between my
legs, causing my body to writhe in
ecstasy. When I tried to move my feet,
they were bound by a slightly rough
rattan rope to a smooth wooden board
that prevented me from closing my
knees. Realizing I was awake, he
stopped and hovered above me smiling,
then backed away, leaving me panting
hard. He walked over to the table and
removed another thin board from the
gray bag that had rope looped around it.
His face remained placid as he
approached me.
“Put your hands to your sides; don’t
move them.”
Giving the command with an
authority I was unfamiliar with, I was
too turned on to question where this was
going and trusted him too much to refuse.
With one hand, he gently lifted my ankles
to rest on his shoulders while he bound
my arms underneath to the board. It
wasn’t uncomfortable, but if I were to
resist, the rope would surely dig and
leave deep burns.
“I am going to help you flip over.”
His hands gripped my hips as I
awkwardly flopped over to the side and
pulled my knees to my chest. I was in a
modified yoga resting pose.
“Can you grab the board? Use it for
stability if needed.”
My wrist had enough slack to twist
them slightly to hold the ends. The board
rested against the back of my thighs,
giving me balance. Although these
devices were primitive in nature, they
were clearly thought out. Images of what
they could be used for was quickly
overshadowed by the feeling of Shepard
plunging into me from behind, drawing
out a loud moan. My wrist instinctively
grasped the board to keep upright. His
hips rotated in circular motions slowly
while his nails dragged lightly down my
back and sides.
The feeling of the rope fibers and
cold wood pressed against my skin only
added to the delicious sensation he was
creating. I had never allowed myself to
be restrained before. If asked, I would
most likely decline. Perhaps he knew
that and chose this as a way of
introducing me to it. The exotic element
of picking up the objects along our
voyage made it that much more special.
I felt his hand run along my spine
and into my hair before grasping a
handful and gently tugging back while
moving more aggressively. I didn’t know
how long I could hold this position, yet
it appeared indefinite. I imagined what it
looked like to him, so exposed and
vulnerable. I was completely at his
mercy, but the feeling of not being in
control did not make me afraid. With
him, it allowed me to let go. I tried to
withhold the scream of pleasure building
up in me, but another pull of my scalp
broke it free. I started to jerk against the
restrains that began to sear my skin and
could not stop.
His hands grabbed my hips and
drove deeply to satisfy his own urge.
Digging his fingertips into the flesh, I
knew he was close. I remained
motionless, taking in every movement he
made. Knowing he received so much
pleasure from my body pulled another
release from me along with his. Both of
us panted heavily for minutes while our
heartbeats gradually slowed down.
Shepard’s deft fingers unwound the
knots in the board and freed my wrist
and ankles. As I stretched to loosen sore
muscles, he walked back to the bag and
retrieved a small metal tin and a package
of cotton gauze.
He removed the lid to the tin and
lovingly rubbed the cinnamon scented
ointment along the burns that reddened
where the ropes were tied. At first it
stung, then immediately numbed from
whatever was in the balm. Gently
wrapping the gauze around, he kissed
each spot once finished.
“You shouldn’t have any marks by
morning. Just don’t take those off until
then. Depending on how bad it is, you
might need one more treatment.” He
spoke softly while putting the lid back
on the tin.
“Oh, I have something else for
you.”
I remained silent on the bed
watching him move about the small
cabin. A paper bag revealed a small
blue velvet box. He opened it and
removed a necklace. With a
V.K. Sykes
Pablo Medina
Joseph Kanon
D. J. Butler
Kathi S. Barton
Elizabeth Rose
Christopher Sprigman Kal Raustiala
Scott J. Kramer
Alexei Sayle
Caroline Alexander