eyes. “Yes, Sir. I can’t make demands, but I still maintain it’s just wrong for you to ask me if I want you to stop.”
He chuckled. “Well, wrong or not, I got my answer,
and I’m tempted to turn you around and flog the hell out of your back and ass,
but I have much planned for the day, and it’s time to move on.”
Ethan released her and carefully walked her to a
chair. Sam melted under his expert hands as he massaged her shoulders and arms.
She needed the chance to reconnect with him, to be reminded he loved her. She
knew he did, but sometimes she just needed the reassurance.
He allowed her to speak at will, and she told him as
much. He squatted in front of her and rested his hands on her thighs. “I know
I’m pushing you, but…”
He looked away, watched the waves a few moments, and
turned back to her.
“I find myself looking for ways to prove to both of us how far my ownership of you goes. Neither of us is going for true
slavery, where the slave doesn’t have an exit plan, but I think we both need
something concrete, substantial...” he sighed. “In my mind, genuine consensual
power exchange demands absolute trust.”
“Ethan. Sir. Master . I begged you to take my
safeword. No, I did more.” She smiled. “I nagged the hell out of you about it.
I don’t know any other way to show how much I trust you.”
“You show me in hundreds of ways, every time we
play.” He stroked her cheek. “And yet, I’m a greedy bastard. I want more.” His
fingers trailed down the side of her neck, and he pulled her into his chest in
a tight embrace. “But that’s my problem. My issue. I never want you to feel as
if you’ve failed me if you can’t give the trust I demand. I know sometimes I
ask for an impossible amount, but,” his hand stroked her back, “somehow, you
manage to come through.”
Sam leaned farther into him, soaked in his warmth,
and enjoyed his embrace.
His chest vibrated when he spoke. “It takes most
women weeks to learn to run gracefully, so their torso stays motionless while
their legs pump. I’ve watched them train, seen them run for thirty or forty
hours over the span of a month, and not look as good as you after less than an
hour.”
Sam pulled back, looked at his face. “You have a
pony-girl thing?”
He smiled. “I like parts of it, but not the whole
thing. The armbinder does it for me, the physical training, where woman are
required to learn to run for long distances and look good.” He shrugged. “I
spent some time at a farm in North Georgia, and I’d be welcome to go back, if I
wanted someone trained, but I don’t want anyone else training you.”
Sam snuggled into his warmth, no matter it was hot
outside. The fans above them, combined with the ocean breeze, kept it from
being uncomfortable.
“Thank you, Master.”
“You’re welcome, but why are you thanking me?”
“For having the strength to Master me, and to prove
to both of us how far we can take it. My life, my career, and my hobbies, are
all about control, but when you decide to take it from me, it’s a little
comforting, knowing I’m just along for the ride and have no control at all.”
“A little comforting?”
She laughed. “Yeah, and a lot terrifying. How do you
always know when I only give you half the sentence?”
He didn’t answer, and she said, “What you said
before, about consensual power exchange demanding trust.” She took a breath and
plunged ahead. “You’re right, and I do trust you, but sometimes I’m terrified
while I’m trusting you, and I’m not sure how to handle both emotions at once.”
He kissed the top of her head and caressed her back.
“Explain how you can feel both at once.”
“Well, I trust you won’t harm me. Injure me.” She
pulled back enough to look up and meet his gaze. “But our relationship is kind
of based on edge play, isn’t it? Seeing how far you can take me? It isn’t that
I’m afraid you’ll bring me to harm, it’s just the element of