Swallowtail Ch. 12

"You could have done it yourself before I tied you up."

Eve smiles. "This is more fun though."

She's right. It is fun. I stroke the entire length of her body. Goose pimples rise in the wake of the wipes and her nipples grow tight and puckered. She squirms and I have to admit that I'm not immune to the sight of a bound woman before me.

"Don't forget the nether regions."

I'd skirted these, not wanting to appear too forward. "You sure?"

"Yes," she hisses impatiently.

And so I make sure that every visible inch of her is clean, paying special attention to the various nooks and crannies that I might have missed the first time around.

"You're enjoying this," says Eve.

"You asked."

"Fine. Enough already."

With one last stroke I announce that she is as clean as she will likely ever be. Eve then orders me to the kitchen to retrieve some platters.

"Are you up to managing the presentation?" she asks when I return.

"Sure. I'm in advertising."

"You're a liar."

"No, really."

Eve rolls her eyes.

The platters contain a wide array of sushi and sashimi and some decorative bits of green paper designed to look like grass or the teeth of a saw.

I study what I have on my palette and then set about placing pieces of sushi and sashimi over Eve's abdomen. I'd read about this kind of thing. I think it is called naked sushi, but I don't remember whether there are any rules about how to place the food. I decide to create a floral pattern, with rolls as flower petals and pickled ginger as leaves. I wind the arrangement from her lower abdomen up to her breasts.

I accidentally brush a nipple with a hand while I'm placing a roll.

"Sorry," I say.

"You don't have to apologize."

"But..."

"If it's okay with Michael that you're doing this, then anything you might want to do with me is okay."

"Within limits," I say.

"There might be those. I'll let you know."

"Dex's limits might not be yours."

"You'd have to weigh that, of course. Face the consequences if you're wrong."

I shake my head. This is a strange and foreign world.

The arousal that I felt when I secured Eve to the table is subsumed by my desire to create a flattering and interesting presentation.

"How daring do you want to get?" I ask.

"Sky's the limit."

"Okay," I say. "You asked for it."

I've placed most of the pieces and am beginning to run out.

I drape some picked ginger around Eve's pussy and tuck it firmly into the creases using chopsticks. She gasps. "That's cold," she says. Then: "It tingles. You're a bastard."

She bites her lower lip while I place layers of ginger in and around her labia. I'm worried that I'm overdoing it, creating a riotous labial explosion between her legs. I decide to temper the efflorescence of pink by inserting a hand roll into the layers of picked ginger. I frown at the presentation, debating whether I've gone too far.

I decide to leave the area for a while and exhaust the rest of my supply of sushi and sashimi on Eve's arms and legs.

While I'm navigating less fraught anatomical territory, Eve says, "I was curious about you. I'd heard that Dex had taken up with someone."

I nod.

"Keep her happy," says Eve. "She deserves it."

"I intend to. How do you know her?"

"Michael used to manage her financial affairs. He doesn't any more. It's one of those strange twists of fate that finds Dex and Michael in the same social circle now. How about you?"

"Dex found me." I place the past two pieces. "This is all pretty new to me."

"Dex thinks highly of you."

I'm tempted to ask what Dex has said about me but decide not to. "I'm a work in progress," I say instead.

"Everyone is."

The conversation stutters to a halt. "What's it like for you?"

Eve smiles. "Can you be more specific?"

Uncharacteristically, I feel myself blushing. "I don't mean to get too personal, but what's in it for you, submitting?"

"Ah." Eve adjusts herself on the table. She catches me staring and smiles. "Have you felt before that a relationship invariably becomes little more than an eternal chess match? There's the strategizing, the constant jockeying for advantage."

I know what she means. "Not always. But yeah, I know what you mean."

"I realized a while ago that I don't particularly like chess. It's devastating to lose and exhausting to play to stalemate. So I decided that I wouldn't play anymore.

"I'm liberated from all that. Not liberated in the way Gloria Steinem would necessarily condone, but in ways that work for me. Besides which," says Eve, "I have certain appetites that are satisfied in no other way."

"And this..." I struggle for the words. "This coming out?"

"I'm not exactly the marrying type but I do appreciate the symbolism of formalizing a union among one's peers."

"And that's what this is?"

Eve laughs. "Sure. BDSM wedlock."

"It's certainly more interesting than any wedding that I've gone to."

"See?"

I finish up by placing paper decorations here and there on Eve's body. I take a step back. The presentation doesn't look too bad.

"I think we're done."

"Good," says Eve. "By the way, Dex wants you naked too."

"She didn't say anything to me."

Eve shrugs. "I'm just passing along the message."

I weigh the options. Respect Dex's wishes or refuse. This is far beyond where I wanted to go, but then I'm afraid of how my refusal might reflect on Dex. She may want to demonstrate to her friends that I am worthy and attentive.

In the end I strip and place my folded clothes in the corner of the dining room. I open the door and call out that dinner is ready.

I feel that I'm blushing as the guests file past. Dex's eyes widen when she sees me. "Where are your clothes?"

"I thought... Eve said... Shit."

"That's for the ginger," says Eve.

"I'll get dressed."

"No." Dex is smiling. "I'm fine seeing you naked."

"Oh."

"But if it makes you more comfortable, you can put your pants back on. Leave the shirt."

"Thanks."

Dex strokes my naked rear. "You owe me."

***

Michael helps Eve off the table and feeds her one of the left over pieces of sushi. The party drifts back to the living room, leaving Michael to wipe the residue of the food from Eve's body.

They return to the living room a few minutes later. Eve appears flushed and happy. Michael walks her to the center of the room and announces, "Having worked so hard at providing us a feast for so many of our senses, I think that it might be time for some play."

"As you please," says Eve.

Michael smiles and leads Eve to a raised, padded bench that I hadn't noticed before among the other furnishings. He invites Eve to bend over it. I marvel at Eve's unquestioning obedience. More than anything, her faith and trust inspire me. More than any vow spoken in the company of friends, these actions demonstrate to me the depth of her loyalty to her partner. Her ankles are spread and fastened to eyebolts on the legs of the device. Her wrists are similarly bound to the other side. A few short months ago, I would have regarded Eve as a victim or a simpleton and Michael as a predator. Now I marvel at the reciprocal trust that has brought these two individuals to this point.

"Dex, it would be an honor if you could break the ice."

"Are you sure?"

Michael nods and gestures to low table. He removes a cloth to display an assortment of canes and whips and floggers.

I watch as Dex inspects each before lifting a flogger. This, I think to myself, is when things start to get weird. She swings the flogger experimentally, testing its weight and balance. She whispers something to Eve that I don't quite hear and then positions herself behind the bound sub. The guests watch with interest. I guess I do too.

I've never seen Dex in action like this. When I'm on the receiving end, it's difficult to appreciate the concentration and control. For me, it's equal parts anticipation and pain. Appreciation is the farthest thing from my mind. Dex first allows the fells to fall limply against the small of Eve's back before slowly drawing the flogger back. She does this playfully, teasingly for a minute or two. I can see how Eve relaxes.

Dex them directs a series of underhand swings to the point between Eve's legs. Eve's eyes are closed and she is smiling.

Dex gathers up the fells and directs a fast, powerful stroke to Eve's left cheek. The blow surprises the sub and she utters a muffled shriek as her knees buckle. Conversation in the living room stops for a moment.

"I see I have your attention now."

"Yes."

Dex steps back and swings the flogger with more power and rhythm. She places a series of glancing strokes across one first one cheek and then the other. I see the flesh give beneath the leather fells and Eve's muscles tensing and a growing redness to the flesh of her ass.

"This must seem very strange to you," says Michael.

"Eve explained it to me. But yes, it is strange."

Michael nods. "It was Eve's idea, this evening. I'm normally a very private man. For Eve, I've allowed this."

"I understand."

"Do you? I wish I did. I sometimes think that her sacrifices are greater than mine are, which is why I sometime grant her some latitude. But then, it isn't really a sacrifice at all to do what gives you pleasure, is it?"

"I guess not."

Eve is biting her lower lip as the strokes continue to land. Dex now changes the character of her assault. The insistent and slightly menacing whisper of leather against skin now becomes louder. The arcing swirls of the fells flatten and thudding blows now begin to land more forcefully. More time elapses between each, allowing Eve to recover from the last and wilt in anticipation of the next.

"Count them down," says Dex, "From five to one."

Whack.

"Five," gasps Eve.

Dex wheels back.

I watch the others. They were chatting among themselves before but are now paying attention to the conclusion of Dex's performance.

"Dex is very skilled," says Michael.

"Yes she is."

"You are fortunate. But then you probably already know that."

"I am fortunate, but there's a lot I don't know. Have you known Dex long?"

"Since she was a child."

I can't help but to feel a little creeped out.

"I can imagine what you're thinking and I can't blame you for thinking it. Until maybe two years ago, I had no idea that Dex and I shared similar interests. Until then, she was simply the daughter of my friend and business partner and, after his passing, a client.

"Imagine my surprise when my client ends up at an event that I'm also attending. I'm not sure who was more embarrassed. I could see that Dex had taken up with some less than trustworthy individuals, people more concerned with their own pleasures than her well-being. I encouraged her to find a more worthy partner and friends more attuned to her needs. When she finally did break with them, I told her that my circle would certainly welcome her. Until tonight, she never took me up on the offer."

Eve moans now. Her ass and legs are bright red and I can discern darker welts where skin may have broken. "Two," says Eve.

I might be concerned for Eve if I didn't know that pleasure is written in different shades of red.

"Last one. Ready?"

"Yes." The answer is quavering.

"Okay." Dex makes a show of wheeling back and then arrests the movement just short of the target. The fells trickle against the reddened flesh. Eve has been bracing for it and lets out a quavering breath. Dex lays the flogger across Eve's back and moves to her head. She sits on her haunches and pulls Eve's head up by the hair.

She smiles and kisses the bound woman on the lips.

Dex then rejoins me and Michael.

Another hour passes and Eve remains bound to the device. From time to time, a guest approaches and caresses a breast or cheek. Other times she is offered wine.

I notice that the frequency of these visits to the bound woman is increasing.

I watch with interest as the doctor approaches a table on which is arrayed a set of floggers, canes and other devices. She says something to Eve, whose only response is a slight raising of her eyebrows. The doctor selects what I know from my own experience to be an anal hook. The doctor whispers something in Eve's ear while her hands work between Eve's legs. The corners of Eve's mouth quirk up in what might be a smile as the doctor continues to whisper in her ear. A moment later a cry of surprise wafts out over the party as the hook is inserted. The doctor has tied a cord to Eve's hair. Eve's head bends back until she looks out on the guests and the doctor ties off the rope.

"You could get even," says Dex.

"Huh?"

"For Eve's little trick on you. I hear that she just loves nipple clamps."

"You don't say?"

"So if you were to attach a pair, the ones with the weights, for instance, I'm sure you would earn her undying gratitude."

There are a pair of clamps that feature metal balls on the table. I weigh them in my hand and approach Eve.

"Hello Eve," I say, squatting down in front of her. "Remember me?"

"How could I forget?" The strain is evident in her voice but still she smiles.

"Dex asked me to look in on you." I tentatively stroke a breast. The skin is cool beneath my fingers. "I'm told that you like clamps." I dangle the pair of clamps in front of her face.

Eve shakes her head.

"You don't? Really? Dex said you did. Who am I to believe? I can't believe you unfortunately. But if it's really a problem, shake your head again. I don't want to overstep my bounds."

Eve remains still.

"No? Good. You have remarkable breasts by the way." I take a nipple between a thumb and forefinger and position the clamp. I slowly allow the clamp to bite. Eve stiffens but remains quiet. "One down," I say. I place the other one and step back to admire my handiwork.

At that moment, the doctor approaches Eve from behind strokes the sub's ass. Eve has been in this position for longer than I think I could hold it.

A hum emanates from the bench where Eve is still captive. I see that the doctor has applied a vibrator of some sort between Eve's legs. The sub's body is aglow with sweat and her clamped breasts sway under the weight that hangs from them.

I return to Dex and Michael. We talk for a while. I notice that Michael is dividing his attention between us and Eve.

After a few minutes Eve's legs jerk and she cries out.

Eve is allowed to mingle towards the end of the party. Michael has allowed her a robe and she wears it, partly open to reveal the collar that she wears. She hovers near her master and, watching the unconscious contact between them, it is clear that they are in love. It's hard for me to imagine sharing a loved one as Michael has until I realize that no one has derived physical pleasure from the helpless sub. It has all been about the giving of pleasure.

I whisper my realization to Dex.

"What did you expect?" she asks.

I shrug.

***

We take the elevator to the garage to collect a bag that Dex has left in her car before proceeding to my house. Of course, it would be much easier for us to remain at Dex's condo, but she has issued no invitation and I respect her wishes. Besides, my house on the escarpment has become our place.

Our footfalls echo in the cavernous and dimly lit concrete space. Dex is holding my hand and bumps against me as we walk.

"What did you think?" she asks.

"About the party?"

"Yeah."

"Fun," I say. "Weird but strangely familiar. I like your friends, by the way."

"It's mutual."

I spot the Audi TT that I followed several months ago. We approach it and Dex unlocks the door and then hesitates.

"I can't wait," says Dex.

"What?"

"I want you now."

I laugh. "We're in the garage."

She turns me around and pushes me against the fender. One hand is pulling the key from around her neck while the other fumbles at my pants. She wasn't joking.

"Someone might come," I protest.

"Me, I hope."

"There are cameras."

"Smile then."

With a metallic snick the lock opens and Dex pulls the cage from me. The ring opens and clatters to the ground.

"I'm a little horny," she says. Her hand finds me and squeezes.

"I can tell."

"All I could think of, when I was flogging Eve, was you."

"Aw shucks," I say. I was thinking pretty much the same myself, but don't admit it.

Dex presses her fingernails into me. "And now I want you."

"Yes, mistress."

"I like that. Say it again."

I do.

Dex turns away from me, pulls up her skirt, and perches a knee on the hood of her car. She bends over and offers herself to me. Neither of us needs much in the way of foreplay. The entire night has been that.

I grasp her hips and bury myself in her wet, hot hole.

"Oh fuck," she says.

Her hands splay against the hood and she grinds against me.

I feel that unmistakable tremor from her a moment later.

"Jesus," she gasps.

She tightens herself around me and tips her head back.

I don't care about where we are or about cameras or unsuspecting passersby. I want to fuck this woman.

I pull her up and turn her to face me. I reach down and wrap my arms beneath her legs, lift her, and brace her against a support column.

Her piercing rattles against my teeth when her tongue finds mine. Her fingernails bite into my neck and I feel a stinging pain.

I use my arms to spread her legs wide and occupy the space she offers me with a mindless, violent thrusting. There's nothing deliberate or planned about this. There's no scene or play. No dom or sub.

"Fuck me," commands Dex.

And I do.

***

Thanks for reading. As always, your comments are welcome.