The Knotted Rope

"Not at all," Wendy replied. "We love watching something new."

Lady Jillian laughed, but I could hear a note of nervousness. I resolved to be the best, most well-mannered slave I could to show everyone watching what a great mistress Lady Jillian was.

Wendy began unbuckling Bass, stroking his skin with gentle fingers and speaking in a low voice.

Once he was free, he stepped off to the side of the room, stretching his muscles, and Wendy began wiping down the cross. "Besides, we've been here a while," she continued as she showed Lady Jillian how to adjust the straps. "Unless the place is empty, no one uses the cross for more than about fifteen minutes."

Wendy left once Derek was all buckled in, and Lady Jillian retrieved the flogger from the shelf. Smirking, she stepped up to him, considering, and ran a fingernail over his chest. I could see him breathing hard, and the front of his pants bulged a little. Lady Jillian stepped back and swung, landing a medium blow squarely across his middle. She continued on in a slow, steady rhythm, heavy blows, light blows, stinging flicks to his arms.

Not for the first time, I wondered at her control of the whip. She must have practiced at home when weren't there.

I glanced over as Bass came stepping up. He smiled at me and sat on the floor beside me. I smiled back, thinking how surreal it was to be casually kneeling next to a completely naked man I don't know, and for everyone to be totally fine with it.

"So, you're new, huh?" he asked.

I cringed slightly. "Is everyone going to be asking that?"

I glanced back at Lady Jillian. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be talking to anyone, but she was still occupied with Derek.

Bass chuckled. "Sorry. It's not every day we get new people, especially as pretty as you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a come-on?"

"No, no," he said. "...unless you want it to be." He grinned at me. "No, just being honest. Besides, it looks like we're both on the same end of the leash, so to speak. It would never work between us, darling. Our love must go on unfulfilled!"

He affected a tragically mournful expression.

I snickered. "Well, I do switch, from time to time."

"Do you? Now that would be... very interesting. I would love to see you up there with a whip."

"And from which position would you be looking?" I sassed back.

"Whichever position you would let me look from," he replied mildly.

"Oh, you're good at this." I grinned. "I'm married, though, so I'm very... selective about my partners."

"Married?" He nodded thoughtfully. "Not too unusual. To him? Or to her? Or both?"

"To him. She's a friend. A very good friend."

Bass looked over towards the cross. Lady Jillian had turned Derek around and was now striping his back with a wicked grin. He was letting out a low groan with every strike.

"Well, I guess she'd have to be, wouldn't she?" He turned back to me. "So how do you like the place so far?"

"I like it. It's... interesting. I've never... uh, actually been to a, uh, club like this before."

"Ah. I've been to several, and this is by far the best one. I mean, how many other clubs can you get a double mocha latte at?"

I nodded. "The cafe is a good idea. It's nice upstairs."

"Yeah. We actually have a few people who just stay upstairs and never come to play. I mean, to each their own," he shrugged, "but it seems to me to be a pretty steep membership fee just for coffee."

"Well, the food isn't bad either," I commented with a grin.

"Girl!" The sharp bark wiped the grin from my face and I turned to see Lady Jillian striding towards me with a stern expression. Derek was down from the cross and wiping it down.

"Uh, oh, I got you in trouble," Bass muttered, pulling himself to his feet. "Sorry." He gave Lady Jillian a bow and stepped aside.

"Are you having a good time over here?" Lady Jillian sneered. "Should I leave you alone with... Bass? Maybe you prefer his company over mine."

"No, Lady Jillian!" I cried. "No, I want you, your company."

"Oh, so now I'm here for you, is that it?" She planted her fists on her hips, one hand still clutching the flogger.

"No, no. I'm here for you, Lady Jillian. I'm here to serve you." I bent over and touched my forehead to the floor. She was silent for a moment, tapping her toe, before reaching down to pat my head.

"I forgive you, girl. I'm a kind mistress, am I not?"

"Yes, Lady Jillian. Kind and merciful and beautiful."

"Now stand up and come here." She grabbed my leash again and led me over to Derek now waiting by the cross. I knelt next to him, and to my surprise, Lady Jillian crouched facing us. She managed to look authoritative even while looking us in the eye.

"Now, girl," she told me, "I am going to put you on that cross, and I am going to take off your top." She paused to let us take that in. My breath caught in my throat. Take off my... I suddenly remembered the tape she had placed over my nipples. She had planned this!

"If this is too much for you - for either of you - you know what to say."

We had only used our safe words a couple times, but she made sure we remembered them and used them if we had to. For me, it was Portia. For Derek, it was Banana. And for this place, I reasoned, Red would also work, being something of a universal standard.

Portia. One word, and I could keep my corset on. Just one word, and none of these strangers would see my bare breasts. But was this a deal-breaker? Was it that serious? None of these people knew who I was, and I knew none of them. A topless woman was nothing new or shocking for them.

A long minute stretched past. I looked to Derek. He looked uncertain, but also excited. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"It's up to you," he told me. I turned to Lady Jillian and nodded.

"Whatever you wish, Lady Jillian. I trust you."

She drew a satisfied breath and stood up briskly, snapping her fingers.

"Boy, take care of it."

We stood and Derek gently unlaced my corset. He hesitated, and I took a deep breath before he removed it. My large, full breasts swung free, the tape pulling slightly. I self-consciously sucked in my gut as I felt strangers' eyes on my skin. Holding my corset, Derek turned to Lady Jillian. She gestured to the cross and Derek obediently began strapping me in, facing the cross. I closed my eyes, trying to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I remembered my resolution to be the perfect slave and smoothed my expression.

Derek stepped aside and knelt nearby holding my corset while Lady Jillian paced with the whip. I couldn't see her or the rest of the room behind me, of course, so the first strike came as a surprise.

I cried out. I heard two quick steps, and then felt a sharp, heavy slap to my behind.

"Really, girl. I know you have trouble keeping quiet, but I expected better of you. Boy did so well."

"Yes, Lady Jillian. I'm sorry. I will do better."

"Yes, you will." She reached around to squeeze one of my breasts, then stepped back. The flogger fell heavily and steadily as it had for Derek, and closed my eyes, letting time slip away.

After a while, I felt a cool hand smoothing over my back and the restraints were unbuckled. Lady Jillian turned me around with a smile. "Very good, girl. You can learn."

She bucked me back again, facing out.I closed my eyes again as she began on my front and prayed that the tape would stay secure. Not that it covered much, but anything was better than nothing.

Lady Jillian stalked in front of me, fingering her whip.

She leaned forward and kissed me sensually, then leaned back and dragged a fingernail down my neck, between my breasts, and over my stomach. She poked me slightly.

"Let it out," she whispered. "It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of you, only me. And you wouldn't lie to me, would you?" She arched her eyebrow.

"No, Lady Jillian," I replied, and relaxed my stomach, embarrassed that she noticed.

"No one is going to be looking at your stomach anyway," she smirked. "Not with your luscious tits hanging out."

My cheeks heated, and she looked down, tracing a finger along the top edge of my jeans. Quickly, she popped open the button and jerked the zipper open, tugging the pants down just enough to display my tiny, fire red lace thong.

She took two steps back and swung the flogger.

Despite my best intentions, I flinched as it bit into my soft midsection, sucking in a breath.

I steeled myself for the next blow, then reconsidered and relaxed, letting out a long, slow breath, willing myself to calm. I took the next blow with more composure. I closed my eyes again and let myself forget the room, concentrating on the whip and the fiery pain on my skin. She struck me again and again, heavy blows that made me suck in my breath and light, stinging cracks that made me hiss through my teeth.

"Trying out the cross?" came a man's voice. "I approve."

My eyes flew open. It was Leo, standing near Derek and Bass.

I noticed that Blade had moved on to another part of the room, but Wendy was back and watching.

"I'm glad you approve of how I treat my pets," Lady Jillian remarked dryly.

Leo chuckled. "She looks good," he replied. "And she is doing well. I'd like to see how your other one does."

"He was up first," Wendy told him.

Leo pouted, giving Derek a hungry look. "Oh, I'm sorry I missed it."

Lady Jillian shrugged and swung again, striking my breasts. I stifled a gasp."Maybe next time," she told him.

Leo didn't reply, only looked me up and down with an appreciative smirk and slid a hand over the front of his pants, stroking himself gently. I closed my eyes again and my face flushed.

Lady Jillian followed my gaze. "Is he making you uncomfortable?" she asked me softly. "Or is he making you wet?" She stepped close to my side and slid a hand down the front of my pants. "Mmm, he is making you wet."

"You make me wet, Lady Jillian," I protested.

"Of course I do, but we're not talking about me. You know you get hot watching a stranger touch his dick thinking about you." Her finger slid over my clit, gently rolling it between two fingertips. I jerked a little at the sensation. "Boy, come here," she called.

Derek rose to his feet and stepped over to us.

"She has been very brave, don't you agree?"Lady Jillian asked. "Kiss her welts and make her feel better."

"Yes, Lady Jillian," he murmured and leaned forward, kissing my breasts and running a light hand down my side. Lady Jillian continued to play with my clit, slick between her fingers. "Look at Leo," she told me. Glancing over, I saw that he had sat down in a chair and had unzipped his pants. He watched us, cock in his hand, stroking slowly.

"Look at how hard he is just looking at you, a whore on display. Do you think he's imagining stuffing that dick of his into your pretty little mouth? What do you think it would taste like? What do you think it would feel like in your cunt?" My clit throbbed under her fingers as Derek's hot mouth trailed over my breast and down my stomach.

"I could let him do it," she continued. "I could give you to him, let him fuck you any way he wants to. Or I could make you show him what great head you give. Let him see what a good slave you are."

I moaned as she rubbed faster and harder. I closed my eyes, and with a hiss, Lady Jillian pulled her hand out of my pants and slapped me across the face. I cried out in surprise and pain.

"I didn't say to close your eyes," she snapped. "I told you to watch Leo."

My cheek stung and sparks filled my vision, but I nodded and squeaked out a "Yes, Lady Jillian. I'm sorry."

She slipped her hand back into my jeans, and I looked towards Leo. He was stroking his cock faster, his eyes locked on me. Derek continued to kiss my skin, cupping my breasts with his hands. Lady Jillian's fingers slid back and forth, and she bit my ear.

"You're going to cum for me," she told me. "With all these people watching, I'm going to make you scream."

I felt my face heating again, mortified. First, showing my breasts to complete strangers, now cumming while they watched? While one of them got off to it? In spite of my embarrassment, or maybe because of it, I could feel my orgasm rising, a slow heat inside me, and I began to draw deeper breaths. Leo licked his lips, his mouth open, his chest heaving. Derek slid his thumbs over my nipples, hard beneath the tape. Lady Jillian rubbed harder, and I instinctively ground on her hand.

"Look at his cock," she whispered. "See how it's already wet? Think about your lips on that dick, licking it up, tasting him, sliding it deep into your mouth. I know what a greedy little whore you are. You'll do anything for a taste of cock."

I was gasping now, holding my breath, pressing my head back into the headrest. I was on the edge now, release hovering just beyond reach.

Leo gripped the edge of his chair with one hand, the other stroking wildly. His neck tensed, and he let out a groan, his dick pulsing, jets of cum spurting up.

The dam broke, and I screamed.

While I was catching my breath, Lady Jillian began to unbuckle me, caressing my skin and making soothing sounds. I let my head rest briefly on her shoulder as I gathered myself.

Lady Jillian told us to wipe down the cross, and stepped over to chat with Wendy. Leo cleaned himself up and joined them. I could hear him complimenting Lady Jillian on her slaves, telling her how much he enjoyed us, as if it weren't obvious. I suspected that he was angling for permission to play with us. Lady Jillian pretended not to realize what he was driving at, though, and once we were done with our task, we approached to kneel at her feet. She bent over to clip our leashes onto our collars.

"Well, that was a fun appetiser," she said breezily. "Shall we get a private room?"

Lady Jillian did not put my corset back on but led us as we were back out into the hall. She spoke to the man waiting there and he stood to unlock a room for us. Irrationally, I felt more naked beneath his bored eyes than I had sharing an orgasm with a stranger while others watched.

The room inside was much smaller than the public space, though still clean and well lit. Another cross stood at one side, and a narrow, adjustable table filled the center of the room. Floggers and paddles hung from one wall, and a large mirror on another, and the ceiling was studded with several large hooks.

Lady Jillian wasted no time, sweeping Derek to her chest and kissing his mouth hard, her fingers gripping his hair while she roughly undid his pants. Shoving them down, she wrapped her hand around his dick, and he sighed against her lips. She stroked him for a minute, then pushed him away, raking her nails down his chest. She turned to me and ripped the tape from my nipples. I gasped, but she leaned down to suck on each in turn, soothing them with her tongue.

"Take off the rest," she commanded me, then turned to the padded table. She spent a few minutes looking at it and adjusting the panels until she seemed satisfied. The top was hinged in the middle, and she had set it to slope downward on one side. Then she pulled a set of chains from her bag and looped them over two hooks in the ceiling, attaching cuffs to the other ends.

"Come, girl." She patted the flat end of the table, and I resisted the urge to make a cheeky comment about "coming." She sat me on the table facing the sloped side and strapped my arms into the dangling cuffs. She positioned Derek facing me, straddling the table and leaning on the slope, bringing his head up between my legs. She cuffed his hands to rings on the sides of the table and then fastened my legs in place in the same way.

Leaning close over Derek, she grabbed his hair to lift his head.

"You are not to lick until I say so, understood?"

"Yes, Lady Jillian," he rasped.

"Good."

She stood and began pacing around us.

"Now, you both have been thoroughly whipped, and you've been very, very good today. But it would be a shame to waste this opportunity. What do you think?"

"Whatever you wish, Lady Jillian," I replied as Derek said "If you think it's best, Lady Jillian."

She clucked her tongue. "My, what well behaved slaves I have. In that case..." She wandered over to the floggers on the wall and chose a short one with shiny tails. "I think a little bit more. But as a gift to you, you may make all the noise you want." She grinned and began.

She started soft, unfamiliar with the whip. It felt cool on my back, but my skin soon began to warm again. She began striking with a heavier hand, and the bite of the whip grew sharper, on my back and shoulders, my breasts, Derek's back and legs. He gasped each time it landed, and I could feel his hot breath on my thighs. The room filled with our cries of pain and pleasure, punctuated with the crack of the whip. Twice, she struck me very hard, and I ducked my head, fighting back tears from the searing pain, but she stepped close to me and kissed the spot tenderly, stroking my hair.

"Do you need to say something?" she asked me softly. She was asking for my safe word.

I shook my head. "No. It's better already."

She smiled and stepped back to continue.

By the time she put the flogger away, I could see Derek's back was a bright pink and crossed with livid stripes, and my back felt the same. For a few minutes, she did something behind my back that I couldn't see, rustling her bag. Then she walked back into view, wearing the strap-on from the previous night.

"Now, I think it's time for a bit of a reward for the both of you." She stepped up behind Derek and slowly dripped lube onto the cleft of his ass, following it with her hand, sliding it gently down and around to caress his balls. Derek let out a low groan.

"You go ahead and lick that pussy, boy," Lady Jillian commanded. "And I'm going to fuck your ass."

He moaned again and mumbled "Yes, Lady Jillian."

"Well, get at it!"

He licked me slowly, sending a shiver of pleasure through me. Lady Jillian hadn't told us to be quiet again, so I let myself sigh. I watched her position the black dildo and slowly press forward, easing it gently and slowly. Derek paused to moan at each press, the vibration of his lips on my clit tingling. Slowly, he swirled his tongue around my clit, then sucked it. I pulled at my chains, wishing I could run my fingers through his hair. Then Lady Jillian slid home, and he moaned loudly.

"Is that it, boy?" she asked him, slapping his ass lightly. "You love getting fucked, don't you? You can do better than that. Louder, boy."

He moaned louder and she thrust harder into him.

"I said louder!"

He pulled back his head and yelled hoarsely. She slapped his ass again, harder.

"I never told you to stop eating her cunt." She grinned wickedly.

He fell back to his task with a fervor, but I was more interested in watching his pleasure than focusing on my own. Lady Jillian grabbed his hips, fucking him hard and slowly, and he groaned and gasped. My fingers clenched as I imagined holding his dick, stroking it, scratching his chest with my fingernails, sucking on the tip of his cock... I whimpered, tugging on my chains.

Lady Jillian was moaning now, her silicone cock deep in Derek's ass, as she stroked herself on the end inside the harness.

Suddenly, she pulled out, bringing a frustrated cry to Derek's lips. She unhooked his cuffs and pulled him back, then stepped around the table, quickly releasing my restraints. She was breathing hard and had a slightly wild, lustful look on her face.

She grabbed my head, kissing my mouth hard, parting my lips with her tongue, pulling back just as suddenly.

"Down," she grunted, and guided me down the sloped end of the table beneath Derek. She stepped back around behind him and slapped him.

"Fuck her, boy," she demanded. "Fuck her hard!"

Derek and I moaned together as his dick slid into me, hard and pulsing. Then Derek groaned and gasped as Lady Jillian slid into his ass again.