She held a candle flame to the edge.
The cotton erupted—a bright orange burst that consumed the entire bundle in a single breath.
Then it was gone with no smoke or residue. However, a faint warmth hit the air.
"The cotton creates sensation without damage," Hiroko explained. "The heat is intense but brief. The skin feels it, but there's no time for injury."
She set it down and picked up one of the metal rods. It was about a foot long, with a wrapped end—fabric wound tight around the tip, secured with wire.
"This is a fire wand." She turned it in her hands so I could see the construction. The metal shaft was smooth and polished.
The wrapped end was thick and absorbent.
"This fabric holds alcohol, which provides the fuel. You light it, and the flame burns from the wand. You control where it goes. How long it stays. When it stops." She set it down and gestured to the glass containers. "That’s isopropyl alcohol. It serves as the fuel source."
The liquid inside was clear, almost like water.
“Okay.”
"We will use it sparingly. Too much, and the flame burns too long. Too hot." She pointed to the stack of wet towels. "If anything goes wrong, these smother the flame immediately. And the men. . ." she nodded toward the corners, “. . .they're here for emergencies. But they've never been needed when I run a scene."
I stared at the instruments. The cotton. The wands. The fuel.
This was real.
This was happening.
"There are rules," Hiroko continued. "And you will follow them exactly."
I nodded.
"Never let the flame linger. Movement is everything. The fire travels across the skin. It doesn't stay in one place."
"Okay."
"Avoid the face. The hair. The groin." She ticked them off on her fingers. "We work on the torso. The arms. The legs. Large muscle groups where the skin is thickest."
My eyes betrayed me. They dropped to Kenji's shorts. To the thick outline of his cock straining against the leather.
Hiroko caught it. "Nyomi."
I put my gaze back on her. "I heard you. No groin."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
"Again, focus on the large muscle groups where the skin is thickest."
"Yes."
"Watch his breathing. Watch his body." Her eyes held mine. "If something is wrong, you'll see it before he says it. His safeword still applies. Though. . ." she glanced at Kenji on the slab and sighed. "I doubt he will use it tonight."
Kenji's eyes were fixed on me.
"You can stop at any time," Hiroko said. "For any reason. Your comfort matters as much as his."
I exhaled slowly and tried to absorb it all.
