A Strong Hand

to the punishment Crispin decreed. And when the first red line appeared across Eddy's arse Nick wondered what it felt like.
    That bothered him more than anything Damian had done to him.
    He wondered....

    * * * *
    Damian had called Nick several times during the day, but the younger man had never answered his phone. So his anxiety was assuaged when Nick showed up for work as usual on Thursday.
    "Come here, babe," Damian said, relieved when Nick walked into his arms. "I was afraid you weren't coming back."
    "I'm sorry, Damian," Nick apologized. "I just ... it was just so ... I don't know."
    "Confusing, I know. I didn't know Crispin was going to do that, or I would have stopped him. As it was, I gave him a piece of my mind," Damian said, his lips grim.
    "What did he say?"
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    "He said he was sorry but that you'd have to get used to it sometime if you're going to play this way," Damian said apologetically.
    Nick wrenched himself out of Damian's arms and went to the window. "How the fuck does everyone know?"
    "Everyone doesn't know, but people in this lifestyle do,"
    Damian said. He sighed, wondering how to explain it. "There's just a look in a sub's eyes. I guess if you're interested in finding one, you start to recognize them. There weren't that many clubs not so long ago, so you had to be able to spot them."
    "Would you cane me?" was the next unexpected question.
    Damian gasped and said, "No! Not like that!"
    "You don't know how?"
    "I know how; I just don't care to. And especially you! Eddy is a tough guy," Damian said, knowing it was the wrong thing the minute it was out of his mouth.
    "You're saying I'm not tough?" Nick challenged him, his arms crossed.
    "You're different is all that I'm saying. People's nerves are hardwired differently. You're more sensitive." He groaned, realizing he'd put his foot in it again.
    "I want to feel it. I want to feel what the worst is like,"
    Nick said stubbornly.
    Realizing that his boy was terrified, Damian took a step forward to take him in his arms again but Nick backed away from him. "I mean it. I want to feel it."
    "I promised I would never hurt you—"
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    "I want to feel it," Nick insisted, his lower jaw working pugnaciously.
    Surprising even himself, Damian grabbed Nick by the upper arm and dragged him into the makeup room, shoving him at the table in the center of the room. "Bend over that, pants down!" before he whirled around, storming into the studio.
    Nick was scared, but he'd asked for this. With shaking hands he took his pants down and leaned over the table.
    Damian came back into the room and Nick turned his head to see the evil cane in his sensitive, artist's hands. For a moment he regretted asking the older man to do something that he clearly did not want to do.
    Damian looked very stern and sad. "Nicholas, I don't permit my subs to top from the bottom. I can see you've got something going on in your head and I can't shake it loose unless you tell me what it is. We can talk this out; it doesn't have to be this way."
    Nick turned his head away from Damian, refusing to meet his eyes or answer him.
    "Very well. Maybe this will help clear your mind. This is your one shot. Grab the table. Don't move. You'll be getting three."
    Nick started to shake but he grabbed the table so hard that the edges cut into his hands and tensed, waiting and wondering if Damian was going to run at him the way Crispin had done with Eddy.
    He felt the cane tap his arse lightly, as if Damian was measuring the distance. He realized suddenly that usually the 255

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    by Catt Ford
    older man touched him elsewhere on his body before spanking him, but this was not playing.
    First he heard the whistle of the cane cutting through the air, and then the stunningly agonizing pain when the cane cracked across his behind. All the air rushed out of his lungs and he reared up silently, hands still gripping the table, frozen with pain. He gasped and the air suddenly returned to his lungs, making his chest heave frantically. Slowly he toppled back onto the table, panting and sweating.
    Nick wanted to use his safe word, but he felt honor-bound not to, after forcing Damian into this, and Damian had said he would be getting three. Nick shivered as the pain seemed to multiply, radiating through his body until he was just one giant ache. He didn't think he could take two more.
    The silence was almost more torture than another stroke would