Wired

He was too handsome for his own good. I'd long since recognized that it might very well lead to the end of us. My sore whipping arm was longing for an overweight sub with the face of a pug. Good thing for

Precious

, the rest of me was not.

Eyeing the furtive glances of the young girl, I immediately knew she wasn't his type. She was submissive, for one thing. It leaked from every pore of her overly exposed skin. I'd come to read the signs fairly easily, especially in women. I'd only been surprised a few times over the years, by men still very confused about who they really were. It was a shame that society couldn't at least be as accepting of the submissive male as it was of the submissive female.

My

Precious

, Patrick, was pouring on the charm, catching her eye and flashing his perfect white teeth and deadly dimples in her direction. He did it to make me jealous. It was his way of asking for a cropping. He was overdue, obviously, but that was because I refuse to be manipulated. I had a better idea on how to punish him for this little game he insisted on playing with me.

The party was beginning to thin and I'd grown tired of the conversation. Much of the crowd was closer in age to Patrick than myself. It was difficult to find social circles that fit us both, being fifteen years apart in age. And the conversation of the younger set didn't much interest me. But Patrick was having a good time, so I decided to suck it up and endure the pain. That's what a good partner of any type does from time to time. It doesn't matter if in private you are the one that rules his world, it's still a partnership.

"Darling, will you excuse me for a moment?"

"Certainly. Is there anything I can do for you?"

I smiled up at him, tapping his chin with my finger in a subtle gesture to silently communicate my dominance over him. I could've called him by his pet name, or tapped him on his shoulder to send him to his knees. I could've even reached down to cup his manhood, right there in front of his friends. It wasn't how I operated, though.

I knew without a doubt that he'd gladly debase himself in a thousand different ways for me. Publicly, if I asked. It was always on the table, something I insisted not be a limit for our play. I just didn't use it. There were several reasons for that, but the one that was strongest was that I didn't want a degraded mouse groveling at my feet. Patrick wasn't the typical submissive male prototype. He stood an imposing 6'3", with washboard abs and thick biceps. I made certain that he worked out every day to stay that way. He was manly, with a thick coating of black curly chest hair to match the full wavy mess on his head. None of his friends would suspect what went on behind closed doors with us. To them, we were a normal couple, albeit mismatched in years.

I weaved my way through the remaining crowd, hoping that my suspicion was true about the little Barbie who'd been drooling over my pet all evening. She'd not-so-subtly signaled him that she was heading toward the bathroom. He wisely didn't follow, but I couldn't resist the opportunity.

A moment later, I spotted her standing near the open door of the restroom.

"Are you waiting to go? It appears to be free."

Her eyes widened in shock for a telltale moment. "No, um, go ahead."

I was unimpressed by her juvenile response but smiled to hide it as I approached. Turning on heel so that we were standing shoulder to shoulder, I peered across the crowd from her vantage point. Sure enough, she had a near-unfettered view of

Precious

. "He is quite handsome, isn't he?"

From my peripheral view, I caught her head whipping sideways toward me. I didn't have to look to know that her mouth was agape. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Oh, don't be daft. I saw you making eyes at him."

It dawned on me that I was probably about to scare her away. I never thought of myself as particularly frightening in my street clothes, but I'd been told many times that it wasn't my clothing that made me intimidating.

I turned toward her and placed my hand on her arm in the most reassuring way I could muster. "I'm not upset at all. In fact, it's kind of a turn-on for me." It wasn't a complete lie. I was going to get very aroused by what was going to happen if I could just get her to go along with it. "We're not exclusive."

"You're not?"

I could practically feel the cheerful optimism oozing from her. I shook my head confidently. "I have to warn you, though. He's a handful in bed."

One glance in her direction confirmed that I'd chosen the right bait. The only thing left to do was to hook the fish.

"He can be pretty difficult to please. Honestly, it makes me tired just thinking about it." I wasn't above playing my age card to get what I wanted. "Maybe you can help me out tonight...?"

Barbie doll licked her lips in anticipation of my proposal. If I had more patience, I'd consider taking her under my wing. But unless my radar was completely off, I'd be her first Dominant and her first bi-sexual experience. I just didn't have the energy to deal with both of those at once.

"I could introduce you to him. Let you two talk for awhile. If you hit it off, I'll suggest that he take you home with him. It'll get me off the hook for the night. What do you think?"

"Um, sure. Yeah. That'd be, like, great."

I cringed at her use of words, but forged on. "My name is Deirdre, by the way."

"I'm Crystal."

I nodded and quelled a chuckle. The name fit. All she needed was a thong with dollar bills shoved in the string to make the picture complete. "Follow me, Crystal."

Patrick had seen us talking, I was sure. He had an uncanny talent for finding me in a crowd. Nonetheless, he acted surprised to spy us approaching together.

"Darling, I'd like you to meet Crystal. Crystal, this is Patrick."

A wrinkle briefly appeared on Patrick's forehead when I mentioned her name and I knew that he was thinking the same thing that I was. That's how it'd been with us from the first day we met. In total sync with one another. Not that the connection was always perfect, mind you, but it was always there.

I took a step backward and gestured for them to continue talking, then quickly made myself scarce. I was relying on Patrick to do what he did best: Charm. It came natural to him being the woman-pleaser that he was. He would flash her his smile, laugh at her silly jokes, pour on his impeccable manners until she was smitten with him.

I glanced at my watch.

I give him 20 minutes.

I figured that'd be plenty of time, given how slutty this particular girl was acting. I mean, if she was already willing to jump in bed with him after just meeting him, it shouldn't take him long to seal the deal.

Let's make that 10 minutes. I'm dying to get out of here.

The time went faster than I thought it would. I ran into an acquaintance from work and stopped to engage in small talk. It was a shame I was in the middle of setting up my sub, because it would've been nice to show him off. It was the small delight I got from having such a gorgeous specimen of a pet.

I made my way back to the couple. She was standing an entire foot closer to Patrick than when I left. I knew right then that I had her.

"I'm exhausted from all this socializing. I think I should head home."

"I'll get your coat and take you."

"No, no, darling. Unless I'm way off base here, I think our Crystal would like to go home with you. Isn't that right, dear?"

Crystal smiled and gazed up at Patrick. I had put him in a tough spot. He couldn't refuse without insulting her. "I still think I should drive you."

He was holding out hope that I'd change my course. I wouldn't do that, but he did have a point. We'd planned to stay at my place, where most of his things were these days. "I don't want you to go to the trouble and make this poor girl wait. My place is plenty big enough for all of us. I'll simply run off to bed when we get there. I tend to sleep the sleep of the dead, so you won't bother me in the least."

Patrick glanced at me, almost daring to give me a dirty look, then painted on a fake smile for Crystal. "Is that okay with you? My apartment is on the complete opposite end of town. It would take us an extra hour to get there."

"Sure. It's fine with me. You guys sure have a wild relationship."

We both struggled to hide our smirks as we made our way to the spare bedroom holding our coats. She was about to discover just how "wild" it really was.

As promised, when we arrived, I excused myself. Through the shut bedroom door I could hear their muffled voices. Then silence. I hadn't heard the spare bedroom door shut so I assumed they were kissing in the living room. I felt a tiny twinge of jealousy at that thought. Patrick was an excellent kisser. Good with his tongue in every way, as a matter of fact, not that Crystal would likely get the pleasure of discovering that. If this went the way I thought, things would come to a grinding halt way before that.

I removed the blouse and skirt I'd worn to the party. Beneath it was a black lace corset and stockings. Black panties scantily covered my bare pussy. My mind flashed back to

Precious

sliding them up my legs before the party, his hard cock bobbing with desire. It was a privilege for him to dress me, one that he didn't automatically get. When he did, he showed his appreciation through his cock.

I listened once again at the door. There were muffled noises and rustling sounds. Not exactly the sign I was waiting for. I decided to change into higher heels. The ones I'd been wearing at the party were a tad too conservative. When I finally made it back to the door, I was relieved to hear muffled voices. His apologetic tones and her desperate pleading.

I opened the door to the scene I'd been expecting. Crystal was near to tears with desperation. One glance between Patrick's thighs told the whole story. His cock was as limp as lettuce at a summer barbecue.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I warned you he was a challenge. Did you try sucking it to life?"

Crystal hid her faee in her palms as she nodded her head. I was starting to feel sorry for her. This was going to damage her self-confidence. It wasn't her fault, although, if she'd spent any time at all trying to read the signs instead of focusing on what she wanted, she could've avoided the whole thing.

"It's not your fault. He's not your type."

Crystal whipped her head around to glare at me. "And you are? I can't help it if he's had too much to drink."

I calmly took a breath so as not to slap her insolent mouth. Then I shifted my attention to Patrick. "Is that what you told her?"

Patrick sighed and shook his head. I was pretty sure he hadn't lied about it, but I wanted to be sure before continuing with the lesson.

"I assure you, there is nothing wrong with his equipment." I pointed to the ground before my feet and my pet sprang from the sofa to his knees, crawling the 5 feet to the spot I indicated with my extended index finger. He knelt there with his head bowed, waiting for my next instruction.

Just like that, I could feel my blood start to sizzle in my veins. Gooseflesh crawled over my skin in reaction to the adrenaline surging through me. We'd been together over a year and I still felt it every time he submitted to me like that. I imagined that it was a lot like shooting heroin, though I couldn't be sure.

I reached down to the wavy locks on the top of his head and heard him visibly sigh. My lesson had stressed him. He hated to disappoint a woman.

I inched closer to him, splaying my feet, then closed my fist in his hair to tilt his head backward so I could look into his eyes.

"You can't help what you are."

Patrick's eyes closed. His head relaxed backward, giving into the pressure I'd applied. I inched close enough for his chin to touch my inner thighs. Then I pressed his face into my crotch.

"Everything is going to be okay. Your punishment is almost over."

"Punishment?"

Her voice sliced the air like a sharp knife. I'd completely forgotten that she was even there. Of course she wouldn't understand any of it, and there'd be no point in trying to explain. There was one thing she needed to understand, though, before she left.

"Stand up, my precious pet, and show her your glorious cock."

Patrick locked gazes with me as he stood. His cock was jutting from his body in proud display as I knew that it would be. It was how he was wired, plain and simple. He got off to being dominated by a strong woman. Servicing her needs before his own. It would take a lot of physical manipulation to get him hard without that element. This girl, no matter how young and beautiful, could never do that for him.

"I don't understand. A few minutes ago..."

I rolled my eyes, unable to remain patient with the clueless little slut. "I already told you. You aren't his type. Perhaps if you'd not been so enamored with his looks, you'd realized that he was just being polite at the party. Because that's how I've trained him to be around ladies."

I sighed, realizing that I could care less how this slutty girl behaved. It wasn't my place to teach her how to act with dignity.

"Precious, go wait for me in the bedroom. I'll be there in a minute. Say goodnight to your little failed experiment."

"Goodnight, Crystal. I'm sorry..."

I snapped my fingers once. I'd trained him to quit doing whatever annoying or bad thing he was doing when he heard that snap. He responded by stopping mid-sentence and shuffling off to the bedroom.

"I apologize for my pet's behavior. He'll think twice before flirting again, after he gets the cropping coming to him."

Crystal's jaw dropped in an over-exaggerated expression of horror.

"Oh, please. You're not that innocent. Besides, the cropping is what he wanted. He was using you to bait me into it. It's the other part that he wasn't counting on. But I needed to uncover the truth in front of everyone. To once again affirm it to him, as much as you. He doesn't just choose this lifestyle. For him, it's the way he's wired. He couldn't fake his way into a vanilla relationship."

I helped Crystal put on her coat, then walked to my purse to retrieve a twenty dollar bill.

"For a cab. You've earned it."

Crystal took the money from my hand and nodded. She looked a little like she'd seen a ghost, poor girl. If nothing else, maybe it taught her that people weren't always what they appeared.

I watched her disappear into a cab and turned my attention to the sub waiting in my bedroom. It was going to be a long night.

I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was a little aroused in anticipation of the upcoming session. And I knew my sub was already dripping pre-cum all over the bedspread.

Turning off the lights in the living room, I entered the master bedroom where my pet was waiting. He was on his knees on the floor, indicating that he was genuinely repentant.

"I gave her cash for her cab fare and watched her get into the vehicle. I knew you'd just worry if I didn't tell you that."

Patrick nodded, keeping his eyes glued to the floor.

"I didn't want to do that to you, but you keep insisting on playing this little game. Have you learned anything from this?"

"She didn't deserve to endure that."

"No, she didn't. But I'd do it all over again."

Patrick sighed and lowered his head until it was inches from the floor. "I don't deserve you."

"Probably not, but you're stuck with me just the same."

I knew that he was smiling down there. I'd made the joke to shorten the distance between us. It wouldn't have done any good to continue to build myself up and make him feel worse than he already did.

"I'm going to give you the cropping you want, but it's not going to be pleasant. When you think you've reached your limit, that's when I start over with the count. Twice as many for involving an unsuspecting girl."

His body was already trembling. His forehead lowered to rest on the carpet.

"Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I don't know. How pathetic I was to even acknowledge that girl. She's not ... I couldn't ..."

"Shhhh. I know, Precious. It's okay."

"I love you, Dee."

"I know you do. And I know you didn't mean to lead that girl on. It's just an old habit for you."

His breakdown was partly brought on by his nervousness about the beating. He has always been most vulnerable just before a punishment. We've had our most real discussions at those times.

I knelt on one knee and lifted his chin up to look at me. "I love you, Patrick. You're a devoted pet. I couldn't ask for a better lover or partner."

"Then, please..."

I knew what he was asking for. "Not now, Precious. Now, over the end of the bed. If you take this well, I'll consider allowing you to come. After me, of course."

"Yes, mistress."

I grinned at his response. He rarely called me that. We found that it was just too easy for him to use the name in public if he made it a habit in private. I preferred Dee, instead. It was short for Domina, Domme, Dominatrix. And since it was also short for Deirdre, no one suspected anything.

I retrieved the crop and donned a pair of gloves, taking my time while he waited with his bare bottom exposed. "How many do you think you deserve, my naughty little pet?"

It was a question with no good answer, and he knew it. He had no choice but to answer, however. "Fifty?"

I was surprised by the high number. Cropping for punishment was harsh. Fifty strokes would be very difficult to take, the way I delivered them. "I think that's fair. One hundred total, then."

Patrick gasped and lifted his head from the mattress, earning himself a swift crop to the back of the neck. "Ow!"

"Yes, ow. You know better than to challenge my judgment. I told you the punishment would be double."

I was sort of playing dirty, but I refused to feel guilty about that. He'd goaded me into this, after all.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes, mistress."

"Who loves you?"

"You do, mistress. More than I deserve."

He added that last part to our ritual and it made me beam with pride. For many couples this sort of activity can become too rehearsed. We did it infrequently enough to keep it fresh, but adding little sincere declarations helped, too.

I started off with medium strokes. It was a bit jarring to him at first, but it also set the proper tone. This wasn't play. It was punishment. I'd only had to do this two other times, and neither of those were a hundred strokes. This was going to test both our limits.

Gradually, I increased the intensity until I found a rhythm of swift, harsh lashes. Counting out fifty of those, I then dialed down the speed and strength of each stroke for the remainder of his punishment. By the time I was delivering the last ten, his body was covered in a sheen of perspiration, his fists gripping the bedspread with his face buried in the down. I'd endured his whimpering and sobbing during the heavier strokes and at this point, I just wanted it to be over.

I didn't particularly enjoy delivering pain. I'd say that Patrick was further down that continuum by twice as much as I was. He was known to ejaculate from a medium whipping. While it gave me a mild thrill to do that for him, it wasn't my first choice of activities. And this...punishment...didn't give either of us a hard-on.

But what it lacked in that area, it made up for in bringing us closer together. We probably both needed this session. I'll never admit that to him, but it's true. We'd been struggling to keep our relationship D/s. It was too easy to slip into an equal partnership when you both worked, contributed to the household, had enormous respect for each other, and were generally best friends. We needed sessions like this to remind us both how things needed to remain between us.