Page 43 of Isle of Pain

“That’s what safe words are for. Are you curious?” I ask, hope blooming at how much she squirms on her seat. If I read her body language correctly, she’s more than curious but I don’twant to get excited too fast. Having her deliver the kind of agony I need is the sweetest promise.

She nods and I continue to lay out my plan. Open communication is how I establish trust and I can’t have her wondering again if I care for her, or thinking that she isn’t my priority and my centre. “I have a business partner. His name is Damian. He often delivers the pain I like and if you’re interested, he could show you.Icould show you.”

I place my hand on her thighs and squeeze her soft flesh. She draws in a sharp breath that I want to swallow. “I want you to deliver the pain I crave, Miss Marie. Would you let me show you how?”

“Yes, baby.”

Fuck. The little nickname inside her mouth has my insides in knots. In a good way. I kiss her lips softly and stand. “I’ll make arrangements for tomorrow. Call Giulia and Andrea. They need to babysit Ember so I can show you control.”

24

NICO

LESSONS IN DOMINANCE

The next day, after dropping Ember at an ecstatic Giulia and a sceptical Andrea, I take Marie’s hand in mine and guide her to where I parked my bike. I don’t want to take the car to drive to my club. The roaring motor underneath us as she clasps my body to hers to hang on for dear life is a much better option. I hand her an extra helmet and help her fasten it around her neck. The black jeans and cashmere sweater underneath the leather jacket she wears fits her like a fucking glove, showing her luscious body that I want to sink my teeth into. If she’ll allow me.

It doesn’t escape my notice that I’m dressed in a similar fashion and that strokes a primal part of myself I didn’t even know existed. If only she could wear my shirt after tonight, then the fantasy would be complete.

I help her up on the back of the bike and drive into the night at full speed, drawing a cute little yelp from her that brings a smirk to my face. Maybe it’s the brat in me, already teasing her for punishment.

When we arrive in front of Absolution, the bouncer nods to me in greeting, his face impassible. His eyes dip to where Marie and I are holding hands but he doesn’t comment.

The air inside is warm and smells of that luxurious laundry scent I asked Damian to diffuse at all times to dull the smell of cum and sex. The combo is heady and I look over my shoulder to take in a tense Marie, walking behind me, taking in all the hard shapes of the place and the display of bodies already thrumming in front of us.

Some people are fully naked, some fully clothed and all the in-between. Scenes are happening all around us, with different intensity levels but Marie’s gaze stops on a woman who’s standing by the bar, dressed in a short glittery red dress, her pet on a leash at her feet, licking her black boots dutifully like a kitten.

I slide behind her, murmuring in her ear. “I’ve been down before. The emptiness in my head made me feel like I could stay there for hours. I didn’t have a collar though.”

“I… I like the collar. I don’t know about shoe licking though. Looks unsanitary.”

I scoff. Surprisingly, for someone who doesn’t like other people’s fluids on me, boot-licking isn’t an act I view as unsanitary. Maybe because I know the rules of our club by heart and these shoes are cleaned and polished before being worn, and only here. There’s no need to tell Marie that so we abandon the patrons to their trysts as I guide her down a corridor illuminated in red.

We enter a soundproof room. I chose it because it doesn’t have a bed. It’s set up like our office, with dark blue walls with delicate upholstery, a comfortable and large brown sofa on a dark green carpet, and a mahogany desk to the side. There are no windows or two way mirrors, giving us absolute privacy. But there is an array of toys, and tools and a trusted SaintAndrews cross and spanking bench in the corner. Everything is understated and made to be soothing to the senses. Even the music is a soft jazz melody that’s barely audible and won’t be distracting as we proceed with this evening’s entertainment.

I tap my leg three times with my right index finger as I wait for Marie to say something before I introduce her to Damian, who’s waiting for my text in our office. Only years of discipline prevent me from shifting from foot to foot as I impatiently wait for her to make a move.

She turns slowly to take in her surroundings, walking on smooth feet to the cross and bench, caressing the leather reverently before going to the toy display. She picks up a metal tool shaped like a hook with a ball at one end, and frowns. My smile threatens to turn into a full one laughter, but I don’t want her to think I’m mocking her. “It’s an anal hook,” I supply and she drops it like it burnt her.

“Oh. I don’t think I’d like to use that.”

“Good. I don’t think I’d want you to use it on me for my first experience, Miss Marie.”

Her honorific has the desired effect, her eyes turning dark and that pillowy bottom lip crushed between her teeth.

“I like it when you call me that,” she says shyly, biting her lip.

“Did you notice it’s a title I use when I want you to dominate me?”

She nods and smiles, pink on her pretty cheeks, looking relaxed and ready for tonight’s entertainment.

She takes a full breath in and I walk to her, standing in front of her without touching her. My hands itch but I remain focused on the next part. “You can always back out, Marie. I would never force you to do something you don’t want to do. We can also start and at any point, you can stop. That’s what safe-words are for. They’re not only for the submissive one, but for the dominant, too.”

“Okay.” She exhales heavily. “That’s making me feel better. What should I use as a safe-word?”

“A word that’s easy for you to remember. Mine is ‘fire’,” I tell her and she doesn’t question it, which I’m grateful for. “I also use a colour system. I say ‘green’ to indicate if I’m ready to continue, ‘orange’ if I want you to slow down or pause and ‘red’ to end the scene immediately.”

“That’s a good system. My safe-word will be ‘purple’.” Her face betrays a hint of pain but her head is held high, making me wonder why she chose this word in particular, but I don’t question her.

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