Deeper: A Hideaway Novella by Elyse Scott Page A

out his hands. She took them, and he pulled her
to her feet, then went to a narrow cupboard, where he and Master Dan hauled out
a huge, padded St Andrews Cross. ‘Know what this is?’ he said.
    She nodded. ‘From books.’
    He smiled, and pounded it with the side of his fist. ‘Nice solid
piece of kit, made by the best in the business.’ He extended his hand. ‘Come
check it out.’
    Slowly, she walked towards the instrument of torture, the egg
inside her making walking a bit of a challenge. Master Jake and Master Dan
undid the shackles at each point. She felt the padded leather cuffs, nodded,
and let them go.
    ‘Ready?’ said Master Jake.
    ‘Ready,’ she said, hoarsely. She cleared her throat and tried
again. ‘Ready, Sir.’
    He smiled, and held out his hand. She extended her arm, and he
cuffed her wrist. He stuck his finger inside the cuff, ensuring it wasn’t too
tight. ‘Let me know if you feel any numbness or extreme pain,’ he said, then
repeated the procedure with her other arm, and her ankles, so that finally she
was held immobile, her body forming an X shape.
    ‘Believe it or not, you’re safer when you’re restrained,’ said
Master Dan. ‘Some areas of the body are safe to flog, and others aren’t. We
can’t have you moving around too much, in case the blow falls somewhere it
shouldn’t.’
    ‘Should I be reassured by that, Sir?’ she said.
    Master Dan laughed. ‘Don’t worry, little one. Master Jake has an
excellent eye, and I’m right here too.’
    Master Jake moved to stand in front of her. He kissed her softy,
and smiled reassuringly. ‘Now the blindfold.’
    She held her head up obediently as he tied the smooth silk in
place, trying not to panic as her sight was taken away.
    ‘Comfortable?’ he said.
    ‘Interesting question, Sir.’
    He huffed an amused noise. ‘Understood. But I’m referring
specifically to the tightness of the blindfold.’
    ‘It’s fine, Sir.’ She felt him step away.
    ‘Then we’ll begin. I’ll start very light; there won’t be so much
as a sting until you tell me you’re ready.’
    She swallowed. ‘Okay.’
    ‘Here we go.’
    The next few minutes were almost relaxing. The falls swished over
her back and buttocks in soft, rhythmic movements. After a while, though, she
became restless, shifting and pulling at the cuffs on her wrists as her muscles
began to protest the unnatural position.
    ‘How are you doing?’ said Master Jake.
    ‘Ready for more, Sir,’ she said, cringing, every muscle in her
back knotted.
    ‘Hey, now. Take it easy. I’m not going to suddenly land a hard
blow,’ he said.
    She nodded. The next blow was harder than the ones before, but
still no more than an occasional zinging pain across her back or bottom. She found
her mind straying forward to the next stage, the vicious-looking flogger with
the steel handle and thick tails.
    Suddenly, she became aware that the blows had stopped falling.
    ‘What are you thinking about, Cady?’ said Master Jake.
    ‘When it gets harder, Sir.’
    ‘Is that because you’re afraid, or because you want to go onto
it?’
    ‘Can we just get to it, Sir? Before I lose my nerve?’ She pulled
again at the restraints, and felt someone’s hands at her wrists and ankles,
checking them.
    ‘We can, but only if you’re really sure it’s what you want.
Remember what I said; I’ll never hurt you unless you ask me to.’
    ‘I want you to.’
    There was a slight pause. ‘All right,’ he said. ‘I’m switching
floggers. It’s gonna be harder now, and it’s going to hurt. Not too much at
first. At first it’ll be more of a thumping kind of feeling, but then it’ll get
sharper. I’ll gradually increase the force of the blows until you feel you’ve
reached a level of pain that satisfies you. Do you understand?’
    ‘Yes, Sir.’ Her heart was slamming against the padded frame.
    ‘When you reach a level that feels right for you, say ‘good’, and
I’ll keep the force of the blows steady at