Beneath the Scars (Masters of the Shadowlands #13)(49)

To keep her from getting too relaxed, he moved to her front. This time he started with her thighs, lashing gently. He grinned when her eyes flew open.

Upward. He avoided her pussy—for now—and sent the falls flicking lightly over her belly.

She was holding her breath as he danced the flogger over her lower breasts, over her nipples and upper breasts. The delicate, untanned skin over her breasts turned a clear pink color.

Stepping back, he studied her. Hands open. Arms, shoulders still relaxed. He liked how her nipples pointed outward in opposite directions and had formed hard peaks. Her eyes were half-lidded. Mmmhmm. Looked to him like light flogging went into the plus column for her. As did bondage. And the humiliation of nudity in the club environs.

Fuck, he liked her.

Time to push a bit. He abandoned the flogger and chose a light cane.

As he straightened, he noticed Raoul entering the room. In the gold-trimmed vest of a dungeon monitor, the Master checked Josie in one comprehensive glance, smiled slightly at her dazed expression, nodded at Holt, and moved to check the other scenes.

As the music changed to Razed in Black’s “Sacrificed”, Holt caned his little submissive, using the rhythm of the music as he dealt out a series of quick light taps on her sweet round ass and her upper thighs. She lacked adequate padding on her shoulders, so he moved around to her front. Upper thighs got light whaps. He skipped the belly. Hmm. How would she react to a bit of pain on her breasts?

He’d have to go quite light. He flicked the thin cane over her left breast—tap, tap, tap.

Her eyes widened, and she pulled in an audible breath. But her nipples bunched into invitingly hard peaks. Very nice. He wasn’t planning to hurt her. At least not this time. But she apparently enjoyed a dash of pain—and fuck, he did enjoy hearing the sound of a subbie sucking in air. He teased each breast, pattering the cane around the outside and beneath, and tapping over her nipples.

Her pupils dilated until her eyes looked almost black. Her lips turned a dark pink and now matched her nipples.

Giving her a break, he cupped her breasts, circling the stiff, swollen nipples with his thumbs, and pulling until they formed long, distended points.

She whimpered.

When he rolled the peaks between his fingers, he got a husky moan. Fuck, she was adorable.

Stepping back, he studied her nicely exposed pussy. Her lower curls were trimmed to a tidy copper-colored fuzz, long enough to be soft, short enough her engorged clit was in sight. Beautiful. Being in the medical field, he’d never been an advocate of completely bare pussies. As far as he was concerned, this was the perfect compromise.

And she was slick with arousal.

Her eyelids rose, and she blinked slowly. After a second, she realized where he was looking. The pretty freckles on her cheeks disappeared with her blush.

“While you’re in my bonds, you’re mine to look at,” he murmured, holding her gaze with his.

“Mine to kiss.” He bent down and kissed her, deliberately rough and deep and invasive. Feeling her shock—and capitulation.

“Mine to touch.” He ran his hand down her stomach and lower. With one finger, he stroked around her clit and down between her folds before pressing up inside her. Hot velvet wrapped around his finger.

She made a shocked sound against his mouth.

With a hand behind her ass holding her still, he explored her in the most intimate way possible. When he was finished, he’d verified she hadn’t had a man in a long while, and her clit was delightfully sensitive. If he put a clamp on the swollen nub, they’d probably hear her in downtown Tampa.

He stepped back and licked his fingers clean. Delicately musky—and damned if he didn’t want to tease her with his mouth and tongue. Her surprised expression as she watched saddened him. Had she only been with men who wanted her smelling of chemicals and soaps? He liked the flavor of an aroused woman.

Now to take that arousal up a notch. He picked up a heavier flogger.


Unsure as to how long had passed, Josie felt as if her entire body hummed with desire. The alternating flogging and caning had left her skin tight and burning as if she’d been out in the sun too long. Although a few places stung, she couldn’t even tell exactly where. Her breasts were swollen, her nipples throbbing. Her pussy was awfully wet, and her burning clit was making urgent demands.

“Josie.” Holt’s voice slid over her like warm molasses, perfectly steady and even. He was totally in control of himself—and her. “Look at me, sweetheart.”

With an effort, she opened her eyes. God, she felt almost drunk. Her field of vision encompassed his wide shoulders, his corded neck, his strong jaw. Words spilled from her. “Are we done now? Are you tired? I’m green, not red. Just so you know. All green. You know, like the Hulk.”

“Good to know.” Still laughing softly, he kissed her. Oh, he had amazing lips. Firm, yet so soft. She really wanted those lips…everywhere.

As he caressed her breasts, the caned skin burned, and her nipples were extremely tender and sensitive. His hands hurt her, only didn’t really, and when he pulled at the peaks, everything inside her throbbed with need.

Her moan was urgent. Greedy.

“That sounded nice,” he murmured. Even as he nibbled down her neck, he cupped her mound.

The light pressure on her clit made her jerk, and the need grew, pulling at her, blurring her thoughts until her attention was all concentrated…there. “Oh, oh…”