Electric Engagement by Sidney Bristol Page A

hand and his body. A second later, her backside lit up like fire and a loud crack rent the air against the backdrop of buzzing. Carla cried out. The force of the blow against her ass knocked her forward, but the ropes around her limbs and body held her suspended. She gasped and scrabbled to hold on to the rope tied loosely around her wrists as Ryan spanked her thighs and each side of her ass.
    “You. Will. Answer. Me.” He punctuated each word with a firm swat.
    Carla squirmed, unable to do more than twist a little. Adrenaline coursed through her body, heightening her senses. The smell of the rope. His leather pants. Even the scent of ozone on the air.
    Arousal flooded her channel and she bit her lip harder, holding out for as long as she could.
    Ryan spanked the tender skin above her knees, and her legs buckled. If it hadn’t been for the ropes, she would have fallen.
    “Yes, Sir! I’m sorry, Sir,” she yelled.
    His touch was gentle, sliding over the abused flesh, petting the places that stung. Her ass burned, likely bright red. Ryan had always given her exactly what she asked for, without fail. Once he’d left deep bruises that had made her sit funny for a week because she’d wanted him to cane her.
    “When did you do it?”
    “This morning.”
    “Smart-ass masochist,” Ryan muttered, kneading her ass. “You realize anything I do to your pussy is going to be way more sensitive now?”
    “Yes, Sir.” Carla grinned. She didn’t know if she deserved to be called a SAM, or smart-ass masochist, but she liked it. Even better, Ryan seemed amused by her verbal banter. More often than not, her words brought about new and wicked punishments she loved.
    Carla braced herself for another blow, but it never came.
    Ryan stepped through the ropes that spider-webbed around the archway. He pulled an electrical cord after him, turning so she could see the implement in his hand. The violet wand glowed a pale purple in the dim light. It was made up of a plastic handle with a knob to control the intensity and a glass electrode that could be switched out for a variety of models. Most of the electrodes were glass and glowed.
    Carla leaned away from him, her gaze locked on the wand. She was a prisoner to this scene; she’d asked for this, but that buzzing, it scared her. Her gaze focused on the mushroom-shaped glass tube sticking out of the black handle, and her breath quickened.
    Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God.
    She didn’t know what it was about the sound, but it stirred up completely irrational fears.
    Ryan brought the wand within inches of where her sternum and collarbone met, and froze.
    She panted, leaning as far away from him as she could.
    This was Ryan. She loved him. He wouldn’t hurt her in a bad way. She knew that as well as she knew her own name, but damn, that buzzing was in her head, all around her, putting her on edge.
    Maybe this was a mistake. She didn’t really want to play with electricity, did she? There were plenty of toys they played with that she liked, from whips and floggers to wax and rope. Did they need to explore this kink too?
    The adrenaline mixed with fear was a delicious, addictive cocktail. It was that sensation which pushed her to try new kinks, especially with Ryan at the helm. There was no one more versed in the body and how it reacted to stimuli. She trusted him above anyone else. If his EMT co-workers knew what he was putting his skills to use for off the job, well, she doubted they’d approve.
    He lowered the electrode until sparks arced from the glass mushroom to her skin in a brilliant flash of blue light.
    Though it wasn’t more intense than a static shock, Carla screamed as he drew the wand down, following her sternum. The caress of electricity was as gentle as a feather, and actually tickled. At least until he twisted the knob as he stared at her. The hum grew louder, and the wand’s glow intensified. He brought the flat surface of the electrode to the point of her nipple, hovering until