“All right.” Hunter settled down across the bench again. “Let’s do this.”
Payne went to get two of his floggers and returned to Hunter, holding one in each hand. “So you know what a paddle feels like. I can make it sting, but mostly, it’s going to be a deeper smack sensation. With floggers, it depends on the size of the strips. These are both leather, but this one has smaller strips.” He lashed out and struck Hunter’s right ass cheek, keeping the blow lighter than he normally would have. “Stings, doesn’t it?”
“A bit,” Hunter admitted. “But not too bad.”
“That’s because I pulled it, plus you only got one. Believe me, if I kept going, you’d feel the burn.” Payne put the first flogger aside and switched the second one to his right hand. “Now this one has wider strips and more of them, so it’s going to be less stingy and more thuddy.”
This time, he struck Hunter’s left cheek, wanting to give Hunter a clear basis of comparison.
“I see what you mean.” For a moment Hunter considered. “I think the first one would feel like a sunburn. The second one is definitely harder.”
“Yeah, the sensation goes deeper.” Payne traded the flogger for the paddle and stroked Hunter’s pinkened skin with the fur-lined side to soothe it. “If I was trying to get you wound up, I might use the fur flogger or maybe the horsehair one. Those can be used to tease through gentle stimulation, although the horsehair one can sting like a son of a bitch too.”
Hunter drew in a breath. He seemed to find the pleasurable sensations more unnerving than the painful ones. “Which one is your favorite?” he asked, glancing back at Payne again. “When you’ve had this done to you, what do you like?”
“It depends on my mood and why I’m doing it,” Payne said, trailing the paddle along the length of Hunter’s broad back. “If I’m just playing for fun, then I prefer a paddle or a thuddy flogger. If Ineedit for whatever reason, then I want the cane. Hurts like hell, but I drop into sub space faster with it than anything else.”
“I was reading about sub space.” Hunter frowned thoughtfully. “I think that’s one reason why I decided I could only do this with you, because of the trust thing. The thought that someone could do anything to me while I was out of it and I wouldn’t object scares the hell out of me.”
“Which is why it’s important to have a conscientious Dom who understands how to take care of their sub,” Payne said, still moving the paddle up and down Hunter’s back in lazy strokes just because he could. “You lose the ability to think with clarity and rationality when you’re in sub space. I get a bit loopy. I could have blood running down my legs from the caning, but if my Dom asked if I wanted more, I’d say yes because I’m blissed out on the pain and endorphin high. So the Dom needs to see I’ve reached that point and avoid phrasing their questions that way. But sometimes, I need to get out of my own head, you know? It’s helped me come down off of tough missions.”
Eyes wide with surprise, Hunter looked as though he’d never thought of Payne needing a such a release. “You’ve used this for therapy before? You never mentioned it.”
Payne inclined his head slightly. “I guess because I never thought of it as therapy, but everyone needs a coping mechanism or two. This happens to be one of mine.”
“That makes sense,” Hunter said slowly. “It’s what you know, after all. One of my coping mechanisms was to go out to the range with a fifty-cal and blow the fuck out of the targets. But it doesn’t help anymore. Or at least it hasn’t with this. It just seemed… pointless.”
“There are some problems that even blowing shit up doesn’t solve.” Payne swatted Hunter’s ass with his bare hand before heading over to where his canes were mounted. “Are you ready for this?”
Hunter looked at the canes, then drew in a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
Payne picked the rattan cane, partly because it was his favorite and partly because he thought it would give Hunter a good introduction to caning without the intensity of the fiberglass or derlin canes. He swished it through the air for dramatic effect, wanting to build up anticipation for the blow, and when he brought it down on Hunter’s ass at last, he did so with more power than he had with the paddle or flogger.
Hunter let out a yelp, obviously surprised at the strength of the blow. He was breathing harder, but he didn’t make a move to get up and punch Payne in the face, even though the gleam in his eyes let Payne know that if it had been anyone else who had hit him so hard, Hunter probably would have done his best to hurt them.
Payne surveyed the bright pink stripe on Hunter’s ass with satisfaction. “You know, it probably says something about me that I just love leaving my mark on the pretty skin of big, badass men like you.”
Hunter made a small sound almost like a growl, then bared his teeth in something not really a smile. “Some people might say you were compensating for something.”
“Considering how often I got my ass kicked before I started learning martial arts, you’re probably right.” Payne stood in front of Hunter and rested the cane on his shoulder. “So when we’re doing this for real, what do you want me to use? It can be one or a combination of them. Whatever you think will work best for you.”
“The cane definitely had the most, um… impact,” Hunter said. “Maybe start out with it, and if it’s too much, I’ll tell you? I guess we could start more slowly and work up, but what the hell… I might as well see if I can take it.”
“I think you might need something a little high impact,” Payne said. “If you think you need something for that last swat, I’ve got some salve. Otherwise, you can go ahead and get dressed if you want.”
“I could be macho and say I don’t need any salve,” Hunter said, then gave a slightly sheepish smile. “But I learned long ago that ‘toughing it out’ was pretty stupid. I have to sit to drive back to my apartment, so I would appreciate the salve, please. Otherwise I might get a speeding ticket trying to escape the discomfort.”
“You got it.” Payne ran his hand along the back of Hunter’s head in a comforting gesture, then went to get the salve he kept on hand for after care. “It’s an antibiotic plus pain relief,” he said when he returned.
“Sounds good,” Hunter said. He paused, seeming hesitant. “Should I put it on myself?”
“No, I’ll do it. It’ll be less awkward, plus I can see where it needs to go.” Payne unscrewed the cap, squeezed some out, and began smoothing the salve along the pink welt, applying it generously. “It’s not too bad, so you should be fine in a couple of days. What do you think about scheduling the real session this weekend?”
“Sure. It’s not like I’m doing anything else,” Hunter said, giving a small huff of amusement. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
“After care is important, and I’m going to be here with you and for you through the whole process from start to finish.” Payne screwed the cap back on and tossed the salve onto the table, and then he stood in front of Hunter again. “Pack an overnight bag. If things get as intense as I think they will, I want you to stay so I can keep an eye on you in case the drop hits hard. I’ve got a guest bedroom you can use.” He paused, debating whether it was safe to flirt. He was tactile and flirtatious by nature, but he’d reined that side of himself in with Hunter, assuming it would be unwelcome. “Unless you want to share,” he added with an arch smile.
Hunter smiled slightly. “I think I could be convinced to share,” he said, his voice low and husky. “I also don’t snore and I make a mean cup of coffee.”
