Page 111 of Fire & Ice

“Color,” Leander checks in softly, probably noting the way Tripp’s fingers are flexing and his muscles are tensing as he tests his bonds. While he awaits a reply, Lee checks them himself, ever the responsible Dom that he is.

“Green, so green,” Tripp assures him, his cheek sticking to the leather slightly when he goes to lift his head.

Leander pushes it back down. “Then stay there,” he demands, fingers still pressing into the back of Tripp’s skull. “And be still.”

It’s not like he doesn’t know what’s coming, but somehow, that makes it even harder to keep from moving. Tripp bites his lip, works hard at controlling his instinctual impulses to twitchand pull and wiggle. Instead, he takes a deep breath and counts to five before letting it back out.

“Good boy.” Leander’s gravelly voice filters down to Tripp’s ears from somewhere behind him, one hand resting hot on the small of Tripp’s back. It’sjustabove his panties, taunting him.

“We’re going to warm you up now,” Leander advises, finally allowing his hand to drift down and tug at the lacy trim of the lingerie. Running two fingers just beneath the seam, Leander moves the fabric and tucks it into Tripp’s crack, around the edges of the plug, which he taps firmly (and unexpectedly), making Tripp jump. His ass cheeks fully exposed, Tripp can feel the breeze from the ceiling fans above, and all he can think about is how he’ll likely be grateful for that in very short order.

The first strikes from Leander’s hand are nearly soft and teasing, but Tripp knows him well enough to recognize that’s exactly what it is. A tease, maybe evenbait,trying to rile Tripp up. It’s interesting, though—Lee always switches hands when warming Tripp’s skin, utilizing his non-dominant arm so that he doesn’t accidentally hit too hard, which means that he’s currently using his left.

Hisleft—which is sporting a brand new ring, and Tripp canfeelit. Every fall of Leander’s palm against his skin, there’s an extra spark of sensation from the metal—and it’s so good.

Cheek pressed against the bench, Tripp’s mouth drops open slightly, his eyes falling shut at the emotional ecstasy that comes sweeping over him alongside that physical feeling—he could never have predicted feelingthisstrongly about that damn ring, but here he is.

It’s been less than two minutes, they’re barely out of the starting gate, and Tripp’s already thinking about beggingLeander to fuck him. It would piss Lee off something fierce, but Tripp’s not entirely sure how long he’s going to be able to resist.

Here he is, splayed out like some expendable toy, and Tripp’ssostupidly happy, that happiness is somewhat overshadowing his desire to be Lee's good, obedient sub. He fucking loves Lee. He loves being engaged.Andhelovesbeing dominated by his fiancé in front of any and everyone who cares to watch. Hell, at this point, the humiliation that might come with begging could actually be hot, but Lee would probably be disappointed, and that would suck the fun out of it.

It’s those last few thoughts in the train that convince Tripp to remain quiet and compliant, to follow Leander’s instructions and take whatever’s being dealt his way.

Besides, the good part’s next, Tripp thinks.

When Leander removes his belt, he does so while standing right in front of Tripp’s face. The metal jingles as he tugs the buckle open, and the expensive material rustles as Lee pulls it free. Agonizingly slow, dragging the leather pointedly through each of his pant loops until there aren’t any left.

“Color, Tripp.”

“Green, Sir,” Tripp replies dreamily.

Leaning down to get in Tripp’s ear where no one else can hear, Leander softly reminds him, “I’m already proud of you. Don’t think that you have something to prove to these people. Use your safeword or the colors if you need to, that’s an order.”

“Yes, Sir,” Tripp acknowledges as Leander squeezes his ass and stands, moving to disappear again behind him where Tripp can’t see his face. The belt cracks when Leander snaps it against itself, and Tripp jumps,justa little. He’s still floating, but the anticipation is high and his blood is running hot through his veins.

Instead of focusing on what’s coming, Tripp thinks about the reasons behind why he gravitated towards these elements when he and Lee were planning this scene.

For starters, Tripp got into this power dynamic thing first and foremost to get out of his damn head. Along the way, he’s found both relief and strength in learning to reframe the way he approaches coping with his own perceived failings (whether real or imagined),managingthem instead of repressing. He’s turned both pain and pleasure into weapons wielded expertly by Leander’s hand. Weapons that when used properly, have the power to carve Tripp into the person he’s always secretly wished that he could be.

Someone stable. Healthy. Happy.

That pressure relief valve he always thinks about? It has to be opened every so often, Tripp knows that now.Thiskind of pain? It’s the kind that sets Tripp free, and Lee is gonna take him there. Tripp squeezes his eyes shut, gathering all of the negative thoughts he’s accumulated over the past few months and turning them loose.

Things like: he’s a failure at his job for getting trapped and injured. That he put his crew at unnecessary risk, caused copious resources to have to be wasted and redirected becausehewas irresponsible. That he’s a burden to Leander, a leech, aregret.That he’s a disappointment to Beau, for all of the usual reasons, and now so much more. That he’sweakfor not returning to work sooner, that he’ll never be up to par when he does, that he’ll be putting his crew and the people he serves in danger by being back on active duty.

That he’s amistake,a loser, unwanted and unworthy.

When Lee's belt connects with his ass, tears spring to the corners of Tripp’s eyes, and it’s not from pain. In fact, he barely feels the hit—but it’s as good an excuse as any.

The second impact, Lee aims to lay the leather down exactly where the first stripe was made, and that one smarts, but Tripp embraces it, welcomes it. Strike after strike, on his ass and across the tender skin of his thighs, and eventually, over the cilice. The barbed wrap digs in only on the right and causesbeautifulstinging sparks where each of the spikes touches his skin.

The tears fall, Trippflies,and one by one, hit by hit, Tripp lets each of those negative thoughtsgo.

When they’re all gone (and they are all gone), it’s just him and Lee and the throbbing pain in Tripp’s backside, and then he can really enjoy himself.

As the scene continues on, Tripp drifts but still notices his surroundings. It’s a hell of a rush to have his ass whipped in front of all these people. Some come and go, but many stay to watch their little demonstration from beginning to end, and Tripp watches them in return. Even from his limited view, he can see a femme sub wince as Lee lands a particular strike, and despite the tears in his own eyes, Tripp grins.

He’s so good, Lee will be so proud. All of these people can see how damn good he is.

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