Kim’s eyes stung with tears.

Master R turned her face toward him, frowning. “He won’t hurt her, chiquita. I promise. This is how they like to play.”

“It’s not that.” Kim blinked and smiled at him. “I’m so happy for her. I always wanted her to find someone who’d push her to be herself and not some perfect person like her parents wanted.”

“Sweet gatita.” Master R kissed the top of her head. He glanced at the other couple, snorted at another Gabi insult, then shot Kim a warning look. “Just in case you think to imitate your friend, I do not permit such disrespect.”

She already knew that. He gave her a lot of leeway, but she’d learned how far she could go with mouthing off. If she’d said what Gabi had, she’d have had her butt blistered, and that certainty actually felt reassuring, like when winds stop veering and blow straight and true. “Yes, Master.”

“Now, you will please me with your soft mouth, and if you do well, your punishment won’t be…too bad.”

“What’s my punishment, Master?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled, but he didn’t answer, just unzipped his shorts and took out his cock. The piercing glinted in the light. Oh God, she hadn’t done this since…since Lord Greville and… A shudder ran through her.

“Easy, gatita.” He held his hands out to her, and she put hers in his. He squeezed reassurance, then curled her fingers around his erection. Hotter than the sun with steel under the velvety skin.

She opened her mouth to take him in—and froze. They’d tied her hands behind her back; that device had held her mouth open. Pushing into her throat, choking, no air.

“Kimberly.” A sharp tug on her hair reminded her of where she was. “Watch me, not the past.”

She pulled her thoughts together, thought through the fear the way Faith had taught her, knowing he would let her take as long as she needed. After a minute, she nodded. Ready. And reminded herself, This is Master R.

“Use your hands.”

She smiled, remembering the first time they’d made love, how he let her go as slow as she wanted as long as she kept advancing. So patient and calm. He might know her well, but she knew him too, and God, it really, really helped.

He made a noise in the back of his throat, a dom-style sound of encouragement and prodding.

Stop thinking. “Yes, Master.” She slid her hands up and down his cock. It was so engorged that the skin was taut, the veins distended. Men’s equipment never seemed particularly attractive, but Master R was so devastatingly, potently male. She ran a finger around the head, touched the piercing, cupped his heavy balls, and felt the light hair tickle her palm. She nuzzled his groin and inhaled. His own masculine scent mingled with that of the ocean. Her muscles loosened.

“Now your tongue,” he murmured.

She leaned forward and ran her tongue up his length, getting him wet. He hummed his enjoyment, and warmth filled her. God, she loved that sound he’d make. She licked until his shaft was wet and she’d traced every vein. Then she looked up.

When he nodded permission, she took him into her mouth, trying to go deep as—

“No, tesoro mío.” He wrapped her hands around the base of his shaft, preventing her from taking him in fully. “If I wanted to fuck your throat, I’d remove the piercing first, at least until you have more experience. For today, play with what I’ve given you. And be careful—metal is unforgiving on teeth.”

Oooh. She ran her tongue over her teeth. Avoid the piercing, Kim. He was still worried, she could tell, but actually, she’d daydreamed about having his cock in her mouth. She was ready. Really. She took him in carefully, making sure her teeth went past the piercing…and then played, as he’d instructed. Tracing her tongue around him, then sucking vigorously enough to get a low moan of approval.

She cupped his testicles with one hand, enjoying the weight and size. Mmm. And he’d probably smack her if she called him Master Bull.

Lifting her head, she took the top of his erection between her lips and teased the piercing with her tongue. By carefully tugging on the metal ball with her teeth, she won herself a growly groan.

His hand fisted in her hair, and she froze; when he didn’t do anything further, she continued. He grew harder, and she gloried in it.

“All right, little torturer.” Using her hair, he pulled gently her away. “Now for the punishment I promised you a while back.”

“What one?”

His evil grin wasn’t reassuring in the least. “Ass in the air, please.”

A spanking? She positioned herself, careful of her breasts, which still burned and ached every time she jostled his strange nipple clamps. After putting her head on her forearms, she arched her bottom up.

He picked up the sack and removed… Oh, holy hell, the anal plug she’d chosen from the ones she’d hidden. She’d really hoped he’d forgotten. She closed her eyes, wanting to whine. The plug was shaped like a plump, round goldfish…on steroids. Too big. He’d used his fingers in her a time or two and once put in a smaller plug during a shower, but this…

He trickled lube over it and between her cheeks. The muscles of her vulnerable hole puckered more tightly, and she tried to twist her bottom away.

A stinging slap made her jump. “You do not move.”

“I’m sorry, Master.”

“Gatita.” His voice was so soothing she wanted to crawl into his lap. “I think you will like this once it’s in. Until then, you will take the discomfort for me, will you not?” His hand stroked the place he’d slapped, turning the sting into pleasure.

Her arousal dampened the insides of her thighs, and she wanted to beg him to just fuck her instead. But his calloused hand on her bottom—so determined, so careful—made her tongue tangle.

“Now push back against my finger.” He circled the rim with a slick finger, then firmly penetrated her.

She whined at the stretching feeling. Not painful. Uncomfortable.

He added another finger, slowly thrusting in and out. “Such a pretty asshole. Maybe we’ll go to bed early tonight, no? I would enjoy being there.”

A shudder of nerves and arousal ran through her. He pulled out and pressed the slick anal plug against her. He pushed the tip in and out, farther each time. It was bigger—more than the size of his fingers, stretching and burning. His grip on her hip kept her from moving away again as he eased it slowly inside. Wider and wider.

She groaned and pushed her forehead against her arms, trying not to remember…them. The pain. She tensed.

“Ssssh. Almost there, chiquita.” And then with a soundless pop, it was in, and her muscles settled into the tail part that was smaller than the rest.

She stayed in position, panting, feeling his strong hand rubbing her bottom reassuringly. Her memories faded under his touch. Never before had anything back there also aroused her. How could something so uncomfortable make her clit throb demandingly?

“You were very good. I’m proud of you,” he murmured, rubbing her back and her bottom, and she realized she’d endure much more to win that note of approval in his voice.

“You won’t hide toys anymore, will you, chiquita?”

“Next time, I’ll hide only the small ones.”

A second, and then he laughed, the sexy, delighted sound that always made her grin. He said sternly, “Bad gatita. No hiding toys.” The light smack on her ass shoved the plug in farther, zinging against unfamiliar nerves.

“No, Master. Never.” She turned her head, eyeing the sack lying on its side. It wasn’t empty. What else had he brought?

He helped her to her feet, and the nasty thing he’d stuck up her backside felt huge as her cheeks closed around it. She shifted her weight, trying to find a comfortable position.

Master R grinned. “Don’t worry; you won’t be thinking about it in a bit.” He pointed to a corner of the trampoline. “Lie down there, on your back.”

Each step moved the thing inside her, and the discomfort made her aware of how wet she was and how swollen her pussy had gotten. Her clit begged in heavy throbs to be touched. But touching herself was a spanking offense. Being spanked with an anal plug in? So not my choice of fun ways to spend the afternoon. She carefully lay down where he’d directed.

He picked up some rope from the pile and tied her wrists together, then over her head to an upright on the railing. A cushion went under her hips so her pelvis arched up in the air. After restraining her legs widely apart, he sat back on his heels, his gaze running over her, head to toes, lingering on her breasts and then her pussy.

She’d never felt so exposed. So available.

“You’re beautiful, Kimberly.”

Uh-huh. She knew full well, she was only passably pretty, but when he said that, looked at her like that, she felt absolutely hot. And totally ready for him to pull his cock out and have at it. Now now now. She squirmed.

“No, you will not entice me to move faster.” His eyes were heavy lidded as he trickled his fingers over her mound, then traced her labia down. He gave the anal plug a wiggle that sparked shots of electricity straight to her clit. Her hips pushed up uncontrollably, and a crease appeared in his cheek. “I thought you might like the plug.”