Kara's initial ventures into the realm of carpentry had been clumsy and inept, even with Peter's patience and expert guidance. She'd been nervous and jumpy around the loud, dangerous-looking machines and didn't have a feel for working with her hands. Several times in those first few months she'd considered giving up and returning to her dead-end retail career, and it was only her love for Peter and her desire to be close to him that had kept her coming back to try again.
But Ash was different. Cautious but not fearful, she absorbed Kara's teaching with a truly impressive speed. The younger woman's meticulous, methodical way of thinking was perfectly suited to craftsmanship, and in just a few sessions she achieved a level of skill that had taken Kara months to realize.
Saturday found them working together to assemble hanging stocks, and Ash's contribution let them complete four of the heavy, wooden neck and wrist restraints in just a few hours.
"I'll finish up this hinge. Why don't you sand down those paddles we started on Wednesday? Then we'll go get some lunch. We got a lot done this morning," Kara said.
Ashley nodded and went to work. She wore jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, work boots and a heavy denim smock. Kara had allowed her to wear her collar in the workshop -- there wasn't much chance of a 'vanilla' friend dropping by the remote workshop unannounced.
An hour later Kara stepped back to survey their progress. Four hanging stocks, two kneeling stocks, and two licking chairs were finished and stored out of the way against the workshop walls. Ash was finishing the last of a dozen oak paddles. At the rate they were going, they'd have plenty of inventory for Ero-con in June, less than three months away.
"What do you think?" Ash said, coming up beside her and handing Kara a paddle.
Kara ran her fingers up and down the long handle and palm-sized, flat face. "Perfectly done. Nice and smooth, especially on the edges. Great work!"
"We should probably test it, just to be sure, Mistress," Ash said, and when Kara gave her a questioning look she could read the hunger in the younger woman's beautiful, green eyes.
Saturdays were 'orgasm days' for her slave; a tradition that had gradually evolved over the two months they'd been together. Weekdays were for teasing and tormenting her submissive partner, while denying her sexual release. Ashley became increasingly attentive as the week went on and her frustrated arousal grew, and even more appreciative of touching, closeness and physical affection.
It was fascinating to Kara that Ash's pent-up arousal had such a pronounced effect on the young woman's emotions and behaviour. Had Master Peter noticed the same thing about Kara? It made her wonder what other nuances her husband had learned about her. Were discoveries like this all a part of 'mastering' a slave -- learning what made them tick?
Naturally the same rules didn't apply to Kara, and most nights that week she'd enjoyed a powerful climax on Ashley's always-willing tongue, much to their shared delight. Since the night of the party, Kara had become more assertive about availing herself of the many perks that came with being a Mistress. She felt she was really growing into the role, and found it was growing on her as well.
"A paddle like this really packs a sting. Are you sure?"
"Yes, Mistress. I think...I've been ready to try this for a while. I want to try it with you."
Kara held Ashley's gaze for several moments, reading the lust and eagerness there and finding no trace of fear.
"I suppose it would be fun to 'acquaint' you with the inventory. Go wash your hands, then take off your clothes and put your work shoes back on. Wait for me with feet apart and hands behind your head."
"Yes Mistress." Ash was already untying the smock.
Kara went to the thermostat and nudged the heat up by a few degrees, then went to the sink and washed her hands thoroughly under warm water. Finally, she stripped down to her black bra and panties, putting her work shoes back on for safety. She wanted to look as soft and sexy as possible for her young slave's first session with the paddle.
She grabbed one of the hanging stocks from where she'd leaned it against the wall and carried it back, letting the thick chains that were bolted to the top side of the stocks clink and rattle behind her as they dragged on the cement floor. She dumped the stocks on a workbench, then returned to her slave girl.
When she came back she found Ashley naked and in position, cheeks flushed, eyes bright with desperate need.
"You look so sexy, Mistress."
"You too," Kara said, running her hands over the smooth skin on Ash's belly and hips. "I can't wait to see how you look once the paddles start marking you up." She flashed a deliberately wicked grin at the other woman.
Ash shivered, then nodded.
Kara hooked her index finger through the D-ring on Ashley's collar and guided her to a workbench. She used her grip on the collar to get her slave bent at the waist, then grabbed the stocks, un-latched the hinge and opened it up. Kara carefully positioned Ash's neck in the centre hole of the thick, oak board and her wrists in the two smaller holes on either side. When she closed and latched the stocks she took extra care not to pinch Ash's slender neck or wrists, or bind her hair uncomfortably.
She helped Ashley into a standing position.
"Is that comfortable?"
Ashley squirmed a bit, feeling the weight of the solid oak pressing down on her narrow shoulders and confirming that her hands were securely pinned on either side of her head.
"Yes, Mistress."
Kara gathered the heavy chains that dangled from the top side of the stocks and gave them a firm tug, leading the younger woman to a position near the centre of the workspace. There were chain and rope pulleys secured to the rafters here, used for positioning wood frames that were too heavy or bulky to handle with muscle alone.
Kara clipped the chains on the hanging stocks to a pulley chain, then slowly raised the pulley until the stocks were dangling from the pulley chain. This relieved the burden on Ash's shoulders but also forced her to stand straight and prevented her from bending over.
"Mmm. Now I have your entire body to work with. Won't this be fun?" Kara said, running her fingernails down Ash's back, from her shoulders down to the crease of her buttocks.
"Oh, yes, Mistress..." Ashley's breathy reply turned into a loud squeal of protest when Kara dug her fingers into her unprotected sides, tickling her. Her elbows jerked and wiggled but couldn't free her wrists; she was helpless to defend herself.
The torment lasted only a couple of seconds, then Kara backed off and walked around in front of her slave. She reached between Ashley's legs and used gentle fingernails to graze her silk-smooth mound. Ash closed her eyes and breathed a happy sigh.
"Legs wider. Spread as far as you comfortably can."
Ashley obeyed and widened her stance so her work shoes were three feet apart.
"You're not to move your feet from that spot, is this clear?"
"Yes, Mistress, very clear."
Kara began a slow circle of her slave.
"Today will involve both bondage and pain, so I need you to understand how safewords work. Pay close attention."
Ashley nodded.
"You have two safewords: yellow and red. If you say 'yellow', I'll immediately stop whatever I'm doing and check in with you. If you're restrained, you'll stay restrained during the check-in. Good so far?"
"All good."
"Using the 'red' safeword is a kill-switch -- it immediately brings the scene to a close. You'll be freed from any bondage and we can discuss whatever was making you uncomfortable. Do you understand what I just said?"
"Yes, Mistress. 'Yellow' means pause, 'Red' means stop."
"It's not 'bad' to use a safeword. I won't be angry or disappointed if you pause or stop the scene, but I WILL be disappointed if you allow a scene to continue past the point where you're okay with it. This is about trust; you trust me to respect your safewords and I trust you to use them if you need to. Clear?"
"Very clear. I promise to use them if I have to."
Kara paused to run her palms over Ash's smooth buttocks, then gave them a light smack before continuing.
"Hanging stocks and paddle-spankings can sometimes create light-headedness. I'll be watching you closely for any signs, but if you feel dizzy or you start seeing dark spots or your breathing doesn't seem to be working right, I need you to 'red' immediately. And I mean IMMEDIATELY. Do you understand?"
Ashley nodded.
"Out loud, please."
"Yes, Mistress, I understand. I'll 'red' if I feel light-headed or faint."
Kara stopped in front of Ashley and resumed the teasing fingernail caress of her mound and outer labia. The younger woman gasped but held herself still, as she'd been taught, allowing her Mistress to enjoy her at leisure. Already that subtle, sexy look of desperation was starting to show in her beautiful, green eyes. Kara's fingernails had inflicted hours of delightful torment on that soft skin over the past few weeks, including every night that week. Her slave girl was feeling a week's worth of pent-up need.
"You want the paddle, do you?"
"Yes, please."
"It's going to hurt."
"I know, but I want to at least try."
Kara was quiet and continued to stroke and tease for another couple of minutes until Ashley was breathing hard through her mouth and begging with her gaze.
Kara leaned in and pressed a slow kiss onto Ashley's lips. The younger woman returned the affection hungrily. They held the passionate kiss for almost ten seconds before Kara pulled back.
"Don't go anywhere," Kara whispered, then walked to the workbench and returned with three paddles of different sizes. She set the two larger ones on the floor at her feet and brandished the smallest in front of Ashley's face. It was roughly the length and shape of a wooden spoon, but the oval face was flat and not concave.
"This little guy is for thighs, breasts and your sweet, tender pussy. He doesn't look too dangerous, but he's got a nasty little bite. Shall I demonstrate?"
"Please, Mistress."
Kara slid the smooth flat of the paddle over Ashley's pubic mound, a sensual caress. She was thrilled to see a shudder pass through the younger woman.
"Okay. I'm going to sting you once. Don't fight the pain; accept it inside you. When the stroke is done, breathe in deeply, let the pain diffuse into you, then breathe it out slowly. Always breathe. Clear?"
Ash nodded.
"Out loud, please."
"I understand, Mistress."
Kara held Ashley's gaze as she tapped her labia lightly. She'd never used the paddle on someone before, but she wasn't too concerned; the instrument was too small and light to do any damage. She pulled back her hand and flicked her wrist, slapping the flat of the paddle onto her slave's smooth pussy lips.
Ashley gasped in surprise, jerked her hips backward to escape the pain and brought her knees together defensively. Kara didn't chase her but remained still, keeping her eyes on Ash's. In a few moments, her slave gave her a sheepish half-grin and moved back into position, feet wide apart.
"Sorry, Mistress. I know I wasn't supposed to move."
"You moved, and you forgot to breathe. I think we should try again, don't you?" Kara was using her Domme voice now, firm but calm.
Ash sighed, then nodded to acknowledge the reprimand.
"Say it out loud."
"Yes, Mistress. Please try again."
Kara spent a moment caressing her slave with the smooth flat of the paddle, then lightly tapped her pussy a few times to signal her readiness.
"Remain still, and remember to inhale when you feel the pain. Accept it into you." She drew back and slapped the paddle onto Ashley's pubic mound with a snap of the wrist.
To her credit, Ash didn't move her feet, although her entire body jerked in response to the sudden sting. She breathed in deeply through her nose, then let it out slowly through her mouth. Kara was quiet as her slave processed the pain. She'd been there herself; she knew a little of what Ashley was feeling.
Kara stroked Ash's pussy with her palm, a gentle, soothing touch.
"How was that for you?"
Ashley's eyes were bright with excitement. "It was...intense. May I please have another, Mistress?"
Kara continued to caress Ash's mound and labia with the flat of her hand. "I want to give you three more, one after the other, without pausing. Good?"
The younger woman nodded.
"I need verbal answers."
"Yes, Mistress. Please give me three more."
Kara withdrew her hand and continued the caress with the flat of the tiny paddle. When her slave was again breathing heavily through her mouth, she tapped the instrument against her mound to announce her intention to begin.
"Don't move, and inhale through the pain," Kara said, then flicked her wrist and smacked the paddle onto the soft skin. Once...twice...three times. The fleshy slapping sounded loud in the quiet workshop.
Ashley gasped a quiet "ahh", her hips flinched and her eyes widened at the sting, but she didn't move and immediately sucked another deep breath in through her nose.
Kara crouched to examine the lightly punished pussy and found the smooth skin was pinking up nicely. She stood again and met Ash's eyes.
"How was that?"
"Oh, I hated it...and loved it. Thank you, Mistress."
"How about this?" Kara asked, stroking her fingernails lightly over the freshly-spanked skin.
Ashley gasped loudly and rolled her hips forward before she could stop herself.
Kara chuckled and continued to tease. "Really cranks up the sensitivity, doesn't it?"
"Oh, wow..." She managed to regain control of her pelvis and was again still as her Mistress tormented her nethers.
Kara continued to tease until Ash was panting, sweating and quivering with the effort of being still, then she withdrew from Ash's pussy -- getting a groan of disappointment -- and slid the tiny paddle over the thin, pale skin of her right inner thigh. Ashley widened her stance automatically.
"I'm going to sting you three times, right here," Kara said, tapping the area. "Remember to breathe. Are you ready?"
"Yes, Mistress."
Three quick smacks of the paddle left Ashley sucking in air through her teeth, then exhaling loudly, and then drawing a second deep breath. But she didn't move, accepting the pain her Mistress chose to inflict.
"Oooh...that stings bad."
"You took it well," Kara said in a voice that was low and even, then raised the paddle and begin to caress Ashley's left breast with the flat face.
"Oh, God," Ashley whispered, and Kara saw some genuine fear in her wide eyes.
"You wouldn't believe how much Master Peter enjoyed smacking my breasts with this kind of paddle," she said, giving her slave a rueful smile. "And not just when we were playing! Beating my tits was his go-to punishment. Breaking protocol would earn me three hard smacks on each boob. Outright disobedience was six on each. I'd have to stand with my arms straight up in the air and my eyes closed so I couldn't flinch away from the blows -- that way he could hit the tops, sides, and even the undersides. Sometimes the welts would last for a day or even two. When we went out as Master and slave, he'd make me carry the paddle in my purse, as both a reminder and in case he needed to use it. In my fourteen years with him, I probably took more paddle strokes on my breasts than my bum."
"I guess I can't blame him. You've got awesome, big boobs," Ashley said, smiling at the story. The fear in her eyes was gone.
"I expect you'll find having a smaller set is both a blessing and a curse," Kara said, moving the paddle caress to Ash's right breast. "On one hand, there's less surface area to sting with the paddle. On the other hand, it's going to be almost impossible to avoid these stiff nipples." Kara teased the nipples with the end of the paddle.
Ashley gave a resigned sigh. "How many will I get, Mistress?"
Kara returned a wicked smile. "Dozens, maybe hundreds. Because I've decided to make this my go-to punishment for YOU, my pretty, little slave. I know you'll be VERY attentive when you discover the price for error, don't you think?"
"Oh, Mistress," Ashley whispered, but her eyes showed excitement, not fear.
"Unless you've changed your mind about having a strict Mistress?"
She shook her head. "No way. I love it when you're strict."
"Then let's do three on each breast. I'll do three on your right, then we'll pause so you can breathe through it, then three on your left. Good?"
"Oh, God," Ash said again, then nodded slowly. "Yes, Mistress. Three on each."
"Close your eyes," Kara said. "And maybe if you're a VERY good girl from now on, this lesson will never be repeated."
Ashley shivered in anticipation and lust, then closed her eyes.
Kara continued to smooth the flat of the paddle over her small, soft right breast, then tapped it gently three times to signal the start. She flicked her wrist and delivered three sharp stings to the front of the breast, over the hard nipple. One...two...three.
Ash whimpered but didn't flinch away, and began her breathing almost immediately. Kara leaned close to her ear.
"I know, it's awful, isn't it? And you still have three to go on your left one."
Her eyes stayed squeezed shut as she focused on breathing and pain management. Finally she nodded slowly. "I'm ready, Mistress. May I please have the last three?"
"Mmm. Such good manners," Kara said and began a gentle caress of the paddle on Ash's left breast, then signaled with a few taps, paused, and gave three sharp slaps. Ashley gasped and did her breathing.
Kara bent over and took her slave's right nipple in her mouth, sucking and licking gently, and was met with an immediate, needy moan.
"It feels SO good after the paddle," Ash said in a hushed tone.
Kara sucked a moment longer, then let the nipple fall from her mouth. "I loved it when he sucked me after beating my breasts. The paddle made me regret my mistake, and his lips and tongue made me forgive him for the punishment." She moved her mouth to the left nipple, and at the same time resumed a teasing, fingertip caress of Ashley's mound and labia.
"I need you so bad, Mistress."
"I can feel it. Even your outer lips are messy now." Kara stood to gaze into her slave's pretty eyes again.
"Are you going to let me come?"
"If it pleases me," Kara said.
"I'll beg for it."
"Oh, I know you will."
Kara teased the slippery folds until Ash's eyes were unfocused and lusty and her hips and core were trembling, then stepped back.
"Ooooh...please don't stop, Mistress!"
"But we still have two paddles left to play with," Kara said, putting the smallest paddle on the floor and picking up the medium one.
The handle was longer -- about the length of her forearm, and the smooth flat of the paddle just a little wider than the palm of her hand. It was heavier, and the longer handle allowed for a more powerful swing and painful impact. She held it up so Ashley could see it, then slowly moved to the side of her body to allow for a better swing.
"This fellow here is strictly a butt paddle -- you'd have to be a real sadist to use it on someone's breasts or pussy and it could damage some of the softer tissue in those areas." Kara began to stroke the flat of the paddle over both cheeks of Ashley's bum. "Even though the buttocks have more padding, this fellow delivers a big shock of pain and makes a loud noise that's kind of scary if you're not used to it. There can be some purple bruising, too. It's really important to breathe through each stroke. Even then, it can take some practice to manage the pain properly."
Ashley groaned, and Kara saw her buttocks tense and release as the paddle stroked them gently.