He glanced down at his redhead. Might as well give her a few choices in the game—or let her think she was getting some. After setting his bag on a chair, Sam started unzipping the inside dividers. Opened the one for the toys. Clamps, yes. Gags or blindfold? No. Why deprive himself of hearing her screams, of seeing tears in her eyes? That section stayed closed.

After moving a rectangular tray table beside the chair, he told Linda, “Set out what’s in the bag.” He touched one end of the table. “The toys you’d most like me to use go here. Work your way to the other end and your least favorite toys. If something is a hard limit, leave it in the bag.”

A sweet crease of worry appeared between her red-brown brows. “And you’ll start at the good end and work your way through to the bad?”

“Nope.” He stepped close enough that her breasts grazed his chest, and she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. “Just lets me know what will bother you and what won’t. I choose what. And when.”

“But—”

He smiled into her vulnerable eyes. “Trust me to know how much you can take, missy. And to push you to that point.”

Even as the hint of anxiety appeared in her eyes, her nipples contracted to hard points.

As the beast inside him stirred and raised its head, he stepped back. “Get started.”

While he worked on attaching chains to the proper bolts, he watched her pick and choose.

She put a thick cane midway, a lighter one closer to the good side. The heavy flogger was good; the one with knotted ends went to the bad side. His favorite short snake whip was considered. Put close to the bad end. Moved to the other side. Moved again. Was there anything more appetizing than a submissive’s uncertainty? He’d definitely give her a taste of that whip, no matter where it ended up on the table.

When she pulled out the coiled six-footer, he said, “No, baby. There’s not enough space in here to play with that one.” She nodded and dropped it into the bag, coming out with a crop. A Wartenberg wheel. A vampire glove. Finally she finished.

After setting up the top restraints, Sam adjusted the lower chains so he could spread her legs. “Come here.”

As she chewed her lower lip, he savored her hesitation, seeing her anticipation of the pain that would eventually take her to the height of pleasure, no matter how much the initial lash stung. His anticipation rose as well, since watching her ride that first bite of pain would give him an equally sized rush.

When she stood inside the picture frame, he untied her halter top and tossed it onto his bag. He was already hard, but the sight of her full breasts made his cock lengthen to serious discomfort, an interesting type of erotic ache. Pulling her into his arms, he ground his chest against her bare breasts, feeling her nipples contract back into stabbing points.

Her eyes were wide with nerves, and he could see the golden flecks that lightened the rich brown. Her lips were parted and inviting, so he fisted her hair, tipped her head back, and took her lips, demanding all he wanted from her mouth. At least for now. Damn but he’d missed kissing her and how she gave him everything, holding back nothing.

When he lifted his head, her fingers had dug into his back to hold him closer.

“I like the way you kiss, girl.” His voice came out gruff.

She pinkened at the compliment. So sweet.

Time to push that giving nature of hers. He untied the side band of her skirt, tugging hard at the laces to drive home that she would soon be naked, without the most basic of defenses.

He tossed the skirt on his bag, followed by her panties. After using his boot to push her feet apart, he ran his hand between her legs. Not cruelly, simply a Dom’s inspection that his submissive had kept herself groomed for his enjoyment.

His fingers met smooth, bare skin, already slick. Nice. Nothing there to cushion a blow. He rubbed his knuckles over her mound. “Good girl.”

Although she was aroused and wet, her muscles tensed and her gaze dropped.

Gently, Davies. She’d been traumatized. Brutalized. Made into an object. He had to ride a path between dominance and abuse, and in her case, it was a goddamned narrow trail. So he enfolded her in his arms for a comforting hug and a reminder. “Your safe word is red. Do you remember?”

Her muscles relaxed, and she nodded.

“Good.” He rubbed his chin on her smooth hair. “If I ask you how you’re doing, green means keep going. Yellow means slow down, or that you can’t take whatever I’m using on you at the time.”

She nodded again.

He might also ask her who he was so she’d remember she wasn’t with the bad guys. And hell, he simply liked the way she said his name as if he was goddamned John Wayne.

“All right.” After fastening padded Velcro cuffs on her wrists, he snapped them to the overhead chains. The ankle cuffs and chains spread her legs wide apart. Then he tightened the arm restraints until her body was stretched nice and taut. Didn’t want her to wiggle and spoil his aim. A shame he couldn’t use his favorite single-tail, but Z rarely cordoned off space for the longer bullwhips.

Smiling into Linda’s eyes, Sam flattened his hand over her exposed pussy, enjoying her startled response. Enjoying the increasing slickness coating his palm. “I’ve only given you pleasure here before. Tonight your pussy will get a sample of pain as well.”

She swallowed so hard that he could hear the gulp.

Yep, this was going to be fun. As he kissed her, plunging his tongue deep, he cupped her ass with one hand and used his other hand to push his finger into her hot, wet cunt. Using the ball of his hand, he ground down on her clit as he thrust in and out. His tongue kept pace, driving her arousal higher. He could almost hear her endorphins start to dance.

He abandoned her pussy to rub her back firmly, letting the abrasiveness of his calloused palms rouse her tender skin. Another kiss and one more, simply for his enjoyment.

When he stepped back, her eyes held the gleam of a nicely aroused submissive.

After pulling the table of toys closer, he picked up a soft, wide-lashed flogger from the “good” side. Although a determined Dom could snap any flogger hard enough to hurt, this one was designed to be sensuous rather than painful. And he’d use it in that way. As he brushed the strands over her body, he studied the dark contrast of leather against her fair skin, the way her stomach muscles shivered, how her ass cheeks tried to draw away. Her pointing nipples grew tighter when he danced the tails over them.

Her breasts got a quick flick of the lash tips with enough of a sting to demonstrate he wasn’t putting any part of her off limits this time.

Her gasp of shock was a hint of how much fun she’d give him tonight.

Working her up, he took the time to spank her gently, teasing her clit between each set of five, slapping lightly over her shoulders and thighs before returning to pinken her ass further. Her soft, dimpled ass. A squeeze made her hiss. Made him grin.

“Give me a color.” Not as if he needed one. Her lips were open and rosy with excitement, eyes still clear. But they both needed to know she could speak.

“Green. I’m green.”

He laughed. “Actually, girl, you’re pink.” Leaning into her body, he ran his hands up her arms to check the tightness of her cuffs. Checked her ankle cuffs as he stepped back. All good. “Now I’m going to turn your skin red.”

The way her ass wiggled said she liked that.

This time he used a heavier flogger. Rotating his wrist, creating a figure eight, he slapped the falls up and down her outer thighs, ass cheeks, and upper back. A nice warm-up. Occasionally, he went lighter to sensitize her thighs, her stomach, and below her breasts, bringing the blood to the surface.

When he stopped, her eyes were fixed on him as if he were her lifeline. She was definitely aroused. Might as well have some more fun. He stepped close again, holding her nape in a hard grip, looking down at her. “Can you move at all, Linda?”

He almost grinned as she pulled at the restraints, learning that she couldn’t. The knowledge of her helplessness made her pupils dilate. She licked her lips.

“See, I don’t want you moving while I play with this.” He picked up the Wartenberg wheel, which had been located near the middle of the table.

LINDA FELT AS if her skin was vibrating with anxiety. Heavens, was he really going to use that thing on her? It looked like a slender pizza cutter, only some insane person had replaced the smooth roller with spiky pins. Why couldn’t he start with the gentle toys?

He smiled at her and lightly ran the thing over her stomach.

It tickled like a line of bugs crawling over her skin. As she tried to squirm away, he laughed, then moved to her back, using the wheel up and down the muscles along her spine, then down, pressing harder over her butt, drawing burning lines over her body. Her focus constricted as the wheel created a fine tapestry of pain. Over her stomach, upward to the tender undersides of her breasts, around her nipples. The tracks flamed through her, lassoing her with the wonderful bite. Her breasts grew heavier, and her nipples contracted as if trying to escape their fate.

When he paused, she looked down to see thin red lines on her pale skin. Despite the wheel’s cutting sensation, she saw no blood. Her gaze lifted to the toy, to his hand, to his face…to his eyes. He was watching her intently, studying her responses.