“Well, if you want it to happen, you’d better help.”

  “I’d do anything for you, Stinky Cheese.”

  Brie gave her another hug. “Thanks. I really freaked out after Ms. Clark’s interview, but now I think I have a better understanding. Unfortunately for me, I am just an innocent bystander who happens to remind Ms. Clark of her past—a past she wishes she could change. Maybe that’s what she meant by me being an itch she needs to scratch.”

  Lea looked at her sadly. “I wish she would just let Rytsar go. There are others who want to love her, but she won’t let anyone near her.”

  Brie shuddered. “I still don’t get you, Lea. You can do much better than Ms. Clark, trust me.”

  “Oh, like you can do better than Sir?”

  Brie’s laughter filled the room. “Oh, no. I got the best of the best.”

  Lea pressed her breasts together and tilted her head comically. “And that’s why Tono is your Master now?”

  Her attempt at a joke stabbed Brie in the heart. She closed her eyes, trying not to cry. “Lea…”

  Her best friend instantly apologized, wrapping her arms around Brie. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Please…” She put her forehead against Brie’s. “Please forgive me.”

  She knew Lea hadn’t meant to be cruel, but glared at her anyway. “You don’t know how close you were to losing that flogging session. I was considering making you a cameraman while I enjoyed the pleasure of Marquis.”

  “Can I make it up to you with a real joke?”

  “Absolutely not!”

  Sexual Release

  Brie focused the lens on Marquis and felt a small thrill when he looked directly at the camera. “Are you ready, Miss Bennett?”

  Her loins tingled, even though she was not part of the scene. “I am, Marquis Gray. Act as if I’m not here. I want people to see the intimacy between a Dominant and a submissive. But Lea, whenever you can, verbalize what it feels like for the audience. Oh, and one more thing, Marquis. If it would be okay with you, when you turn on the music, could you keep it low enough that I can hear the thud of the flogger and any exchanges between you two?”

  “Very well, Miss Bennett,” he answered solemnly. The sound of Mozart filled the room until he turned it down significantly. “Will this do?”

  Brie gave him a thumbs up.

  Marquis beckoned Lea to him, while still speaking to Brie. “My only requirement is that you do not interrupt the scene once I begin.”

  “Of course, Marquis.”

  He turned away from her and ran his hand through Lea’s hair. Brie took it as her cue to begin filming. Her body responded as if she were the one receiving his attention.

  Marquis ran his hands over Lea’s body, lingering at her impressive breasts. “Undress and kneel, facing the far wall. Hands at the back of your neck.”

  Lea quickly peeled off her clothes and knelt down gracefully. While she was undressing, Marquis took off his shirt and went to the table Brie had set up to pick out a flogger. He grabbed a large black one. “First, we warm the skin.”

  Lea nodded to signify her understanding.

  Marquis swung the flogger slowly in a sideways figure eight pattern, lightly slapping her back with the soothing flogger. Brie knew the feel of it. It looked scary because of its size and many tendrils, but it was made of supple leather that was actually soft to the touch.

  The sounds of light thudding and Lea’s satisfied sighs filled the small room. Brie’s own skin tingled in wistful anticipation. The thuds became louder as he increased the force of impact.

  “Color, Lea.”

  “Green, Marquis. It feels like a warm massage.”

  The Dom put down the large flogger after several minutes, then picked up one that had fewer tendrils and was also thinner in width. “Now that the skin is warm, I’ll increase the sensation.”

  Brie noticed that Lea’s skin was lightly blushed. She did a quick close-up so it would be apparent to the viewer.

  When she pulled back, she caught Marquis in graceful motion. He used fluid, solid strokes with the thinner, more challenging flogger. He concentrated on the left side of Lea’s back and then moved over to the right, always precise, aiming for the fleshier areas of her skin.

  “So beautiful,” he murmured under his breath.

  Brie saw Lea’s muscles stiffen and then eventually relax as her body become accustomed to the more demanding strokes. Her friend’s satisfied moans caused Brie to roll her eyes as a trickle of wetness escaped her soaked panties. I really should have brought a towel…

  When Marquis put down the flogger and turned on the Mozart, Brie’s entire body trembled. He returned to Lea with a silk ribbon in his hand. He rubbed it over her bright pink skin, whispering things to Lea that Brie wished she could hear. Her girlfriend turned her head towards him and they kissed. It was long, deep and passionate.

  Eventually Brie closed her eyes, still keeping the camera focused on them. Their impassioned kiss was too hot, causing Brie’s loins to ache. Oh, Sir…

  Brie opened her eyes again when she heard Lea cry out. Marquis was using a red flogger this time, the flogger with thin leather tendrils. Brie had not personally experienced their sting, but knew Marquis’ natural talent brought a person to the edge without taking them over to the unbearable. Unlike Rytsar, Marquis did not enjoy delivering pain; he enjoyed producing clarity before he sent his submissive into subspace.

  Brie melted and the camera slipped for a second. She righted it and held her breath as Lea was taken into glorious subspace.

  “Marquis…oh, Marquis,” her friend gasped.

  The music carried the three of them as he stroked Lea’s back with the flogger in time with the music. It was beautiful, sensual, erotic…

  Marquis Gray’s masculine grace was accentuated by Lea’s response to each stroke. Truly, they were poetry in motion. A tear ran down Brie’s cheek as she watched. She understood the connection the two were experiencing.

  Brie was tempted to slip a finger between her legs, desperate to relieve herself of the sensual ache watching them caused, but she was a professional now. The camera shot was more important than her throbbing need, so she silently suffered for her art.

  She watched Lea’s back arch. “Give in to it,” Marquis encouraged lustfully.

  Lea let out a passionate cry as her whole body shook in ecstasy. Brie let out a whimper of her own, swept away by Lea’s climax.

  Marquis must have heard her, for he glanced in Brie’s direction before setting down the flogger and kneeling next to Lea. He wrapped his arms around her and spoke softly, complimenting her body, her sensuality and her spirit.

  After several minutes, he helped Lea into his lap and caressed her face as she slowly drifted back to reality. Lea smiled up at Marquis and giggled like a giddy girl. The trainer leaned over, kissing her on the lips. “Charming…”

  Brie turned off the camera and closed her eyes, trying to force her racing heart to slow. How she longed to trade places…but no, that was not true. What she longed for was Sir. She sent out a mental message: I need you, Sir.

  When Marquis helped Lea off the ground, Brie immediately began putting her equipment away. She needed to get out of there—needed fresh air, and quick.

  She jumped when she heard Marquis behind her. “Did you get what you were hoping for, Miss Bennett?”

  She didn’t dare look at him when she answered. “I got the shots I needed, yes. Thank you, Marquis.”

  He chuckled under his breath. “I wager you could do with some aftercare.”

  A shiver ran through her. She said nothing, but her hands refused to cooperate and she dropped her tripod. When he offered to pick it up, she assured him that he’d done enough. She gave Lea a quick hug. “Sorry, gotta run. Great stuff, Lea. Both of you!”

  Brie couldn’t get out of the Training Center quickly enough. She found it difficult to concentrate on the roads as she headed home. It wasn’t until she saw the valet that she realized she’d headed
straight to Sir’s apartment. With a groan, she waved the valet away and turned the car around, heading for Tono’s.

  She burst through the door, dutifully taking her shoes off before collapsing on the floor.

  “What’s wrong, toriko? Bad day?”

  She looked up at Tono in tortured desire. “Help me…”

  His countenance changed as he lifted her up and held her close. Brie was certain he could smell her desire. It literally coated her panties.

  “I can taste your need,” he said, but his voice was not full of lust; it was cool and controlled. “What happened to cause this?”

  She sighed. “I had to film Marquis and Lea today. It was…a stimulating scene.”

  He pulled away and stared into her eyes for several moments before giving directions. “Take a shower and meet me on the mat, unclothed.”

  Brie felt a tinge of apprehension. What would he ask of her? Would she be able to resist if he crossed the line? In her excited state, she wasn’t so sure.

  It was with a flood of relief that she stood under the hot, pelting water under the showerhead. It momentarily took away the sexual angst. She reluctantly turned off the shower and dried off in front of the large bathroom mirror. Her honey-colored eyes stared back at her, luminous with need and a touch of fear.

  “Toriko…” Tono called from the other room.

  The sound of a lone flute floated in the air, letting her know what was about to take place. She took a deep breath before rejoining him. Brie bit her lip when she saw Tono sitting on the mat in his black kimono, with jute in his hand.

  She joined him on the mat, kneeling before him. Her stomach jumped when his fingers made contact with her skin. Without asking, he took her wrist and wrapped the jute around it.

  “Observe what I do, toriko. I want you to understand the intricacies of the bindings. These are basic, but can still be used for more complicated designs.”

  Her heart rate sped up as she watched him bind one wrist to the other. He then began a pattern, weaving the rope between each of her fingers, caressing her skin sensually with the jute. She longed to close her eyes and give in to the feeling as she listened to the lone flute call her, but it was not what he had asked of her.

  When Tono was done, he held up her hands so she could see the intricate work before he untied it and bound her again so that she could observe it a second time. He left her wrists bound when he was finished, starting on her legs next.

  He told her to sit with her ankles together and, using a new rope, proceeded to bind them together. She watched in fascination as he tugged and pulled at the rope, creating tight yet beautiful bonds with simple knots. He untied it, and repeated the procedure for her benefit.

  Tono then got up and retrieved something from the bedroom before kneeling behind her. “Breathe with me, toriko.”

  His words brought a smile to her lips. Brie closed her eyes, embracing the sensual feeling of the bindings as she matched the rhythm of his breaths. He explored her skin with his hands while lightly kissing the back of her neck. “I will bring the release you need,” he murmured.

  His hands left her momentarily. Brie opened her eyes when she heard the distinctive sound of her little bullet.

  She whimpered as he wrapped his arm around her and his fingers made their way between her legs. The instant the little vibrator made contact with her clit, she let out a long and frustrated moan.

  “Don’t resist,” he commanded, pressing it against her.

  Brie leaned her head back on his chest. Her nipples became hard with need as the fire began to build inside.

  “I desire your orgasm.”

  She gasped as she allowed the vibration to take her over the edge. Her whole body froze just before the fiery pulsations began. She pushed against Tono as her body released the pent-up sexual energy she’d been suffering from.

  “Little slave…” he whispered.

  He lifted the bullet from her wet clit, ran it over her stomach and up to her breasts. He tickled her hard nipples with the toy and then returned to the source. Brie stiffened as her clit began dancing with the vibrator a second time.

  “I demand another.”

  She whimpered as her body greedily accepted the challenge. The build-up was slow, but she could tell it was going to be powerful—possibly even painful in its intensity. “Tono…”

  “Trust me, toriko.”

  He helped to build the strength of the orgasm by moving the bullet over her clit, letting the fire burn and then switching the angle so the flow was interrupted momentarily, until he built it up again.

  With her hands and legs tied, she was at his mercy—his wonderful, thrilling mercy. Her legs began shaking first, announcing the impending orgasm. She tried to keep in rhythm with Tono’s breathing, but began panting uncontrollably.

  “Tono…” she cried.

  “Let it consume you, little slave.”

  That was actually her fear. It felt like the orgasm was about to consume her completely—mind, body and soul. He tightened his grip, pressing Brie hard against him. “Come for me.”

  The simple bindings, the tightness of Tono’s embrace, the relentless vibration of the bullet and her own images of Sir caused a fiery explosion within her core. As it burst forth, she screamed in pleasure and fear. Brie struggled against Tono as it swept through her. The power of the orgasm obliterated everything, almost claiming her consciousness before it ended.

  She groaned in satisfaction, her body tingling long after her release. Brie opened her eyes, her body and mind finally free from the desperate need that had eaten at her. She took a deep breath and turned her head to smile at Tono. “Thank you, Master of the Rope.”

  “It was not just for you, toriko. I was confronted by your need the minute you entered the house. Without immediate intervention, I would have fulfilled it in a manner outside the bounds of the agreement.”

  “I shouldn’t have agreed to film Marquis. I was just asking for it…” she said, rolling her eyes at her own foolishness.

  “Knowing your attraction for flogging, I would have to agree,” Tono answered with a smirk as he began slowly untying the knots.

  When he was finished, she asked, “Would you allow me to practice on you?”

  He hesitated for a moment, but handed over the rope. “Let me see what you’ve learned.”

  Ties that Bind

  Brie took the cord and folded it in two. She wrapped it around his wrists, pulling the rope through the loop in the middle. She looked up at Tono and smiled as she pulled it tight. She wound it around his wrist several times and looped it under before starting between his fingers.

  Brie laughed when she was done. The knots were different sizes, his fingers spread far apart and the ends dangled unattractively. Still…he was bound and she found it surprisingly sexy.

  She lifted his hands up and gently, but forcibly, pressed her body against him so that he lay down on the mat with her on top. Brie felt his rigid cock against her stomach. Obviously he found it as erotic as she did.

  It seemed a shame that she had enjoyed an earthshattering release, but he had been denied his. Brie opened his kimono so that his shaft rubbed against her naked skin. Still holding his arms, she whispered, “Don’t move.”

  Brie rubbed her abdomen against his hard cock, rocking her hips sensuously. Tono shook his head, but did not resist. She moved against him, increasing the pressure between them. She felt the wetness of his pre-come and moaned, knowing that she was bringing him close. She was drawn to his lips…

  Tono gave a deep-throated groan when she kissed him, his manhood spasming between them, but he refused to come. He suddenly brought his bound wrists down around her, capturing her in his embrace. “Do not do that again.”

  Although he said it without malice, she wondered at his words. Was he displeased with her?

  “Untie me,” Tono insisted after releasing her from his embrace. She fumbled with the poorly formed knots. It took extra time to set him free because of her ama
teur attempt.

  Once free, he stood up. “Stay.” He left her and retreated to the bedroom. He returned with an armful of rope and the silver ring he used for suspension. She shivered in anticipation.

  “This will be demanding on you, toriko. The bindings and pose will challenge your body.”

  Her heart sped up, but there was no way she would turn down such an opportunity. “I long to be challenged, Tono.”

  He sat down on the mat and laid out the long lengths of jute beside him. He motioned her to him. “Kneel, facing away from me.”

  She did as she was asked, her whole body buzzing with excitement. Tono started with her chest, binding it tightly, framing her breasts with the rope. The subtle touches as he pulled and adjusted the rope were hypnotically sensual. This time there was no music, just the slap of the ends of the rope as they smacked the floor with each pass.

  He bound her arms one at a time, covering them in a decorative three-inch diamond pattern. He moved down to her abdomen, attaching a rope from her chest as he bound it in the same ornamental pattern.

  She gasped softly when he reached between her legs and pulled the rope taut against her clit and up the valley of her ass. He fastened it in the back, pulling it even tighter before tying the final knot. The pressure was arousing, causing her body to react.

  “Tono, I’ve wet the jute.”

  He chuckled under his breath. “To be expected, little slave.”

  He continued down her legs with the diamond pattern. The bindings were tighter than normal, but not challenging. When he had tied off the rope at her left ankle, he told her to lie on her stomach. While she followed his orders, he began fastening the silver ring to the ceiling. He tested it out with his full weight before returning to her.

  He pulled her arms back and secured them so that she felt like a swan in mid-flight. Tono lightly caressed her back and thighs before taking her right ankle. He pulled it backward towards her wrist. She lifted her chest off the ground to accommodate the position as he secured her ankle to her wrist. Brie imagined she looked like a dancer with her arms thrown back and a leg gracefully kicked back.