Page 101 of Leather and Longing
The photos didn’t pull any punches.
“Wow. These are just…”
Adam concentrated, trying to pick out the different emotions in Paul’s voice. There was a touch of awe, but what remained was a mix of longing and fear.
Fuck. I’d give anything to see his face right now.The situation brought home to him how much he’d relied on body language in the past to ascertain a sub’s moods and needs.
Adam hated working in the dark.
“Do you miss the club?”
Paul’s question tugged Adam back into the present. He opened his mouth to reply in the negative, but something stopped him. This was Paul. Of all people, Adam could be honest with him.
“Yes, sometimes,” he said simply. “It was such a huge part of my life.”
“Tell me about it.” Adam didn’t miss the eager note in Paul’s voice.
Adam smiled. “What do you want to know? You’ve already seen what I used in the club, my fiendish devices, as it were.” He snickered and Paul joined him.
“Okay then, what were your top three things to do with a submissive?”
It was a reasonable enough question, Adam supposed, until he realised Paul had just handed him a gift, a light to show the way out of Adam’s present darkness. Adam’s heart pounded.
Think of it as a test. See how he reacts.
“I always enjoyed a bit of CBT—that’s cock and ball torture to you—although I’m not sure my submissives got quite the same level of enjoyment out of it that I did.”
The hiss that followed told Adam all he needed to know. “Yeah, I saw one of your cock rings. The spikes were on the inside. Er, no thank you. What else?”
“Using sounds was always a favourite. Watching a sub’s face when I let that sound slip all the way down into his dick.”
Paul sucked in air through his teeth. “Yow. I’ve seen your box of sounds too. Some of those are really thick.”
Strike two.
Adam took a breath. “I guess one of my favorite activities was taking a flogger to a sub’s back.”
Paul drew in a deep breath and held it.
Bingo.
“What… What does it feel like to flog someone?”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Adam wasn’t goingto lie, not about this. “It feels amazing. Seeing him there, tied to my cross while I worked over the top of his back, shoulders, and arse. It could be anything from a gentle massage to something that tears him up.” He lifted his chin and stared in Paul’s direction. “But that’s not what you really wanted to know, is it? Whatyouwant to know is how it feels to be flogged, firsthand.”
Paul’s breathing grew uneven. “Yes,” he whispered.
Adam reached across for his laptop on Paul’s knee, took it from him, closed it and placed it beside him on the bed. He swallowed hard and felt for Paul’s hand, curling his fingers around it. Paul’s hand was clammy.
“Paul,” he began, unwilling to say the words but knowing there was no other option. “I… I can’t do that. I can’t give you that, babe.” The endearment slipped out, unforced, natural.
“I know.” Paul sounded calm, composed. “It’s okay, honest. I do understand. You’d want to watch me, watch my reactions, make sure I was safe.”
Fuck, he really does get it.
“Yes.” Fuck, this hurt. Adam couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach.
