Catharsis

She relaxes fully into his strength, presses her head back and her cheek into his. That was exactly what she needed to hear. The sounds are creeping back, and feeling of being full of dread. She breaths slowly in through her mouth and out through her nose, finding her eyes hot.

Drew gives her another squeeze and tells her to get the cuffs laying on the table. They're a pair of thick leather cuffs designed for suspending her. She won't need all that strength today, but Drew picked them because they're comfortable and easy to disengage when the time comes. There's a large D-ring that goes around the top, over her fingers. That makes it relatively easy to hook them together and then to the steel tubing at the top of his contraption. He has simple, large S-hooks that will pop off the tubing without hanging up.

She sits back on the bed, facing him, and he puts the cuffs on her. Once adjusted correctly, he cups her face in his hands and kisses her deeply. Her eyes are softening, her body is softening, and he has dueling urges. On one hand, he's happy that she's feeling better. On the other hand, his sadist wants to make her cry, wants welts and bruises, and the knowledge that she'll wince every time she sits for the next week. He's still watching every reaction, walking that tightrope so all sides of both of them get what's needed.

Drew gestures for Kenzie to stand and walk to a support column at one end of his contraption. He tells her to raise her hands over her head and lean against it. He picks up the floggers and walks to her.

Running his hands over all her skin, her arms, down her body, the sides of her legs, he whispers about warming her up. He murmurs in her ear about how the leather loves her skin, and how she loves the leather. He presses his hand on her vulva, tells her to spread her legs more, and mentions how he's always loved the way she looks when her skin is pink all over. With one hand he keeps touching and caressing her, while the other swings the flogger, making the leather fronds swish and twitch in the air.

She hardly notices as he steps further away. Then the first blow comes, direct on one breast. Not hard, really, but surprising enough that she jumps. And before she's settled herself comes the next blow, across one hip. She grips the column with her fingers, tilts her head up, closes her eyes, and focuses on the sounds. The whir as the flogger gains momentum in the air. The hard thud as it lands on her. The gust of breath out of her mouth or nose, and the involuntary grunt or noise she makes. Drew is thorough, never hitting the same spot twice in a row, not neglecting any of her. The blows land all over her torso, her upper arms, down her outer thighs. He reddens all of her skin, but especially her breasts. He ends by landing alternating strikes on the very tips of her breasts, darkening the skin from just red to almost crimson. Each blow spreads a fire in her, on her skin to begin with. Then deeper as the sensitive nerve endings in her nipples and areolas protest their treatment.

Kenzie stands, shaking, a sheen of sweat in her hairline, her breath coming slow and measured by long force of habit and practice. She looks at him, and sees that he is also sweating, his eyes slightly dilated, and his cock swelling. He twirls his finger so she presents him with her back. As soon as she has gripped the column, he is on her again. These blows coming harder and faster. She finds the rhythm and is able to anticipate, is able to manage her reaction. She feels her back and ass warming, feels him paying extra attention to her butt. Just as she's settled into the pattern, he changes it. There's a barrage of multiple strikes in quick succession, enough that she lets out a real, full-throated shuddering groan. Then he stops.

Drew stands, staring at her. His cock at full attention jutting out from his fly, twitching slightly with each beat of his heart. She looks so beautiful to him, with the blood raised just under the surface of her skin. She's holding onto the column, feet spread, back arched just slightly so that her derriere is pushed out. He inhales her scent, arousal mixed with sweat mixed with tears.

Drew's mind flashes with other urges, other implements. He thinks about really binding her. He imagines pouring an entire candle over her ass. His sadist is dancing on his shoulder, screaming that she said she'd take anything, so why not give it to her? Drew gathers himself again. He exhales slowly, and reminds himself of the plan.

Just when Kenzie's started to think he's done, he starts up again. These hits coming impossibly fast, and she realizes he has a flogger in each hand. He's twisting them, like a baton twirler, so they can make contact in two smaller arcs. He's moving side to side, catching her flanks, her ribs, the side of her breasts. He works all the way up her back, and she feels the tips of the fronds raking through the hair on the nape of her neck as they land on her upper back.

She can't stand still, she's shaking, squirming, pressing her head onto the column. Her eyes are watering, she's grunting, crying out single syllables. She rises onto her toes and he swipes at her ankles. She pushes back and he lands multiple hits on her ass.

The pain is growing, a slow fire burning and catching other parts of her. But yet, at the center of everything, she is wet. She burns not just from the effects of the flogger, but from her arousal. Every impact on her begs to be answered by the impact of his cock in her cunt. She moans in anticipation of release as much as she moans to endure what's happening. She writhes in her simulacrum of passion and imagines Drew's weight on her inflamed skin.

And then it's over. Just as she'd reached the point of transforming pain into pleasure, she's left with neither. A cry hurtles out of her and she collapses against the column. Drew crowds into her, running his hand down her side, roughly turning her sideways and leaning them into the column. His hand finds her crotch, his fingers slipping into her. She is so wet, so aroused that she presses onto his hand as other arm wraps tightly around her tits, clamping his arm down mercilessly against her sensitized skin.

He fingers her roughly, quickly fucking her vagina and then rubbing her clit. His mouth is next to her ear.

"There she is. There's my pain slut." He flicks his finger across her clit, in and out of her entrance, listening to her breathing. She is limp in his arms, open to him, hoping that he'll just throw her to the floor and fuck her. She smiles, glad of that desire, glad that her hesitation from earlier has vanished. She feels an orgasm building, takes a few deep breaths. Drew stops.

He loosens his grip around her breasts, he pulls his hand away from her. He growls in her ear, "I bet you want to cum, don't you?"

She nods, vigorously. "Too bad." He reaches down and slaps her vulva, hard, with the flat of his palm, a half dozen times. She yelps, squeals, and twists in his arms. He shoves her against the column and slaps each of her tits. One hand on each tit, both from the top, then outsides, insides, up from the bottom, then twice more right on the already crimson tips. He stands back from her as she gasps, pants, and gradually controls her breathing. She makes herself look at him, and as soon as she meets his eye, he points back at his cock.

She stares at his prick as she gathers herself. She stands, feet slightly more than shoulder width apart, arms behind her back, one cuffed hand on the opposite elbow. When she has regained her composure, she smiles, and slightly parts her lips.

He walks to her, trailing his fingertips around her waist as he circles her. He stops behind her, wrapping his arms around her again, pressing himself into her back. He leans down fitting his cheek against hers, then turning his head to take her earlobe in his teeth.

"Touch me," he says, somewhere between a command and an entreaty.

Kenzie shifts her hands, brings them together and glides them along his stomach. She revels in the smooth wool of the vest, then the contrast when her fingers reach his shaft. She fits her hands together, wrapping both around him. She leans back into him, sliding her hands quickly up and down. He leans into her, arms wrapped tightly around her. Each of his hands massaging and squeezing the opposite breast.

He moves his hips in her grip, humping her hands. He presses himself into her, his face flush to her cheek, and her earlobe still in his teeth.

He whispers, so low she can barely hear him, even with his mouth at her ear. "Now you want me to fuck you, don't you?"

She nods.

"You want my cock in that dripping cunt of yours, right? You want me to pound your hungry pussy until you scream?"

She nods again, pressing herself to him, gripping his rod in both her hands.

He shifts his weight, pulling his hips away from her, but maintaining his embrace of her torso, and her earlobe in his mouth.

"You've gotta wait for it."

He bites down on her earlobe then steps back, gliding his hands all over her again, circling her again as she shudders from the sudden loss of contact.

Drew brings over the half thawed bottle of water, holds it to her mouth.

"There you go, love. Have some of this."

She drinks a few sips, and the cold liquid feels good running down her parched throat. Drew trails his fingers along her cheeks, wipes the tears that have sprung from her eyes. He puts the water back on the nightstand and gets the washcloth. He squeezes it so the whole thing is damp and not too freezing cold. He wipes her whole face gently.

"Your stronger than anything that's happened to you, babe. You have to know that." He drapes the washcloth over one shoulder, grips her face in his hands and tilts her head. "But, look at me." He's got the Devil's own grin on his face. "But, we're just getting to the good stuff."

He kisses her hard, and she kisses back. He smacks her ass several times, and laughs when she winces. He leads her to his contraption, and helps her step onto the platform. He shows her where to place her feet, further than shoulder width. He links the two cuffs together with one end of the S-hook, then puts the other end on the tubing. Her hands are linked together over her head. It's not much of a restraint, but that's part of the appeal for Drew.

He steps back, admiring her, idly caressing his cock. "You know, I kinda want to leave you like this. Maybe just whip you until I cum in my own hand."

Kenzie's adrenaline is starting to run, and the first endorphin rush is hitting. Her armor showing signs of fatigue, developing cracks. She sticks out her tongue at him. Drew laughs, fully from his belly. "Ok, masochist. Have it your way."

*~~* 5 *~~*

He turns to put the floggers away, puts the washcloth back in the bowl, takes a few swigs of water himself. When he walks back over to Kenzie on his contraption, he slides the bucket closer to him. He runs his hands all over her torso.

"Pick a number between one and ten," he orders. She raises her eyebrows. "Yes, out loud," he harrumphs.

"Six."

Drew smiles broadly. "Good; you were paying attention."

He reaches into the bucket. "Look what I just happen to have."

He holds up a piece of heavy twine, roughly a foot long. Affixed to it are six wooden clothespins. There's a couple of inches for a grip, then the pins are evenly spaced along the rest; knots in between keep the pins from sliding too far. Kenzie's eyes go wide when she sees it. Drew attaches the end pin to her abused nipple. He reaches into the bucket and pulls out a matching piece of twine, and captures the other nipple in one of the end pins on that string. She hisses.

"Let's see, what else is in here." He makes a show of rummaging around, and Kenzie hears God knows how many clothespins rattling in there. She takes a short deep breath, her heart really starting to pound. Drew pulls out two more zippers in the same configuration, each with six clothespins on roughly a foot of twine. These he attaches to her skin.

One zipper goes on the underside of each upper arm, and around her armpit. Then he pulls out a much longer piece of twine, with a single clothespin secured at one end. He pinches up a section of her skin at the top of her right breast and puts the clothespin there. He drapes the twine around the outside of her breast, and holds it in place with another clothespin. He crosses the twine over toward her left hip, and finds a piece of skin near her rib to hold it.

In a similar fashion, Drew starts another long zipper at the top of her left breast, with the twine crossing over the other piece, headed toward her right hip. Then he releases the pin on her right nipple, and affixes the six clothespins in that short zipper along her side, just below her ribcage. He completes the symmetry by putting the last short zipper in roughly the same spot on her other side.

He trails his fingers over the pins that are in place. He rummages in the bucket for more loose clothespins. He taps on a pin that's canted to one side. He pulls the twine taut across her stomach and begins placing clothespins on it below her navel, along the inside of her hip and toward her inner thigh. The two long zippers will form an X across her body. He leaves space around her belly button, and focuses on filling in from the ends.

When Drew is done, there's a crescent of clothespins around the outside of each of Kenzie's large breasts. It continues down across part of her ribs. There's a space in the middle and then two curvy lines of clothespins march across her lower stomach and toward her thighs.

With each pinch and pull of her skin, Kenzie's mind gets a little more blank. She sinks into the sensations of the pressure, then infinitesimally short moments when she can forget that a certain clothespin is on her. She concentrates on the feel of the air moving through her lips, on the low whistle she can make that Drew doesn't seem to register. She focuses on the tension in her arms, and wriggles her fingers. She is so busy distracting herself from the pain that she can't consider anything else. Each clothespin itself no worse than a gentle nip from Drew. But combined, and with him intentionally moving them, it feels like she's being showered in sparks.

Pain's a funny thing. It's experienced, it's lived through, but it's hard to remember. Kenzie remembers, now, some part of her first session with Drew involving clothespins. Remembers a zipper. Remembers a shock, and a split second blackout. But she can't remember what it actually felt like. She can't remember the last time Drew used this method. She can't remember if he's ever put so many on her.

She's trembling, trying not to squirm away from him as he works. He's methodically pulling clothespins out of the bucket and filling in every last inch of the long pieces of twine that he can. He's repositioning some of the pins closer to each other. He's testing her skin to see where it will pinch, how far it'll pinch, how deep he can make the pin bite. He knots the other end of the long strings, ensuring that the pins stay on the twine.

Drew's talking to her, softly, murmuring really. He's encouraging her to stay still. He's reassuring her that it will only feel like she's being flayed. It's not much reassurance. He's caressing her. He's leaning in close. He reminding her of harder things he's put her through. Of more difficult sessions they've done. He's touching her lightly, then flicking at a pin, drawing his fingers along her skin. He leans in to kiss her nipples, to kiss the inner aspect of her breasts. He's pressing himself against her, digging the pins in further, waiting until she gasps, or hisses, or moans.

He pulls back, steps away. He admires his handiwork. He thinks about going to get the camera. Decides that this is one session that needs to live only in their memories. His cock is aching, hard, jutting out from the fly of his dress pants. He'd loosened his tie before he flogged her, and now unbuttons his collar. He smooths his vest. He moves toward Kenzie, picking up the Hitachi as he goes.

He turns the vibrator on, watching Kenzie's eyes widen as she hears the familiar hum. He touches it to the clothespin at the top of one breast, and the sensation travels down the whole line. Kenzie rocks on her feet, and Drew presses against one inner thigh, repositioning her legs a little further out. He runs the Hitachi down her stomach, and holds it close to her vulva, without touching anything.

Kenzie almost squats to make contact, but Drew leans into her and murmurs in her ear. "You'll get yours, love." He taps the uppermost clothespin on the arm farthest from him. He taps it, tugs at it, jiggles all of them, until she groans. "Yeah, baby, you know what happens next."

She closes her eyes and nods, the corners of her lips twitching up.

"Look at me," Drew entreats. When she does, he asks, "Will you scream for me, Kenzie?"

She nods again, and Drew sees the first genuine smile since her return bloom over her face.

He looks into her eyes, and before she can register the movement, he's jerked off the zipper of pins. Kenzie does scream for him. A surprised exclamation of profanity, and then she is panting, groaning, and twisting. He pushes the Hitachi onto her clit and the vibrator works its magic. Soon, Kenzie is writhing for an entirely different reason. She is panting in passion, bucking against the plastic bulb, and cursing. She gasps, gasps again, holds her breath and her orgasm rolls over and through her from fingers to toes. Drew pulls the Hitachi away, and waits for her to settle. When she opens her eyes again he kisses her, licking her lips, and then nuzzling her neck.

His hand is reaching for the string on her side, closest to him. He shifts his stance a little, and fidgets with the pin at one end. Kenzie inhales and holds her breath, expecting the rip. Instead he pulls one pin off and she lets out a soft "oh".

Drew whispers, "This one is different. There are five pins left. Tell me five things about the time you were away."

Kenzie pulls away from him, looking sideways at him, then out into the room. "What?" she asks, incredulous. "You can't expect me to... I don't know."

Drew stands in front of her, one hand on the vibrator, now at his side. The other still holding onto the string, tugging just enough remind her how well it's attached. His voice is hard, unyielding. "Of course I can. Five things, babe, and then you get this." He holds up the vibrator.

He watches the emotions fight in her. She tenses up, looks down, looks up. Her fingers waving in the cuffs, her arms twisting. She breathes in. Lets it out slowly.

"Ok. It was hot."

Drew grunts. Yanks off a pin and Kenzie yelps. "Ok," Drew says wearily. "That was my fault. I should have been more specific. Tell me four more things that I couldn't figure out by watching the news."

He's continuing to play with the string. Kenzie searches for something easy to tell him. "I worked fifteen days straight."

He jerks; she grunts. "Ok, babe. Three more."

She's looking at the floor. Trying to hold back the flood. "Most days were twelve or fourteen hours."

"Jesus. That's rough." He pops another pin, and she lets out another startled yelp. "Two more, honey."

Drew inches closer to her, holds the Hitachi close to her. Her eyes are screwed shut. "It stank. It fucking stank." She's sucking in air, and just as she has to let it out, Drew jerks the string and another pin detaches. The "OH" shoots out and her head careens back.

Drew stands very close to her. Says very softly, "Just one more, love. One more thing."

Kenzie can feel the air vibrating close to her pussy lips. Her body recognizes the promise of another orgasm. She dredges up one last safe thing to say. "I slept three or four hours a night. It was just too hard to sleep."