Aftermath

For a moment the only sound that she could hear was her laboured breathing. Focusing her mind on it, grasping it as her only link to reality, she forced herself to breathe deeply and evenly. Slowly her other senses came back. First and foremost was feeling: she was stiff and uncomfortable, and her skin prickled, not unlike severe sunburn. Then thought came rushing back that had her filled with sickening remorse and a little something else.

She had disappointed Him deeply, she knew. It was the one thing He said He would never tolerate of her. She blinked back the tears as she remembered exactly how tolerable He had been. It didn't help one bit either, she thought chidingly, that she now had an overwhelming desire between her legs.

She shifted slightly, trying to ease the discomfort in her limbs.

"Ah, look who's back," a Voice said out of the dark corner. She stiffened. The Voice did not at all seem to be in an amiable mood. She tilted her head in an awkward angle to look at Him. He was glaring at her over His reading glasses, His book now lying idly open on His lap. She opened her mouth to reply, but could think of nothing to say.

"How do you feel, pet," He asked after a while, with a compassion that she could not imagine He still had for her. A choking sound escaped her mouth and she could no longer look at Him. When she turned her gaze away He stood up abruptly and knelt down beside her. He took her chin between his thumb and index finger and turned her head toward Him.

"I'm fine, Master," she whispered.

"You're lying to me again, damnit! Tell me, girl," He replied, only slightly raising His voice.

"I hurt, Master, on the inside," she admitted. He removed His hand from her face and snorted.

"I need you to be honest with me, always. There is no trust without truth. I worked so hard to gain your trust. I thought you realized how important it is. Clearly not."

He looked deeply into her eyes, trying to read her understanding. She said nothing, showed no sign or indication that she even heard him.

She knew what He said was true. What made her so ashamed that she could not even reply was that this was actually her thing, her campaign. If He was the one who had lied to her, even the little sort of lie she told, He would have never heard the end of it. She might even have left. She felt disgusted with herself.

"You hurt only on the inside? Well, then I have not done my job properly." With that he moved out of her sight. She cursed herself silently. A swish through the air told her that she had been right to suspect that her punishment was not over yet. However, they both knew that she could not take much more.

"Please, Master," she begged. A swish! A yelp! Then the tears that had been threatening all day finally started flowing. He put the whip down and went to her again.

"I'm... sniff... sorry," she managed when He lightly twisted His finger on the stray lock on her forehead.

"I know, pet," He said, laughing softly, "until next time..." He deftly undid her bonds, warning her not to move. He sat down on the sofa again.

She let her feelings control her body while she cried, and then slowly calmed down. She knew He forgave her. The only thing left was for her to forgive herself. She'll figure that out later, she decided. She just could not understand how he could so lightly get over their problems. He could so easily work things out. Not that she thought of her whipping as easy. It's just the effortless way He had of making her feel the way she did, moulding her to His wishes. When her breathing returned to normal she was once again aware of the little itch she had, now becoming quite a big urge. She risked a glance at her Master and slowly started to stretch her legs out straight. She heard the couch creak and knew the slight movement of her Master to be a warning, which she promptly ignored. With another nervous glance, she started rubbing her wrists and flexing her fingers.

He shook His head, but she also saw the slight smile playing on His mouth so she let her finger travel up her arm to her shoulder. Soon her fingers came across a welt. She grimaced a little, and then continued her exploration. She bit on her lip when her fingers found her breast, her nipple. Her Master lifted His head, frowned slightly, and then sat back, crossing his legs, clearly ready for a show.

She rolled onto her back on the coffee table, for a moment swamped in the pain of her raw skin in contact with the rough surface. She caressed her breasts and nipples until the mist in her mind cleared. Soon her one hand started wandering again, until it found the specific place she most desperately needed to be touched.

She heard her Master move again, and had a small conflict inside where she knew she had to seek His permission, but her body was too high to care. She started slowly, in small circles, touching lightly. However, it soon became frantic movements. He watched her, waited, and listened to her moans. He saw the tell-tale sign of her hips starting to buck.

Suddenly she felt His hands firmly around both her wrists, forcing her to stop. Her eyes, which had closed in her desire, flew open with shock, yet she groaned in frustration. She tried half-heartedly to release herself from His grip. He simply held on tighter, until it was painful for her.

"Lovely show, pet," He said with a devious smile, "you know you have to be punished for that, though, don't you?"