Free The Audition by Tara Crescent Page A

snort. “Isn’t this something you ask me before you strip me naked and whip me?”
    “I am,” he says dryly, and I laugh out aloud. It’s hard to be too outraged. My playing has improved by leaps and bounds. Short of a major screw-up, I’m playing well enough to ace my audition. Nikolai’s methods, unorthodox though they are, have worked their magic.
    Plus, I’m assuming that after the punishment, he’ll fuck me, and I really, really want to get fucked.
    “There’s not much to tell,” I reply, answering his question. “I’ve been in limbo.”
    “You are too goal-oriented,” he says. “You need to work towards something to feel content, I think.”
    He is right. Not having a sense of purpose has been terrible for me. I’d been drifting until I decided to audition for Juilliard. I resolve to never let that happen again.
    As I’m thinking my thoughts and removing my clothes, he’s setting up, pulling whips and crops and spreader bars and dildos out of the cabinets in the dungeon. “Ready, myshka ?” he asks me.
    “Will it hurt?” I’m a little nervous.
    He inclines his head. “I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest you might enjoy it,” he says. “Give it a try. Pain and pleasure are two sides of the same coin. Use yellow if you want me to slow down, red if you want me to stop. Okay?”
    Despite his threat on the first day, I’ve always had a safe word. Nikolai is entirely too responsible to neglect that safety precaution. “Okay,” I say. I straighten, resolving to trust in him. After all, he’s mentioned that I might enjoy my punishment. That doesn’t sound like someone who wants to inflict pain for pain’s sake.
    “Besides,” he continues, “this isn’t actually a punishment.” He sounds slightly embarrassed, and I look up curiously at him.
    “Explain?”
    He clears his throat. “We don’t really know each other as adults, do we, Allie? And based on the way I’ve treated you – with the nudity and the collar and the clamps, your conclusion was not completely illogical. The screaming wasn’t helpful, but I bear the lion’s share of blame for the misunderstanding.”
    “So, what’s this about? My punishment ?”
    There is an amused look in his eyes. “I thought you might like to try out the flogger.”
    Actually, I really do. My expression must betray my anticipation, because Nikolai chuckles indulgently. “Come on, myshka ,” he says, “Let’s get started.”
    The first thing he does is wrap a blindfold around my eyes. I pout openly. “I want to watch,” I complain.
    Smack. His palm cracks down, hard, on my ass, and I jump in response. “Behave.” His voice is firm. “Or I will double your punishment.”
    Ah, pouting and whining isn’t permitted. “Yes Sir,” I say meekly. I feel the heat from the spot where his hand has made contact. Desire dances on my skin, and my blood boils with lust. I am so ready for this.
    I feel his hands on either side of my face, cupping my jaw in his hands, before he brings his lips down on mine. I open my mouth, automatically permitting him entry. Our tongues twine, and he pushes his body against me, backing me into the wall. I am helpless with longing.
    He pulls away from my lips, and slides his hands down my body. “Do you want your punishment, Allie?” he growls at me.
    I whisper my reply. “I want it so much.”
    I can hear the smile in his voice when he replies. “Good girl.” I feel the approval emanate from him, and his mouth nibbles at one of my nipples. His fingers, those talented, ruined fingers, play with the other. Pinching and pulling, twisting and rubbing, until I am writhing with a sensation that resembles pain, but one I welcome. I want this to go on forever.
    He cups my breasts, then glides over my hips, before honing in on my dripping pussy. He zooms in, finding my clitoris with an ease that’s truly intimidating, and rubbing it.
    My little noises of need intensify. So good. I am wet, and I am ready for him.