Marcus rose to his feet. Master Jack introduced himself as they shook hands. “And this is Cleo. She’s a little nervous around needles, but she’s very brave.”
Marcus smiled at Cleo. “Don’t worry, Miss Cleo. You have come to the right place. Happily, while there is some pain, it’s very brief—no more than a second or two per nipple. I have been doing this a very long time. I will make you as comfortable as possible. You have my word.”
He pulled a privacy curtain that separated the two stations. Turning to Master Jack, he asked, “You have the jewelry with you?”
Master Jack produced the velvet pouch and slipped the two delicate hoops from it. Marcus took one and examined it.
“Beautiful,” he said with approval. “These pieces are too delicate to sterilize in the autoclave. Not to worry. They’re brand new. I can do the job effectively with isopropyl alcohol.
He took a folded white sheet from a stack from the counter and snapped it smartly over the recliner. “Please remove your dress and take a seat, ”he said to Cleo. He handed her another sheet. “You can cover your lower half with this.”
“Thank you.” Cleo at once began to disrobe, her entire body tingling with excitement, with a dash of terror thrown in.
As she settled herself, Marcus moved toward a small refrigerator beneath the counter. “While the jewelry is sterilizing, how about a nice refreshing drink to elevate your blood sugar? I find that helps with relaxation. What can I bring you? Fresh orange juice? Coca cola?”
“Orange juice sounds good, thanks,” Cleo replied.
“And you?” Marcus asked as Master Jack sat on one of the stools beside Cleo’s recliner.
“I’m good, thanks,” he replied.
Marcus returned a moment later with a large plastic cup of orange juice over ice. Cleo sipped it with approval. It was definitely fresh-squeezed.
“Thank you,” she said, pleased she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt.
Marcus brought over a wheeled trolley that held the tools of his trade. Taking a seat on the stool on the other side of her chair, he pulled a pair of surgical gloves over his hands.
Turning to Cleo, he regarded her bare breasts with frank appraisal, nodding to himself as he tilted his head. He selected a marker from the trolley and uncapped it. “I’m going to mark the spots for piercing,” he explained as he leaned toward her. “Then I’ll numb the nipples with a bit of ice, clean them with isopropyl alcohol and then slide the needle through, threading each hoop in as I go. The piercing takes about two seconds a nipple. Simple and fast.”
Cleo’s eyes were drawn to the gleaming instruments on the trolley, including various clamps, forceps and packets of needles. Anxiety twisted in her guts, and she looked quickly away.
Master Jack reached for her hand. “Focus and breathe,” he said softly. “You can do this, my brave, darling girl. But I did kind of spring it on you without a lot of warning. I know you said you want it, but that doesn’t mean we have to do it right now. If you have any questions, any reservations, we can come back another time, or not at all. There’s no shame in that. This has to be right for us, or not at all.”
For us.
The words resonated in Cleo’s soul as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her palm. “I want it,” she replied fervently. “Please.”
She was startled by just how much she did, in fact, want this, and everything it symbolized for her—his ownership, her drawing on her submissive grace to overcome her fears, and the further claiming of her body and her soul by this amazing man. Even if they weren’t meant to be together in the long run, she was ready to conquer her fears by taking this new step in her submissive journey.
Marcus continued his friendly banter as he marked her nipples and prepared the piercing equipment. Cleo kept her focus on Master Jack, watching his beautiful mouth move as the two men kept up a calm and cheerful dialogue. The ice numbed her nipples, raising goose bumps over her skin.
“Are you ready, darlin’?” Marcus eventually asked Cleo.
Cleo pulled her gaze from Master Jack to meet Marcus’s kind eyes. “Yes.”
She kept hold of Master Jack’s hand, keeping her face averted as Marcus gently clamped her left nipple and pulled it taut.
“Just relax,” he said in a slow, singsong voice. “And…breathe.”
There was a sharp, hot second of blinding pain. And then…it was done. Startled, Cleo laughed with relief. “That wasn’t so bad,” she exclaimed.
“You’re a champ,” Marcus said, grinning broadly. “Now for number two. Best to do it fast, before you get second thoughts.”
He reached across her, catching her other nipple in the clamp. Cleo’s heart hammered in her chest. She held fast to Master Jack’s hand, his gaze keeping her centered.