His hot breath caressed the side of my face and a cold shiver of doubt quivered across my skin. Trapped gasping underneath his hulking weight, I realised the power he had over me, and the enormity of what I’d given him permission to do.

He would break me. He would beat me so hard and cause me so much pain I’d have no choice but to beg and plead for his mercy.

His weight shifted, and he released my throat. I barely had time to inhale before he wound my hair around his hand and lifted me from the floor. Pain ripped across my scalp as he dragged me across the rough carpet, and out of the living room. I yelped and reached up to grasp his arm, pulling myself towards him. It did little to relieve the burning pressure. When he opened the door across the hall, he threw me inside the dark room like he was sliding a sack across the floor.

I swallowed the fear rising in my throat and scrambled to my feet. My focus fixed on the brute of a man that stood before me, shadowed in the darkness as he loomed in the doorway. His imposing size blocked the light from the hall, and my only way of escape from the torture I’d encouraged.

He stepped forward, and the shifting light revealed the wicked smile that curled on his full, sinful lips. The look on his face was predatory. His fierce eyes surveyed my every movement.

He was a man I knew all too well took his pleasure from inflicting pain. A sadist in the truest sense of the word, and he relished in the air of my fear.

Would he break me? He’s proven a master at taking me to my limits already. The cane took me to the floor. I folded quicker than a puppy swatted with a newspaper. How much more could I take?

He widened his arms to gesture about the room. “Congratulations, Olivia. You’ve made it to the dungeon. I hope it’s everything you wanted it to be.” His deep, growling voice tinged with amusement.

I glanced around the dark space willing my eyes to adjust to the dim surroundings. The windows were blacked out, but small slivers of light seeped in around the frame. Wire mesh covered the inside braking the rays into squares. They cast foreboding shadows on ropes and chains which hung from the walls. The blood drained from my skin as I made out the shapes of paddles and canes.

At the back of the room sat two large metal frames, the tops padded in black leather. Each had straps and stirrups used to tie girls in ungainly positions. My stomach knotted at the thought of being bound in them. Was it from apprehension, or anticipation? I was unsure.

I’d seen nothing like this place. The basement at our warehouse failed to be this imposing. Goading him may not have been one of my greatest ideas. I’d just given him free-reign to explore my limits. There’s no telling what he’d do, or how far he’d go.

He walked over to the wall and picked off a long, thin riding crop. “This is a schooling whip.”

He turned and slashed it in my direction. The piercing cut through the air sent a shock wave to kiss my skin. He stalked forward, his boots heavy on the bare floorboards.

“Do you still want to be schooled?”

What the fuck was I doing? Was I insane? This devil man was about to unleash a whole new hell of torture on my arse, but yet, I wanted to feel it. I yearned for the all-consuming grip of agony. The vicious bites which transported me to a place beyond myself. A place where he controlled my feelings and thoughts. Only the intensity of physical pain could fill the dark void which gaped in my chest. I ached for more than guilt and emptiness.

I closed my eyes and nodded.

The whip tore across my thigh and the sharp sting burned my flesh in a thin, searing line. I cried out as I folded forward and clasped my hands over the bite.

“Answer me.”

I looked up to see the spark had returned to his eyes. They glinted in the streams of light that danced on his face. Taking a deep breath, I collected myself against the pain and stood straight. “Yes.”

His devilish smile widened as he eyed me over with an unnerving desire. “Undress.”

“What?”

A sting shot across my other thigh as he whipped me again. The scream caught in my throat as I tensed through the agony.

“Don’t make me repeat myself. You should know this by now.”

I squared my shoulders, presenting myself with a look of confidence that defied the nauseating wave of anxiety which flushed through my body. Undressing in front of him didn’t intimidate me; I was beyond the stage of self-consciousness. This however, was a statement of my submission and that wasn’t something I was used to giving up readily.

Easing my shoulders from the cardigan, I dropped it to the floor and unbuttoned my shirt; holding his unyielding stare the entire time. Each button took me further away from the constructed persona I’d spent all my life hiding behind. I was shedding off my armour layer by layer, giving in to the liberation of vulnerability. I was giving myself to him. Not just the tough exterior, but the young, petrified girl that cowered underneath.

The tight denim scraped across the fresh welts on my thighs as I slid down my jeans. The skin was red, but the white lines stood proud. I knew I’d have many more before we were through.

His gaze never dropped from mine as I unhooked my bra and cast it aside. I was disappointed he didn’t look, but he didn’t need to. The control over me was far more gratifying than seeing my naked form.

Sliding my thumbs into the side of my thong, I eased them over my hips and let them fall to the floor. I stepped forward and bared myself before him. I was his to do with as he pleased.

“Hold out your hands.”

I placed my wrists together and held my palms open as he returned the whip to the wall. Then retrieved leather cuffs and a thick chain instead. The straps pinched my skin as he bound my wrists tight. His fingers threading the buckles like he’d done this countless times. Fixing the chain with a clip to one side, he reached up and passed it through a hoop suspended in the ceiling. A sudden yank propelled me forward as he positioned me underneath it. My arm hoisted high above my head as I stood naked inches from his chest.

My skin prickled as my senses tuned into the power that radiated from him. I could feel his presence seeping into me. Like warm tendrils winding through my chest. They came together as they wrapped around my core and pulled at the growing desire between my legs.

I looked up and studied the contours of his features. The strong, wide jaw that housed his wicked smile. The prominent cheekbones that hollowed his stubbled cheeks, and his low set, masculine brow that darkened the dangerously beautiful eyes beneath. He was stunning. A perfect picture of a man that exuded the absolute definition of primal power and raw sexuality.

“There’s no turning back now.” His voice made me tremble.

“Who said I wanted to?”

He grasped my free wrist and lifted me from the floor as he clipped the chain together. When he let me loose, my feet barely reached the ground. I swung as I tried to hold a footing on my tiptoes. The ache in shoulders had begun before we’d even started.

He circled around me. Slow and creeping. Like a cat about to pounce on an injured mouse. His intense gaze trailed across my skin as he admired his handiwork, enjoying my form strung up defenceless.

He folded his arms and gave me one last look over before his eyes locked to mine. “You asked for this, so I’ll be fair and give you an out. Red, amber and green.”

“Traffic lights?”

He nodded. “Green for go, amber for caution, and I’m sure you can work out what red means. It won’t be long before you’re screaming it.”

I didn’t know how to feel about that. On one hand I was relieved he was being reasonable. On the other, I was pissed off that he thought I needed it. Was he goading me now?

I smiled. “All I can say to that is… green.”

A low, soft chuckle rumbled in his throat as he strode back over to the wall. He picked a large leather paddle, inspected the weight and ran his hand along each smooth side. Then stalked behind me. His footsteps echoed in my ears.

“Prepare yourself, princess.”

I hated that name. “Don’t call me that,” I spat.

A heavy thud smacked against my arse. I gasped as the impact called all my nerve endings into action. From my head to my toes, my whole body lit with a charge, especially the fiery sting that raged across my cheeks.

“Don’t answer me in that tone.”

Another thud cracked before I had the chance to say a word, turning my reply into a pained yelp. The sting flamed across my skin, raw and raging. It wasn’t as sharp as the whip, but it had its own lingering intensity. The paddle came down harder, and my feet slid from underneath me, leaving me hanging from my wrists as the fire raced across my skin. I gritted my teeth and growled against the pain.

“Check your attitude, princess, or things will get bad for you real quick.”

He was winding me up on purpose. Prodding at my soft spots to get a rise, but that knowledge didn’t stop the irritation burning harder than my throbbing arse. “Don’t fucking call me princess.”

I heard the swipe before I felt it. A booming crack rang in my ears then the fire exploded. All thought dispersed from my mind leaving only the searing heat in its place. I had to draw in a huge gasp to release the cry that choked in my chest. The initial impact subsided, but the burning pain seared on. Ebbing and flowing in waves as it matched my pounding heartbeat.

His footsteps shifted, and my neck craned back as he pulled my hair. His breath was hot on my shoulder as his dominating presence closed in.

“Do you think I’m fucking playing?”

His voice had become cold, menacing. His demeanour had changed in an instant. I knew I was antagonising him, but I didn’t expect that I’d piss him off so much. The amusement that once floated on his voice had vanished, and the man behind gave off an air that wasn’t to be fucked with.

My eyes strained as I tried to look back. The shadows cast half of his face in darkness, but the other was alight with a fierce intensity. A wild stare that chilled through my skin and down to my bones. “No.”

He slapped the paddle on my thigh, and the bite on fresh skin made me wince.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

He hit me again and a shock wave of pain rippled between my legs. Its heat sparked a warmth in my core that hummed with a gentle, pulsating pleasure.

“Then why do you insist on playing with me?”

The edge of his mouth curled ever so slightly, revealing the amusement hidden beneath his terrifying stare. His act was convincing—he’d scared the hell out of me—but it was an act, nonetheless.

I realised we were playing a game. I pressed his buttons, and he pressed mine. It was a dance of power between the two of us. His role was to hurt and intimidate, to force me into submission. My role to defy him and push the punishment to my limits.

Whoever cracked first, lost.

That’s why he’d given me an out. All I had to do was call red, and he’d stop. I trusted that he’d stick to it, or why would he say it at all? If I called red, he’d won. That was the aim of the game, I had to survive without saying it.

The paddle came down hard against my thigh. Its slap more insistent, but the pain no longer hurt. It burned with its usual fire, but failed to grip me in its bite. Instead, the heat pooled and simmered in my hips, circling around my core and teasing the embers that glowed within.

“Answer me.”

I took a breath as I focused on the warmth inside me and used its power to stir my response. “Because you’re an arsehole.”

Bracing for the impact, my muscles tensed for a slap that never arrived. Instead, he released my hair and closed in. He hovered his mouth millimetres from the crook of my neck, looming as if he was about to bite. His warm, imposing body pressed against my back. I could feel the contours of his firm chest through the cotton of his shirt, and I pictured it in my mind. His taut muscles, strong and defined, coiling and pulling underneath his soft skin.

He placed his fingers on the side of my ribs and I flinched with the sensitivity. His touch was electricity sparking my nerves to life. His hand travelled over my waist, leaving a trail of goosebumps in its wake before resting on the side of my hip. The quiet power radiated from him and encased me in a prison of my own senses. His delicate touch, the sound of his heavy breath on my neck, the smell of sandalwood on his skin, all that existed was him.

His lips brushed against my lobe as he whispered. “Let me show you how much of an arsehole I can be.”

He dropped back and left me reeling from his absence like a part of me was stolen away. The completeness ripped from my body, and I hung there naked, vulnerable and alone. The dark room seemed to fill with emptiness as the seconds silently ticked by, and I waited for him to make a move.

A swoosh of air cut the silence, and an almighty crack exploded across my shoulders. The cry shot from my lungs, forced out by the strike. I drew in a gulp of air as the pain gripped my chest in a vice hold. The paddle came down again, pushing the air from my lungs. Another followed, and another. I couldn’t catch my breath against the relentless strikes; he was suffocating me with pain.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, his aim dropped back to my arse. The familiar sting was more bearable, and I regained my composure as the pounding beat rocked me back and forth. The heat of each strike melded into one all-consuming fire. It spread like boiling water, scorching my skin as it flushed up my back and down my thighs. I let my head fall forward as I switched my focus inwards, closed my eyes and embraced the sweet, throbbing burn.

My mind became foggy, and the tension ebbed away. Nothing else mattered. There were no thoughts, no memories, no past. Only him, the pain, and the present.

With one last fierce strike, they stopped. I moaned from their absence. I wanted more, I missed the sweet sting on my flesh. Even though my body throbbed like they still carried on.

I heard his footsteps surround me. Then he grabbed my chin and lifted my head. When I opened my eyes, he was stood ahead. A proud smile edged his lips, and a savage eagerness raged behind his eyes. As soon as he saw my eyes hooded and heavy, his smile grew.

If he thought I was done, then he needed to think again.

I smiled. “Is that all you’ve got?”

His eyes narrowed, but the eagerness in them glinted, they almost shined with desire. He let go of my jaw, and his fingers stroked my face. Then slapped me hard across the cheek. It was heavy enough to make my eye water, but it was just a warning shot.

“No, princess, we’re just warming up.”

He strolled back over to the wall. His movements easy and fluid like he didn’t have a care in the world. A man who thought it perfectly natural to have a naked woman strung up in his dungeon. He chose another toy, then walked back and showed it to me.

“This is a Tawse.”

He ran his hand along each side and made a point of inspecting it in front of me; another intimidation tactic. The strap was made from firm leather and split into two, similar to the one he used on me in the cell, but longer and thinner. This one looked like it would be a lot meaner against my bare flesh. He grasped the handle then swiped me on the thigh.

I screamed and growled against the bite. The sting was immense, much sharper than the paddle. He closed his eyes and bit his lip when he heard my pained cry. As if he was drinking in the sounds of my pain. When he looked back at me, the lust was evident in his hooded eyes. His lips parted with a soft gasp. He got off on my moans. That’s what turned him on. Good to know.

He smiled. “Is this one hard enough for you?”

“Would what I say matter?”

He flicked the Tawse against my breast. I groaned as the pain seared into every fibre of my sensitive mound and spread throughout my chest. The lust in his eyes grew heavy as he cocked his head and listened intently. As if focusing on a beautiful piece of music.

“Answer the question.”

“It hurts like a bitch.”

He hit me on my other breast. I gritted my teeth and growled out my annoyance. “I answered, goddamnit!”

“No. You gave me a stock response. And watch your tone.” He raised his arm high and swung the strap. A heavy blow swiped across my thigh.

Tears formed in my eyes as I screamed. “Yes! It’s hard enough.”

A pleased smile rose on his lips and he nodded. “Good. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Stepping forward, he hovered inches from my face. “What does red mean?”

He was taunting me. “Stop.”

The satisfied smile grew as he slapped me playfully on my cheek. “Good. Remember to call it.”

His fingers trailed down my neck, and across my collarbone as he moved to position behind. The soft sensations were almost painful as my nerves fired to his touch.

I heard the familiar swoosh of leather, and the sharpness bit into my skin like the flesh had been ripped away. My howl descended into a pained moan when it came down again, and I scrambled to hold a footing. My muscles tensed against the onslaught as he dealt blow after blow. Gritting my teeth as low guttural groans rolled from my throat.

It didn’t take long for the heady fogginess to return. It flushed through my body and wrapped me in a quietness at odds with the raging pain which overwhelmed me. I lost myself to the conflicting sensations. The more I embraced them, and gave in to their power, the more they became a part of me. Flowing into every fibre of my being and filling me with a calm but potent serenity.

The strikes stopped, and a long growling moan rumbled in my throat. As the intensity of the pain subsided, a glowing pleasure took its place. It warmed from the depths of my core and spread out in waves; spiralling around my chest and flowing through my limbs. I focused on the growing pulses between my thighs and felt the wetness slick between my legs as I caught a footing.

I heard the leather strap clatter to the floor, and his hands clasped my face. His thumbs trailed over my cheekbones. Opening my eyes, I saw his were heavy with lust. The beautiful greens and golds seemed to swirl with hunger. They darted across my face as he studied me. Taking in every detail, relishing in the need that must have been written across my own.

“Green,” I sighed.

His eyebrows raised as he huffed. “What did you say?”

“Green.”

“That’s what I thought. You want harder?”

“No.” I shook my head between his hands. “I want you.”

He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. Then leant in and trailed his lips up and down the bridge of my nose. I shuddered as the delicate sensations sparked on my skin. His lips hovered above mine, reaching, longing to taste me, but held back like he was fighting the urge.

“Not as much as I want you.”