I’d watched her with interest as she tied the ribbons all over again. I wanted to know what was hidden behind that mask. To see all of her face.

“You needed to rest. I’d like to take things a little further tonight, if you don’t mind? Do you remember the safe words?”

Her face went still behind the mask, but there was curiosity in her eyes.

“Yellow and red. Not so hard to remember.”

“Good. Drink this. I think you’ll need it.”

She shifted in the sheets, and I felt her smooth leg slide up beside mine before she sat up. She tucked the sheet around her chest and reached for the glass I held in my hand. She took a sip and licked her lips. “What do you have planned then?”

I ran a hand up her silky skin, stopped at her shoulder, and studied her perfect skin. Creamy, pale, but with a peach tinge, she was beautiful. “I want to break you, pet.”

“Pardon?” she asked, her juice forgotten.

“Drink up.” I guided the glass back to her mouth. “It’s only a test, one that we can stop at any time.”

“Alright.” She had no idea what she’d agreed to, but she was brave, interested; I’d give her points for that.

Once she’d finished her juice, I pulled her from the bed and guided her to the memory foam rug, pressed her down, and asked her if she was ready. “Do you

need to go the bathroom, have an itch on the bottom of your foot maybe? Once you’re in the restraints, I won’t let you out until you say the safe word, or we finish for the night.”

She took a deep breath, thought about it, and smiled a wobbly smile. “I’m ready to begin.”

“Good. Give me your hands.”

“Yes, sir,” she said without prompting and gave me her hands, palms up. I lifted them over her head, pulled a pair of handcuffs from the bureau beside us, and then another as I attached each hand to a ring on the wall. I pulled her hands to test how far she could move and stepped back.

“How do you feel?” I watched her face for signs of fear or anxiety, but she seemed alright.

“I feel like I’ve always waited for you, sir.” I wasn’t expecting that much honesty, but it gave me hope that this wouldn’t end with her disappearing in tears.

Sometimes, people went into this lifestyle with blinders on, and I needed to

know if Steph was a true sub or not. I thought she was, but I had to know. “I’m going to start with a feather, okay? And we’ll work our way up.”

“Of course,” she said and raised her head. Her feet were flat against the floor, and her hands were over her head. I knew that her arms would begin to ache shortly, that the pain would distract her, and it was my job to keep her attention for now, if I wanted to give her the real experience she’d said she wanted.

I ripped the plastic from the gaudy purple ostrich plume and pulled it from the bag. “This is just to gauge how sensitive your skin is,” I told her as I ran the feather over her skin. Goose bumps came up immediately, and she took a deep breath. Very sensitive to touch then.

“Very good so far.” I wanted to kiss her but held back; I needed to explore her further. I moved the feather to her naked breast, firm and proud, and her eyes closed immediately. “Alright. I want to try something else.”

Her nipples were very sensitive indeed, and I found a box with little suction cups. “I’m only going to leave these on for a few minutes. If it hurts, if you want me to stop, you know that you can say it. You also know that means we’re done for the night and play will stop.”

That was an incentive, to make sure she really wanted me to stop. She’d push herself to keep going past her limits if she knew it would all end and not make me stop at a moment of frustration for her.

She looked up at me, her hair around her shoulders and down her back. I loved the roundness of her hips, the tiny expanse of her waist, and how she looked cuffed to the wall. I was hard for her, too hard, but I knew this was a game that required patience, and I’d play it out.

I pinched a nipple suddenly, without any warning, and once it was hard, I placed the suction cup over it. I did the same with the other and then went down to my knees, “Open.”

She spread her knees, but she looked confused. “What are you doing?”

“Adding one to your clit. In about two minutes you’re going to start begging.” I pumped the nipple suckers a little more, to make sure they stayed on despite the pump hanging from her side, and then focused on the pump on her clit. This one had a vibrator attached, and I knew this would be tonight’s

torment. “Now, I don’t want you to come; do you understand, Stephanie?” Her cheeks were flushed already, and her head had that arrogant tilt I’d noticed before. I’d get rid of that arrogance soon enough, but only temporarily.

When I turned on the vibrator, she began to tense up, but then she relaxed.

Another notch higher and her breath changed. One more and she hissed, and her eyes closed. Perfect. “Don’t come, Steph. Be a good girl for me, or I will spank you.” I ran a hand down her back and gave her ass a light slap, openhanded, so I knew it would bring the blood to the skin. It would tingle and drive her mad because she couldn’t soothe it, but it would also be a nice burn, if she liked pain.

“I’m so hard for you, Stephanie. And you look so beautiful chained to this wall. I want to fuck you so bad. But you said no, and no it is.” I put a finger over her lips. “Don’t speak, unless it’s a safe word; understand?”

She looked uncertain for a moment, but then she nodded in agreement.

“Good girl.”

My hand moved to the other globe of her ass and slapped. Her hands pulled

at the cuffs this time, her back arched, and she moaned loudly. Oh yes, she liked a little pain with her pleasure. “Feel good, pet? Do you want more?”

She nodded, and I slapped her red skin once more, only lightly, but just enough. I was even harder now, but it could wait. “And now, pet? Do you want more?”

She nodded eagerly, and I wondered about putting a ball gag in her mouth,

but I thought that might be too much. For now.

I pumped up the suction on her nipples, and she gave a very loud moan.

“Don’t come, pet.”

A reminder that was also a punishment, because I also notched up the vibrating sucker on her clit. She opened eyes full of need, pain, and ecstasy. She was loving this as much as I was. I came up close to her and ran my hand along her bottom. I couldn’t see it, but I knew one would have my handprint on it. I slid my hand between the globes, down to the puckered entrance there. “And what about here, pet? Is that part feeling empty too?”

Her eyes opened wide, shocked at my touch, but she only watched me. I knew her heart must be racing and checked. Yes, I could see the pulse in her

throat beating rapidly. I pushed my finger in, just a little, and her eyes closed, and I heard a closed-mouth scream. “Mr. Dark.”

“Ah ah!” I admonished as I cranked up her nipple suckers until her hips twitched. “No speaking, pet.”

She groaned in frustration and pulled at the restraints, but she didn’t give up.

“Now, those suction cups can only stay on your nipples a little while longer, Stephanie.”

I ran my lips up her neck slowly, to speak into the back of her ear. “I’m going to explore that ass of yours a little more first.”

I found a pack of lube, slicked up a finger or two, and slid my hand down the crevice of her bottom, until I found my goal. “Open your eyes, Stephanie.”

She opened her eyes, and there was pain now, pain from her shoulders, from