Finding You Bk. 02: Paradigm Shift

She gave him a sweet smile, pulled the pocket over the corner of the mattress, and tucked it under. "This will go faster with two of us."

He nodded and with her help, had the bed remade and ready for them to go to sleep in no time at all.

CHAPTER 56

"Lie on your stomach, angel. I need to tend to the welts on your beautiful ass before we go to sleep."

Tabby was more than happy to crawl onto the bed and stretch out on her stomach; she relaxed with a contented sigh, and let her body sink into the soft, cushioned top while Marcus disappeared into the bathroom. The more she relaxed, the more she became aware of a host of various aches and pains that she'd managed to ignore until now.

Her body hurt in places it had never hurt before and the discomfort coming from her abused butt made her imagine that a blowtorch was hovering over her skin. The sizzling heat danced and prickled across her skin, making her wince every time she moved. The numbing effect of the endorphins that had been masking the pain was beginning to wear off and Tabby was starting to feel every stroke of that blasted belt as if they were fresh.

She yawned; exhaustion pulling her closer to sleep, but it couldn't alleviate the sense of relief that made her feel buoyant and bubbly inside. She was so tired, but that didn't stop her from wanting to jump about, as Petra did when she was excited, laughing until her sides hurt. Not even the pain from her strapping could dampen her happiness.

She didn't have to worry about carrying her secret anymore. Marcus knew and he hadn't made her leave. Yes, he had beaten her ass with a belt, but seeing the hurt it had caused him, she agreed that she had deserved it. In hindsight, she did regret keeping the knowledge from Marcus and now that she thought about it, she felt silly and childish about making such a huge deal about it. Her face heated in a blush of shame. She'd screwed up, but she was still here and that was what she needed to focus on. Everything was in the past and now and undoing the misguided decision she had made was impossible.

Her tired brain drifted to a much more pleasant memory. Marcus had started calling her angel again and her heart had leapt with joy at hearing the pet-name roll off his tongue. The awful distance that had separated them had disappeared and she felt their bond beginning to reassert itself, pulling them together again. Its reappearance had immediately calmed her and the tension and anxiety had eased. Marcus had been correct when he had said that by accepting her punishment, it had set things back to rights between them and Tabby was just beginning to understand a small part of the intense dynamics that made up a D/s relationship.

She had many questions that she wanted to ask him about her odd reactions near the end of her punishment and why the last few strokes had almost felt good. It didn't make sense to her at all, considering how much that fucking belt had hurt at first. Tabby had a strange feeling that if he had continued for a few more strokes, she might have actually orgasmed from the pain from the belt alone. How could pain make her cum and feel so good? She was very confused at that, but too tired to want to discuss it now. She yawned again, stretched, and closed her eyes to wait for Marcus, falling asleep to the memory of his talented fingers inside of her.

Marcus searched his bathroom for the arnica salve and finally found it hiding at the back of the medicine cabinet behind a box of bandages. When he returned to the bedroom, Tabby was sprawled on the bed looking like a sexy starfish, sound asleep. He had to steady himself on the doorframe, overcome by how beautiful she looked relaxed into sleep. The angry red marks on her rear seemed to glow in comparison to the pale, creaminess of the rest of her skin and Marcus felt a flash of regret before a heated wave of desire consumed his guilt and instantly stiffened his cock.

Those were his marks on her skin, he thought with a possessive ownership that made his beast want to strut with pride at his handiwork. The more he stared at her, the harder his cock pulsed and Marcus almost dropped the jar of cream with the fierce need pounding at him.

Walking quietly over to the bed, he sat beside her and twisted the lid off the jar. He spread a dollop of cool cream onto her skin, gently massaging it into the welts and bruises that were just starting to develop into dark stains. The arnica would help with the bruising and provide some pain relief. His beast grumbled at that. If he had his way, he would parade her proudly in the streets so that everyone could see his marks and know that this woman was his.

He worked some more cream into a particularly dark bruise. It must have been sore because Tabby whimpered and shrank away from his touch.

"Just a little bit more, angel," he murmured. She grumbled something unintelligible and Marcus leaned over and kissed her shoulder.

"Shhh, angel. Let me care for you now," he said, rubbing her back until she calmed and settled. "Sleep, little one. You've earned it." Marcus was glad that Tabby was asleep so that she couldn't see the way his hands shook as he cared for her. Touching her warm skin brought him such a sense of peace that the strength of the emotion was unravelling his carefully erected defenses. It was only when she was like this, unaware in sleep, that Marcus even dared to show the depths to which this beautiful, fragile, angel was affecting him.

She'd be the ruin of him and he wasn't entirely sorry about that.

He finished tending to her bruises, picked her up and carefully placed her under the covers without waking her. With a light kiss on her cheek, he left her to sleep while he returned to the bathroom. After washing his hands and face, Marcus dropped heavily onto the covered toilet and laid his head in his hands.

In the quiet solitude of the bathroom, all the emotions he'd had to deny came rushing back at him, leaving him trembling and weak. His mind was a chaotic stew of guilt, arousal and a need so intense that it robbed the breath from his lungs. He had hated punishing Tabby, yet at the same time, her tears and cries had aroused him to the point of pain.

Seeing her pussy swollen and ripe, his beast had wanted nothing more than to fuck her senseless, driving home the point that he was trying to make her understand in a way she'd remember. The incredible effort it had taken to hold that urge at bay had left him drained and still painfully erect. He had wanted to hurt her, to make her beg and cry out his name as he turned her pain into a pleasure that would have sent her soaring into the atmosphere.

He'd felt like a monster, hearing her beg for him to stop, when all he'd wanted to do was destroy her so that he could be the one to build her back up. Now that it was over, all Marcus wanted to do was hold her, chain her soul to his heart and...fuck! That forbidden "L" word hovered in the shadows, battling through the thorns of his defenses, trying to elbow its way into his heart.

He shook his head in a vain attempt to clear the dangerous emotion from his mind. He would give her everything, but not that. He would never be able to leave himself defenseless again. She could take everything he had, his battered, worthless soul included, but love would not be part of the bargain. Regret and a profound sense of loss chilled him. He'd work hard to make sure that she didn't notice the lack, burying it under his consuming need for her, keeping her satisfied so that the issue never arose.

Once again, Marcus had the sinking feeling that he was attempting to sprint in a pool of quick sand. Tabitha had already proven that she was intuitive and smart. His ruse would work for a while, keeping her distracted with exciting, new experiences and kinky fuckery to occupy her attention. Eventually, she was going to realise that something was missing, that he was holding back a piece of him that was vital to their little triad having a future. When she did, Marcus knew that he'd lose her forever.

He felt like a fraud and worse, a hypocrite. Hadn't he just spanked her for withholding similar information?

He was such a bastard.

What was he supposed to do...tell her that he was never going to be able to love her completely and unconditionally, because he was terrified that she would betray him like Daria had done? Fuck no. She'd run and losing her would be the death of him. He'd just have to make sure that she never got the chance to question him or his motives.

Unable to ignore the relentless, throbbing pressure from his erection any longer, he reached for the button on his jeans, slid it free and yanked his pants down over his hips. Purple and swollen, his cock sprang free and bounced angrily against his abdomen making him wince with discomfort. He couldn't sleep like this and if he got into bed beside his angel in this state, he'd be inside her in a heartbeat.

There was no help for it, he wrapped his fist around his shaft and began to stroke upwards, groaning as his palm slid over the damp crown. He stared out the open door to where Tabby was blissfully unaware of what he was doing and kept his gaze glued to her sleeping face as he worked his hand faster and faster on his erection. He felt the orgasm surge a split second before his warm semen splattered onto his naked thighs and belly bringing such an intense feeling of relief that Marcus almost slid off the toilet seat and onto the floor in a boneless heap.

This time, masturbating had felt fucking awesome.

Gone was the depression that used to follow.

Gone was the gut wrenching despair.

The knowledge that Tabby was right there in front of him and that he could have her at will, made up for all the empty orgasms he'd suffered while waiting for her to recover.

She was his and he was never going to give her up, at least not willingly.

He wouldn't survive losing her a second time.

CHAPTER 57

A soft sigh from the bedroom had his heart taking off into flight. An explosion of butterflies drowned out his heartbeat and filled him with a strangled, effervescent joy that edged aside the dark thoughts tormenting him. Not for the first time, Marcus found himself awed by how lucky a man he was since finding her...and how that glorious stroke of luck had essentially condemned him to a hell of his own making.

He quickly cleaned himself up and headed to the bed. Climbing in between the cool sheets, Marcus felt the exhaustion from the night's endeavors settle heavily in his muscles as he relaxed into the mattress. Tabby must have sensed his movements and turned onto her side, facing away from him. He smiled and moved closer to her, spooning up along the length of her back, pulling her to his chest and falling asleep with her cradled to his body.

Tabby shifted in her sleep, her ass rubbing against a part of Marcus' anatomy that had had no plans of resting so easily. A stab of arousal penetrated his sleep and roused him with a painful throbbing coming from his ready-to-rock erection. He tried to ignore the pulsing pressure, but then Tabitha's sweet fragrance found its way into his nostrils and all thoughts of sleep vanished as a wave of lust heated his blood.

He pulled her tighter to him, burying his nose in her hair and kissing the nape of her neck so softly that she remained asleep while he indulged himself. His hand brushed over one firm breast and the heat emanating from her skin, scorched his nerves with a need so raw that he had to grit his teeth to keep from biting down into the soft flesh of her neck.

With his chest feeling as if barbed wire twined around his ribcage, Marcus couldn't deny the pressure his beast was exerting on him.

He wanted her.

Now.

Every second that he wasn't inside her had become intolerable. He was suddenly ravenous to have her and could barely think about anything else. One hand strayed down between her legs and found her bare cleft. A finger slid inside told him that she was nowhere near wet enough to accommodate a cock of his girth without serious risk of injury. He wasn't so far gone as to force himself onto a sleeping woman without ensuring that the experience would be pleasurable for her as well as safe.

Rolling onto his back, Marcus reached over to his nightstand and yanked open the drawer. Lying in the clutter, he found a tube of lubricant and coated his straining cock with a liberal layer of the thick gel. The lube would ensure that he could penetrate her easily and not hurt her in the process. He tossed the tube over his shoulder, hooked an arm around Tabby's middle and angled her rear towards his hips.

She muttered and squirmed in his grasp but calmed when he hushed her. With one arm keeping her in position and the other grasping his cock, Marcus sought her entrance and pushed gently against the opening. Tabby moaned sleepily as the tip penetrated her and Marcus inched his erection forward. She shuddered and Marcus pushed in a little further, feeling the walls of her canal stretch and tighten around his shaft. He groaned and buried his face in the nape of her neck.

"M-Marcus?" she murmured, disoriented by being woken up so soon after falling asleep.

"Shh, angel. Forgive me, but I needed to be inside you."

She yawned and mumbled, "Mmmm. 'kay."

He advanced his erection further and she gave a long, low groan. "Feels good."

"I know baby. Your pussy is so fucking tight. Going this slow is killing me."

She gave a little giggle, more awake and shifted her hips, giving him better access. "Then go faster, Sir."

"Minx," he replied and with a quick thrust, sunk into her depths fully sheathing himself inside her body.

She gasped and a wild shiver ran up her spine. A momentary burst of pain shocked her, but it passed quickly, leaving a growing heat simmering in its place.

Marcus halted as soon as she stiffened in his arms. "You okay, angel? Am I hurting you?"

"No," she panted. "I'm okay. Great even. You're so big, Sir. I couldn't appreciate that fact before."

Marcus slid back and Tabby moaned. "Oh god!"

"I love your pussy, angel. Let me stay here forever," he begged. He pulled back until only the crown was left engaged in her canal. "You ready, angel?"

"Yes, fuck yes. Please."

The way her voice shook with need only fanned the flames of Marcus' lust brighter and hotter. He pivoted his hips and surged forward, melding their two bodies into one unit. He repeated the motion, slowly pulling out, letting friction drive both of them wild and then pounding into her, making her cry out for more.

What had begun as leisurely, sleepy sex had quickly turned into a passionate mating of two souls. Not happy with the angle that he was entering her, Marcus rolled onto his back, bringing Tabby with him. She yelped at suddenly finding herself sitting in the reverse position with his giant cock still impaled inside her.

"Oh fuck!" she groaned as her new upright position forced his erection even deeper inside of her.

"Ride me, angel. I want to watch my cock sliding in and out of you."

He gave her a light slap on her thigh and Tabby leaned forward, testing out her balance. She wasn't quite sure how to do as he asked and raised herself tentatively up, feeling him sliding inside her.

"Put your hands on my thighs and take your weight onto your arms. Use your hips to raise yourself up and down, angel," he guided her.

She did as he had instructed, giving her ass a wiggle. She laughed. "So basically, you're asking me to twerk on your dick?"

Marcus burst out laughing, caressing her back. "Yeah, baby, pretty much!"

Tabby's first few bounces where awkward, she rose too high and Marcus had to reposition his shaft a few times, but as she got the hang of her balance, her movements became more confident. The view Marcus had was spectacular and the sight of his cock disappearing and reappearing all wet and glistening with her honey held a sorcery all of its own. He reached a hand forward and began to rub the stretched skin of her opening as she bounced up and down on his dick, finding her rhythm.

"God, yes, yes, yes," she moaned, coating his fingers in her slippery juices.

Preoccupied with what she was doing, she wasn't paying attention when he slid his slick finger up the crease of her ass, stopping when he found her tight rosebud entrance. The position that she was leaning in gave him perfect access and he began massaging the puckered skin to get her used to the feel. Slowly, he applied more pressure, dipping his fingertip into her as she came down on him. Tabby was quickly losing herself in the sensations electrifying her body and didn't notice when Marcus' finger entered her other hole completely.

"Stop moving for a minute, angel," he said, grabbing hold of her and preventing her from moving. "I want you to just feel for a second."

Tabby halted and looked over her shoulder at Marcus. A strange sensation gripped her and she quivered and closed her eyes at the powerful surge of desire that flooded her core from her...ass. Her eyes snapped open and she gave Marcus a shocked glance.

"Feels good, doesn't it, sweet baby?" Marcus grinned at her and pumped his index finger into her ass, making her weak with the feelings he was generating.

"Y-yes...oh fuck..." she shuddered and unconsciously ground down on his finger.

"Do you want more?" he asked.

She nodded. "Please, Marcus."

He coated his middle finger in more of her nectar and gently pressed it to her rear entrance. This time, there was more resistance as he slid it along his other finger. Tabby whimpered and he stopped.

"What are you feeling, angel. Tell me."

"I-I don't know...really. It hurts but it feels good too." He wiggled his finger inside her, she gasped, and her muscles clamped down around his digit.

"It's normal for it to sting the first few times. I'm only going to use my fingers tonight but next time, we will begin proper anal training, angel." He edged his second finger further inside her and her hand whipped back to grab his wrist.

"It hurts, Marcus!" she whimpered.

"Trust me, angel. The sting will fade once my finger passes into you."

He gave her moment to adjust and then smiled at her nod of acceptance. "Good girl."

With a quick push of his finger, it slipped past the tight inner ring of muscles to rest beside the first finger. Tabby gave a little cry and her ass shook in the palm of his hand, but she didn't try to pull away. It had burned when his finger had gone in but, Marcus hadn't been lying, the burn was subsiding into something weirdly pleasurable.

He was stroking her back, letting her get used to the sensation. "How does it feel now, beautiful?"

"Weird, but good, I think," she gave a self-conscious laugh.

"Do you want to see how good it can feel?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir. I think I do," she looked back and gave him a shy smile.

Marcus slowly pulled his fingers back and Tabby collapsed on his thighs, overcome by the electric jolts of arousal that the movement caused. He pushed back in and began stroking in and out of her ass, angling his fingers so that they rubbed against the bulk of his cock pressing through the thin membrane that separated the two passages.

Tabby couldn't breathe; her brain was losing cohesion as the arousal built at a frantic pace. Marcus began to thrust up into her pussy, driving into her with bone shaking impacts that had her uttering a constant stream of moans, curses and cries.

"Tell me when you're going to cum, angel." He ground out, intent on chasing his own orgasm.

"Oh god, oh fuck! Now! Now! Now!" she managed to pant out as her vision blurred and a tremendous wave of pleasure rushed towards her. Marcus' fingers pummeled her ass tipping her over edge into the grip of an explosive release. Moisture sprayed out from around his shaft, soaking his belly as Tabby screamed and convulsed, her muscles clamping down with crushing force around his cock and fingers. Her grip curled her fingers into claws that dug her fingernails into his thighs, but Marcus couldn't feel it, the overwhelming scent of her arousal and the vise-like grip that her muscles had on him, catapulted him into the path of an oncoming train.