Taming Blaze

Club Esoteria 8

Taming Blaze Threatened with expulsion from Club Esoteria for misusing and abusing her own body, Blaze Richards agrees to be paired with a Dom she has never met before. Unlike the Doms she usually plays with, Master Z uses ropes and touch to dominate her instead of the pain she is used to. In Blaze, Andy Zimmerman sees a woman who needs to submit, but who is not a pain slut. He agrees to scene with her and show her that dominance and submission are about more than floggers, whips, and pain. When he demands to see her outside the club, Blaze breaks one of the rules that has always kept her safe, no playing with Doms outside the main room of the club. Can Master Z give her what no other Dom ever has? Or will Blaze continue her search for BDSM happiness by heading in the wrong direction? Genre: BDSM, Contemporary Length: 29,118 words

TAMING BLAZE Club Esoteria 8

Cooper McKenzie

EROTIC ROMANCE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

TAMING BLAZE Copyright © 2012 by Cooper McKenzie E-book ISBN: 1-61926-485-4 First E-book Publication: March 2012 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Taming Blaze by Cooper McKenzie from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Cooper McKenzie’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. McKenzie’s right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To Stacy W. and Jessica M. for their love, support, and friendship. You ladies ROCK!!!

TAMING BLAZE Club Esoteria 8 COOPER MCKENZIE Copyright © 2012

Chapter 1 “That little subbie needs a Dom of her own,” Taurus said, watching as two uncollared subs helped a third out to the cab waiting just outside the club’s front doors. Blaze Richards was still sobbing as she stumbled out but refused to remain in the club until she regained control. He had watched with growing concern as the tiny submissive had scened with not one, not two, but three different and increasingly sadistic Dominants over the past few hours. She had endured harsher abuse with each one. When the last one released her from her bonds after an hour of using a cane on nearly every inch of her body, she could barely walk. Taurus would have stepped in and stopped things earlier if it had been any other submissive. Blaze Richards was always careful, while at the same time reckless. She only scened in the main room, and only with experienced Doms she knew and who were members of the club. But tonight, taking on three sadistic Dominants, none of whom seemed to be able to satisfy her need, was too much for Taurus to watch. He didn’t want to, but wondered if it wasn’t time to limit the little submissive’s membership. “She’s in need of someone special,” Jenna Carter, his cousin and

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partner in Club Esoteria, replied. “Someone who can get past the maze of emotional walls she’s built up and find out what is really driving her to such painfully extreme measures. I don’t think she’s nearly as brash and bold as everyone thinks she is.” “Uh-huh.” Taurus nodded. “But until she can tell us exactly what it is she needs, how are we supposed to match her up with an appropriate Dom?” “What she doesn’t need is a sadist like the ones she usually scenes with,” Jackson Matthews said from where he was doing his end-ofthe-night cleanup. “What do you mean?” Jackson looked at the bartender, intrigued by his observation. “She needs someone who’s dominant, yes, but I don’t think she’s ever been shown kindness. She needs someone with a gentle touch and an abundance of patience to sneak past her walls to her heart.” Taurus thought about what the part-time bartender said and nodded his agreement. Turning to Jenna, he asked, “Do we have any members who fit that description?” “I think I know someone. Andy is definitely dominant and an expert with ropes. He’s a member, but hasn’t been able to come in a couple of months because of work. I don’t think he and Blaze have ever crossed paths before,” Jackson said before the Domme could reply. “He works with you?” he asked, referring to Jackson’s other job as a firefighter. “Yeah. I’ll talk to him this week while we’re on shift and see if he can break free for the next time Blaze comes in. Two weeks, right?” “Usually. I’ll call her Sunday afternoon to see if she’s recovered and confirm,” Jenna said, surprising both men. “Jenna? You’re going to work on a Sunday?” Taurus teased. It was a well-known fact that Sundays were sacred to Jenna. She did not work. She did not answer the phone, and she did not do anything except relax and play with Antony and Gentry, her two

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slaves/mates. “No, I will not be working. I will be checking on an injured friend,” she said, sipping at her club soda. “What you’re going to have to figure out in the next two weeks, dear cousin of mine, is how to talk Blaze into scening with someone she’s never met before.” **** A week later, Blaze Richards shivered as she hurried across Club Esoteria’s wide parking lot. As usual on a Friday night, she was late. Any other night, being a few minutes behind schedule would not have bothered her. Tonight, though, was another story. Master Taurus had called the day before and “requested” her to present herself to him at nine o’clock. He did not go into any detail about why. He just told her to be in the club’s main room wearing black boy shorts and a camisole with her hair in a single braid down her back. While a small part of her wanted to ask why, her submissive answered with a simple, “Yes, Sir.” So here she was, hurrying as fast as her four-inch stilettos would allow her toward the building that provided a refuge, while at the same time the source of her biggest frustrations. Club Esoteria. As she approached, she studied the building. It was a turn-of-the– century, four-story, brick warehouse that looked much like any of the other older warehouses in town. The big difference was that Taurus and Jenna had renovated this one. The brick exterior was now painted a medium tan instead of the original brick red. Another big difference that made this one stand out from other buildings in town was its fenced parking lot. Only the city government’s outdoor storage facility had a more elaborate fence around it. As she sidestepped a puddle, the night wind blew around her feet then up under her ankle-length trench coat. The silk and lace that were her only clothing proved no protection against the cold winter night.

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Praying she didn’t twist an ankle, she picked up her pace until she was trotting on the balls of her feet. Entering the front door to the foyer, she quickly unbuttoned her coat and tossed it on the counter. Her shoes followed a few seconds later. Gentry, one of Mistress Jenna’s men, was working behind the counter tonight. “You’re late,” he said, turning his attention to the computer and checking her in. “You done?” she snipped without responding to his observation. “Enter, brave woman, and enjoy the delights this night holds,” he said then gave a ghoulish laugh that just added to Blaze’s nervousness. She pushed through the red velvet curtains that separated the locker rooms and check-in area from the main part of the club. Taking a deep breath for courage, she headed for the bar as she glanced around the room looking for Master Taurus. He was nowhere to be found. As usual on a Friday night, Jackson was behind the bar, and Sinclair, his fiancée, sat on a barstool nearby. Ever since Christmas when Jackson had proposed, the two had been joined at the hip. “Do you know where Master Taurus is?” she blurted out before Jackson had even acknowledged her. Though not as dominant as most in the club, Jackson had been known to get his Dom on, but usually only focused that attention on Sinclair. When he turned and looked at her with one eyebrow lifted in query, Blaze took a deep breath and dropped her gaze to the gleaming bar. “Excuse me, Sir, but do you know where I might locate Master T, Sir?” “You’re late. But you’re lucky because he and Whitney haven’t come down yet.” “So why did he want me here at nine?” she asked as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

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Jackson did not answer as he half turned and placed a call. She blatantly eavesdropped as a moment later he said, “She’s here. Yes, she knows. Uh-huh. Okay. Yes. Bye.” He finally hung up and turned back with a serious, very unJacksonlike expression. She leaned back an inch, trying to look as if she was not frightened by his appearance or the conversation he had just held. “Master Taurus will be down shortly. You are to wait for him over there,” he said, waving to the alcove the uncollared subs had claimed as their own. “On the floor in slave position. You are not to speak, nor are you to accept any offers to scene. Do you understand?” “Yes, Sir,” Blaze said with a nod as her gut clenched painfully tight in warning that something was very, very wrong. Turning, she crossed the room and found an open spot between one of the couches and the wall. Kneeling, she settled into position easily, trying not to think of what Master Taurus had planned for her. Had he talked to the Doms who had played with her last time? Or all the Doms she had scened with? Had he learned the truth that she never got off on the pain they inflicted, but used it as a way to release stress and emotional hurt she hid behind her normally bold, toobrazen, snarky attitude? The need for more and more pain had started in high school. She’d found that snapping rubber-bands against her arms or legs was more effective than cutting and less noticeable. Scars from cutting her skin would cause questions, but bruises faded in a few days and were easier to explain. But lately her need for pain was becoming harder and harder to assuage. Memory of last week’s triple session provided little long-term relief. She was already in need of something she could not explain to herself, much less others. Nervous knots in her belly grew until she had to fight the need to bend forward to relieve it. Closing her eyes, she felt a hot tear slide slowly down her cheek. What would she do if she were barred from

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coming here every couple of weeks for a good cry? Where would she go? How would she deal with the lifetime of pain now? **** Andy Zimmerman listened as Taurus talked to someone about the woman he and Jackson wanted him to meet. For the past hour, he and Taurus had drunk iced tea as the other man politely interrogated him about his knowledge of BDSM and what kind of a Dominant he was. He also learned what the club owner knew for fact and what he had pieced together about the woman, Blaze. From his experience in the lifestyle, he wasn’t sure that they would be a match, but since he had yet to find the woman he had been searching for on his own, he was willing to allow others a chance at matchmaking. If nothing else, he would meet a new woman and have what he hoped would be a good evening. He would wait to decide whether or not anything further would come out of it. Once he hung up, Taurus looked down at the woman who had served them. “Well, mouse, are you ready?” “Yes, Master,” the woman said softly, looking up and smiling at the man she obviously loved. Andy felt a stab of jealousy as he watched the interplay. That was what he wanted. A woman who could be soft and gentle when the time called for it but also was independent enough to stand up for herself. After all, with his job as a firefighter and his side business as a teen counselor, he could not always be there when his woman needed him. That was what had broken his marriage up two years earlier. From what Taurus had told him, Blaze Richards might be what he was looking for, once they got past her need to be beaten. While he didn’t mind spanking a woman when it was called for, he could not beat anyone just for the grins and chuckles of it. He preferred using other means to help his partners find their way to bliss. From what

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Taurus had told him, the submissive he was about to meet did not understand what the true concept of sexual fulfillment was. “How about you, Andy? Ready to see if you can tame an out-ofcontrol subbie without using whips and canes?” Andy nodded as he stood and reached for his toy bag. “I’m not making any promises, but I’m intrigued by what you’ve told me about this woman. But how are you going to get her to agree?” Taurus smiled, though his eyes remained solemn. “I have my ways.” “Master.” The woman by his side looked worried as she glanced at him. “You won’t kick her out, will you? She needs the club to be safe.” “Don’t worry, little mouse. Master Z will take good care of your friend. Hopefully he’ll be able to help her heal and find the love she is so desperately searching for.” Andy lifted an eyebrow but did not comment on the other man’s assurances to his woman as he followed them from their fourth-floor apartment to the elevator. Without seeing them together, how could Taurus make such statements? What if Blaze took one look at him and refused to consider this new arrangement? Andy followed Taurus and his woman out of the elevator and into the club. He shifted the bag on his shoulder as they walked the hall and entered the main room of the club. Looking around, he took a deep breath and felt himself relaxing. The sounds, smells, and sights to be had in a BDSM club were always interesting and arousing, but tonight they did not affect him as strongly. His curiosity about the woman called Blaze distracted him. As they crossed to the bar, he admitted to himself that he did look forward to meeting the little sub, and if Jackson and Taurus were correct, maybe even more than just an evening of bondage and play would come of it. He could only hope.

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“Where is she?” he asked once Taurus spoke softly with his woman and sent her away. “Over there.” Taurus waved toward an area where several uncollared subs were talking quietly. “Which one?” “The blonde kneeling on the floor,” Taurus said as the two men started in that direction. Andy found her, and his eyes widened. She was a tiny thing, which appealed to him since he was hardly a giant himself. Her whiteblonde hair appeared natural and not out of a bottle. She was dressed in black as he knew Taurus had dictated. All her bits were covered, but full breasts pushed at the camisole in a way that caused his cock to jerk in his jeans. The boy shorts highlighted the sexy, womanly curves he could see from here. She knelt in the slave position and looked like perfection as she waited, though he could almost feel the vibrations emanating from her. Nerves? Anxiety? Excitement? His cock twitched when he realized he could not wait to find out.

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Chapter 2 Though it was difficult to keep from answering when her friends arrived and questioned her, Blaze bit the inside of her lip and remained still and silent. She kept her head down but lifted her eyes and looked around, though could not see much. She kept her breathing slow and deep, fighting down the panic that began to build as the minutes ticked by with nerve-wracking slowness. She tried to focus on the positive, that she was here and surrounded by people who, like her, needed kink in their lives to be happy. With each exhale, she pushed out the negative thoughts that she was not worthy of being here. She was worthy of finding a man who could see past the act she put on for the world to see the scarred heart of a woman abused. A man who could teach her about the gentler side of loving, one that did not include tears and pain. She was so lost in her thoughts that it took a moment to realize two Doms now stood in front of her and that the other uncollared subs had disappeared. “Blaze? Are you sleeping?” Master T sounded amused rather than angry. “No, Sir. Just thinking.” Without moving her head, she looked up their bodies as far as she could. Both men were wearing boots—one cowboy boots, the other serious hiking boots—with soft-looking, faded blue jeans. “Stand up, sub. There’s someone I want you to meet.” “Yes, Sir.” Keeping her eyes on the toes of their boots, Blaze stood as gracefully as she could, considering her left foot had gone to sleep.

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Once on her feet, she fought to keep her head tilted, her hands by her sides, and her shoulders relaxed. “Look at me,” the other man said, his voice soft and low. When she hesitated, two fingers came up under her chin and lifted her head until she was looking into his face. She had just a few seconds to check out his body before meeting a pair of the gentlest brown eyes she had ever seen. And what she saw of his body impressed her. He wore loose-fitting blue jeans with an off-white button-up shirt. His body was fit, with narrow hips, a flat belly, and broad shoulders. After a few seconds of looking into those eyes, she dropped her gaze to his nose, which was straight and perfect, to his mouth with narrow lips that reminded her of her father’s. Her father, whose socalled love had been shared through the back of a hand or a barrage of hateful words. Her gaze dropped further to his throat, and then the V at the opening of his shirt. She flinched in surprise when his fingers tapped at her chin. “Look in my eyes,” he said, his words soft and gentle, yet at the same time commanding in a way she had never experienced before. Immediately she raised her gaze again to brown eyes that were not critical, but assessing as they looked into hers. “Blaze, having talked to the Doms you have scened with over the past weeks, I have concluded you are confused about the reasons Mistress Jenna and I started Club Esoteria. A sex club is not for punishing yourself, but to spend time having fun with others who enjoy the same kinks as you do.” “Yes, Sir, I understand that,” she murmured without looking away from the brown eyes that seemed to be reading her soul. “You have not been having fun, little subbie. You have been using the club to hurt yourself for one reason or another that only you know. And that worries me. Tonight you face a choice. You can walk out right now, and I’ll cancel your membership, or you can spend the evening with Master Z learning to find the emotional release you seek

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in a different manner. Which will it be?” **** Before she had dropped her eyes, Andy had read pain in them, the soul-deep kind that people masked and suffered with instead of facing and dealing with. When she returned her gaze to his, he saw she tried to blank her expression, but read an interest and curiosity as to what he might have to offer. That is, until Taurus laid out her choices for the evening. Then her grass-green eyes widened with horror. Obviously, she feared something, but what? She blinked again slowly, and her expression went totally blank. It was as if she were trying to work something out without him knowing her thoughts. She was good, but from what he had already learned about this little sub, he knew she was trying to find a way to circumvent her choices. “May I speak, Sir?” she asked after taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly in an obvious attempt to remain calm. Her voice was soft and appropriately submissive, though her eyes sparked with an intense green fire that was anything but. All at once, Andy wondered if she was really as submissive as she had led others to believe. “Yes, kitten, you may,” Andy answered before Taurus could. He could not help the smile when her eyes widened again, this time in surprise. He guessed no one had ever given her a nickname before. But in his gut, he knew kitten fit her. From what Jackson and then Taurus had told him, Blaze Richards protected herself with bravado and snark. He watched her as she rolled her lips over her teeth. Instead of commenting on the name, she swallowed hard and took a deep breath instead. Good, she was able to control herself. Could that be the problem?

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She was so much in control that she had a hard time letting go? “Is Master Z a member of the club? I’ve never seen him here before.” Though she continued to stare into his eyes, she directed her question to Taurus. “He’s been a member for several months now, but you have never been here on the same night. He has agreed that…for tonight…you will not leave the main room. Any other questions?” “No, Sir.” “Very good. Now, what are you going to do?” Andy did not realize he held his breath until the little blonde filled her own lungs before nodding. “I’ll stay, Sir.” “Very well. I’ll leave you to it.” Taurus walked away, leaving them still staring into each other’s eyes. Breaking eye contact, Andy looked around the club. They needed a quiet corner to get acquainted and maybe play a bit. His palms were itching with the need to see her wrapped in his ropes. Seeing an unoccupied area in the back corner, tucked away behind a short wall and some plants, he nodded. Turning back to the petite blonde, he held out his hand, palm up. Then he waited patiently until she placed her hand in his. “Good girl, kitten,” he murmured as he wrapped his fingers around hers. Angling his head toward the back corner, he said, “For now, we are going over there to talk.” “Yes, Sir,” she murmured as she followed. When they reached the bar, he stopped and asked for two bottles of water from Jackson. “Good luck,” the bartender said with a smile. Andy was not sure which of them his best friend was addressing, but knew they both might need it before the night was over. **** Blaze followed quietly, wondering what she had gotten herself into. Because she had been coming to the club so long, she and the

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Doms she had scened with in the past rarely spoke, beyond them giving her instructions on how they wanted her positioned. But this man was different. Though not a huge man, he still towered over her, but then everyone towered over her five foot two inches. Master Z also radiated a dominant confidence she could just about feel. The air around him seemed to pulsate with power. For the first time since starting to hang out at Club Esoteria, Blaze found herself aroused just by the touch of the man’s cool hand holding hers. “Do you have any problems being bound?” he asked once they reached the back corner of the room with a small couch and chair and table half-hidden by a short wall and a bushy tree. “No, Sir.” He nodded then dropped her hand. “Although your panties are cute and sexy, take them off.” Though tempted to question why she needed to be naked while they talked, something about Master Z made her feel safe and that she could trust him without knowing him. Besides, there were people within screaming distance if need be, though she did not think she would be calling for help anytime soon. She pushed the boy shorts down her legs, stepped out of them, and bent to pick them up. Folding them neatly, she offered them to the man who watched with an unreadable expression. He took them without a word then pointed to the floor. Blaze knelt and assumed the slave position. The wetness on her pussy lips surprised her as she spread her knees and laid her hands palms up on her thighs. “You will answer my questions truthfully and directly,” he said, settling on the couch in front of her. “And until I say otherwise, you will look at me and not the floor.” “Yes, Sir.” Lifting her head, her gaze caught on the sizeable bulge pressing at his zipper. Her pussy clenched, and more of her juices escaped,

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spreading up between her lips to coat her clit as well. Her nipples beaded behind the thin camisole, and she found herself breathing harder. “Have you ever come while someone is beating on you?” he asked, his voice low and gentle and yet filled with a power that sent rippling tremors through her. “No, Sir.” “Have you ever had an orgasm inside the walls of this building?” he asked as he unzipped the bag he had been carrying. Blaze swallowed hard before answering softly. “No, Sir.” “Is that because you’re punishing yourself or because you have a hard time losing control?” He pulled out a long coil of soft-looking red rope and set it in his lap. Blaze thought about the question and mentally shrugged. “I don’t know. Sir,” she added when he sent her a sharp look. “When was the last time you had an orgasm?” he asked, as if he was asking about the weather. “This morning, Sir,” she answered, thinking back to the small but powerful lipstick vibrator that had become her favorite toy. Master Z smiled at her answer. “And the last time a man gave you an orgasm?” Though she had expected the question, Blaze froze as the truth blasted through her brain. She sucked in a sharp breath as tears filled her eyes. A cool palm cupping her cheek brought back to the present. “Kitten?” She had to swallow hard before she lifted her gaze to his and lied. “It’s been a long time, Sir.” The truth was that she had never felt an orgasm at a man’s hand. Even the ones she forced on herself did little to untie the knots that seemed directly related to her lack of a sex life. He studied her expression before he smiled down at her while the

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fingertips of one hand traced random patterns over her cheek and down her neck to her collarbone. His other hand rubbed over the front of his jeans, pulling her eyes back to his erection, which seemed to have grown even larger. “Kitten, before this night is over, you will come at least once by my hand. And, if you’re very lucky, maybe even several times.” Blaze snorted a laugh, her snarky disbelieving side breaking for a moment. “Yeah, right.” “Ah, so the little kitten is skeptical. Well, I guess it’s time to prove my point,” Master Z said. With that, he stood and uncoiled the red rope, snapping its considerable length before running the entire length through his fingers, smoothing the kinks out of it. Blaze turned to watch as he doubled the rope and then took hold of the center. “Eyes forward,” he ordered softly. She turned her head to stare at the couch as he moved behind her. “What’s your safe word, kitten?” he asked as he wrapped the rope under and around her ankles. “Red, Sir.” “Very good,” he said. “Hands behind your back, kitten.” She moved, and he positioned her arms so that her arms rested palm to forearm across the middle of her back. Then his cool fingers brushed over her skin as he wrapped the ropes around them and secured them. She shifted and found herself unable to move her arms more than an inch or so. “Any pain?” “No, Sir.” “What’s your favorite color?” he asked, catching her completely off guard as he did something further with the ropes. She fought the urge to snuggle into his touch as he traced his fingertips up and down her upper arms and over her shoulders where strong fingers began to massage the tight muscles there. “Purple, Sir,” she answered on a sigh as he quickly and effectively

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loosened muscles that she had not even realized were tight. Her breathing began to come faster as her body grew excited at the inability to move either into or away from his touch. When she relaxed her shoulders, his hands then stroked down the front of her body to her breasts. “The color of creativity. Interesting. Mine’s green, the color of renewal and new growth. What was the first pet you ever had as a little girl?” he asked as fingertips ran around and around her breasts before he cupped his hands underneath each mound as if weighing them. “My parents gave me two gerbils for my tenth birthday.” Closing her eyes, she fought down the moan that wanted to escape as the pads of his thumbs began to brush back and forth over the silk of her camisole that covered her nipples. His teasing touch sent streaks of fire straight to her clit, contracting every muscle along the way. She wanted to bend forward and press deeper into his touch. She wanted to demand he squeeze the now-rigid peaks tight and give her pain to focus on instead of this pleasure that she was so unused to. “Please, Sir,” she breathed when he did nothing else, just sat cupping her breasts and gently stroking her nipples. “What does my kitten need?” Master Z whispered in her right ear just before he took the lobe between his lips and sucked at it. Blaze tried to think, but her body felt out of control, demanding something she did not understand. She had never felt like this, even when she had been able to have an orgasm without using her toys. Her clit was on fire, her pussy dripping wet, and she needed something but she did not know what. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted.

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Chapter 3 Andy could feel Blaze’s heart pounding and her breathing growing shorter as she grew more and more aroused. Her words, though softly spoken, told him that they were in waters she had never been in before or at least not any time in the recent past. Not knowing if pushing her further this soon would help or hinder the relationship he hoped to establish with this little fireball, he lifted his hands from her breasts. “Not yet, kitten. We’re not done talking,” he said as he returned his attention to his ropes. He slid one hand under the thick braid of white-blonde hair and smoothed it down her back to her waist. She pressed back into his touch, telling him that she was as touch-sensitive as he had figured her to be. But until tonight, her focus had been on pain and not gentleness. Picking up ropes, he measured down the crease of her ass to the puckered star just out of his view. “Have you ever had anal sex before?” he asked as he tied a knot in the rope that would press just against that sweet pucker, and then another a few inches farther down the rope. “Yes,” she said as her body went stiff. “Tell me why you didn’t like it?” “How did you…” she started and then hesitated before saying, “we were both drunk. He missed my pussy, but wouldn’t stop even though I begged him to.” “When I take this gorgeous ass, you won’t be drunk, and you won’t be begging me to stop,” Andy said as he coiled the rope and

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slid it under her between her thighs. “When?” “Oh, yes, sweet kitten of mine, when,” he stated simply before standing. Picking her up easily, he moved her back a foot so he could get between her kneeling form and the couch to finish binding her. Smoothing his hands between her legs, he confirmed the first knot did indeed press against her anus. The second knot was in the wrong spot, so he adjusted it. Her gasp of surprise confirmed that the ball now pressed against her wet, knotted up clit. Shifting the rope aside, he ran two fingers up and down her center, gathering the slick wetness he found there before lifting his fingers to his lips. His eyes met hers as he opened his mouth and sucked her juices from his skin. “Mmm-mmm, good,” he said with a grin. His cock twitched with angry anticipation as her eyes widened, and she looked shocked at his actions. Knowing he needed to finish quickly because his own need for release was growing impatient, he pulled the rope up the front of her body and between her breasts and then separated them and laid one over each shoulder. Pulling the rope just enough to keep the knots pressed against her, but not tight enough to cause pain, he crossed them behind her neck. After threading them between her arms and her body, he crossed them again just under her breasts, which plumped the mounds a little higher, before taking them behind her back again, this time over her arms. He tied them together and around the length that led from her arms down and between her legs. Any movement of her shoulders or arms would pull the rope, which would press the knots tighter against her clit and back hole. Standing up, he walked around her, checking. “Wiggle your fingers and toes.” She did as commanded, and everything looked right. Then her hips began to arch back and forth.

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“Nothing too tight? No pain anywhere from the ropes?” “No, Sir. It feels okay, just…” She hesitated, still sounding bewildered as her hips continued moving, a subtle pulsating move that he knew was pressing her clit harder against its knot. “Just what?” “I’m not sure,” she answered softly. “I feel all itchy and tense, like something’s going to happen. I’ve never felt this way before.” Andy knelt down and looked her straight in the eye. “What you’re feeling is arousal. Good, healthy, I-need-to-come arousal. Would you like to come now? Do you want feel what an honest, man-induced orgasm feels like? Or would you rather suck my cock first?” Not knowing which she would choose, Andy waited patiently, watching her closely as she thought about her options. “May I suck your cock, please, Sir?” she asked, her eyelids heavy with arousal and eyes wild with need. Instead of answering immediately, Andy leaned forward and kissed the lovely blonde kitten. She gasped as he brushed his lips over hers and then slow and easy took the kiss deeper by degrees. He was surprised that her tongue matched his stroke for stroke, taking the kiss even deeper. Instead of going even further, he reversed direction, just as slowly taking the kiss from full-out tongue warfare to nips and licks at her bottom lip. Finally, he lifted his head, earning himself a disappointed sigh from the woman he had already decided would be his. “You ask so nicely, kitten. Yes, you may suck my cock. And then it will be your turn.” Standing, he slid his hands under her armpits and lifted her up off the floor. He shifted her closer to the couch until just inches separated her chest from the couch. When he set her down, her nose pressed against his groin, causing his hunger to surge to an even higher and more painful level. He opened his belt and jeans then leaned back as he carefully pushed them down his body past his cock. Sitting down on the couch, he hissed as his ass settled on the cold leather.

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**** Blaze had to swallow and lick her lips to keep from drooling all over herself when Master Z’s cock popped into view. It was long and thick with a bulbous head that glistened with wetness. She leaned forward, gasping softly when the knots rubbed against her clit and asshole. He spread his legs as far as his jeans would allow and slumped down on the couch so she could reach his cock. Parting her lips, she took him deep inside her warm, wet mouth. As he filled her mouth, one hand reached out to thread fingers through her hair. He did not force her to take him deeper. He just held her head. She started just by sucking on the head of his cock, but within seconds moved slowly down his shaft, taking in more and more. She smiled when his cock jumped and twitched as her tongue stroked him. His pulse beat against her tongue, fast and strong and getting faster with each trip she took up and down his cock. His taste of tangy, sweet maleness coated the inside of her mouth, driving her ever closer to her own limits. She had always liked giving head, but this time it felt different. She worked her mouth up and down his shaft faster and faster. She sucked, stroked, and swallowed on his shaft, determined to drive him wild. It took two minutes to drive him to his peak. “I’m going to come, kitten. Will you swallow, or do you want me to paint your pretty breasts?” “I’ll swallow,” she said the next time she held only the head between her lips. The vibrations of her words seemed to send him over the edge. She tightened her hold and increased suction as she pressed forward until her nose brushed against his belly. A moment later, she felt the first spurts of his juices enter her throat. Master Z groaned deep in his throat as his hips snapped forward, sending him even deeper in her mouth. She continued

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swallowing on him as his seed pulsed from his cock. When he slumped back against the couch with another hiss, she licked him clean before pulling off his cock with a soft pop. She leaned back then shifted her hips left an inch and right, testing the limits of her bonds. She marveled at how each small movement pulled the ropes that wrapped around her and only added to her arousal and the need for something that remained just beyond her reach. She looked up at him and was surprised to find him smiling down at her as he caught his breath. “Very good, kitten. You have a mouth made for sucking cock.” Blaze smiled at his soft words, a shiver of pleasure shooting straight to her clit. “Thank you, Sir,” she murmured, dropping her eyes to his cock that remained long and hard. Suddenly she felt shy and uncertain. What would happen now? Would he untie her and call it a night? Or would he really keep his word and help her to find a long overdue release? Her answer came a moment later when he stood up and stepped around her. She heard the rustle of clothes and the slide of his zipper as he straightened his clothes. So, the evening was over. But instead of feeling hands working the ropes free from her body, Master Z wrapped his arms around her. “Hold still, kitten. I don’t want to drop you.” In the next instant, his hands slid under her ass and lifted her so her chest just under her breasts rested on one shoulder, and she stared down his back at his tight ass. Straightening, he turned and started walking. “Sir?” “Be silent now, kitten,” he said without stopping. “But know that I will not let anything bad happen to you.” She bit her lip to keep from demanding answers, hoping the trust she had placed in him to this point would not be tossed back in her face. A moment later, he shifted his hold before leaning forward and setting her down.

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When he released her and stepped back, she found herself kneeling on top of the bar just a few feet from the stocks where one of the Doms she had scened with just the week before now flogged another uncollared submissive. “What’s this?” Jackson asked as he approached from behind the bar. “I thought the bar looked a little naked. Keep an eye on her while I clean up the couch and get the rest of my stuff. Kitten, don’t go anywhere,” he said as he patted her thigh before turning and walking away again. Instead of turning her head to watch Master Z walk away, her submissive side kicked in and she dropped her gaze to the glistening, wide wood bar she rested upon. As she sat waiting for his return, her thoughts drifted to what might happen next. Would he really continue playing with her until she found the ever-elusive release? Or would he untie her and call it a night? A sharp crack followed by red-hot pain to the outside of her right breast caused her to squeal in surprise. Without thought, Blaze lifted her head and turned it. Her eyes widened when she found herself eyeto-eye with Master Paul, one of the meanest, harshest Doms in the club. He met her shocked look with a frown. “Who the hell are you looking at, slut?” He sneered at her as he drew his arm back, slapping the outside of her left breast with even more painful force. She jumped and cried out again as she forced her face back down though she continued to watch the big Dom out of the corner of her eye. Tears blurred her vision as fear flooded through her. Where was Master Z? Why she had allowed herself to be trussed up like a turkey and put on display? Had he abandoned her to be abused by the rest of the club membership? The arousal she had felt just moments before fizzled as she tried to pull an arm from her bonds. But though the silk rope was not tightly wrapped around her limbs, the material would not stretch

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enough for her to work her way free. Master Paul pulled his arm back once again. “Scream for me, little sub. I want to hear you cry out for more like you usually do.” Before he could strike even harder than before, someone grabbed his arm and jerked him around.

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Chapter 4 “What the hell do you think you are doing with my sub?” Master Z stepped into her limited view, putting his body between the bar and the big Dom. “She’s an uncollared sub, and she’s on the bar. I don’t see your name on her forehead, and there’s not a mark on her. That’s not normal for this little pain slut,” Master Paul said, bristling with anger. “Those are my ropes, and I’m sure you watched me place on the bar just a few minutes ago. She may not be wearing my collar, but Blaze is under my command this evening.” Master Z sounded so calm and cool as he faced down the man who was nearly twice his size. Lifting her head a fraction of an inch, Blaze watched as Master Paul stared down at Master Z. Finally, after the longest thirty seconds she had ever counted off, the big man blinked and turned away. “Fine. Have at her, but be warned. She’s into severe pain but even then can’t get off. I don’t think she’ll come for anybody,” he said over his shoulder before walking away. “And next time, hang a sign.” Master Z remained still until the other man had rounded the bar and headed to the uncollared sub area. Only then did he turn to look at her. She was surprised to see remorse in his expression. “I’m sorry, kitten. He’s right. I should have left a sign on you that said you were spoken for, but I thought my ropes would be warning enough to anyone with a brain. Guess I was mistaken. Are you all right?” he asked. His hands came up on either side of her body. He traced over the reddened skin of her breasts where the other man left handprints. His touch was so gentle she barely felt them.

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“Yes, Sir, I’m fine.” She dropped her eyes so he would not read the uncertainty in her eyes. “Look at me, kitten. Keep your eyes on mine,” he said, the power in his gentle tone pulling her eyes up to his. Her pussy clenched as she met his eyes that had deepened to a glowing amber color. The arousal she thought was dead surged back to life. Cream dripped from her pussy lips to the bar top as he began to stroke her breasts. He drew ever-smaller circles around the mounds until he reached her coral-tinted areolas. Her breathing hitched as he brushed the pad of his index fingers across the peaked nipples. “Like that, do you?” he said, smiling in approval. Unable to find the words, Blaze just nodded. Her breathing grew even more rapid, and she shivered when his gentle fingertips traced down the sides of her body to her hips. “So beautiful,” he murmured. He broke eye contact, his eyes dropping to where his fingers now traced the line where body met thighs. She continued to watch his expression as he studied her body, finding herself intrigued by this man who was so gentle, but who just moments before, had been willing to go to battle to keep her safe. What would he be like outside of the club? Her breathing stopped again when he stroked across the top of her thighs then down between her legs to graze the sides of her pussy lips. She shifted, trying unsuccessfully to trap those fingers. The knots pressed into her clit and back hole, and she sucked in a breath as her arousal built, like waves rolling over the shore as the tide came in. Each touch of the rope and each stroke of his fingers sent her a little closer to unfamiliar territory. Her fingers wrapped around the opposite arm as she fought to hang onto control of herself. Her breathing grew faster and faster, and her blood raced through her veins. “Kitten, open your eyes and look at me,” Master Z ordered gently.

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Blaze blinked and forced her eyelids up. When had they closed? His breath was warm against the skin of her breast. He maintained eye contact as he leaned even closer. Extending his tongue, he slowly and easily dragged his tongue over the nipple of her right breast. Two fingers slid full length into her dripping pussy and held steady as his thumb slowly and gently rubbed the knotted rope back and forth over her clit. “Come for me, kitten,” he murmured before sucking her nipple into his mouth and batting at it with his tongue. As if her body had simply been waiting for permission, her orgasm became a mushroom cloud that exploded over her. She panted as if she had been running speed sprints, and her body bucked and jerked, fighting the ropes that held her in position and wide open to his touch. He continued playing, licking, and sucking at one breast then the other. His thumb continued pressing the rope in circles against her clit, prolonging her orgasm long past anything she had ever experienced before. “Sir, please,” she whispered softly. Tears filled her eyes and overflowed in a steady stream. Though it felt as if her bones were melting from the pleasure he forced upon her, she also felt better emotionally than she ever had on a Saturday morning after a night of being tied, flogged, and caned. He pulled off her nipple with a quiet pop and studied her critically for a moment. “Good girl, kitten,” she heard him say as someone began to clap. A pink fog of relaxation descended over her, blocking out the fact that people were applauding them. Without another word, he pulled his fingers from her core. She fought to stay upright on the bar when all she wanted to do was collapse. Her muscles were so relaxed she began to shake in her bonds. A hand ran up her back and pulled her head down to rest upon a muscular shoulder while the ropes holding her loosen and fell away.

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Closing her eyes, she relaxed both body and mind completely for the first time in nearly five years. Blaze heard people talking, but it was like two flies buzzing in a silent room. Her thoughts drifted as she contemplated the magic Master Z had weaved over and around her. Were the red ropes that had held her hostage full of magic? Or had he had figured out something even she herself had not realized? If so, she hoped he would share the secret with her. When the pink cloud finally lifted from around her, they were back in the half-hidden sitting area where they had started. Master Z sat on the couch with her draped across his lap. He murmured softly words of praise as his arms smoothed over the blanket securely wrapped around her. She shifted against him, surprised she did not want to get away from this Dominant as she normally did after a scene. Instead, she took a deep breath and relaxed even further into his chest as her trembling slowly eased. **** Andy held the shivering petite woman, unable to keep from grinning with his own contentment. Blaze felt so good in his arms, in his lap. She fit him as if she had been made just for him to hold and cuddle. He could not wait to take things further and see if they were as compatible in other ways as well. But that would have to wait until their next encounter. For now, he had to content himself with the knowledge that he had done what no other Dom in the club had, given this pretty little woman a long-overdue orgasm. The question now was once she recovered, would she want to see him again? Would she be willing to let him be more than just Master Z, club Dom? Or would this be all they would have, playing only in the club under the watchful eye of anyone who looked in their direction?

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“Shhh,” he murmured when her trembling ceased and she grew restless in his lap. “You’re safe. You did great. You are so beautiful.” At his softly spoken words, she took a deep breath, released it on a sigh, and relaxed even further, returning her head to rest against his shoulder. The feeling that he could spend the rest of the evening on this couch with her in his lap surprised him. Normally when he played with women in public, he quickly settled them afterward then walked away. After a several more minutes, she roused enough to drop her head back to look up at him, her expression soft. “Sir?” “Yes, kitten?” “What happens now?” She sounded uncertain, as if the trust she had placed in him to tie her up and bring her pleasure was drifting away like a cloud on the wind. He hesitated a moment before slipping his right hand through the opening of the blanket. He laid his hand against the warm skin of her hip but made no further move. She stiffened at his touch but did not pull away. “What would you like to happen?” he asked carefully. He knew what he wanted, which was to pack her up and take her home with him for a weekend of slow and easy sensual play, but this was not his decision to make. At this moment the little submissive had complete control. His fingers began to massage her hip as he not-sopatiently waited for her to decide whether or not they had a future together. **** Listening to his slow, steady heartbeat and regular breathing, Blaze barely registered Master Z’s question in response to her own. She felt her own pulse slow and match the Dom’s as if their bodies were running from the same engine.

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“Kitten? Are you still with me or have you fallen asleep?” His tone sounded amused instead of irritated, but brought Blaze’s thoughts back to the matter at hand. What did she want to happen now? Usually the Doms she scened with were gone by this point, off to the bar for a stiff drink or to find another submissive to conquer. To be asked her desire was new. No one had ever asked her what she wanted, or if they did, they never waited around long enough to hear her answer. This was another of the reasons she learned to set her goals and then never ever let anyone get in her way from reaching them. From getting her best friend Jillian to come to the club on her birthday instead of sitting home alone and sulking, to talking an abusive father into giving up custody of his children, Blaze always, always, always got what she wanted. So what did she want now? Instantly she knew, but also realized he would never agree to it. After all, Master Z was the Dom, the boss, the one making all the decisions. “I’d love to do it all over again, but I’m not sure I’d survive,” she finally said. “I guess I need to go back to the uncollared subs area and hang out until my ride gets here.” When he remained silent, a shiver of fear crawled up her spine. Did he have something different in mind? Was the rope play and orgasm only the beginning, and now he would tie her to the St. Andrew’s cross and beat her bloody? Or would he release her without another word? “There is a third option,” he said, his voice low and as gentle as the hand that remained on her hip. “We could get something to eat from the buffet and talk.” Before Blaze could answer, Taurus approached and stood over them. “Excuse me, Master Z, but Blaze’s ride is here.” Before she could answer, Master Z said, “Please tell her driver she

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won’t be needing a ride tonight.” Blaze stiffened and pulled back to look at him as Taurus walked away. “But I do need a ride home. Why did you do that?” “I’m taking you home tonight, kitten.” His expression was that of Dom in action, set and serious enough that she wondered for a split second the wisdom of crossing him. “No. You can’t. I…I…You just can’t.” She tried to pull back from his hold and climb from the couch, but between the blanket wrapped around her and tucked in and his arms holding her still, she found herself trapped. “Why not?” he asked, a frown of concern crossing his face as he easily held her still and kept her from falling to the floor “Because I scene at the club, not at my house.” Giving up the fight, she crossed her arms under her breasts and tilted her head a bit to the left. Lifting one eyebrow in a look that in the past had frightened seasoned police officers twice her size into backing down, she tried her best to intimidate Master Z into releasing her. Without a word, he met her gaze squarely, his own face expressionless. He did not look the least bit affected by her back down or else expression. “I am taking you home, kitten. I won’t come inside unless you invite me to, but I will to make sure you get home safely tonight. But if you try to top from the bottom again, especially when it comes to your health or safety, a discipline session of sensual torture without release will be in your future.” “You wouldn’t,” she sputtered. The hand wrapped around her back slid up to the back of her neck. He held her head securely and brought her face up to within an inch of his own. “Try me,” he said before closing the distance and kissing her.

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Chapter 5 “It’s the third driveway on the left,” Blaze said, just over an hour later as he turned onto her street. Since he had sent away the ride she had arranged for before arriving at the club, she had grown quiet. Too quiet. She’d answered his questions, but using only one- or two-word answers and without volunteering anything further about herself. It was as if she was afraid. As he eased down the road to her driveway, he automatically scanned the neighborhood, the protective firefighter instincts kicking in. While it was not the best neighborhood in town, he saw that there was a streetlight directly across the street from her driveway and a fireplug at the end of the block. Though he wanted to question her about how good her locks were, he bit the inside of his cheek instead. Turning into the driveway, he stopped just behind a silver sedan that in no way looked like it should belong to a woman like Blaze, who was so full of life. Through the dim light provided by his headlights and the streetlight, he quickly looked at her house. A light was on in the window next to the front door. It was a tiny house, but with a wild garden thriving across the front of the house even though it was only March. It made him think of a fairytale cottage. “Cute house,” he said, hoping to break through the icy barrier she had set in place. “Thanks. It’s not much, but it’s all I could comfortably afford.” She looked from her house to him and shrugged before reaching for the seat belt latch. “Thanks for the ride, Sir.” “Andy,” he corrected, wanting to hear his name on her tongue at

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least once before the evening ended. “Andy Zimmerman when we’re not in the club or scening.” “Andy Zimmerman,” she repeated, her voice soft. Her eyes met his, and in the half-light of the truck’s cab, she looked so damn desirable. He wondered if there was enough room in the backseat of his extended-cab truck to take this to the next level. His cock jerked and, in painful seconds, extended to full length and stiffness. While he would have loved to pull her into the backseat and fuck her until neither of them could move, that was not what his kitten needed. She had to be able to trust him to take care of her when they were alone outside the club as well as he had while they were in the main room under many watchful eyes. Sex in the back of his truck under a glowing streetlight was not the way to earn her trust. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your door,” he said instead, releasing his own seat belt. She shook her head and looked away. “No, that’s okay. I can get there myself. Thank you for an, um, interesting evening.” Before she could escape, Andy reached out, grabbed her hand, and pulled her back toward him. He shifted to face her, and sliding his hand up her arm, he bracketed her shoulders and pulled her close enough to kiss over the center console that separated their seats. He was surprised when she relaxed and immediately parted her lips under his, brushing the tip of her tongue against his before retreating. He tilted his head farther to the right and dove deeper, kissing her as he had wanted to earlier, hoping that she understood by his actions that he was a good guy and not like the men in her past who had taught her to only expect pain when dealing with a man. When he finally released her, they were both breathing hard, and he was so close to release he was afraid to move as he met her eyes. He was so aroused that he had to clear his throat and swallow twice before he could speak. “What are you doing Sunday afternoon?”

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He smiled when Blaze blinked and looked surprised at his question. “Um, I don’t have anything planned. Yet.” “Good. I’ll pick you up at one. Wear jeans and boots if you have them.” “Where are we going?” she asked, still sounding adrift from the kiss. “It’s a surprise, but I think you’ll like it,” he said, not wanting to ruin the surprise. “Now go inside and sleep well. I’ll see you Sunday.” “Okay,” she said with a shrug, as if she was not sure she wanted to figure out what he had in mind. He waited until she was inside and peeking over the top of the café curtains that covered the bottom half of the window next to the door. Only then did he start the truck and back out of her driveway. He could not stop grinning as he drove across town to his own apartment. Blaze Richards did not realize what she had gotten herself by accepting him as her Dom, but he would teach her that there were other things in the BDSM lifestyle than just pain. **** Blaze climbed out of the truck Sunday afternoon feeling equal parts fear and excitement. Master Z, no, Andy as he insisted she call him since they were not at the club, had refused to explain where they were going when he picked her up. Instead, he began asking questions about her life and work and openly answered hers. For most of the twenty-minute drive during which he asked conversation-starting questions that exposed more of her than she was comfortable with, Blaze wondered if they were on a date. Being unsure she really wanted to know the answer kept her from asking the question aloud. Her nerves had begun the moment she’d entered her house early Saturday morning, and she wondered why she had not immediately

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turned Andy’s request for a meeting outside of the club. She never met people she met at the club out in the real world on a social basis. Club Esoteria was sacred to her, and she kept that part of her life completely separate from the rest of her life. As Andy slowed and turned off the road, she looked around at the horses, goats, and a single cow in the fenced-in pasture near the storyand-a-half-tall barn where they parked. After parking the car, Andy handed her a neatly folded, orange bandana. “Stick that in your pocket,” he said, slipping a red one in his own back pocket. Blaze wondered, but did not ask why. After all, he was the expert here. Once she climbed from the truck, she walked around the front to where Andy waited. She felt out of her element, but a seed of arousal and childlike excitement took root and sprouted in her spirit. “Where are we?” she asked when Andy interlaced their fingers before leading her toward the back of the barn. His callused hands felt warm against her own and sent a pulse of electricity up her arm to spread throughout her body before pooling just behind her clit. “My friend’s horse farm. I come out here and ride whenever I have a free afternoon,” he said easily, his thumb rubbing back and forth over the base of her thumb. Blaze swallowed as excitement pushed out the fear. She had not ridden a horse in a dozen years, and not until this moment did she realize how much she missed it. “Can I ride, too?” she asked, hoping she did not sound like a little kid asking for ice cream. “Of course. Have you ever ridden before?” he asked as they rounded the back of the barn and found an old man standing near two horses who were all saddled and ready to go. “I took lessons as a kid, but haven’t ridden in years,” she said. Andy made casual introductions. “Hey, Mack. This is my friend, Blaze. Blaze, this is Mack. He owns the place.” The old man nodded politely, so Blaze did the same.

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“Andy, you’re riding Jack today. And, missy, I put you on Leroy here,” the old man patted the yellow palomino he stood beside. “He’s old as the hills and gentle as they come.” Blaze returned the man’s smile. “Thanks,” she said as she slowly walked up to the horse, stopping beside his head. Looking him in the eye, she said, “Hello, Leroy.” The horse blinked and lifted his head as if to see her better. She lifted her hand and held the back of her fingers to his nostrils, allowing him to smell her. He sniffed her fingers then nudged her hand in a demand that she recognized as pet me. Smiling with a souldeep happiness she had not realized was missing from her life, Blaze ran her hand up and down his nose as she talked softly to him. “Enough flirting, kitten,” Andy said a few minutes later as he stepped up behind her. “Let’s ride.” Blaze grinned over her shoulder at him. “Jealous?” Andy met her gaze and lifted an eyebrow before dropping a quick kiss on her nose. At the same time, he ran one hand down the front of her body until he cupped his fingers over her pussy. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. I want you to whisper sweet nothings while rubbing me with that contented look on your pretty face.” Blaze’s grin widened further. “Give me a good ride, and maybe I will.” “Be careful of what you ask for, little Blaze,” Andy murmured as he canted his hips forward, pressing his erect cock firmly between the cheeks of her ass. “Oooh.” Blaze arched and pushed her hips back more firmly into his. “Seems somebody is happy to be visiting the farm.” Instead of answering her snarky comment, Andy stepped back. “Can you get up there, or do you need some help?” he asked after clearing his throat. Blaze moved down the side of the horse and put her left foot into the stirrup. She tried several times to jump and pull herself over the

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back of the animal, but just did not have the strength and leverage required to do so. “Help, please?” “Okay, Blaze.” Andy wrapped his hands around her waist. “One, two, three.” On three, he lifted her high enough that her left leg was straight. All she had to do was swing her right leg over the horse’s back and settle into the saddle. Mack checked her stirrups while Andy climbed onto Jack, a beautiful chestnut-colored gelding. Once Mack confirmed her stirrups were adjusted properly, and she appeared comfortable in the saddle, he walked away. “We’re going to walk up to the ring and ride there,” Andy said. He took Jack’s reins in one hand and set the horse into motion by apparent magic. “Okay, Leroy, let’s go,” Blaze said as she picked up the reins and tried to position them as she vaguely remembered. Her horse dropped his head forward and jerked the reins out of her hands. “Now Leroy, that wasn’t very nice,” she said, squeezing her heels into his sides after she picked the reins up again. Still, Leroy just stood there. She made the kissing noises she remembered making as a child, but he just shook his head and took a step backward. “Having problems?” Andy asked, having circled back when he realized she had not followed him away from the barn. “Leroy decided he doesn’t want to be ridden today,” she said, feeling awkward and like she had forgotten everything she had ever learned about horses. “He’s just being stubborn. Come on, old man. Let’s show the lady a good time.” Andy took hold of Leroy’s reins near his mouth and then clicked at Jack, who responded immediately. Leroy had to move with them or have his head pulled off, so he started walking.

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After a few steps, Andy looked back at her. “Think you can manage him now?” Blaze shrugged. “I’ll try. Just stay close, okay?” “As long as you’ll have me,” he said with a mysterious expression on his face. Once in the ring, Blaze rode Leroy around the large oval several times under Andy’s close supervision. He only made a few corrections, mostly reminders to keep her heels down, her elbows in, and to relax her shoulders. “You’re real good,” he said when she reached the gate after twenty minutes of riding. “I guess it’s like riding a bicycle. You never forget,” she said, her face sore from grinning for so long. “Think you can handle a ride outside the ring?” Though her backside was starting to grumble, Blaze nodded. “Sure, let’s go.” He turned his horse toward the opening in the fence then waited until she came up beside them. Only then did he nudge his horse into motion again. They headed away from the barn, behind the exercise ring, then toward the tree line a dozen yards away. Blaze saw an opening in the brush and figured that was their destination. As they walked, Andy started asking questions again, as if he had memorized a first-date guide of conversation starters. Blaze was relieved he did, as it kept her from having to come up with questions of her own. While she wondered about the man, she also had yet to figure out where the boundary between first date, Dominant/submissive, and Blaze-is-being-too-nosy-for-her-own-good was. Instead of stumbling on a topic that might trip her up, she forced herself to only answer his questions then listen closely when he shared information about himself. As they rode, she relaxed and focused more on the man beside her than where they were going or what was going on around them. Her attention was jerked back to what she was supposed to be doing when

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Leroy jerked the reins from her hands again then took off running down the path. She squeaked in surprise as she grabbed the saddle horn with one hand and reached for the reins with the other. The thin leather strap draped over the horse’s neck was just out of her reach. Leroy picked up speed as he went along, until he was outright galloping through the woods. “Andy, help!” she screamed, which only set Leroy to running even faster. A long minute later, Jack caught up with them and eased just ahead. Andy reached over and took hold of Leroy’s reins. Once he had them firmly in hand, he slowed his horse, forcing Leroy to a stop as well. As soon as the horses stopped, Andy was down off Jake. Before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her from Leroy’s back and hugged her tight. “Are you okay?” Blaze melted at the strong, secure hug and could only nod her head up and down in response. She mewed a soft protest when he released her and took a step back. But he did not go far, just far enough to look her up and down to confirm her condition for himself. Once he seemed satisfied she was in one piece, he closed the distance between them, this time with one hand sliding around the side of her neck. His touch encouraged her to lift her face, which she did, and she sighed when his lips came down on her. The kiss went on and grew deeper until their tongues teased and tormented each other and breathing became an afterthought. Her pussy gushed cream, and her nipples grew painfully hard as they pressed into his chest. She slid her arms around his back to hold on as her knees went weak. She leaned into him and was grateful that he had the strength to hold them both up and steady. When he lifted his head, she tried to follow to continue. Instead of kissing her again, he turned his head away to scout the small clearing where they had stopped. He stared at something behind her for a long

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time before releasing her and taking two steps back. “Give me your bandana, kitten,” he said, his voice soft, but with that thread of dominance running through it that she remembered from Friday night.

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Chapter 6 Kitten. He had called her kitten. The nickname he had gifted her with at the club sent a heated thrill through her, followed immediately by a cold chill. She had never played BDSM games outside the club before. She may have been a little reckless in some areas of her life but this was not one of them. Though she hesitated giving in, the steady look in his eyes softened her defiance, but did not melt it completely. “Sir?” she said as she dug the square cloth out of her back pocket but did not hand it over immediately. She needed answers first. “Yes?” “I don’t scene outside the club,” she said, dropping her face to stare at the toes of her sneakers. Since she did not own a pair of boots without four-inch stiletto heels, Andy had approved her choice sneakers as an alternative. The flat shoes made her even more aware of how much bigger he was since he wore cowboy boots with a walking heel. “Look at me, kitten,” he ordered gently then remained silent and still until she lifted her gaze to his face again. As her eyes traveled up his body, she could not help but notice the prominent bulge pushing at the zipper of his jeans. So, she wasn’t the only one aroused by their ride. When she met his eyes, they were amber with heavy lids, again shouting he felt as wound up and needy as she did. “I know you think scening only in the club is safe, but you take things too close to the edge of physically harming yourself. I won’t hurt you, and we won’t do anything you won’t like. But I want to

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push your boundaries in a different direction. I want to play out here while we’re alone. No one will see us except Leroy and Jack, and I promise they won’t say anything to anyone.” Blaze debated with herself for a minute. On the one hand, he had not caused her harm to this point, and he had brought her more pleasure Friday night than she had ever felt before at the club. On the other hand, they were out in the woods alone, and if she allowed him to tie her up again, she would be at his mercy if he decided to get psycho on her. Would Mack hear her screams from the barn? Would he bother to come investigate? Instead of answering, she swallowed hard and took a step back. Crossing her arms over her chest, she called up every bit of brash boldness within her. “What do you want to do to me?” Andy blinked and looked surprised for a moment before he smiled and nodded. “Good girl, be cautious. What I want to do is blindfold you, and then maybe I’ll tie you facing that tree.” He pointed to a large crepe myrtle at the edge of the clearing with several trunks coming out of the ground close together. “After that, I’ll let my imagination take over.” Blaze’s pussy clenched painfully tight as she thought of the possibilities. Excitement over being under Andy’s control in such a situation quickly overrode any fear of being alone with him. She felt certain he would never hurt her unless she asked for it. And today, after riding a horse and getting all wound up, she wanted, no, needed more of what he had given her Friday—gentle, sensual pleasure-play instead of pain. Without another word, Blaze unfurled the bandana she still held, folded it diagonally, and rolled it into a long strip. Lifting the cloth to her face, she blindfolded herself in what she hoped Master Z would take as a sign of trust. Once she dropped her arms to her sides, she froze. Though she

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knew there were no cliffs within many miles of where they stood, she still worried about falling off the edge of the world if she moved. She bit her lip as she listened, but did not hear Master Z move. She jumped when he ran a single fingertip across her lips. She sighed when that same finger traced down her neck, past her collarbone, and down her chest to the first closed button of her shirt centered between her breasts. “Watching you ride made me wonder what you’re wearing under this,” he said in the soft, deep voice she was coming to recognize as his Dom voice. “Just a bra,” she said with a half shrug. “Nothing impressive.” “Oh, I don’t think anything about you is unimpressive,” he said. She felt his fingers working the first button free then moving down her shirt, opening each one in turn until he reached the waistband of her jeans. Then cool fingers traced a line up from waistband up her belly to the front clasp of her bra. “Uh-huh, easy access,” he murmured as he traced lines up either side of the plastic pieces that held her bra closed over the top of her breasts to the straps and then back down again. Blaze smiled as he fumbled with the clasp. When she lifted her hands to open it herself, he pushed her hands away. “Arms by your sides, kitten.” He did not move again until she had dropped her arms. Only then did he begin working at the plastic again. A few seconds later, the two pieces separated. Her breath caught when he pushed the cups out of his way and immediately claimed her nipples with callused fingertips. She made a soft sound when warm, wet lips replaced the hand on her left breast. He suckled the tip, batted at it with his tongue, and nibbled gently before transferring the attention to her other breast. After giving it the same treatment, he stepped back, and she was alone again. Her arousal was growing by the minute, even without Master Z’s touch, but fear of the unseen was there as well. “Sir?” she called when

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he did not touch her further. “Shhh, kitten, it’s all right. I’m right here,” he whispered from behind her. How had he gotten there without her hearing him move? A long moment later, she felt his fingers part the hair down the back of her head and sweep it over her shoulders, baring the back of her neck. In the next seconds, he brushed lips and tongue and chin across the skin. Until that moment, Blaze had never considered the back of the neck as an erogenous zone. Of course, no one before Master Z had ever paid any attention to that spot before. When he nibbled his way from her hairline down her spine, she shivered with the heat and electric need that pulsed through her, sending her hips to moving back and forth and weakening her knees. She arched her back, trying to move away and ease the powerful feeling that slammed through her, but an arm sliding around her middle and cupping one breast held her in place. She began to moan, while at the same time gasping for breath as the combination of lips and tongue on her nape and hand playing with her breast shoved her closer and closer to a powerful orgasm. But before she could fling herself over the edge into release, Andy pulled away again. This time she whined as disappointment washed over her. “Not yet, kitten. First, we’re going to walk to the tree so you have something to hold onto. Then maybe I’ll play some more.” He sounded too happy, but Blaze did not fight him as he settled his hands on her shoulders and slowly guided her forward. She shuffled along, finding herself exhilarated by the many emotions battling for supremacy inside her, as well as the gut feeling that no matter what might happen, Master Z would not allow harm to come to her. She trusted him. That was a first for her. That was why she never scened outside

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the main room at Club Esoteria. She would not allow herself to trust the men she spent time with. But here she was, trusting a man who she knew little about, but who seemed to have only her best interests at heart. With that realization, all of the muscles of her shoulders loosened and shed the tension that she considered normal when dealing with sex and men. A moment later, Master stopped her from walking any further. “Arms up and out to the sides,” he said as he stepped away. Though she was once again alone, this time she did not fear being alone because she knew he would not go far. The long, thick erection that pressed into her backside with each step they took assured her of that, as well as her gut instinct that said that as a Dom, he would never abandon her. She heard a foot scuff in some leaves in front of her, and then he wrapped a hand around each of her wrists. He pulled her arms forward, and she felt the tree trunks against her arms as he brought her hands together. When she took a step forward in order to maintain her balance, he slapped the back of one hand. “Don’t move, kitten.” She stepped back again as he finished tying her wrists together with what felt like the bandana he had put in his pocket. When he stepped back again, she felt off balance and unsure whether she should lean against the tree trunks that brushed her shoulders or not. Before panic could fully form, his hands took hold of her hips and pulled them back so that she was forced to move her feet back to maintain her balance. This move also pressed her shoulders into the tree trunks. “Mmm, pretty,” he murmured. He licked at the back of her neck as his hands played with her exposed breasts just long enough to get Blaze breathing hard again. “But you’re wearing too many clothes.” “Me?” “No speaking unless you are answering a question,” he said, his

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tone now harsh. “You will not speak unless it is to beg me to tame all your wild ways by being your full-time and permanent Dom. Or to call red, which will end everything between us, and you will have to explain to Taurus what happened. Do you understand?” Blaze nodded, afraid to speak. “Good girl. Now spread your feet. Shoulder width apart should do it,” he said as he ran a hand down her body to the waistband of her jeans. As she moved her feet into the position he wanted, he quickly dealt with the fastenings of her jeans. As soon as he had them open, he slid his thumbs between jeans and shirt and pushed the waistband down her legs until they were rested around her ankles. “Slide your left foot out as far as you can,” he said, tapping the outer thigh of her left leg. As she did, drawing her jeans tight around her ankles, he finished unbuttoning her shirt, then folded it up her back and tucked it into her collar, baring her body from just above the bra strap to her ankles. “Oh my God, that’s a pretty picture,” he muttered to himself as he ran his hands from her thighs up her body then around to cup her breasts. “So damn pretty.” Blaze tried to control her breathing and keep silent as he began to stroke his hands over every exposed inch of her body. It was difficult. Every touch of his skin on hers ignited fire in the nerve endings that blazed through her body to add to the bonfire now raging in her clit and pussy. Her arousal driving coherent thought out of her brain, Blaze arched and tried to press her hips back, needing more. She heard whimpering sounds, but did not realize they came from her lips until Master Z ran a hand down the center of her body. He cupped a hand over her clit then dipped the tips of two fingers into her open, wet pussy. “Need a break, kitten?” “Oh, God, please no, Sir!”

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She arched again and found that he had moved out of touching range. She whined then, needing more, of him and from him, in order to find the paradise that was just out of her reach. After a moment, she thought she heard a zipper slid open and then the rustling of material. She smiled when he muttered a soft curse. She must not have been the only one nearing the edge of their control. Two heartbeats later, a single finger ran down her spine then between the cheeks of her ass. It paused at her back hole and pressed ever so gently against the opening before tracing between her legs, past the entrance to her pussy, and up to circle her knotted clit. She gasped as the firestorm roaring through her grew even more hot and intense. “Like that, do you?” he whispered just before he licked her ear. “Yes, Sir,” she breathed, arching further as his finger traced back the way it came before disappearing. “Me, too,” he murmured as something colder, broader, and blunter than his finger traveled the same path. She sucked a breath when the head of his cock brushed over her puckered star and then again when it grazed her clit. He concentrated on her clit for a moment, brushing his cock up and down then left and right, teasing and tantalizing the nerve endings. He took her so close to the edge of orgasm, she could see a rainbow of vibrant colors behind her closed eyelids. But before she got too close to losing it, he pulled back then pushed just the tip into her open, wet, wanting pussy. Grabbing her hips, he held them steady when she tried to shift back in order to take more of his length. “Hold still, kitten. I’m not done playing yet,” he said. His voice sounded strained as he held just the tip inside her. She whined when he pulled the tip of his cock from her a few seconds later. He traced her centerline from clit to asshole and back again several times as if waiting for something. “Please, Sir. Please fuck me,” she begged, though he had

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forbidden her from speaking. The need filling her was too much to bear for long, and she felt insanity closing around her “You want this?” he said as he thrust several inches into her pussy without warning. “Oh, yes Sir,” she gasped as she arched her back, wanting, needing, desiring even more. Instead of pushing the balance of his cock into her, Master Z pulled free once again. “Not yet. I need a minute to regain some composure, or this will be over before we’ve really gotten started.” Blaze did not understand what he meant until she felt hot breath between her thighs several long seconds later. Only after she dropped her head to look and confirm his position did she remember the blindfold. It did not matter. Her imagination was enough to show her Master Z’s head between her legs as he inhaled, drawing cooler air across her knotted up clit. “Mmmm, smells absolutely delicious,” he said. “Do you think it tastes as sweet?” Blaze could only whine in answer as he slid his hands around her calves then slowly ran them up the insides of her legs until his thumbs brushed the fleshy lips that protected her sex. She sucked in a harsh breath as he parted the flesh then leaned in and swiped his tongue from the top of her clit down to dip into her pussy. She exhaled another wordless protest when he pulled away, making a lip-smacking sound. “Damn, you are as sweet tasting as you smell, kitten. Hmm, this may take awhile,” he observed before returning his mouth to her sex. Blaze was not sure how much she could take when he sucked her clit between his lips and batted at it with his tongue. Electric fire raced through her clit to her pussy, and the orgasm that had been circling just out reach moved closer, surrounding her. She fought to keep it at bay, trying to hold it off, not sure whether she had permission to come or not. Then Master Z brushed a fingertip over her puckered star as he

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released her clit just long enough to order, “Let it loose, kitten. Come for your master.” As he took her clit between his teeth and gently nibbled, Blaze convulsed in her bonds as a lightning-sharp orgasm exploded out from her clit, white fire racing to each nerve ending then back again. She fought the cloth holding her wrists and ankles hostage, needing to touch the man who had taken control of her body. “Please,” she whispered when his touch disappeared from her body once again, and her knees folded, taking her down until she hung from her wrists.

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Chapter 7 “Please, what?” Andy asked through gritted teeth as he scrambled to his feet. If he did not get his cock inside her pussy in the next five seconds, he was going to shoot his juices all over her, which was the last thing he wanted. As her Dominant, he should have more control, but with this little kitten, who burst into flames with his every touch, he was like an untried boy let loose in a cathouse for the first time. Andy wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her back to a standing position. He then slid his cock full length in her, even as she continued to shake with her orgasm. Her pussy welcomed him into its wet, silky warmth with a tight, massaging rhythm. That forced him to freeze, once his cock was buried all the way inside. “Please, Master,” she breathed. “Fuck. Me. Hard.” Andy ground his teeth together, trying to maintain some control, but found it impossible. Gripping her tighter, he pulled his hips back then pushed deep again, his balls squeezing painfully, sending fiery need throughout his body. He began pistoning in and out, each thrust harder and faster than the one before. “Holy fuck,” he muttered, wondering if his head was going to explode from the pressure before he found release. He used one hand to reach around and take her clit between two fingers. Rolling it like a fine cigar, he forced her to accompany him headfirst into the abyss. Her startled cry tipped him over the edge, and his orgasm exploded through him. He roared as his hips slapped tight against her ass, and then pulsed forward, trying to bury his cock even deeper inside his kitten.

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He did not know how he did it, but he managed to untie the scarf securing her wrists to the tree before his own legs collapsed. Wrapping his arms around her middle, he kept them locked together as he sat down, ignoring the sticks and rocks on the ground that provided a less-than-comfortable seating area. His cock still buried deep in her still-tight pussy, he managed to turn her so she sat across his lap. Then he removed her blindfold and found her silently crying. “Are you all right?” he asked, horrified that he might have harmed her. She nodded and smiled through her tears. “That was…was… wow,” she managed to say before her eyes rolled back and she went limp in his arms. “Yes, it was, kitten. Definitely wow.” Andy chuckled. He cuddled her closer as he caught his breath then lay back so she sprawled across his chest. His half-hard, spent cock slid from her pussy, but that was all right, too. He would wake her in a few minutes, and they would return to the world of reality, but for now, this moment in time, he was quite happy being all alone and holding his woman. And she was his woman. Whether or not she would admit it in the short term, at some point in their future, she would agree that they were meant to be together. Closing his eyes, he grinned as she rubbed her cheek against his chest with a small sigh before stilling again. Taking a deep breath, he slid his left hand down her back and then around and between her legs to cup her mons. Then he relaxed and followed his kitten into sleep. **** Blaze woke with a gasp, shocked that she had fallen asleep. Never before when she had been with a man had she let her guard down enough to sleep, especially with a Dom. Something about Andy,

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Master Z, caused her to relax her guard. He was comfortable to be with, whether they were in a scene or not. She had never felt this way about another man, ever. Only when Andy took a deep breath did she feel his hand between her legs. It felt right, which concerned her almost as much as falling asleep on him did. “You okay, kitten?” he asked as she stiffened and fought the intense urge to roll off him and run away. She said the only thing that came to mind. “I fell asleep.” “We both did,” he said. Gently easing his hand from her, he wrapped both arms around her and then sat up. He did not make a sound as he moved, surprising her with his strength. “Are your wrists okay?” She did not fight as he lifted each hand and checked her arms. The skin around her wrists was pink from their bonds, but they did not hurt as he moved her hand around, testing them. Only when he was satisfied the scene had caused no damage did he release her. “Shall we head back? I bet Leroy and Jack are ready for their dinner.” Still unsure about what had just happened between them, Blaze nodded and crawled from his lap. “Okay.” Before she got too far away, Andy grabbed her arm. “Look at me, kitten.” Turning her head, she met his deep brown gaze squarely. She did not say a word while he studied her. “It’s okay, kitten. You were incredible. And I thank you for allowing me to drag you out of your comfort zone.” “Thank you, Sir,” she answered automatically then waited until he released her. Grabbing the closest bandana, she wiped away their combined fluids before standing. She straightened her clothes as fast as she could, keeping her back turned so she could not see him do the same. Once her clothes were back in place, she turned to the horses even

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though she did not want to leave this place. She wanted to stay here with both Andy and Master Z until she could figure out exactly what it was she felt for this man who had shown her a vulnerable side of herself she thought had been destroyed long ago. On the ride back, she worked to keep up her side of the conversation, but her mind had a hard time following. Once they were back at the barn, she followed Andy’s lead in taking the saddles and bridles off the horses and then giving them a quick brush down before leading them into stalls. At that moment, Mack appeared with buckets of food and fed the horses, then hung around. She remained silent as the two men talked, a soul-deep weariness grabbing hold of her. All she wanted at that moment was to curl up and go back to sleep to allow her subconscious to unravel the crazy ideas that were sneaking into her thoughts. She remained mostly silent on the drive home. It wasn’t until Andy pulled into her driveway and parked that she looked at him and asked the question that had muscled its way to the top of her list of topics to discuss. “What do you want from me?” As soon as she said the words, she realized it was waaaaaay too soon to be discussing such things, but the mama-bear instinct to protect had kicked in. He looked at her and blinked. “Excuse me?” He seemed stunned by the implication of her question, but Blaze was too caught up in her own dismayed thoughts for his reaction to sink in. In the past hour, she had worked herself into a near panic at the thought that all he wanted was an occasional play session, whether in the club or not. Though she had only known him for a handful of hours over the past days, her heart had made its declaration that it wanted this man, and for more than just an occasional play scene. “What do you want from me? Maybe I should word it, what part am I going to play in your life? Fuck buddy when you have an itch to scratch? Kitten to your Master when you want to play at the club? Friend with benefits? Or something else? I need to know so I wear the

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right panties.” Blaze stopped breathing as the man in the driver’s seat blinked again. This time his expression went completely blank. Dom blank. Oh fuck, she’d done it this time. No doubt he would throw her out of his truck and call Taurus and demand she be tossed out of Club Esoteria, too. Well, if so, she would deal with it. But in order to deal with anything, she needed to know how sand-filled the ground was she stood upon. “Breathe, Blaze,” he ordered softly. She took a breath then flinched when he reached across the space between them, expecting to be slapped out of her seat. Instead of physically reprimanding her for being such a bitch, he cupped her cheek in his palm. She dropped her gaze, not able to focus on anything until a movement behind his zipper caught her attention. Apparently, her rude sassiness had turned him on. The front of his jeans was inflating with an apparent arousal. “My eyes, little one. Look into my eyes,” he said, sounding amused and not offended. Reluctantly she raised her eyes to his and was shocked to find they were now amber. Her pussy clenched and dampened in instant response. “I know it’s too soon to talk about the long term, but you asked the question. Yes, I see you as my kitten when we play,” he said as his gaze bore deep into hers. “I also see you as a new friend, a beautiful, feisty woman I would like to get to know much, much better, and maybe someday, if we’re both happy with the way things develop between us, even more than that. But for now, you are a wildcat in need of taming to my hand.” Blaze’s eyes went wide at his blunt assessment of their situation. He had been able to put into words everything she was feeling but would not have been able to voice if he had asked her.

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“So what now?” “We went a long way toward building trust between us this afternoon, but this week we’re going to travel even further down that road. I’m on shift this week, so we won’t be able to play at the club on Friday. Maybe we can meet Saturday night for some fun instead. In the meantime, I want you to think about what you want out of this relationship. Do you want to be my kitten? Do you want to be my fuck buddy? Can you see me as more than just an occasional fuck when you’re horny?” Blaze sucked in a breath as he turned her questions back on her. She had not given thought to the possibility that she would have a choice. Usually she just went along with whatever the man she was with dictated. “But there is also some training I want to get started,” he continued, his voice dropping to the deep, dark-as-sin, Dom voice. “You don’t need to worry about what panties to wear as you will not wear them from now on, unless it’s absolutely necessary. You will wear bras at work or when out running errands. When I call, you will answer and follow my instructions to the letter. Unless you receive permission to do otherwise, you will wear skirts or dresses at all times. Can you live with these rules so far?” Blaze nodded. “Yes, Sir.” “From here on out, your orgasms belong to me. You can play with yourself, if you wish, but will not come unless I give you permission. Give me your phone.” It took a minute for her to get past the no-orgasm rule to his demand for her phone. Pulling it out of her pocket, she handed it over without question. He turned it on and spent a few minutes programming several numbers into it. Then he handed it back to her. Wrapping his right hand around the back of her neck, he drew her across the center of the truck for a long, deep, wet kiss that left them both panting when he finally broke it off. “Now, little one, you will go inside, take a nice hot shower, fix

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something good for dinner, and relax tonight. We’ll talk later.” “Okay,” Blaze said, once again wobbled by the man’s ability to arouse her with the simplest actions. She fumbled with the door but finally opened it. When she slid off the seat and landed on her feet, her knees buckled, and she had to catch herself on the door handle to keep from ending up sprawled across the grass. She did not look over her shoulder to gauge Andy’s reaction. The dark, sexy chuckle told her that he had seen everything. Once she was steady on her feet, she stepped away before looking at him over her shoulder. “Have a good week.” “Lock your doors. Be safe. We’ll talk later.” Blaze nodded and closed the door. She was again surprised that Andy did not start his truck and pull out until she was safely inside her little house. Only when he was out of sight did she pull out her phone and check the contacts list, looking for what he had entered. “Z Master,” she read after scrolling through the entire listing to the last entry. Well, at least that would make him easy to find. He was the only listing under Z in her phone book. With a sigh of strange contentment, Blaze set the phone on the coffee table and went to do her Master’s bidding of taking a long, hot bath, followed by dinner and an evening watching old movies.

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Chapter 8 “Why the hell are you doing this?” Blaze asked herself Wednesday night as she looked down at the skimpy, black-and-white thong and her black fuck-me heels that was all she wore as she waited for the phone to ring with the special ringtone she had assigned only to Master Z’s number. Even as she questioned the wisdom of the late-evening visit to the firehouse for whatever games Master Z had come up with, her thong was already growing damp from the juices overflowing her excited pussy. The cool air of her little house wafted against her beaded nipples, adding to the arousal that had haunted her and grown more intense with each conversation they had. She and Master Z had talked several times each day, starting with a late-night call Sunday during which they had discussed their adventure in the woods as well as at least a dozen other topics. Since then, their conversations bounced from one topic to another in the most nonlinear fashion Blaze had ever experienced. Not only did they share their sexual history and talk about first kisses, first make-out sessions, and first loves, they talked politics, books, religion, sports, and their jobs. Each morning he called as she ate breakfast and got ready for the day so they could share their plans for the day. He worked Monday and Wednesday, so those days included the work, training, and the other tasks involved in being a professional firefighter. Tuesday he was off and worked on his truck before helping a friend put together an outbuilding for another friend. She told of the appointments and running around she needed to do to keep up with her various clients

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without using names or specifics. He called again as she was driving home in the evenings and allowed her to unload about the frustrations and the glories each day held. Late at night another call would come where they shared more about their lives before the topic veered to sex, experiences they had had, as well as things they might be interested in trying. Those usually ended up with their imaginations taking off as they talked each other close to orgasm. Monday he had allowed her to finish, but last night he had stopped them before they found the ecstasy that seemed to find so easily, even when connected only by phone. This evening’s call was different. After she had shared the highlights of her day, his voice took on the Dom tone that melted any resistance her feisty personality might want to put up. He had instructed her to relax in a hot bath and enjoy a good dinner, and when he called later that evening, she would come to him. He told her what to wear and where to park so her presence would not be too obvious. Before she could argue, clanging bells went off in the background, drowning out anything further he said, and then the phone went dead as he went to work. So here she sat, nearly naked, horny as hell, and waiting for the damn phone to ring. As she waited, she found herself surprised that she had not refused anything he had suggested to this point. She had already grown accustomed to and even looked forward to the phone ringing with his special ringtone and sharing her day, her thoughts, wishes, and dreams with this man. They were no longer strangers, and she was growing both nervous and excited at the knowledge that she would be seeing him in just a little while. The silence of the house grated on her nerves, so she grabbed the remote and turned on the television for company. At the same time, the heat clicked on, and cool air began to move swirl around her. She shivered as a chill shot through her. “Hurry up and call already,” she muttered.

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Carrying the phone with her, Blaze stalked through the house to her bedroom. She grabbed the oversized T-shirt that hung from the closet doorknob. It was the comfort shirt she usually wore after a long, hard day, and tonight it would keep her warm until the phone rang. Returning to the couch, she curled up at one end and began flipping through channels, hoping to find something that would take her mind off thoughts of what Master Z had planned, as well as the horniness that thrummed through her with each beat of her heart. She settled on a musical playing on the classic movie channel. She had seen it a dozen times but within minutes found herself once again caught up in the story. She jumped when the phone rang two hours later. She had dozed off while watching the final scenes of one movie and now saw that a black-and-white drama played on the television. Clicking on the phone, she sat up and stretched. “Yes, Master?” she answered before yawning widely. “It’s time, kitten. Come to me,” he said, his tone low and dark and that of the sexy Dom she had come to know and admire. “Yes, Sir,” she replied as she worked one arm free of the shirt. “Ten minutes in the back parking lot.” “I’ll be there,” she said, glancing at the clock sitting on top of the television. He cut the connection without another word. Blaze turned off her phone and crossed to her purse where she slid it into the pocket designated just for it. After stripping off her shirt and returning it to the bedroom, she pulled on her long coat then grabbed her keys and purse and headed out the door. It would only take a few minutes to make the drive to the firehouse, but she wanted to be there early, just in case. ****

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Andy closed the big bay doors then did a final walk-through of the station. Everyone had retired to the dorm in the last hour, but his need kept him awake. He sent up a quick prayer that things would be quiet during the next hour while he and Blaze spent a little quality time together. Not seeing her, touching her softness, or taming the out-ofcontrol fire that leapt into her eyes when she wanted to argue then changed to a softened acceptance as she complied with his orders, had gotten to him. He was bending more than a few rules by having her come to him after-hours so he could satisfy the ache in his balls and the Dominant spirit that needed to play just a little, but they both needed this time together, no matter how forbidden it might be. He patted his pockets as he headed down the hall to the back door. He had his keys, his phone, and a handheld scanner, just in case. The new toys he had bought his little kitten waited in his truck along with several blankets. The piece of plywood he had spent yesterday fitting to the bed of his pickup for tonight’s playtime would be too hard on her back if he did not used them as padding. He crossed the parking lot quickly, trying to keep to the shadows just in case anyone upstairs was looking out, though he doubted they would question his roaming. He was always out walking the parking lot, walking the building, unable to sit still for very long. He would rather be outside than in watching television, unless the Redskins were playing, and football season was over. At his truck, he quickly padded the wood before securing the lengths of chain to the tie-downs in his truck bed and laid out the new toys he had bought. As he finished, a car engine gently broke the near silence of the night. He climbed out of the truck bed and walked the short distance between where he had parked that morning and where Blaze now pulled in. As soon as she climbed from the driver’s seat and closed the door, he grabbed her, pulled her to his chest, and kissed her hard. As soon as his arms wrapped around her, something inside his chest settled, and he felt like he could stay right here, kissing her for a month or

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two, and the rest of the town, could go to hell. **** Blaze stiffened for a moment when a man in dark clothes and a baseball cap grabbed her, but as his lips covered hers, his scent surrounded her, and she relaxed. Andy. Master Z. The man who was taking over her mind and body while battering down the walls that she had carefully constructed around her heart. He did not release her until they were both panting, and only then partway. Setting her back on her feet, he kept one arm securely wrapped around her shoulders as he guided her to a nearby pickup truck that she recognized through the dim light as his. He did not release her until they stood next to the back where she noticed the gate was down. “It’s a warm night, isn’t it?” he asked, sounding intense and yet too casual for her comfort. A shiver of excitement raced through her. They were alone, and it was late enough for no one to be around, and she knew, just knew with absolute certainty that he had something devilish up his sleeve. “Yes, it is warm,” she responded carefully. “Too warm for that heavy coat you’re wearing. Take it off.” She hesitated a moment, and then reached down and began to slip the buttons through their holes. Not sure what to expect, she had only buttoned it to midthigh. As she worked the buttons free, he knelt before her, and she felt him secure fur-lined cuffs around her ankles before he straightened again. When she reached the top button between her breasts, she hesitated, but a look into his face had her slip the last one before shrugging it off. He caught it before it dropped to the ground and tossed it over one side of the truck bed. “Wrists,” he said, holding out one palm. With only a heartbeat’s hesitation, Blaze laid both wrists across

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his palm. She watched as he quickly wrapped cuffs around them as well. Then he stepped back. “Damn, that is a beautiful sight, kitten,” he said with a grin as he traced a finger along the top of her thong. “Now, get that sexy ass in the truck, on your back, with your knees to your chest.” Hearing a car drive by on the road a couple hundred yards away, Blaze scrambled into the dictated position, half-afraid someone might see them, though they were well shielded from the roads that ran along two sides of the fire station property. “Arms down by your side,” Master Z ordered as he climbed up and knelt just inches from her ass. The air touching her wet, overflowing pussy sent a shiver through her as she waited for what he would do next. She fought the urge to pull away when he took her left wrist and clipped it to the cuff on her left ankle. She sucked in a breath when he repeated the action on her right side then picked up a chain and, after measuring it, connected it to the hook as well. In seconds, he had her immobilized and spread wide for anything he might like to do. At least he’d left the thong on so she wasn’t completely naked. As she lay waiting, she sent a silent prayer Heavenward that the bells, whistles, and sirens that called him to duty would remain silent for the night or however long it took for him to finish whatever it was he was about to do to her. “Oh, kitten, you are a sight,” he said as he moved until he knelt between her widespread legs. “And you’re all wet.” As he spoke, he ran a finger up her centerline beside the thong string, from taint past the opening to her pussy to her clit that was pulsing with each beat of her heart. She bit her lip as she moaned, and the heat of his finger contrasted with the cooling juices that coated her skin. “Like that, do you?” he said. He bent forward and licked the same trail that he had just traced with his finger. He shifted the thong out of his way, baring her completely to his touch.

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“Yes, Sir,” she whispered, fear keeping her from speaking any louder. She tried to rock her hips up as he continued lapping at her, but found that this position kept her securely in place and still. When he reached up and covered her breasts with warm hands, she began to moan softly as the arousal that had clung to her like kudzu on a pine tree grew and expanded further. Her eyes closed, and her head began to rock back and forth with the rhythm of his hands and lips on her body. She rose quickly, too quickly for comfort, to the point of shattering into a million pieces, but a half a second before she peaked, he pulled away. “Master, please,” she whined, forcing her eyes to open and look down between her knees at him.

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Chapter 9 Andy’s heart clenched at the new title she used. “I know, sweet kitten. I’m in the same state,” he said, unzipping his pants. He hissed as the cooler night air wrapped around his cock that been half-hard since their conversation last night. She pulled at her bonds, trying to break free even though they both knew she could not. A moment later, he shifted closer to her wide-open pussy. Close enough to rub the head of his cock from clit to asshole and back again. He moved slow and easy to gauge her response. Her eyes grew wide, and she gasped each time his tip stroked over her back hole. “Hold it, kitten. There’s one more thing I want to do before we both go up in flames.” He grabbed the smaller of the two butt plugs laying nearby. He dragged the tip up and down between the lips of her pussy, coating it with her own juices before dragging it down once more and gently pressing it through her puckered star. She gasped as he continued to slowly and firmly press the plug past the widest part until the narrow part just before the wide circular base pressed against her skin. “This is to prepare you for our playing Saturday night at the club,” he promised. He dragged one finger up to flick at her clit before taking his cock back into his hand and starting the up-and-down stroking again. She frowned at his words, but did not ask for an in-depth explanation. After the second pass, he changed the up-and-down strokes of his cock to a figure eight. His touch circled around her puffy clit and then

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down and around to the entrance to her pussy. He followed that path twice before his control shredded. He needed to feel her hot wetness around him. She gasped silently as he slowly and firmly pressed the head of his cock through the muscles at the entrance to her pussy. The heat and wetness felt so good he had to be in her, all the way, right now. Leaning forward between her bent and shackled legs, he planted a hand on either side of her chest. His eyes locked on hers, and he shoved his hips forward until the small hairs around the base of his cock brushed the wet lips surrounding her opening. Then he pushed a little more. As he filled her completely, she let out a high-pitched whine that sent him so close enough to the edge he had to take several deep breaths before he could move. When her pussy clenched around the length of his cock, he lost it. Leaning down until they were nose to nose, he smiled. “This is going to be fast and hard, kitten.” Blaze’s eyes widened, and she nodded as little noises escaped. Her pussy clenched even tighter around him, and her entire body wiggled in an obvious attempt to get him to move. Andy pulled his hips back slowly, fighting with every fiber to maintain control. But it was no use. Pushing up until he was once again kneeling with her ass cheeks cradled between his thighs, he pulled his cock nearly out of her hot, wet, grasping pussy. She made a mewling sound when he hesitated a second with only the head inside her. That small sound ripped the last of his control from his grasp. He began to piston in and out, as hard and fast as his hips would move. **** Blaze needed something, anything to hang onto to keep from flying away from this truck, this man, and this incredible encounter

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that she still had a hard time believing was real. “Master, please,” she whimpered, her hands fisting and unclenching as she fought the cuffs that held her tight. “What, kitten?” he growled, his hips never pausing in their pistoning motion. “My hands. I need to touch you. Please,” Blaze begged, hoping he could make sense of her words. He must have, because in the next instant he slowed his thrusting as he unhooked first her right and then her left wrists from their cuffs. As soon as they were free, she reached up and took his hands. As soon as their skin touched, a warm sense of peace flowed through her, comforting her while at the same time shooting her over the edge. Her grip tightened as her muscles convulsed with the orgasm that flowed through her from pussy and clit outward. Several heartbeats later, he slammed home one last time, his body jerking as the warmth of his juices filled her pussy. She fought to keep her eyes open as she watched him fight to remain upright. For a moment, his expression looked as if he were in serious pain, and the next it blanked as if he were trying to process what just happened. “Please, Master,” she whispered, pulling on his hands, hoping to pull him down so she could hold him. “Please hold me.” He blinked, smiled, and leaned down, covering her torso with his cock remaining inside her. His clothes felt cool against her skin, but she did not and could not push him away. He did not speak, just slid his arms under her back and cuddled her for a few minutes as they both caught their breath. Then, long before she was ready, he reached down and released her ankles from their cuffs as well. She squeaked in pain when she straightened her legs, and the joints of hips and knees protested the movement. When he tried to pull away and look at her, she wrapped arms and legs around him, wishing she had the right to hold him all night long. But he was on duty, and that came before whatever pleasure she could offer. He lifted his head and kissed her long and slow, gently easing

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away as the now-cold air began to make its presence known. When he lifted his head, he pushed off her body and pulled his cock from her pussy. “Up, kitten. It’s getting cold,” he said. He pulled her to a sitting position in his truck before he jumped out. He pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and cleaned himself then her before straightening his clothes. In less than a minute, he looked as put together and polished as if what had happened between them never had. Blaze’s muscles felt weak, and she wondered if she would be able to stand as she slowly crawled from the truck bed. The plug felt strange as it shifted in her when she moved. By the time she stood and wobbled on her high heels, he had her coat ready for her to slip into. Once it covered her, she leaned her lower back against the truck as he buttoned the coat closed from her chin to her knees. When he finished, he wrapped an arm around her and led her back to her waiting car. Once there, he pulled her close for one last hug. “Lock your doors when you get home. Leave the plug in until morning. Sleep well,” he said, kissing her temple before releasing her. “Be safe,” she said once she was in the driver’s seat with her safety belt wrapped securely around her. He smiled and nodded then closed the door and stepped back. As she started the car and pulled out, he went to his truck and shut the gate before heading back to the station. She drove home slowly, shivering with aftereffect of their hot, intense, and oh-so-public coupling, as well as the feel of the plug still intruding in her ass. She could not keep from smiling as she thought about Andy and how she was growing to love him. If only she knew how to tell him. But how would she tell this Dom who had been forced upon her that she was falling in love with him? After all, though they spoke several times a day, neither had mentioned future commitment past Saturday night when they would next be visiting Club Esoteria.

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**** “Melinda, now that you have custody of your sister’s children, you can’t continue living here,” Blaze said on Friday afternoon, trying not to let the young woman hear her frustration. “But I can’t afford anything bigger,” Melinda repeated for what had to be the twelfth time. “We’re doing okay here.” Blaze looked around the one-bedroom apartment that was hardly big enough for one person, much less four. “And I told you that I found you an apartment with three bedrooms for the same rent you’re paying here. I can call in a few favors and get some friends to help you move and everything.” Blaze rubbed at the sharp pain that had begun stabbing at the center of her forehead as soon as she had stepped into the overcrowded two-room apartment. Dealing with the woman who did not seem to understand was only part of her problem. The other part was that she had not heard from Andy since she had driven away from the station Wednesday night. A day and a half without contact and Blaze found herself vacillating between being anger with him for not calling, worry that he would never call again, and disgust with herself for waiting and praying for the phone to ring. She checked the phone a dozen times an hour, disappointed tears starting to prick her eyes when she saw no messages, no texts, no nothing from Andy. Taking a deep breath, she pushed away thoughts of the handsome firefighter and forced herself back to the situation at hand. She had to get Melinda and her new family out of this run-down house that had been converted into apartments and into one that was more appropriate for them. Melinda stared at her for a long moment before turning to pick up the newborn whose delivery had killed her mother and set in motion this current showdown. The baby had begun to cry in the laundry basket now used as a cradle of sorts. The other two children were

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arguing in the bedroom about who was going to sleep on the floor that night. From the sounds of it, they both wanted the privilege of camping out. “I don’t know, Miz Blaze. I mean, here we’re close to the store and everything.” Blaze had to turn away. Taking several deep breaths to keep from screaming at the woman, she turned back and used the last argument she had in her arsenal. “If you don’t move to a bigger apartment and quickly, I’m going to have to recommend to my superiors that the children be put in foster care because of inadequate living conditions.” Melinda’s eyes got wide, but before she could respond, someone pounded on the door. “Fire! The building’s on fire! Get out!” Since Blaze was closest to the door, she opened it then slammed it shut again as soon as she saw the hallway full of smoke. Turning back, she looked around. “We’ve got to get out of here. Is there another way out?” Melinda shook her head as she hugged the child in her arms closer to her chest. “Melinda! We’ve got to get out of here. Now!” Blaze went to the living room windows and looked out. They overlooked a side yard with a good fifteen-foot drop to the ground. Grabbing her briefcase and the oversized bag Melinda had carried the last time she stopped by the office, she raced past Melinda and into the bedroom. Startled, the children looked up at her. The fear she saw in their eyes forced her to stop, take several deep breaths, and find a calmness. The last thing she needed was these two to panic. She looked out the single window that faced the backyard. Relief washed through her when she saw a flat porch roof extended out from just a few feet below the window. “Melinda! Come in here!”

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Blaze struggled to open the window, but it refused to budge. Looking around, she saw nothing strong enough or hard enough to break the glass. Rushing back into the main room, she passed Melinda, who watched her with a curiously blank expression. Blaze glanced around the room saw a cast-iron skillet sitting on the stove. Perfect. Grabbing the pan in one hand she hefted it and found it was heavier than it looked. As she returned to the bedroom, she looped her arm through one of Melinda’s. Pulling her along, Blaze hurried back into the bedroom as fast as the other woman allowed. “Okay, kids, I need you to turn around and look over there,” Blaze pointed. The children went to stand on either side of Melinda and buried their faces in her legs. Taking the frypan handle in both hands, Blaze swung it like a baseball bat at the window. The glass shattered easily with a loud crash. At this point, Melinda and both older children joined the baby in crying. By this time, thick smoke had begun to drift into the bedroom. Blaze used the pan to finish breaking the glass out of the window frame then tossed her briefcase and Melinda’s carryall onto the porch roof. “Okay, Melinda, I need you to go out first then help the children get out, okay?” “Okay,” the other woman answered, sounding stunned. “Melinda! We’ve got to get the children out on the roof, now!” Blaze shook the woman. “But my things!” The woman looked around as if she was going to start throwing her belongings out the window instead of dealing with the children. “Belongings can be replaced. Take care of your children,” Blaze instructed, pushing the woman toward the open window She waited as Melinda climbed out then handed the two children out the window. Once they were safely out of the building, she turned

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away and headed back through the apartment. Mrs. Collins, who lived in the other apartment on the second floor was nearly deaf and might not have heard the alarm. Grabbing a piece of clothing from the basket on the couch, Blaze covered her mouth and nose then opened the door to the hallway. The smoke was growing so thick that she had to feel her way along the wall to the corner then along the back wall to the other side of the hall. She heard the several sirens grow louder. Help was on its way, but she continued moving forward, needing to reach Mrs. Collins. She began coughing with every step as the smoke got thicker and thicker. The sirens went silent a moment later, and all she could hear was her own coughing. She fell to her knees as she reached the door to the other apartment. She twisted the doorknob and collapsed into the apartment as the door swung inward, unable to go any farther.

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Chapter 10 Andy was out of the cab of the fire engine and shrugging on his oxygen tank before Jackson had the truck completed stopped. He was halfway across the lawn when he noticed a familiar-looking car parked in the driveway. Backtracking a few steps, he read the license plate and muttered a curse. What was Blaze doing here? She should be safely tucked away in her office doing whatever it was a social worker for the county did. Continuing on, he forced himself to think about the job at hand and not the fact that the petite submissive was in the area. His cock ignored his brain and began to stiffen at the thought of seeing the pretty little blonde. “Get it together, Zimmerman. You’ve got a job to do,” he said, growling at himself as he rounded the house. “Help us! Please help us!” The cry from overhead caused Andy to stop and look up. A woman and three small children were sitting on the back porch roof. Grabbing the walkie-talkie handset clipped to his shoulder, Andy called for help and a ladder to get the family down. Once that order went out, he stepped back. “Is anyone else up there with you?” “Miz Blaze was here…but once we came out here, she left. I think she went to check on my neighbor,” the woman answered between gasping sobs. “Is that Blaze Richards?” “Yes, sir,” the woman said and nodded at the same time. Before he could ask his next question, Jackson Matthews and one of the volunteers working that day arrived carrying a ladder. As soon

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as they had it set up, Andy scrambled up the ladder, with Jackson on his heels. “Get these people down. I’m going in to find Blaze,” Andy said as he took off his helmet and pulled his mask into place as he automatically checked the air gauge and monitors to confirm he had a full tank of air. “Blaze? Little subbie from the club Blaze?” Jackson looked stunned. “That’s the one,” Andy said, putting his helmet back in place and turning to the broken window the young family had used to get onto the roof. The woman holding a baby grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn back. “Go out my door and turn right. That takes you around to the top of the stairs and then over to Miz Collins’s apartment.” “Thanks,” Andy said with a nod. “Be safe,” Jackson called after him. Andy raised a hand to acknowledge his friend’s words then slid through the opening. Taking a deep breath of the compressed air, he forced the thoughts of what he would do to the little submissive once they got out of there and tried to focus on the job at hand. Finding and getting her out of the smoke-filled building. Once she was safe, then they would have a long talk about what a risk she had taken by trying to do his job. He hurried through the apartment, and once in the smoke-filled hallway, he dropped to his knees and crawled, following the wall to the end, and turned and followed it until it turned again. His pulse pounded in his ears, almost drowning out the voices squawking in his ear as he moved as fast as he dared. The building was old, and he could already feel heat coming up through the floor. If he didn’t find Blaze fast, it might be too late. When a pair of feet in high-heeled pumps came into view, he muttered yet another curse, earning him a “Watch your language, Zimmerman,” from someone.

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Instead of answering, he continued crawling up her body with his hands and legs traveling up either side of her slim form. He checked for injuries as he went, but found none. When he reached her chest, he saw she was still breathing, but it was shallow and rapid. He continued crawling until he was past her form and through the open door into the apartment. A quick look around showed there was no one else up here. Returning to Blaze, he got to his feet before pulling her up and over one shoulder. He moved down the stairs and out the front door as quickly as he could. Once outside, he moved well away from the house before laying his precious cargo on the ground. He took a moment to stop and look at her. She looked pale and dust-covered from the smoke. She also looked too still. Had he arrived too late? Had she taken her last breath while he was busy checking the empty apartment? His heart pounding, he checked her over but found no other injuries, except the smoke inhalation. Knowing what she was and was not supposed to be wearing under her suit, he made sure to keep her legs together and her skirt pulled down as far as it would go. Ripping off his helmet and face mask, he then moved the mask over her face as he prayed for his little wildcat to be just unconscious and not dead. He did not check her pulse or other vitals, suddenly afraid of what he might find. “Breathe, wildcat,” he ordered gruffly, one hand holding the mask to her face, and the other holding her wrists together. “Breathe, dammit, and then open those pretty green eyes and show me you’re alive.” As if she’d heard him, her chest expanded as she took a deep breath. Then she began to cough. A moment later, she started pulling at her arms and wiggling around, fighting for her freedom. “Open your eyes, sweetheart, and look at me, and then maybe I’ll release you,” he said, keeping the thread of Dom in his voice that she seemed to respond well to. It took several more deep breaths before her eyes fluttered open.

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She continued to cough, but looked up at him and met his eyes with tear-filled ones the color of grass in springtime. A moment later, those eyes went wide when she recognized who was leaning over her. “Oh my,” she whispered between coughing bouts. “Zimmerman? How is she?” Jackson knelt down on her other side. “Well, she’s opened her eyes, and she looks embarrassed,” Andy answered as he eased his grip on her arms. She pulled one arm away and shoved the mask off her. “I’m fine,” she gasped before she rolled to her side and coughed some more. “Ambulance is here,” Andy observed without acknowledging the woman’s statement. “I’ll go help them,” Jackson said as he pushed to his feet and walked away. “No ambulance,” Blaze gasped between bouts of coughing. “I’m fine.” His cock throbbing with his heartbeat, Andy pushed on Blaze’s shoulder until she once again lay flat on the ground. Planting a hand on either side of her body so one arm brushed over her breast, he leaned down until they were nose to nose. Staring into her eyes, he saw fear, worry, and something more lurking in their depths, but he did not dwell on the something more. Her coughing was getting better as she continued to breathe deep and got the smoke cleared from her lungs, but was easing off. “I found you unconscious on the floor. You will go to the hospital and let them check you over. You will then call my cell and let me talk to the doctor. Do you understand, kitten?” He watched as she bristled like an angry cat. She took a deep breath as if to lambaste him, but instead ended up coughing again. Before she could argue, he closed the distance and kissed her, his lips firm and intense against hers. He pulled back long before he wanted to, wishing he could scoop her up, take her home, and tend to her

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himself. She pulled in a sharp breath and began coughing again. Once she could breathe again, she asked hoarsely, “And what if I don’t?” He leaned down and growled in her ear so softly that only she heard his threat. “Then you’d better hide somewhere I can’t find you because when I get my hands on you, I will spank your bare ass in front of whoever might happen to be around before I fuck whatever hole I come to first.” He pulled back enough to see her eyes grow even wider. Her cheeks, that had been pale only moments before, pinked up nicely with embarrassment as she glanced around to see if anyone else heard. She swallowed hard and then whispered, “You wouldn’t really, would you?” He smirked and raised one eyebrow in answer as if daring her to try him. She blinked and looked away again. Knowing he had won this round, Andy pushed to his feet then helped Blaze to sit up. Jackson had left a bottle of water, so he twisted the top off and helped her drink that as well. In the next moment, the paramedics arrived with a gurney and took over. He remained by her side until they loaded her into the ambulance. After they closed the back doors, he grabbed the driver and told him to pass along that Blaze was his girlfriend and they were to take extra special care of her. The man nodded as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Once the ambulance was gone, Andy tried to push his worried Dom side down so he could get back to work. **** It was late evening when Blaze finally listened to the nurse giggle girlishly as she finished filling Andy in on what the doctor had just told her. Deep breathing exercises, plenty of fluids, a hot shower, and

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resting over the weekend were the recommendations. Blaze had agreed with the regimen because she knew if she did not, the doctor would demand she stay at least overnight, and that was the last thing she wanted or needed. She needed to find Melinda that help she would need to relocate to a new apartment, not to be bored out of her mind while she sat at home watching television. Though about twelve hours of sleep did sound enticing. “Here, he wants to talk to you,” the nurse said, handing her the phone before walking out of the room. “Yeeeeeees?” she said, putting as much sarcasm in her voice as she could muster. “Feeling better, are we?” Andy said, the tone of power missing in his voice, replaced by concern. “I’m fine. How are you?” He ignored her attempt to turn things around on him. “Since you’re feeling so fine, you won’t mind swinging by the station on your way home.” “I have to get some dinner and fetch my car, and then I’ll see if I’m up to a visit,” she snarked as the brazen, overly independent side of her personality burst out of the cage that normally contained it when she was with Andy. “Jackson’s fiancée, Sinclair, is in the waiting room. She will give you a ride to your car. I’ll expect you here in the next half hour.” Andy’s tone powered up to full Dom strength. At his tone, the wild and willful part of her being drained out of her toes. Blaze drew in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before blowing it out on a sigh. “I’ll try, Sir.” “Don’t try. Do,” he ordered before cutting the connection. She clicked her phone off before making a face at it. “Don’t try. Do,” she mimicked in her snarkiest voice. She gathered up her briefcase that someone had brought to her and then stuffed the paperwork, medications, and other paraphernalia the doctor and nurse had left with her into it.

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She frowned as a sudden out-of-the-blue resentment swept through her. Her chest felt tight, and her stomach burned as the two sides of her personality fought for dominance. Her submissive side wanted to run and hide to him. Her strong, independent side wanted to find him and slap him for being so bossy after not talking to her for almost two days. Her mind urged her to run away as far and fast as she could get. Her clit, tits, and heart, on the other hand, demanded she go straight to the station, demand Master Z hold her for an hour or two, and have him tell her that he cared more about her than just as another citizen he was sworn to protect. As she made her way out of the treatment area and back to the waiting room, her two sides continued contradicting each other. By the time she found Sinclair, she was tired and dizzy and just wanted to go home and sleep. **** Andy hit the End button and returned his phone to his belt with a shake of his head. He wanted to say to hell with working the rest of his shift and go take care of Blaze. Unfortunately, they were already a man short, so there was no way he could leave. He would just have to wait for her to come to him. He just hoped he could control the urge making him want to drag her into the nearest closet as soon as he saw her.

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Chapter 11 Blaze jerked to consciousness and froze as her body shifted from deep sleep to a hyperawareness that something was wrong. Had she overslept? Was someone at the door? What had woken her in a state of racing heartbeat and near panic? The phone was not ringing. Her alarm clock radio was not playing. She smelled smoke, but that was just residual from yesterday’s near-death experience. After retrieving her car, she was so wiped out that instead of going to see Andy, she hit her favorite drive-through for a cheeseburger and ate it on the short drive home. Once there she took a quick shower and pulled on her oldest, softest, comfort-me T-shirt before crawling into bed. Opening her eyes, she stared at the clock on the bedside table. Seven-eighteen. She had no idea what time she fell asleep, except that it was late. Since she had barely slept Wednesday or Thursday night, and with the excitement of yesterday’s fire, no wonder she was still groggy and wanting to return to dreamland. But what had woken her? Straining her ears, she tried to hear something, but all she heard was the heater running and the refrigerator humming in the kitchen. Telling herself that she was being silly and something in her nowforgotten dream must have prompted her frantic waking, she rolled to her side, snuggled deeper under the fluffy comforter, and closed her eyes, hoping to drift off for another hour or so before waking naturally.

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She was completely relaxed when the covers behind her shift. She turned her head and tried to open her eyes as the mattress moved, as if someone had climbed into bed with her. But her eyes refused to open. When hands that were cold even through her T-shirt touched her, she pushed at them, but the uncoordinated movements proved of no effort in keeping the intruder from rolling her over. “Shhh, kitten, it’s me.” Andy’s voice washed over her, calming the panic that was building in her chest. She relaxed and allowed him to rearrange her so that her head was on his chest and one arm draped over his middle. “Andy?” she asked. She wanted to ask what he was doing in her bed and in her house but found it too much work to form the words. “Yes, little one, it’s Andy,” he said, his arms holding her securely against his body. “You didn’t come by the house last night.” “But how?” “I’m a firefighter. I have all kinds of tricks up my sleeve. Now go back to sleep. You’re still recuperating.” “Mmmm,” she sighed, snuggling deeper into his side. “’Kay.” She thought she heard him whisper, “I love you, kitten,” and then brush a kiss over the top of her head, but could not be sure. One more deep breath that filled her lungs with Andy’s clean, masculine scent, and she relaxed into sleep again. **** Andy could not help but smile as Blaze sighed and snuggled closer. The part of him that was entranced by this tiny fireball had wound tighter and tighter when she had not shown up at the station the night before. Finally, he broke down and did a GPS search on her cell phone. When he found she was at home, he relaxed enough to sleep, but then they had been called out twice during the night, finally returning to the station in time for him to clean up and grab a cup of coffee before leaving.

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After brushing another kiss over kitten’s hair, he took a deep breath and released it on an extended sigh as he drowsed and considered what her punishment would be. Not only would she receive a spanking that would turn the pale ivory skin of her ass bright pink for not obeying his command to come to the station when she left the hospital, he also had to come up with something that would keep her from getting in trouble as she had the previous afternoon. But he would take care of all that tonight. Then, once the punishment was dealt with, he would follow up with giving her the other present he had picked up at the toy store on Tuesday. His smile and his cock grew at the thought of seeing his little blonde kitten wearing the red-and-black leather collar. With that vision in his head, Andy closed his eyes and followed Blaze to dreamland. **** When Blaze woke next, she found something big and warm wrapped around her. She woke slowly, feeling comforted and secure instead of panicked as she had earlier. Twisting her head, she saw out of the corner of her eye that the big, warm something was Andy, who was still asleep. Or so he appeared, until his hand slid down the front of her body to where the hem of her T-shirt laid on her upper thighs. The hand turned and slid between her thighs then worked its way back up until it cupped her mons. “Good morning,” he murmured in her ear when she squirmed. “How did you get in here?” she asked as he began to massage the flesh between her legs with a slow, easy gripping motion. “Magic,” he replied before scooting back and lifting up to rest on his other elbow. “Why didn’t you come to the station last night?” Blaze rolled to her back and looked up at him and felt her heart melt under the brown eyes that studied her so seriously and intently.

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All at once, the only thing she wanted was to beg him to love her just a little. But could she? They’d only known one another a week, and not under the most common or usual of circumstances. Taking a breath, she turned her head to avoid his all-seeing gaze and nuzzled her nose along his chest. “I’m sorry. I was wiped out. All I wanted was some food, a shower, and my bed. I would not have been good for any sex games.” She squeaked a gasp when the hand covering her pussy delivered a sharp swat right over her clit. “Oww, why’d you do that?” When she tried to roll away, he lifted his hand from her pussy to the valley between her breasts and easily held her in place. Then he leaned over until they were nose to nose. “I am your Master, little kitten. I know you don’t realize it yet, but to me that means more than being in charge of scenes at the club. That means I care about you. All of you, not just whether or not we can get each other off. When I have to carry your unconscious body out of a building but cannot go with you to the hospital”—he paused and trembled before taking a deep breath—“then I will worry until I see you and can confirm for myself that you are, indeed, all right. That is why I wanted you to come to the station last night.” Blaze blinked and went still and silent under his suddenly fierce, dark gaze. Seeing the concern and love in his eyes, she fell the rest of the way into the volcano of love she had been hovering over since he had given her the orgasm on the bar the week before. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I was tired and dirty and feeling about as sexy as an old shoe. I didn’t want you to see me that way,” she whispered as tears of remorse filled her eyes. When the first one rolled out of the corner of her eye and back into her hair, his expression softened, and his hand slid across her body to cup her breast. “How are you feeling now?” he asked as his fingers played with the soft flesh of her breast without going anywhere near her nipple. “Horny,” she admitted softly, arching her back to press her breast

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more firmly into his touch. “No aftereffects from yesterday?” Instead of giving her what he needed, he pulled his hand away and pushed the covers down to her knees. Blaze had to think about that for a moment before answering. “No, I don’t think so.” “Good. Then get up on your hands and knees, ass facing me,” he ordered as he rolled from the bed. She watched him as she rolled over and assumed the position he dictated. When she saw him pick up another, bigger butt plug and small tube of lube, she made a soft whimpering sound as her pussy gushed in anticipation. For a woman who was not experienced with the kind of gentle playing Master Z preferred, she was quickly becoming excited by just the thought that he would fill both her ass and pussy again. She watched as he spread a liberal amount of lube on the plug before turning to the bed. “Head and shoulders on the bed. Arms over your head, and eyes closed,” he ordered, rubbing one finger down the crease between her ass cheeks. Turning her head, she dropped her shoulders to the bed and stretched her arms out as he commanded. When his finger pressed against her pucker, smearing the residual lube around before pressing for entrance, she took a breath and focused on relaxing everything below her waist. “Good girl,” he praised. His finger slipped in to the second knuckle, and he twisted it back and forth several times before pulling it out again. Before she could protest the loss of his warm finger, a cold, blunter force pressed for entrance. “Deep breaths,” he said as the hand not busy with the plug rubbed up and down her spine. She did as ordered and felt the plug get bigger and bigger as it

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entered. It was much bigger than the last plug that he had used on her, though she had no idea how this one compared to his cock. Just when she was certain the plug was about to split her in two, the plug narrowed until she felt the flat base press against her bottom. His fingers pressed against it even harder, before pushing on one side and then the other, causing the plug to shift inside her. She gasped, and then moaned at the feeling of fullness even as she wondered how she was going to take Master’s cock in her pussy. Instead of his cock, two fingers slid deep into her open entrance. They fucked in and out several times, and then his thumb brushed over her clit. “Master!” she cried, feeling her orgasm growing like a mushroom cloud around her. “Gonna come!” Immediately he pulled his fingers from her body. “Don’t you dare,” he said, growling in his most dominant voice to date. He slapped her left ass cheek and then her right one time each before turning and walking out of the room. She remained in position even as she heard water running in the bathroom. Several long moments later, Master Z returned. “You may get up, kitten,” he said as he sat down on the bed beside her. Blaze sat up and was surprised to find him fully dressed, all the way down to his sneakers and socks. He held a red ribbon stretched between his hands. “Kitten, I want you do to some serious thinking before you come to the club tonight. You need to think about whether or not you want to continue as my submissive. I think we are a good fit, both in scenes and out, but this has to be your decision.” Blaze continued watching the ribbon as he slowly and carefully rolled the length of ribbon around one hand. When he was finished, he laid it on the bed between them. “If you decide you want to continue under my command and control, you will wear this red ribbon around your neck tonight, along

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with as little else as you feel comfortable wearing to the club. Do you understand?” Blaze’s eyes remained locked on the ribbon. “Yes, Sir,” she answered softly, though she wanted to beg him to tie it on her here and now. “Good, kitten. I will see you at the club at nine o’clock tonight, and I hope you are wearing this.” He patted the ribbon, then leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Take it easy today, and no getting yourself off.” Blaze remained frozen as he stood and walked out. A moment later, the front door opened and then closed again. Picking up the ribbon, she held it to her nose and smelled Master Z’s scent still on it. Then she wondered how she was ever going to keep from playing with herself until she saw him at the club in twelve hours.

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Chapter 12 Blaze laid her red stilettos on the counter then quickly unbuttoned her coat with one eye on the clock. Eight forty-seven. For the first time in recent memory, she was early for an appointment. She only hoped she would not have to wait long for Master Z to arrive and claim her. “Wow, Blaze, that’s one hell of an outfit you’re almost wearing,” Gentry said as he took her coat. “If I wasn’t gay and already spoken for…” “Too bad, sweetie, but you lost your chance,” she said with a laugh as she looked down at herself. Master’s orders were to wear as little as she was comfortable with. He did not yet realize that if he had told her to show up wearing only the red ribbon, she would have done that, just because he had ordered it. As he had instructed, she had spent the day thinking about her life and the radical changes that had taken place in it during the past week. Though she considered not showing up at all for a few minutes, it had been a very few minutes, especially when her heart clenched with pain at the option. So here she was, hoping she would not throw herself at Andy as soon as she saw him and beg him to be her Master, her man, and her love. Taking a deep breath, she stepped through into the main room of the club. She scanned the crowd, but did not see Master Z in the room. Not sure what else to do, she headed for the uncollared subs area. She had barely sat down on one of the couches when he appeared

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in the hallway at the back of the room that led to the restrooms. As soon as his eyes caught hers, she pushed off the couch and assumed the slave position. The only difference was she kept her head up and gaze locked on his. She tried to keep her breathing controlled as the plug still in her ass shifted, and her pussy gushed in preparation for her Master. She watched him as he stopped at the bar. He still looked at her even as he held a short conversation with Master Taurus, who was working the bar. He sipped at his drink then lifted a hand and made a “come here” motion with two fingers. Rising with a quick inhalation of air as the plug shifted again, reminding her of what was to come, she walked toward her Master with her head held high and her shoulders back, hoping he enjoyed and approved of the outfit she had chosen. The red thong matched the ribbon he had left on the bed perfectly. The heart-shaped red pasties she had fashioned that afternoon covered little more than her nipples and glittered with sequins. When she reached his side, she knelt and lowered her face to the floor. “Good evening, Master,” she said softly. “Good evening, kitten,” he returned as his hand slid under her hair and cupped the back of her neck, a finger flicking at the ribbon she wore. “Are you sure you’re wearing this ribbon in the right place?” “Yes, Master. It is an honor to wear your ribbon around my neck.” “Uh-huh,” he grunted as his hand left her neck then took one end of the ribbon, untied it, and pulled it from her neck. “Master? Are you not pleased? Did I do something wrong?” She blinked back sudden tears at the thought that he had changed his mind. “No, kitten, you did everything perfectly.” He ran a palm over the top of her head. “But the ribbon was only a symbol of your acceptance of my terms. For the next hour or more as we get your punishment out of the way, you won’t need it.”

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Blaze did not understand what he meant, but remained silent. Instead of explaining or moving forward to her punishment, he returned to his conversation with Taurus. Finally, he touched her head. “Come along, kitten. It’s time.” Blaze stood up and waited as her Master accepted his bag from Taurus. Then he took her hand and led her toward the back of the room. For a moment, she thought they were headed to the sitting area they had used last week, but instead, he took her to the play station next to it. Several heavy chains hung, attached to the ceiling and floor. Additional lengths and types of chain hung on the wall. She stood quietly and watched as Master Z took out several coils of rope and a pair of cuffs. When he had laid everything out to his satisfaction, he turned to her. “Wrists.” Without hesitation, she held her wrists out and tried not to get excited as he secured the cuffs around them. He then took her hand and guided her to stand between two of the chains facing the room. He hooked the cuffs so her arms spread wide with her hands slightly higher than her shoulders. Once she was secure, he walked to the edge of the area where Taurus now stood holding a wicked-looking, red flogger in one hand and a black, short-tailed whip in the other. Blaze watched wide-eyed as Master Z took the flogger and flicked it against his leg before nodding. He then took the whip and turned away from the crowd that was gathering to slash it toward the back of the area, well away from anyone or anything. He wielded it with an expertise that sent shivers through her. From the way he’d treated her during their time together, she figured he had no knowledge of such things. But by his short display, she was obviously mistaken in her assumption. With a nod toward Taurus, he then turned back to her with a smile that said she was about to have a night she would remember for days

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to come. Instead of starting right in on punishing her, he carried the two toys and came to stand in front of her, with his back to her. “You see before you a naughty submissive,” he said, addressing the crowd. “While her motives were altruistic, she disobeyed her Dominant twice yesterday, causing undo worry and concern. Tonight she will be punished for her disobedient ways.” The crowd murmured softly as he turned to face her. She searched his expression, but his face was Dom blank as he smoothed the kinks out of it. “What’s your safe word, kitten?” he asked as he swished the flogger and whip in a manner that she found unnerving. “Red, Master,” she said softly. “Is there anything you want to say to me before we begin?” “I love you,” Blaze said without hesitation. Master Z stared at her for a handful of heartbeats, as if determining the truth of her statement. Then he walked away out of sight. She looked over the crowd and found her friends watching with interest. Until now, being watched during a scene had never bothered her. With other Doms, she could block out everything—the pain, the crowd, even the man applying the punishment. Tonight though, she found herself unable to step back. She was so lost in thought that Master slapping her left ass cheek caught her by surprise. He was not using the flogger, but his hand, but it landed hard enough to force a cry from her. After that, the subsequent slaps came fast, each one harder than the last. First her left cheek, and then her right. She mentally counted the smacks, surprised when he stopped at ten. Then he ran a gentle hand over the abused skin, his touch soothing the pain away. Then she felt the air move as he walked away again. The crowd murmured with disappointment before wandering away. She frowned in confusion. Was he finished already? A moment later, Master Z stood in front her, blocking the rest of

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the room from her view. “Now, kitten of mine, you know another of my secrets. I can apply punishment when the situation calls for it, and I do know how to use a flogger and whip. Are you still willing to place yourself under my command? To be my submissive until it no longer works between us?” Blaze blinked away the tears. “No, Master. I want to be your submissive forever. I love you, Andrew Maxwell Zimmerman, my Master Z.” **** Andy stared down at the little woman who now filled his heart. He had hated using pain on her. He much preferred to torture by excessive pleasure. Reaching between her legs, he was not surprised to find her pussy dry as a bone. After all, even though she tried to convince herself and others differently, she really was not a pain slut. “And will you wear my collar, little kitten?” Blaze smiled and nodded. “It would be my honor, Master.” Andy found himself grinning as his heart raced. Instead of pulling out the collar in his pocket and placing it around her neck, he unhooked her wrists from the chains. “Return the flogger and whip to Master Taurus,” he ordered as he went to pack the rest of his gear. “Yes, Master.” As he stuffed his ropes back into the bag, he watched her hurry to the bar where Taurus was back at work. She politely called Taurus over as she laid the toys of pain on the bar. He responded, and she nodded before turning and returning as quickly as she could with her ass still stuffed full of plug. Damn but she was beautiful in her red thong and pasties. He could hardly wait to get her upstairs and alone. He adjusted the erection that had bloomed at her declaration of

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love and only grown harder since. If he did not get them alone and naked soon, he was going to come in his jeans, which was the last thing he wanted to do. “Master Taurus says you may borrow his toys anytime you wish,” Blaze said when she was by his side again. “I hope that won’t happen again anytime soon. I hope my kitten learned her lesson this time,” Master Z said. He stood and picked up his bag then not-so-gently patted Blaze’s ass cheeks, earning a gasp from the woman as he heated up the area that he knew had to still be sore from the spanking. Taking her hand in his, they headed to the stairs that led to the second floor with the private rooms. Blaze stopped when they reached the bottom of the stairs. When he turned to her, she looked frightened. “Kitten? What’s wrong?” “I’ve never been upstairs before. I’ve never scened with a Dom anywhere but the main room,” she said. “That’s not true, little one. We scened in the middle of the woods. We scened in my truck just behind the firehouse. We even played over the phone when you were lying in your bed,” he pointed out. She nodded even as she bit her lip with what he could tell was nervousness. “But those didn’t feel like just scenes. They felt like…more,” she admitted softly. Andy grinned as he released her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “That’s because they were more. Our scenes together are not just about exchanging power or sexual satisfaction. Our scenes have always been about love.” Blaze looked up at him as she contemplated his insight. Then she nodded. “Yes, I guess they have.” “So, how about we go upstairs and love some more?” Andy asked as his hand slid down her spine and between her ass cheeks to press against the end of the plug.

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Chapter 13 “Ooooh, Master. Yes, please.” Blaze stepped back before grabbing his hand and pulling him up the stairs to the balcony. She could not wait to be alone with her Master. He led the way to the third door down the hall and opened it with the key he pulled from his pocket. Opening the door, she was surprised to see the room appeared to be a luxurious hotel room and not at all what she expected from a playroom in a sex club. She walked into the room and froze, not sure how to proceed from there. She heard Master Z close the door and flip a lock. Then he dropped his bag. Turning, she met glowing amber eyes and a confidently dominant smile. She felt her own smile wavering on her lips, no doubt broadcasting her nervousness. “Undress me,” he ordered with a wink. Having a task settled Blaze’s suddenly jumpy nerves. She knelt and drew off his boots and socks, bending low and kissing the tops of his feet once they were bare. She carefully opened his jeans, figuring he had gone commando under them. He did not disappoint her. His erection popped out at her as soon as she opened his zipper. She kissed the head, tasting his salty, tangy pre-cum. Once she pushed his jeans down his legs, she helped him step out of them. Then she rose and pushed his leather vest off his shoulders. After gathering his clothes, she neatly folded them before placing them on the dresser across the room. “Now you,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. In seconds, she was naked as well. She returned and knelt before

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her Master, assuming the slave position. When she dropped her face to stare at his toes, he tapped the top of her head. “Eyes on me, kitten. Always on me when we are alone like this,” he said. “Yes, Master,” she responded, lifting her face to his. “You are so gloriously perfect that I’m ready to shoot already,” he said through clenched teeth. “Suck my cock.” Blaze sucked in a breath at the heat and arousal his gentle order sent through her. Her nipples beaded, and her pussy gushed juices as her ass muscles clenched around the plug still filling her. Wrapping one hand around the base of his cock and taking his balls in the other, she parted her lips and took the head of his cock between them. She smiled around his cock when he hissed as she began to work his cock. Less than a minute later, he stepped back, pulling from her attentions. “On the bed, faceup.” She scrambled to do his bidding, her pussy juices now wetting her upper thighs as she crawled across the large mattress and moved into position. She has barely settled in place when he joined her. Bending her knees, he pushed them to her chest. Then he took a pillow from the head of the bed and, after lifting her hips higher, slid the pillow in place underneath them. Then he took his cock and brushed it over her clit, and then down to her open pussy. They both sucked in breaths when he pressed his cock halfway into her pussy. She moaned a protest when he pulled it out again. “Shhh, kitten. While I know that hole is magic, that is not what this is about. Now,” he said, taking the base of the butt plug and playing with it, pressing it, and pulling it out partway. “Are you ready to give me this one? The one no other man has ever breeched?” Blaze nodded. “Yes, Master. Please. Fuck. My. Ass.” She pulled in a deep breath as he slowly pulled the plug from her ass. Having worn it all day, she suddenly felt empty with it gone. But a moment later, Master’s cockhead slipped through the ring of

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muscles, stretching them even more than the plug had. She began to pant as he pressed slowly deeper and deeper until she felt the hairs that surrounded the base of his cock brush against her cleft. “Kitten? You okay?” Master Z asked through gritted teeth. Blaze could not answer, so she nodded. “Deep breath, little one,” he said. He continued to hold himself still until she took several deep breaths and relaxed. “You’re so damn tight,” he said as he eased back then began a slow, steady in and out. The nerves in her ass ignited and sent fire straight to her clit. In seconds, her arousal flared through her like gasoline tossed on a campfire. Staring deep into Master’s eyes, she saw that he was close behind her as his hips began to move faster. In seconds her orgasm slammed through her, and she screamed. Master’s roar of release followed instantly as he slammed home one last time and held steady. His cock twitched and pulsed inside her, flipping her into a second orgasm. The world went rosy as her orgasm pulsed around and over and through her. When her thoughts straightened themselves out, she found herself cuddled against Andy’s chest with his arms and legs wrapped around her as if he was protecting her from the world. “Oh. My. God.” She kissed his chest between each word. “Uh-huh,” he said in return, kissing the top of her head and hugging her even closer. “Where’s my collar?” she asked when her lips were able to form words again. “Around your neck, right where it belongs,” Andy replied, sounding smug. Blaze lifted one hand to her throat and was shocked to find that at some point he had, indeed, placed his sign of ownership on her. It felt different than the ones she had seen on other submissives. Slipping from his hold, she left the bed and went to the mirror

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across the room. The collar was a black-and-red knotted collar that fit perfectly at the base of her neck. Turning, she smiled at the man still lying across the bed. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “Thank you, Master.” “I love you, kitten. Now, this is your play collar. Tomorrow we’ll go shopping for something sparkly for you to wear every day,” he said, rolling to his back and stretching. “Now come show me how much you love being tamed by this firefighter.” “As you wish, Master.” Blaze ran across the room and threw herself on top of the man she planned to love the rest of her life.

THE END WWW.COOPERMCKENZIE.WEBS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cooper McKenzie always thought she had been born a hundred years too late, but appreciates air conditioning, computers, and other conveniences of modern day living. She enjoys the slower pace of New Bern, North Carolina, as well as the history and small town community found there. In addition to dreaming up her next story, Cooper enjoys reading everything except scary books, singing in her church choir, and needle-weaving.

Also by Cooper McKenzie Ménage Amour: Club Esoteria 1: His Sub’s Submissive Siren Classic: Club Esoteria 2: Caught by the Master Ménage Amour: Club Esoteria 3: Minding Mistress Ménage Amour: Club Esoteria 4: Masters of Her Heart Siren Classic: Club Esoteria 5: Jillian’s Master Siren Allure: Club Esoteria 6: His Beck and Call Girl Ménage Amour: Club Esoteria 7: A Club Esoteria Christmas

For all other titles, please visit www.bookstrand.com/cooper-mckenzie

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com