In a fog of pain, Sophie heard his voice but she wanted so much to prove to him she was strong. She knew how much he had longed to be accepted by these people and if this was what it took to prove her love for him she would accept it.

Amber was beating her so thoroughly that people started to murmur and even Jeremy stepped forward. He was stopped in his tracks by a look from Amber. The merciless beating continued on Sophie's legs and back. She seemed barely conscious and the observers started to voice their concern.

Silently Thomas appealed to his captors and - one by one - they let him go. He leapt forward and struck Amber with a hard tackle. As she sprawled inelegantly on the floor he fumbled with Sophie's ties. Both of them were weeping and the crowd was hushed. No one moved to stop Thomas and Amber, kneeling where she had fallen, screamed.

" You're finished Thomas. You will never make a Dom. Weakness will not be tolerated!" Spittle frothed on her lips and she scrambled to her feet. " Please, Thomas. We both know how much you want to be one of us."

She staggered desperately towards him as he finally managed to release his love. He scooped Sophie up in his arms; her legs would not carry her. Jeremy approached the hysterical Amber only to be brushed aside.

"You love me , Thomas. Do the times we made love mean nothing?" She screamed.

Slowly, it seemed so slow, Thomas turned towards the group. He stood cradling his love. For a few seconds there was no sound in the room except for Sophie's gentle weeping and then Thomas spoke.

"How have I been so blind as to want to join you? Nothing is worth what you have put Sophie through. I love her more than life, and you -" He focused on Amber. "-You vicious witch. If I ever felt anything for you how could you think I care for you now? You have been cruelly beating Sophie out of sheer jealousy." He gently adjusted his hold on Sophie and turned to go.

"Thomas!" Cried Amber. "You're throwing away years of training and effort! What about the lifestyle we talked about, you, Jeremy and I?"

"Sophie and I can follow the "life-style" with out any of you. I want her to trust me, although Heaven knows if she ever will after what I introduced her to here."

"But I love you!" said Amber, her voice shaking. She took a couple of faltering steps towards him.

"You don't love me, Amber. I was just another conquest for you. You simply couldn't bear to see me happy with Sophie."

"You ungrateful bastard!" She spat at him and Jeremy, standing behind her, silently gestured at Thomas to go.





Safely back in the hotel suite, Thomas laid Sophie, still in her cloak, gently on the bed. Her skin burned from the whip and paddle and she whimper with the pain. She was bruised inside, humiliated and shaken but her spirit was still strong. As Thomas straightened up to leave she caught his hand in hers.

"Don't go, please. Don't leave me."

He sat on the edge of the bed, her hand in both of his. He lifted it to his lips and held it there.

"I'll stay with you as long a you want, Sophie. I adore you. I will never forgive myself for the pain I've caused you."

"I love you so, Thomas. It was my choice to take the punishment. I did it because I love you." He kissed her and gently opened the cloak as he did. Her breasts were taut with desire under his hand and he knew they were destined to fuck that night.

"I want you. Want to possess you so badly, but your poor back - " She rolled to him, the cloak falling away. The pain of the bedding rubbing on her flayed skin was awful but her desire for Thomas was stronger.

"There is something I want to give you, something I want you to take. I have thought about it and decided I want this." He was puzzled at first . what was it she had that he did not already possess? Then he suddenly realised she was offering to be taken anally.

He slowly raised his eyes to hers and took her hand in his again.

"Are you sure, my love? I know what a treasured gift it is you are offering me. As your Dom, I am humbled. As your lover I am excited - thrilled!"

Sophie smiled and nodded towards Thomas' erection that protruded through the cloak folds. "I see that." She said kissing his hand.

They kissed tenderly at first then grew more and more passionate until Thomas said urgently.

"Sophie, move to the edge of the bed. If you can lie over the edge, kneeling at the bed it will be less friction on your back."

She shifted to the edge and he stood by her, watching lovingly. Once she was kneeling at the bed, her upper body lying on it, Thomas positioned himself behind her. He looked down at the flushed skin and stripes still apparent on her back and legs. He reached toward the bedside table where the tube he had carried in his case now lay. It was salve intended for the wax burns Sophie might have received; now he would use it to soothe her stripes.

He squeezed a quantity on to his hand and gently spread it over her back. He stroked down over her red buttocks and allowed his fingers to travel between her cheeks. He added extra lotion and returned to her ass; as he touched her bud she rose to his fingers.

"Oh Sophie! I want you!" He moaned kissing her shoulder.

She raised her head from the bed and strained to look back at him. "Please, Thomas. Now, do it now."

He spread her pink, warm cheeks and saw her bud. He knew he was not the first to take her there, but he was the first to be offered it willingly. Almost reverently he

bent to kiss the rosy, puckered bud and she moaned as he probed gently with his tongue.