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“Bondage. Not all bondage,” he amended when she glanced back at him. “I've been advised not to put my leg under too much strain. Long periods of extension, twisting into unnatural or uncomfortable positions put me through hell—I have no issues with cuffs, ropes, whatever; it's just the position.”
“Of course. I won't put you under duress,” she promised as they sailed through the double doors into the social area. “Wait here. I just need to collect my bag from the locker room. Is your leg hurting you?”
“A few twinges,” he admitted quietly, hating the weakness. “Nothing that can't be ignored.”
“No, we don't ignore injuries, Thane, no matter how old they are. Stand here. I'll only be a moment.” She darted off into the locker room with long, sexy strides that swayed her hips. He had a fondness for those hips.
As he did as he was ordered,Thane spotted Liam back behind the bar. In the seating pit, Bodie curled up on her Master's knee, half asleep, while Braun stroked her back and conversed with Loki, Atticus, and Jasper. Like Bodie, Archie snuggled into her fiancé, looking blissfully absent from the discussion. They made such a statement, he wondered if they could see it.
The epitome of family, of community, of belonging.
It was humbling to understand that he was one of the fragments supporting that unit now. Connie was giving him everything she had, bit by bit, but one of the things he treasured most was something she hadn't given, but had simply dragged him into. She'd pulled him into that small community, into the Masters' circle, and trusted him to help strengthen it. It was so stupidly easy to bring the wrong element into a familial unit and have it rip the beauty of it apart at the seams.
“Bodie convinced Braun not to take her home yet,” Connie murmured with disapproval as she joined him again. They continued through to the walkway. “She should be at home, in bed, resting. Doing a little takes a lot out of her right now. If she's not careful, she'll be exhausted for the next few days and end up bedridden. But that's for Braun to deal with,” she decided. “Any other limits you'd like to set in place?”
“Pain. I can take high amounts, but I'm not a masochist.”
“Then it's fortunate I'm not a sadist. Well, not to Jasper's level, anyway. Anything else?”
“Not that I can think of. Would you like me to take your bag, Mistress?”
“I can manage. I want you to go pick a station, Thane. Somewhere you can stand upright, and I have access to all the essentials.” Her lips curved at the implication. “Somewhere that won't put you in an untenable position for your comfort. Choose wisely; this may be the only opportunity where I give you a choice in where we scene.”
Taken aback by her thoughtfulness, Thane blinked. “Thank you, ma'am.” He limped away, checking out the empty stations until he found one he thought would suit her criteria. Aware she was trailing after him, in no rush, he stepped into the area and crossed over to the piece of equipment that resembled the top half of a resistance machine.
The metal frame was simply an upside-down U, squared off at the corners rather than rounded. Two long metal rods were attached to the bottom, acting as feet. From the top bar, two handles swung down like blunt hooks. Testing it, he stepped into the frame and slotted his elbows and upper arms onto the padded rests, gripping the supports further up in his hands.
It fitted him almost perfectly, keeping his back straight and his shoulders almost level without overstraining his joints. He pushed forward, trying to knock the frame over, but the metal feet were too long. When Connie appeared in front of him, he removed his arms from the padded cradles. “I think this might suit your intentions, Mistress.”
“Braun's been buying new toys again.” She ran her hand along the solid steel frame, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the equipment. When her mouth pursed thoughtfully, he could see the little wheels spinning in her head, concocting ideas. “Yes, I agree with you. This will suit us perfectly. Strip down to the skin, Thane, and get yourself comfortable. Feet widespread, touching the metal if you can.”
It felt really damn good to follow orders, he thought as he undressed. The peace that came with having control liberated from his hand was already spreading through his veins. There was no nervousness, no trepidation as Connie wheeled over a trolley and began selecting items from her bright red toy bag. He just bared his body, emptied his mind of everything but her, and positioned himself in the middle of the frame. Arms back in the padded rests, ankles touching the steel.
“Someone trained you remarkably well, Thane. I’m presuming I can thank the military for that?” Connie asked the question respectfully, which he appreciated. “I must admit, I’m surprised at your lack of ink. I thought military men liked their tattoos.”
“Yeah, we do. It was a great source of entertainment for my team when I told them I was allergic to the damn ink.” He watched her as she picked up a short length of blue silk rope. “The army taught me a lot about obeying orders. The rest comes down to wanting to please. Over the years, I researched a lot. Taught myself how to be the kind of Dom I wanted to be, setting my line in the sand as to who I would become if I followed that path. When I switch, I try to envision myself from both sides and behave the way I'd want any submissive under me to behave. I put both theories into practice when I play.”
“It works,” she told him, stroking her fingertips along his left arm. “I'd say you've evolved into an exceptional Dom, with the potential to match him with your submissive side. I'm going to strap your arms to the rests. Shibari is Braun's pastime, so this won't be as neat and pretty as anything he can do.”
Thane's gaze dropped to her fingers as they wove blue rope around his wrist, then along his arm to the elbow. The brush of her digits was soothing, the warmth of them comforting. When he tested the bondage, he found it firm, without any loss of circulation. The muscles down his back loosened, his head falling into the mindset of someone who was having the stress kneaded away, layer by layer.
“You'll tell me if you feel any tingling or numbness,” she ordered as the second rope restrained his other arm in place. More brushes of her fingertips and the earthy tones of her scent relaxed him further. “I'm going to cuff your ankles and tie them instead of using rope. The safewords are what?”
“Red and yellow, Mistress.” Shit, his tongue already felt thick, and she hadn't even really started yet. “Won't need them.”
“I don't believe you will, but you'll use them if you do.” She pinched the tips of his fingers to check circulation, then snagged two fluffy cuffs from the table. Crouching down to put them around his ankles put her in the perfect spot to witness the jut of his cock. “Don't be a hero, Thane. If something hurts, you tell me. Tonight isn't about pain, it's about claiming you the way you've claimed me—completely, irrevocably.”
“Okay.” He was down with that. It didn't matter how she did it as long as she did. Commander Stevens’ reappearance in Thane’s life was a kick in the stomach, but it didn't matter. Stevens had started to show his true, ugly colors during that call, but now Thane was bathing in the brilliant light of a woman who didn't know how to be ugly if she tried. “Claim away, Mistress.”
“Well, you're easy to please, aren't you?” Connie had the cuffs around his ankles before he could come up with a witty reply, then she threaded a short length of rope through each D-ring and tied them to the framework. Elegantly, she rose and smiled at him. “Submission is as much a part of you as domination, isn't it? You flow from one to the other seamlessly.”
“Just like you, Connie,” he mumbled, closing his eyes as her hands smoothed up his chest. “We're the same.”
Her laugh was light, but a little sad. “Maybe one day, Thane. Keep your eyes closed until I say otherwise.”
“Yes, ma'am.” Languishing in the dark, he missed the warmth of her hands on his naked skin. There was a heaviness in the atmosphere that told him they weren't alone, but the prospect of being observed wasn't a concern. If she left him here, walked away, he would simply wait for her to return. He'd listen to the voices of the audience, he'd feel the weight of their gazes on his body, the judgement on his scars, but he had every faith in her.
However, she gave him no need to worry. Thane could hear her moving around, sensing her like a glimmer of light behind his eyelids. Her scent was strong, not overpowering, but enough to ground him with the knowledge his Mistress wasn't going anywhere. He didn't need his bound hands to reach out and touch her when she was tangible on his senses.
