He stopped himself. Dahlia was there as his guest, not his submissive. He was well aware how easy it could be for a Dom to sway a sub to his desires, especially an untrained, untested sub like Dahlia. He needed to give her space to come to her own conclusions.
After a while, he reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Ready to move on?” he murmured in her ear.
Dahlia shook her head suddenly, as if emerging from a trance. “What? Oh. Yes, okay.”
He took her next to a station where a male sub was bound spread-eagle on a bondage table, two Dommes standing over him with candles. They’d been at it awhile, as much of his torso was covered in red wax. When several scalding drops landed directly on his erect cock, the guy winced and then cried, “Thank you, Mistress. Please, may I have another?” Several more drops landed on his cock and balls.
“It’s so weird,” Dahlia murmured, leaning close to Hayden. “That’s got to hurt like hell in the second it’s happening, but you can tell he’s really, really into it.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure I get that.”
Turning to face her, Hayden ran a finger lightly along the side of her neck. Then he eased his hand over her throat, catching it lightly in his grip.
Dahlia shivered at his touch, her eyes widening behind the mask, her lips parting as she stared up at him. “Oh,” she sighed, a sweet, yielding look suffusing her features.
Leaning down so his mouth was close to her ear, Hayden murmured, “For him, it’s hot wax, for you”— he added just a touch of tension to his grip—“it’s a strong hand around your throat, a primal gesture of dominant control that speaks to the submissive inside you.”
Dahlia made a soft sound in her throat as she stared up at him. She made no move to stop him, or to pull away. He could feel her excitement and nervous energy, as if it were an actual electrical current buzzing along her skin. How he wanted to squeeze tighter, and then tighter still, not releasing her until it pleased him to do so. She would stare up at him with wild eyes, her face reddening, her heart hammering, her nipples engorged, her cunt soaking wet. He would take her to the very edge, cutting off her ability to breathe, her very life in his hands…
Hayden abruptly let her go and took a step back before he lost control. Dahlia didn’t move for several seconds.
Then, as if once more emerging from a trance, she tossed her hair and gave a small laugh. “Got it. Different strokes for different folks.” She turned away, facing the dungeon at large. “What’s next?” she asked. He got the impression she was going for strident, even cocky, but a slight quaver in her voice belied her words.
He brought her next to one of his personal favorites, the bondage wheel. A small crowd had gathered, making it impossible for them to stand side-by-side. Instead, Hayden gestured for Dahlia to stand just in front of him, as he could easily see over her head.
He recognized Cameron Lord with his partner, Jess. She was bound to the wheel, her wrists and ankles tethered to the circumference, forcing her into a human X. Her long, coppery auburn hair hung in loose curls past her shoulders. Her body gleamed with sweat. She wore nothing but her slave collar and a red leather thong that barely covered her sex.
Brandon, one of the house slaves, was spinning her slowly in a full circle as Cameron snapped his thin, whippy cane over her fair skin, already streaked with pink welts.
“Oh, my god,” Dahlia cried softly, bringing her hands to her mouth. Hayden moved closer until his chest was pressed against her back. He could feel her heart beating fast as a hummingbird’s wings against his chest.
She leaned back into him as he brought his arms around her waist. They watched together in silence as Cameron expertly snapped the whistling cane against Jess’s body, while Brandon continued to turn the wheel.
When Cameron tapped the cane against Jess’s inner thighs in a rapid series of stinging strokes, she cried out for the first time, her eyes bright with tears behind the mask.
Dahlia stiffened against Hayden, her breathing audible. “Oh my god,” she said breathlessly, the shock evident in her tone and the sudden rigidity in her body.
“Shh,” he murmured into her ear. “It’s okay. He knows what he’s doing.”
As if he’d heard Hayden, Cameron paused. “Do you want me to stop, darling?”
“No, Sir,” Jess breathed fervently. “Please, no, Sir. I’m almost there…” She trailed off in a sigh, her eyes fluttering shut.
“Yes,” Cameron crooned in response. He flicked the tip of the cane over her already-marked breasts, each flick drawing a low, primal moan from Jess’s lips. Then it happened—Jess’s breathing slowed and deepened, every bit of lingering tension leaving her body as her head fell back.