in the tub with a Dom. Or any man.” My voice is barely above a whisper. I’m embarrassed.
“I’m going to need a list of your previous Doms. They need some fucking course correction training.”
“I thought it was normal.”
“What was your aftercare regime with your last Dom?”
“He would rub some aloe on me and give me ibuprofen to help with any swelling.”
He tucks a loose tendril of hair behind my ear before caressing my neck with the back of his hand. “You deserve better, pet. I’m going to raise your expectations.”
“Why do you care?”
“Because you’re a nice girl.” He presses a soft kiss to the top of my head.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been called that. Whore, yes. Slut, frequently. But, nice… never.”
“I thought you liked being called those names. Don’t you have a degradation kink?” He stiffens at my back, and I’m not talking about his cock.
“I do. It just doesn’t come from the healthiest of places.”
“I want you to know,” he says as he trails his hands down my arms and into the water, “I don’t see you as either of those things. You’re not a whore or a slut, Celest. I find you to be a breath of fresh air. A rare beauty in a sea of average. ”
My eyes well with tears, and I’m grateful to be facing away from Flex at this moment.
“Thank you, Master.” My voice wavers.
He reaches for the soap and starts washing every last inch of my body with such care. Is this what aftercare is supposed to be like? His hands are strong and yet somewhat soft on my skin. It’s a stark juxtaposition to his public persona. He always comes across as the bad-boy Dom. A great fuck, but that’s where it ends. When he proposed our arrangement, I didn’t expect this. To be cared for. To be liked for more than my pussy.
“Is this okay?” he asks with genuine concern. “If you’re uncomfortable, I can stop.”
“No. I like it… a lot.”
“Then get used to it. I plan to teach you how you should be cared for after a scene. It makes me angry to think that Doms we allow in this club aren’t carrying out the proper protocols.”
And there it is—the sinking feeling of obligation. This isn’t friendship. It’s protocol. “It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not. I’m going to have every member take a mandatory refresher course in the new training suite. There’s no place for shoddy, sloppy shit in my club. It infuriates me. Submissives put so much faith in their Dom. The least they can do is look after their needs. How have you felt without any kind of aftercare for months?”
“I wasn’t being punished. The only hands that touched me were mine, so I took care of myself.” It sounds even more pathetic as I say it out loud. He picks up on my embarrassment. In a club full of Doms, no one wants me.
Flex gently cups my chin, turning my face just enough for him to lean in and capture my mouth in a tender kiss. My pulse quickens as his tongue dips into my mouth, stroking mine with the affection of a long-term lover. Or what I assume it would be.
Every nerve ending in my body comes to life, but he doesn’t push it further, and when he pulls back, I’m left wanting more. “I’m taking care of you for now, pet. Understand? ”
“Yes, Master.” He deepens our kiss, and I sink into it, letting myself pretend for a little while that this is real. At this moment, I am wanted, cared for, and loved.
God, how I long to be loved.