Chapter Eighteen
When Lucy opened her eyes, it took her a moment to realize where she was. She didn’t remember arriving home last night and was pretty sure that was because she’d fallen asleep on the way here. Taryn must have carried her inside and brought her to his bedroom. It was the first time she’d slept in his room and the enormous bed had been remarkably comfortable. Deciding not to waste too much time analyzing the reasons why he’d brought her in here instead of depositing her in her own room, she rolled onto her side and stared down at the man lying next to her. She’d never watched him sleep before. He’d always drifted off after her and been up by the time she woke. It was funny how much younger he looked when he didn’t have that stern glare on his face.
They hadn’t had a chance to talk yet, but Lucy wasn’t sure that either of them was really ready to face a long heart-to-heart discussion about their future. The time for conversation would undoubtedly come but, for now, she wanted to try a different approach. Instead of telling him what she wanted, she decided to show him, to see if he was willing to play along. It was a bit of a gamble and she was nervous about her plan, but she was sure it would be worth it.
Taking care not to wake him, she carefully traced the line of stitches across his brow. He’d come closer to disaster than she felt comfortable with, but she knew that to him it was all part of the job. She ran her fingers down the smooth skin of his cheeks and along that perfect jawline. It hadn’t occurred to her until now, but she’d never seen him shave. Nor, for that matter, had she seen a single Taar-Breckian with facial hair.
She watched Taryn’s face carefully for any sign that he was waking as she continued her exploration, slipping her hand beneath the sheet and fanning her fingers out over his muscular chest. Biting her bottom lip as he shifted lightly, she moved lower and cupped his balls in her hand. Weighing them carefully, she explored them with her fingers. She liked the feel of him. Then she wrapped her hand around his semi-erect cock and squeezed gently, knowing that would get a reaction.
“What…?” Taryn’s eyes sprang open and his hand closed over hers.
It took him less than a second to fully awaken and then Lucy saw the gleam in his eyes. Before he could reach for her, she sprang back, giggling as she fell off the bed.
“Lucy?” Taryn asked as she crawled around the bed toward the door.
“Count to a hundred and then come find me,” she said with a smile.
“What?” Taryn growled. “No, come back here.”
Lucy sat back on her heels and pouted at him.
“Please, it will be worth your while, I promise.”
“Very well.” Taryn rolled his eyes. When Lucy didn’t move, he raised his eyebrows at her and began to count. “One… two… three…”
Getting the message that he was willing to play, Lucy got to her feet and scrambled from the room. She stripped off the cotton chemise that Taryn must have put her to bed in and tossed it aside as she entered her own bedroom. There wasn’t time to attempt to stick a tail up her own butt or squeeze into one of those catsuits. She would just have to find other ways to make her point. She put on a hairband with a pair of black kitty ears and threw open the trunk at the end of the bed. Her hand wavered over the various spanking implements before she settled on her least favorite, a vicious-looking cane made of some sort of thin wood. That would show him she was serious.
Knowing that time was almost up, Lucy quickly dragged the cage from the corner, into the center of the room. She backed into the little metal box and laid the cane down in front of its door. There wasn’t room to kneel up in the tiny space, so she bowed down in supplication, stretching her arms out in front of her. Anticipating what was to come, her heart pounded furiously. She wished she could see Taryn’s face as he came through the door, but she was facing to the side and it was too late to move now.
As the seconds dragged by and Taryn didn’t appear, she started to doubt herself. Perhaps this was a mistake. Taryn had looked bemused when she adopted a playful demeanor and she might be trying to push him too far beyond his comfort zone. Just as she was about to crawl back out of the cage, she heard him calling out to her.
“Okay, Lucy, I’m coming to get you and you’d better be ready.”
Her heart soared as she heard the uncharacteristic lightness in his voice. The game, it seemed, was on.
* * *
Taryn got out of bed and walked along the corridor. He didn’t bother putting clothes on because he had a strong suspicion they’d just get in the way. He had no idea what Lucy was up to, but he knew it would end, one way or another, with him sinking his cock into her. Playing games was really not his style, but he considered the words of wisdom Lottie had imparted to him and decided to go along with what Lucy wanted.
As he strode into her bedroom, he stopped abruptly. His breath caught in his throat and his cock sprang to life at the sight before him. She was there, completely naked, in the cage he had not yet put to use. There was a grace and elegance in her pose as she bowed down in submission. Stars above, she was beautiful! She even had those cute little cat ears on.
By the entrance of the cage lay a cane. It looked as though she was inviting him to punish her. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to work out what had prompted this. Surely, being made to submit was what she’d rebelled against when she left him? But, of course, he hadn’t forced her into this.
“Lucy, what are you doing?” he asked as he moved around and took a seat on the bed.
“Waiting.”
“For what?”
“For you to punish me, Taryn.”
Not Master, not Sir, she’d used his name. He took note of that as it was clearly her preferred way to address him.
“Punish you for what?”
There was silence and then a loud sob escaped her. Immediately, Taryn got to his knees by the cage and pulled her out of the metal box and into his arms.
“I’m so s-so-sorry,” she wailed. “I wanted to show you what I need, but…”
Unable to finish her sentence because of the heaving sobs that racked her body, she collapsed against Taryn’s chest. He held her close until she started to pull herself together.
“There is no need for this,” he said. “For now, I am happy that you are here. There is no rush.”
“But I need to do this.” Lucy shook off her remaining tears with a toss of the head. “I need you to cane me and then fuck me. Then I want you to hold me and tell me that you love me.”
“You are sure of this?” Taryn found her sudden desire to be punished difficult to understand. He brushed wisps of hair back from Lucy’s face and looked deep into her beautiful blue eyes.
“I have never objected to you punishing me, but I need to know that I am more than just a… a…” She seemed to be struggling to find the right words. “A fuck toy.”
Taryn’s eyes widened in shock at the language she’d used.
“Very well,” he said, getting to his feet and helping Lucy to hers. “Four strokes for leaving me when you should have talked to me, two for imagining I could ever see you as a mere fuck toy, and two more for using foul language.”
Lucy nodded her apparent acceptance. He studied her closely, searching for any signs that she was unwilling, but there was nothing to suggest she had doubts. He took a large cushion from the bed and placed it on top of the cage.
“Lie across that,” he instructed, “and get yourself into a comfortable position.”
“Yes, Taryn,” she said with some eagerness.
He watched as she draped herself across the top of the cage. She kept her feet flat on the floor, a position Taryn found unsatisfactory.
“Up on your tiptoes,” Taryn commanded.
She obeyed immediately, rising up so her bottom was lifted. He took hold of her hips and moved her into the position he required. Then he retrieved four leather straps from the trunk and wound them around her wrists and ankles to tie her to the bars of the cage. He watched as Lucy wriggled, testing her bonds. Satisfied that she would not be able to move enough to hurt herself, he stepped back and picked up the cane.
After giving it an experimental swish through the air, he laid his hand on Lucy’s back. She jerked in response.
“Hold still, pet,” he instructed.
She made some sound that he took as agreement and he could see from the clenching of her fists that she was determined to remain stoic throughout this punishment. He wished her luck with that.
Taryn drew back his arm and brought the cane down across the fleshiest part of her bottom. Lucy shrieked and danced around as much as she could within her restraints.
“Ssh!” he whispered, and his soothing tone seemed to settle her.
Admiring the single, beautiful red line across her pale, creamy flesh, Taryn felt his cock surge to life. As the desire to take her there and then pulsed through his veins, he knew this was going to be as much a punishment for him as it was for her. Taking a deep breath, he gave a quick flick of the wrist and the cane hit its target once again.
* * *
Lucy wondered if it was possible for a human being to spontaneously combust because the heat radiating from her bottom was certainly enough to make her think that it was. As she waited for the next cut of the cane, she realized that the warmth in her flesh was spreading to her pussy. There was something sublime about being spread out like this, knowing that the man she loved could see every part of her. It was deeply arousing and, even as she experienced pain, her pleasure began to build. There was no sense questioning the contradiction. She just accepted it and allowed her mind to clear. Now was not the time to think. All she wanted was to feel.
As the cane swished through the air and found its target for the third time, Lucy moaned loudly and let the sting seep deep into her flesh. Although she was barely able to move an inch, she rocked her hips. It helped to distract her from the lightning flash of pain.
As she moved, her breasts rubbed against the soft pillow beneath her and she felt a tantalizing tingle reaching deep inside her body.
“Are you ready for me to continue?” Taryn asked.
The concern in his voice demonstrated his concern for her but Lucy worried that it also meant he was afraid to trust his instincts when it came to knowing if she could take the punishment he was doling out.
“Yes,” Lucy tried not to whimper as she spoke, “please don’t stop.”
She thought she might have heard him sigh but whatever doubts he might be having were obviously put aside as he began to lay the cane across her bottom again. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists tightly, she managed not to make a sound as the impact of the thin wooden implement send fire rippling across her bottom again and again.
With each stroke, she focused on drawing out the pleasure, channeling the pain into a new sensation that fueled her arousal. She could feel the wetness of her pussy and delighted in the knowledge that Taryn could see how aroused she was.
“You’re doing well.” There was a definite strain in his voice. Lucy smiled, knowing that he ached with desire, just as she did.
As she waited for the final cut of the cane, she breathed deeply, focusing on the throbbing between her legs. When the cane struck her, she squealed, and her body quivered as her pussy was gripped by violent spasms.
Before she had time to regain her senses, she felt her ankles being untied. Suddenly, her hips were pulled back and her legs spread wider as Taryn knelt behind her. He buried his face in her ass as his tongue dragged along her hot, wet pussy. She jerked in surprise as his tongue pushed inside her. With her hands still bound, she was helpless to fight against the sensual onslaught as Taryn held her firm, sliding his tongue in and out of her. He pulled her legs up over his shoulders, freeing his hands to explore her body.
One hand found its way to her breast and his fingers began to gently tease her nipple. The other reached around to pinch her clit harshly, sending a jolt of pain through her. By the time the sensation reached her womb, it had become something else, an intense pleasure she was powerless to resist. As Taryn thrust his tongue inside her, she felt her whole body shuddering. She moaned and writhed helplessly against the top of the cage, the soft pillow that covered it caressing her body. Just as she thought she would explode, Taryn released her. Setting her legs down, he reached over and unfastened her wrists.
Lifting her carefully, he set her down on the bed.
“Want to see you when you come,” he said gruffly.
Standing at the end of the bed, he lifted her hips and thrust his cock inside her. Immediately, Lucy shrieked as her climax hit her. Taryn began to move, pounding inside her, hard and fast, as she convulsed on the bed beneath him. A moment later, he grunted as his own release overtook him.
He carefully withdrew his cock from her quivering body and sat on the bed, pulling her up into his arms. For the longest time, neither of them said a word. There was no need to talk. Everything Lucy needed to know about how he felt was clear in the tenderness with which he stroked her back, the reverence with which he gazed into her eyes. He pulled her tight against his chest and kissed the top of her head.
“There are things we need to discuss,” he told her, his expression adorably sincere.
“Later,” Lucy said with a grin as she shifted to straddle his hips. She smiled as she saw his eyes clouding with desire once more. Talk could wait because she knew, deep down, that everything was going to be alright.