Feeling ridiculous, naked as she was, Rae had no choice but to comply. She felt the collar when she laced her fingers behind her neck, the metal buckle poking against her palms.

He stepped back. She stayed still, eyes focused on the carpet. "While I was showering and cooking dinner," Sam said, "I got to thinking about what would help you get accustomed more quickly to your situation."

He lifted his hand to her face and Rae stiffened, afraid he was going to slap her, but he only reached for a tendril of her hair, which he tucked behind one ear. He ran the back of one finger along her cheek-a gesture that would have been erotic or tender in other circumstances-but which now only frightened her.

He lowered his finger, drawing it down her throat and over the swell of her right breast, tracing a slow, lingering circle around the nipple at its center. "I'm going to help you get into a more submissive mindset so you don't keep banging your head against the wall of your disobedience and willfulness."

Reaching into his back pocket, Sam took out the dog leash. He clipped it to Rae's collar and tugged gently. "Keep your hands in position and follow me." He led her to a corner of the room to stand beside the short padded sawhorse. The spine, wider than Rae was used to seeing, was covered in soft black leather, the adjustable legs made of sturdy metal.

"Bend over onto the bondage horse. I built it myself, extra wide and sturdy for your comfort while I whip you." He chuckled at his own remark while Rae's blood ran cold with fear. She noted it was only about half the length of a typical sawhorse, just right for accommodating the upper half of a person's body as they bent forward.

What was he going to do to her? Instinctively she shrank back, dropping her hands from behind her head and wrapping them protectively around herself. "Please, Sam-"

Sam fixed Rae with his penetrating gaze. "Do as you're told," he said quietly. His voice was calm but there was no mistaking the steel beneath it. He jerked lightly at her leash, pulling her forward. "You disobey one more time, you speak out of turn again, and no food or drink tonight. Just back in the cage."

Rae swallowed hard, her mouth dry, her heart beating like a drum. She moved hesitantly, bending over the sawhorse as he'd instructed. She felt Sam's hand on her back, forcing her down onto the padded bench that pressed against her stomach and nestled between her breasts.

"Spread your legs so they line up with the back legs of the sawhorse. Grip the front legs to keep your balance." Rae wrapped her fingers around the cold metal, horribly aware of her splayed sex and asshole, exposed by the position into which he'd forced her. There was just room to rest her cheek against the soft, cool leather at the end of the padded bench.

She could hear Sam behind her and a moment later he was kneeling beside her, rope in his hand. He wrapped the rope around her left ankle, binding her to the sawhorse leg. He moved to the other leg and then to each wrist, wrapping the thin rope around and around until Rae was thoroughly tethered to the sawhorse and completely immobile. She felt the tremble of her body and the beating of her heart. Her breath was ragged in her throat and when she felt his hand glide along her back, Rae couldn't stop the yelp of fear that leaped from her mouth.

"Sensory deprivation," Sam said, waiting a beat, as if this was supposed to mean something to Rae. He continued. "The elimination of certain sensory perceptions can heighten a specific experience. You can't move or resist me in any way. Now we'll take away the senses, one by one."

He stepped closer and reached down. "Lift your head a little and open your mouth." As Rae tried to comply, Sam pressed his fingers past her lips, forcing her jaws apart. Before she realized what he was doing, he'd shoved a rubber ball into her mouth, which forced her tongue back, completely gagging her.

A wave of panic surged through her and she jerked hard in her ropes, but was unable to move, bound securely as she was. She could feel him buckling the ball gag behind her head and she tried to catch his eye, to beg him with her pleading expression not to do this, but all she could see was his crotch and muscular thighs beneath the black leather.

She saw him reach into his shirt pocket. He pulled out two little orange cylinders. It took her a moment to figure out what they were, but she realized all too soon, as he pressed one into each of her ears.

Finally he placed a sleep mask over her eyes. She was deaf, mute and blind, completely tied down, her ass and cunt fully exposed. She could hear the blood whooshing through her ears, pulsing in time to her heartbeat. The enormity of her vulnerability fully registered and Rae began to shake convulsively against the sawhorse. She was gripping the metal legs so hard her hands felt melded to them, the fingers paralyzed into position.

She jerked as she felt Sam's hands moving over her back and ass, her heart kicking into high gear. But instead of hurting her, his touch was soothing. He stroked her skin, moving in slow circles along her back and ass. She could feel his fingers, strong and sure, kneading her flesh, coaxing the rigidly clenched muscles beneath the skin to ease.

He massaged her shoulders and moved in a line with his fingers along either side of her spine. He lingered at her lower back, working out the tension until, in spite of her predicament, Rae found herself relaxing and the hammer of fear in her chest slowed to a steady pulse.

She felt his hands moving lightly over her ass, stroking the flesh, traveling downward toward her thighs and then back up again. She couldn't see or hear him, or anticipate where he would touch her next. When his finger moved lightly over her bared asshole, instinctively she tried, but of course failed, to close her legs.

The finger continued down, swirling lightly over her spread sex, gently touching the exposed folds. The finger was withdrawn and then returned, its tip now wet as it stroked in a tightening circle toward her entrance.

Rae moaned against her gag as the finger pressed inside her. In spite of her fear, his touch was electric, tickling alive every nerve ending as he moved in and out of her, sliding up with a whisper soft touch to her clit, which she could feel swell in response.

The memory of their one time together, when he'd convinced her to let him tie her wrists to the posts of the headboard while he fucked her, filtered into her brain. She'd come so hard, so many times that she'd lost count as he'd licked, fingered and fucked her to orgasm again and again. While her mind had rejected the rope and his dominant persona, her body had bucked and arched, out of control as he wrested every ounce of pleasure from her.

When her cooler head had prevailed, she'd told him afterwards that she wasn't into his scene, that it was better they just remain friends. When he'd had the gall to tell her she needed what he offered, she'd laughed it off, assuring him it had been an interesting experiment, but not one she cared to repeat. He'd looked at her long and hard, as if he could see behind her words to what lay beneath, but she'd shaken off his gaze, flipping her hair and turning away.

He'd let her go.

Now Sam's fingers continued to move in and around Rae's sex until she began to shudder in her restraints, an orgasm mounting and twisting inside her as she mewled against the ball wedged between her teeth. The climax crested and broke as she pulled hard against the ropes that held her bound and splayed. She lay in the silence and the dark, her heart smashing against the leather and beating in her ears.

All at once she felt something cold and wet against her asshole. She felt Sam's finger moving in a circle around the rim and then entering her nether hole. She felt her face heat at the thought of him staring down at her spread ass cheeks, his finger invading the virgin space. She stiffened, unable to close her legs as something slick and hard pressed its way past the tight sphincter.

She felt the invading phallus push slowly but inexorably into her. It didn't hurt too much until the last bit, which felt like a fist pushing its way into her. Every muscle in her body was clenched with pain and fear. She squealed ineffectually against her gag and then sagged against the sawhorse, thoroughly humiliated and exhausted.

More lubricant was applied to her spread pussy, still highly sensitive from the recent strong orgasm. Though she couldn't hear him through the plugs, or see him through the blindfold, Rae was aware of Sam moving behind her and placing something on the ground between her spread legs. Suddenly she felt the steady, thrumming vibration of something against her clit. The head of whatever was touching her was soft and spongy, alive with electric current as it teased and titillated her sex.

The vibration moved its way through to the plug in her ass, heightening the sensations moving through her sex. She could feel her ass and hips jiggling and twitching of their own accord, while the rest of her remained still, held down with rope, silenced, blinded and gagged.

Without choice or conscious decision, she found herself completely focused on and absorbed by what was happening to her body. There were no distractions and no room for thought.

When the soft, pulsing at her pussy shifted into a higher, faster vibration, Rae gave up the fight, giving in completely to the full feeling in her ass, coupled with the steady tease of her cunt. Oh god, oh fuck, oh god... The words played through her brain like a mantra, an accompaniment to the ravaging of her senses by the relentless vibrator rising to a crescendo between her legs.

Just as Rae began to come, a sudden line of fire arced its way across her back. She jerked hard in shock, but the orgasm was too relentless to be stopped by mere pain. As she rode the wave of her release, there was another stroke, and another, slicing along her ass, biting her thighs, stinging her shoulders. The cut of the whip curled around the aching ecstasy of the powerful orgasm, blending in a confusion of pleasure and pain.

Rae screamed against her gag, a muffled, gurgling sound trapped by the rubber ball filling her mouth. Tears wet the back of the sleep mask and sweat slicked her body. She felt the vibrator being shifted at her sex, the direct pressure removed from her clit as the head was now placed higher on her spread pussy. The result was a slow, steady, but easier to tolerate, thrum beneath the constant flicking bursts of pain drawn over her skin in stinging lines from shoulder to calf.

I can't, I can't, I can't...please, no, no, oh...

Her mind began to empty, thoughts sliding out like water sluicing from a glass, leaving an emptiness, a curious kind of peace that comes with total surrender. Her muscles gave up, her fingers easing their grip against the metal legs of the sawhorse, her body melting onto the leather padding as if her very bones had turned to jelly. Though the whipping continued, along with the steady humming pulse at her cunt, Rae had lost not only the will, but the desire, to fight.

She gave in completely, sliding along a river of pure sensation, her brain no longer distinguishing between pleasure and pain, between fear and desire. She just-was. She existed entirely inside this world of red hot fire and pure white heat, her body jerking spasmodically as orgasm after orgasm was pulled from her, bringing to life the limp ragdoll of her body for as long as it took to come, and to come, and to come again...

Sam dropped the whip and removed the vibrator apparatus from between Rae's legs. Gripping the base of the butt plug, he eased it from Rae's body, carrying it to the bathroom sink for later cleaning. He unbuttoned his shirt as he came back into the room, letting it fall from his shoulders. He kicked off his boots and socks, and rolled the soft leather pants down his legs.

He stroked his cock a moment as he gazed at her perfect body. Her skin was soft as pressed satin, now beautifully marked with his whip. And that cunt-so responsive, twitching and swollen, the moisture seeping out, its honey scent intoxicating in his nostrils.

I knew it, a voice whispered triumphantly inside his head. Despite her fear, the powerful reaction to what she'd just endured confirmed Sam's initial assessment of her all those months before when they'd made love. She was, beneath the layers of denial and resistance, born for this.

He knew too, that despite his having couched the scene as punishment, it was more than that. Much more. He'd turned the key in the lock of her submission. Over these next thirty days he would open the door. Whether or not she chose to step out of the confines of her carefully constructed world-designed to keep her most deep-seated desires and needs hidden-in the end, that would be up to her.

Jesus god, I want her. I want all of her.

The admission was nothing new, but he understood he wanted her for more than just a month's enforced play. He wanted her to give herself to him, not because she had no choice, but because she wanted what he offered, because she wanted him.

Even as he admitted this, he knew the odds were a thousand to one. He'd taken her by force, leaving her no choice but to accept his terms or find herself in prison. She would hate him for this. She would run as fast and as far as she could, the moment he let her go. Was a month of unbridled pleasure and control worth losing her forever?

Or was there another way? Could he somehow take her over to such a degree that she truly became his slave girl? Living only to serve and please him, all thought of her former life and misguided rejection of what he offered buried and forgotten? Could he reduce and control her world to such a degree that she lost sense of time and the outside world, content to stay in his dungeon forever?

Sam shook his head, aware he was treading on dangerous ethical ground. He pushed the strange forbidden thoughts away. He would punish her, yes, and then he would let her go. As they'd agreed.

He continued to gaze at the lovely woman, splayed and bound for his pleasure, his for the taking. He stroked his shaft, several hard tugs to ease the pressure in his aching balls. He leaned over her back, reaching to unbuckle the ball gag and pull it gently from between her lips.

Rae swallowed and then moaned softly, a breathy sweet sound. Her body was wet with sweat beneath him, hot to the touch. As he stared at the crisscross of red welts he'd inflicted on her soft, perfect skin, his cock surged.

Standing upright, he grabbed it, guiding it toward her cunt. He hadn't planned to fuck her, not yet, not the first night. His cock was to be a gift, something she earned. But he couldn't help it. He had to have her, and after all, she was his slave, his cunt, to do with as he wished.

He gripped her hips as he guided himself into her. He moaned, a guttural sound pulled from deep inside him as her velvet wet heat enveloped him. Usually able to pace his pleasure to make it last, this time Sam could no more control his body than she'd been able to against the onslaught of the Hitachi wand he'd placed in its stand between her legs.

She was perfection.

"Rae," he whispered raggedly before getting a hold of himself. Shutting down his mind, he let his body take over, surrendering fully to the tight, hot grip of her cunt. After only a few strokes, he felt the climax surging up through his balls, sliding along his shaft and erupting in spasms of hot, aching pleasure inside her.

He allowed himself a few moments of rest before pulling his spent cock from her warmth. He needed to get her off the sawhorse. She'd been tied down long enough for her first time. Rae groaned and whimpered as he removed the earplugs and the sleep mask and then quickly untied the rope, unwinding it from her wrists and ankles.

He lifted her limp body into his arms. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slack, the lips parted. He held her close as he carried her to the bed in the corner of the dungeon. Gently, he lay her down against the soft sheets. She winced slightly as her abraded skin made contact, but kept her eyes closed.

Same went to the bathroom and returned with a glass of water and a cool, wet washcloth, which he dabbed against her face and neck. He smoothed back the tumble of her tangled hair. Her dark lashes shadowed her flushed cheeks.

Sam felt almost tender toward his slave girl, nearly forgetting she'd been lying to him and stealing from him for months. "Rae," he said in a quiet voice, though it was clearly a command. "Open your eyes. Look at me."

After a beat her eyelids fluttered and then slowly opened. Her pupils were dilated and unfocused. He reached for the glass that he'd set on the nightstand beside the bed and held it near her. "Are you thirsty?"

Rae turned her head toward the glass, her eyes focusing. Her tongue moved over her lips and she nodded, though she made no effort to reach for it. Sam sat beside her and put his arm beneath her shoulders, cradling her as he helped her into a sitting position. She leaned heavily against him.

A part of him knew he had taken her too far, too fast, but he pushed the idea from his mind. She'd needed this-it was her crash course in submission. After all, they only had thirty days.

"Drink." He lifted the glass to her lips, tipping it carefully, letting her take her fill. She drank until the glass was empty and then sagged back against his arm, closing her eyes.

"Are you hungry?"

She nodded, eyes still closed.

"I'll bring your dinner."

Sam eased his arm from beneath her shoulders, letting her head fall to the pillow. He stared down at her a moment. She was breathing easily, and her face was less flushed. She was fine.

He grabbed his leather pants and pulled them on, not bothering with his shirt or boots. He went quickly to the kitchen, taking the plate he'd prepared for her and left in the oven to keep warm. He poured a glass of wine and put the food and drink on a tray, along with a napkin.

Rae lay as he'd left her. Her eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell in a deep, even cadence. He set the tray down on the nightstand and stared down at the sleeping girl, drinking in the lovely curves of her body.

He regarded the neat, dark triangle of pubic hair at her sex. He would shave it so he could better see and access the soft, rising mound of female flesh beneath it. The image made his cock stir but he ignored it-tomorrow was a new day.

"Ready to eat?" he queried.

Rae opened her eyes, turning her head toward the tray. "Yes," she replied in a low voice. She lifted herself higher onto the pillows, wincing slightly as she moved. Her eyes remained on the food, her tongue flicking over her lips.

Sam sat beside her on the bed and took the plate from the tray, balancing it on his knees. He nodded toward the plate. "I even cut the corn off the cob for you." He cut a piece of steak and speared it with the fork. He lifted it to her lips. "Here you go."

"I can-"

"Unh uh," Sam cut her off.

He saw she realized what she'd done-speaking out of turn. "Oh!" she gasped. "Please, um, may I have permission to speak?"

Sam regarded her, amused. At least she was trying. "Yes."

"Could I feed myself?"

"No."

He watched the frustration moving its way over her features, no doubt fighting with the very real hunger she must be feeling. Hunger won out. Rae opened her mouth, her eyes meeting his for a second before sliding away. He let her take the morsel, watching her chew and swallow.

Sam fed her, lifting the wine glass to her lips between bites. When the plate was clean and the wine glass empty, he asked, "Had enough?"

Rae nodded and Sam decided it was time to add a little structure to her responses. "Kneel up on the carpet, Rae," he instructed.

He heard the small, exasperated sigh but let it pass. He waited patiently as she lifted herself from the bed and knelt in front of him. "Hands behind your head," he reminded her. "Knees apart. Show me that cunt."

A pretty blush rose over her cheeks, rather amusing in the circumstances, but also curiously touching. Sam had to remind himself she was a liar and a thief as he stared down at her. "Going forward," he informed her, "you will address me as Sir. You will continue to speak only in response to a direct question, except when asking for permission to speak. Are we clear on this?"

"Yes...Sir."

Sam caught the pause and the emphasis on the word, aware of the insolence still lingering in her tone and the anger alive in the sudden flash of fire in her eyes. He smiled, shaking his head. For this month at least, he would wipe all trace of insolence and anger from her, leaving only the passion. She would learn true submission. She would come not only to accept, but to embrace what he gave her.

He would see to it.

Chapter Five.

Rae awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in her bed. The sudden tug against her throat made her cough and sputter. She fell back against the pillow, her hands fumbling at the collar. She couldn't remove it when it was locked to the chain, not that she would dare anyway.

She lay still, letting the dark dreams ebb away and willing herself to calm down. She reached for the sheets, which had twisted around her legs, pulling them up to her chin. "You're okay," she murmured to herself.

She turned toward the baby monitor that sat beside her on the nightstand. Was he listening, even now? Her hand twitched with the desire to smash the monitor, to hurl it across the room, but she didn't touch it, too afraid of what might happen if she did.

There was a light glimmering from the bathroom, the door of which had been left ajar. Rae ran her hands through her hair, pushing it back from her face. She closed her eyes, imagining the hot, refreshing water of the shower streaming over her, fresh, sweet smelling soap washing away the sweat and grime, cleansing her of his touch.

His touch...

Letting her legs fall open, Rae moved her fingers lightly over the folds of her pussy. She felt the faint throb of her clit as her fingers grazed its hood. When he'd left her last night, he'd told her she wasn't to touch herself when she was alone. Her cunt, he'd crudely said, belonged to him. Who the fuck did he think he was? It was her body to do with as she liked. It was none of his fucking business what she did when she was alone. And anyway, how would he know...

Having spent a night of restless sleep, with lots of time to ponder the situation, Rae had to admit that yesterday had been terrifying and thrilling all at once. He'd done things to her she would never have allowed, never have dreamed she would want, and yet... And yet she couldn't deny her own powerful reaction.

It confused and upset her to think her body had betrayed her as it had-coming so hard and so often while being tortured and abused. What was wrong with her? She was a free-thinking, independent woman. She wasn't some doormat to be used and fucked when it suited a man. She wasn't an object to be degraded, tied down and humiliated for a man's amusement.

In every relationship she'd been in, she'd been the one in control, the one who called the shots, and that suited her. It meshed with her concept of herself as a powerful, competent and liberated woman. She was no shrinking flower, kneeling at the feet of some man. On the contrary, Rae Johansen didn't need a man to feel complete.

Her relationships never lasted much longer than a few months-invariably she would get bored with the guy, irritated by his bad habits, annoyed with his neediness or his failure to properly appreciate her. She was always the one to end things, aware when it was time to cut her losses and move on to greener pastures. There were plenty of men eager for her attention and she was in no hurry to settle down with just one.