Damn it! It hadn’t been her fault! It was simply a physiological reaction to incessant, directed stimulation. How the hell was she supposed to just not come?
As she met Hayden’s knowing gaze, her stomach twisted into an anxious knot, dulling the pleasure of the orgasm. “I’m sorry,” she cried. “I didn’t mean to. It just snuck up on me.”
Even as she spoke, another climax shuddered through her. “Fuck,” she breathed. “It’s too much…oh, god…” The pleasure was rapidly segueing into overstimulation, her clit becoming overly sensitized.
To her vast relief, Hayden picked up the remote and clicked it off. Dahlia heaved a grateful sigh.
She stole a glance at him, suddenly anxious. His face was difficult to read. Without looking at her, he took his seat beside her and ate a spoonful of ice cream. Dipping the spoon back into the bowl, he held it out to her.
The ice cream was delicious, but his lack of reaction both confused and frightened her. She shifted on the cushion, trying to get a little more comfortable. She wanted to pull the sticky butterfly from her sex. The straps were annoying her and her knees were getting sore.
Damn it, why wasn’t he saying anything? The silence was somehow worse than any rebuke.
She thought about asking for permission to speak, but couldn’t think what to say. Should she apologize again? Beg forgiveness? Explain why he’d put her in an impossible situation?
Because there was no way, physiologically speaking, she could have been expected not to come. Not with that damn vibrator strapped to her clit.
Then it hit her. He’d set her up in the same way Master had set up slave m.! The realization was both frustrating and thrilling. But that was a novel, damn it. This was real life.
Finally, he turned to her, his expression now grave. “Let’s talk about what just happened. I gave you a directive, which you failed to obey. Whether or not you were able to control your physical response is not the issue here. We will work on orgasm control, certainly, going forward. But you also failed to ask for permission to speak when you realized you were going to fail in your task.”
Dahlia stared down at her lap, heat rising in her cheeks. This submission business was harder than she’d thought it would be. But damn it, she was trying. Couldn’t he see that?
Lifting her head, she met his gaze. “I’m sorry, Sir,” she said, blinking back sudden tears. “I’ll do better.”
“Apology accepted. I’ll keep a tally of your transgressions and decide an appropriate punishment at a later time.” Calmly, he took another spoonful of ice cream.
Punishment? But she’d apologized, hadn’t she? Even as this thought flitted through her brain, she knew better. Slaves who disobeyed were punished.
Obviously, she wasn’t a real slave. But holy moly, it sure felt real.
He held out another spoonful of ice cream. Though normally she could eat a pint of the stuff, no matter how full she might be, Dahlia had lost her appetite.
“No, thank you, Sir,” she mumbled, turning her head away.
“As you wish.” He continued to eat the ice cream until the bowl was empty. Then he pushed back from the table and rose to his feet. Feeling his eyes on her, Dahlia looked up, her stomach swooping with nervous anticipation of whatever he planned for her next.
“You mentioned earlier that anal play isn’t really your thing.” His eyes hooded, a cruel smile lifting his lips. “It’s time we changed that.”
Chapter 21
Hayden brought Dahlia into the bedroom, the vibrator still strapped in place. “You can take that off now,” he said as he sat on the end of the bed. “It’s waterproof for easy cleaning. Run hot water in the bathroom sink and drop it in with a little liquid soap. You can leave it to dry on a hand towel. Clean yourself up while you’re at it and report back to me.”
“Yes, Sir,” she replied obediently.
While she busied herself in the bathroom, Hayden got out the supplies for her next session. He’d watched her internal struggle during dessert. He was being hard on her, at least by her standards. But bad behaviors had to be nipped in the bud.
At the same time, she was still feeling her way. While he wanted to give her an authentic experience, he would need to remain mindful of that.
He walked over to the bureau and pulled open the bottom drawer—the goodie drawer, as he thought of it. He surveyed the neatly organized contents, rejecting the glass and metal plugs he favored for more experienced subs. Silicone was better for beginners, since it was flexible and less intimidating. He also grabbed a tube of water-based lube, along with a small tray. Returning to the bed, he placed the items on the tray and sat down beside it.
Dahlia entered the bedroom a moment later, looking nervous. Her eyes widened as they moved from him to the anal plug.