“You mean like Master and slave?”
“Yeah,” Skylar said, her eyes shining. “Before I got here, I had no idea that’s what I was looking for. But since I gave myself completely to Master Caelan, I’ve never been happier.”
“I don’t know,” Kendra said doubtfully. “Dylan and I have talked about it, but neither of us is really into the whole formal Master/slave thing. I mean,” she added quickly, not wanting to offend her friend, “I totally get it that it works for you. You have that serene glow of someone who’s been claimed. Maya has it, too.”
Kendra shrugged, adding, “Maybe someday we’ll want to formalize our relationship like that. For now, I’m just so in awe of the love we’ve found. I’ve never been in love before.” She hugged herself, sighing happily. “Dylan is everything I want in a man. He’s taught me how to trust again.”
“I’m so glad, Kendra. You deserve to be happy.” Skylar’s eyes filled with sudden tears.
Since Kendra had found the courage at last to share her traumatic story with Dylan, she’d also fully confided in Abbie, and in Skylar and Shani. With each telling, she healed a little more. “Thank you, Skylar,” she said softly, touching her arm. Blinking back her own tears, she smiled. “Now, let’s go play!”
When they went back outside, the fire was blazing in the pit. Both men had removed their shoes and shirts. They looked good enough to eat—Caelan’s massive chest covered in dark fuzz, Dylan’s smooth chest inked with colorful tattoos.
“Yum,” Skylar mouthed, her eyes roving over their men. The girls exchanged proprietary smirks.
Caelan turned from the pit as the girls placed the items on the table near the toys. “Kneel and present yourselves.”
Skylar wasted no time sinking gracefully to the deck. Kendra glanced toward Dylan, who gave a small nod. Copying Skylar’s movements, Kendra, too, lowered herself to her knees and parted her thighs in symbolic offering as she rested her hands, palms up in invitation, on her thighs.
While Dylan and she didn’t normally go in for this kind of ritualistic demonstration, the position was somehow centering. The percussive crash of the waves, the fresh sea breeze kissing her bare skin and the look of love in Dylan’s indigo eyes all combined to ease her effortlessly into a peaceful submissive headspace. The jittery excitement of anticipation slipped away, replaced by a calm, more deeply sensual acceptance.
The guys approached them, each man taking a stance in front of his woman. “Are you prepared to submit to fire play, slave Skylar?” Caelan asked, his gray eyes hooding with power as he stared down at her.
“Yes, Sir,” Skylar answered.
“And, you, Kendra,” Dylan said. “Are you ready to suffer for me?”
“Yes, Sir,” Kendra breathed, a shiver of raw desire moving down her spine as her nipples stiffened in the evening air.
The guys extended their hands, assisting the girls to their feet. Dylan led Kendra to one of the whipping posts while Caelan took his slave girl to the other. The girls were facing each other across the fire pit as the guys cuffed their wrists high on each post.
“Legs wider,” Dylan instructed, gently nudging Kendra’s ankles with his bare foot.
She leaned into the cuffs as she complied, her bound position heightening her excitement and anticipation.
“We’ll start with some drumming,” Caelan explained. “And then move on to flogging. Fire play can be a pretty intense experience, so don’t feel shy about asking to go slower, or stop, or whatever you need to do.”
“Absolutely,” Dylan added. “Any issues—speak up. It’s just the four of us having fun. You don’t have to prove anything.” He placed his hand on the back of Kendra’s neck, the masterful gesture sending another shiver of desire through her. “You ready, beautiful girl?” he added softly into her ear.
“Yes, please, Sir,” she replied throatily.
First, the guys ran the wet cloths over the girls’ backs and asses. Kendra knew from having watched fire play that the thin layer of water was an extra precaution to prevent burns. Goosebumps rose over her flesh as the sea breeze moved over her damp skin. She exchanged a look with Skylar, whose eyes were sparkling, her skin rosy with reflected light from the fire pit.
A thrill of nervous excitement zipped through Kendra as she watched the men plunge the cottony heads of the fire wands into the alcohol. Then, standing on either side of the pit, they simultaneously dipped the wands into the flames.
“Wow,” Kendra breathed, enthralled as the wands burst into fiery life. While she knew that in theory the fire’s contact with skin would be too brief to cause burns, her pulse hammered, her breath catching in her throat.
As Dylan moved behind her, Caelan took up his position behind Skylar. His torch glowed in the night, mesmerizing Kendra with its fiery colors. She gasped as Caelan whipped the wand through the air.