Page 28 of Conflicted
Ruby didn't know if she believed him, but she didn't have the energy to argue. She would take his response at face value for now and handle the fall out later. "In that case, I would love to do a scene."
"In that case..." Nathan repeated her words with a teasing tilt to his lips, slung his toy bag over his shoulder, and held out his hand. Ruby lifted her arm and stretched out. As soon as she placed her palm in his hand, he curled his fingers around hers and squeezed lightly. "...I do believe there's a spanking bench calling your name."
As Nathan led Ruby through the club towards the stairs, he used his free hand to tug on the knot at the back of her neck. For the moment, her halter top still covered her breasts, but she was all too aware only her stiff nipples prevented the silk from sliding. Ruby slowed her breathing, trying to keep it even and shallow, and the Demon Dom beside her chuckled.
"Excellent control, baby. It won't save you, though."
Ruby scowled. Even without her moving, she could feel the fabric slip further, and it would be only a matter of time before the halter top glided from her neck to her middle, leaving her bare from the waist up. She wasn't timid about her body or squeamish about showing skin, but she'd rather show what she chose to share. However, it wasn’t a hard limit either, and he wasn’t crossing any lines he shouldn’t.
"I like seeing you struggle to submit." Nathan stroked the index finger of his free hand over the swell of her breasts, less than an inch above where the dress still covered her. "I love it when your emotions show on your face."
Ruby bet her face would sport a fierce blush given the heat in her cheeks right now. It seemed like she couldn't control her vocal cords or kick her brain into gear. The barely-there press of his fingertip against the swell of her breast tantalized her. Touch me more, Sir.
Almost like hearing her silent plea, he turned away and took her by the upper arm. Wordlessly, Nathan led her onto the stairs and past the first medical room, stepping aside to let James pass by with Laura snuggled into his arms in a princess hold.
The Doms exchanged a polite nod, and James' eyes roamed over Ruby's state of undress. It made her cheeks burn even hotter, her pussy clench, and Ruby barely suppressed a moan.
"Better get her inside a room before she combusts on the spot," James remarked and descended the staircase, his wife and submissive securely against his chest.
With recently having had a baby, they didn't frequent the club as often as before, but probably their teenaged son and his girlfriend were babysitting, or they had dropped off little Maren with Laura's sister.
The two made such a lovely couple, and Ruby envied their closeness. She missed meeting them and watching them play. The bond between them and James' skill and experience made for excellent scenes.
When she finally pulled her eyes away from the stairs, she turned back to Nathan, half expecting to find him observing James and Laura, too. To Ruby's surprise, he had trained his dark gaze on her.
"What? I was admiring his ass." Self-consciously Ruby tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
Nathan's forehead creased, and he held her eyes. She shuffled her feet and stared at the floor. A tight but gentle grip around her chin brought her attention back to his face.
"You want what they have." It wasn't a question.
Ruby lifted one shoulder and opened and closed her mouth as her mind scrambled to come up with a flippant answer.
"Don't." He narrowed his eyes, and she froze. He waited for several excruciating heartbeats before he declared, "You're a smart ass when you get flustered. Why?"
"I ... I don't know. I don't. I didn't," Ruby let out a long sigh. "I didn't realize I did, but you could be right." Sometime during her eloquent sentence, Ruby dropped her head again, and now she peeked at him through her eyelashes.
"Hmm." Nathan led her inside the largest room upstairs and over to the spanking bench with a pensive expression. At the new St. Andrews Cross opposite the entrance, Molly was flogging Erin. Ruby wondered if the two would end up a couple as well—they sure did play together frequently. Club Cupido indeed.
Next to her, Nathan cleared his throat, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. He didn't call her out on losing focus again but simply instructed her, "Strip off your clothes but keep the heels on," and walked over to the rack with tools.
Ruby scrambled to obey his order. When she stood upright, he returned already and was rummaging through his bag. Ruby craned her neck to watch what he was getting, but Nathan pointed to the bench. "Get over it from the side, head facing the spiderweb.
Ruby frowned but obeyed. Normally, a Dom would make his submissive go on the apparatus' length, which would have her looking at the St. Andrew's Cross and ass to the door. Nathan fastened her ankles with Velcro cuffs to the legs of the spanking bench, forcing her limbs wide open. She silently thanked him for allowing her to keep on the heels because she needed the added height to lean comfortably over the leather padding. Nathan pressed a tender kiss to the inside of Ruby's wrist before he tied her arm to the leg on the opposite side. Ruby stiffened for a moment before she rested her cheek against the bench and tried to relax her muscles.
"What's your safeword?"
"I use 'red,' Sir."
"That's right," he caressed from her shoulders to her elbows with sure and steady strokes. The rhythm tranquil, "use it when in serious pain or discomfort, whether it's physical or mental."
She relaxed further. Master Nathan's question reminded her she was in a safe environment, and she was playing with a careful and conscientious Dominant.
"Use yellow if you need me to slow down." He moved to a standing position and stroked over her back with unhurried soothing motions—gentle on her lower back and spine more firmly on her neck and shoulders. She all but melted into the cushioning of the bench.
A soft cloth covered her eyes, and she let out a startled gasp. Tender lips touched the back of her neck, and Nathan murmured in her ear, "I want you to concentrate on me and my touch alone. The blindfold is to help you shut out the rest of the world."
She tried to relax, but her breathing came in fast, ragged pants—too quickly. Again, Master Nathan's fingers stroked her back, the hand slick with oil now. A rustling of clothes indicated he moved around her. His soft words in her ear sent tickling air from his mouth over her helix piercing and told Ruby he was kneeling beside her.
