As Nathan spoke, he had continued to stroke Dane's cock, enjoying the satiny feel of his skin. Now he reached up and caught hold of one of Dane's nipples. While he continued to fondle his cock, he twisted the nipple sharply.
Dane gasped, his eyes flying open. “What the…”
“Pleasure and pain go together now.” He twisted harder, while still stroking Dane's cock. Dane groaned. He released the nipple and grabbed the other, twisting it harder still.
“Ah,” Dane gasped.
Nathan let go of his nipple, replacing his fingers with his mouth. He tongued the smooth areola and nibbled at the tiny nubbin at its center. As he kissed Dane's chest, he slapped his cock.
Dane jerked and Nathan slapped him again. He lifted his mouth from Dane's chest and whispered, “For you, pleasure and pain are two parts of the whole. You crave one, you need the other. Eventually there will be no difference between them.”
Gripping Dane's shaft, he leaned again toward his chest, catching a nipple in his teeth and pulling. Dane let out a sharp, sudden breath. Nathan continued to pull and stroke his cock until Dane began to buck against his hand.
“Jesus, Nathan. What are you doing to me? I can't…I need to…” He began to pant as Nathan moved from his nipples to his cock, closing his mouth over the head and licking in a long, slow circle down the shaft until his nose met Dane's pubic bone.
He pulled back slowly, keeping the suction as he moved. Dane groaned and grabbed his head. Nathan abruptly let his cock fall. “Hands at your sides.”
His chest heaving, Dane obeyed. His nipples were shiny and red from Nathan's teeth and tongue. Nathan grabbed both nipples at once and twisted them, wrenching a cry from Dane.
Still holding them tight in his fingers, Nathan said, “Don't come. You are not to come. If you do, you'll be punished.”
“Punished,” Dane whispered, as if he didn't know the word, or was trying it out for the first time.
Nathan released his nipples and sank back down, lovingly caressing Dane's cock and balls with his mouth and hands. It didn't take long before Dane began to tremble, his body shuddering as he neared climax.
Nathan pulled back. “No. Remember. Not until I say.” He stroked Dane's strong, flat stomach, ignoring for the moment Dane's erection and his own. He stood and Dane opened his eyes. His lips were parted and he continued to breathe hard, though he had fallen back from the edge of orgasm.
“That was excellent, Dane. You are my brave, sexy man.” Dane said nothing. Nathan knew he wanted to come. Not yet--he would have to earn it. “I think you're ready now. Come pick the first toy you want me to use on you.”
Dane opened his mouth and then closed it again. “What?” he finally said, though Nathan was sure he had heard him.
“I think you're ready. If you stay the course, you're going to learn that words like pleasure, pain, suffering and ecstasy can all be interchanged when you're in the right headspace. You're going to learn that submission isn't about getting through it, but giving into it, and to your Dom, completely and without reservation.”
He could see a muscle clenching in Dane's jaw. If Dane hesitated or balked outright, Nathan would try to take it in stride. They would try something easier, something less threatening, though Nathan knew Dane wanted what he offered, if only he could find the inner courage to embrace it.
But it had to come from Dane. He wasn't going to push and pull him into submission like some stubborn mule. Dane had to want it, and want it bad, or it wasn't going to work.
He waited. Slowly Dane stood and moved toward the bureau. He picked up the flogger, the one he'd used on Nathan. Nathan let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding.
“Present it to me. On your knees and offer it. You know what to do.”
Dane did know what to do, though that didn't stop him from flushing as he did it. Though it was sometimes stressful, Nathan found himself turned on by Dane's obvious struggle. He likened it in his mind to taming an especially difficult wild horse. The prize of submission would be that much sweeter, once attained.
Dane knelt in front of Nathan and balanced the whip in both hands, his palms up. He raised his arms toward Nathan and bowed his head. Nathan took the whip. “Very nicely done,” he said. “Now lie down over the ottoman.”
Setting down the whip, Nathan opened the top drawer of his bureau and removed two large cotton bandanas. “I'm going to tie your wrists to keep you from squirming too much.” Dane didn't say anything. He was bent over the ottoman on his knees, his cheek resting on the edge, his face averted.
Nathan continued. “I know this is your first whipping, but as I'm sure you know, a flogging is usually easier to take than a spanking, so you shouldn't have any trouble with the physical aspect of it.
“Being tied down might be a panic issue for you, based on your initial reaction the other night when I bound your arms. So I want you to communicate with me, okay? If you're having trouble or freaking out, you tell me. Don't white-knuckle it. I don't want to force anything on you. Everything we do this week, we'll do together. That doesn't mean it won't be hard sometimes, or scary. But remember I'm there with you. We're doing this for us.”
Dane lifted his head and their eyes met. Nathan moved in front of him, knelt down and took his face in his hands. He kissed him for a long moment and Dane kissed him back, almost fiercely. He wanted this, of that Nathan was certain.
