Sydney knew she was in trouble for her blatant insolent behavior when Master Connor weaved his thick fingers into her hair and tugged her forward, giving her no other choice but to follow obediently down the hallway. She knew full well she’d crossed the line when she smart-mouthed him at the bar. She just hadn't been able to stop herself. From the moment she’d arrived, she was in a mood, and his arrogant display just pissed her off. Apparently, he was also in a mood, one she hadn’t seen before. Normally, he was so controlled, always in command of everything around him, especially his own emotions. Tonight, that clearly was not the case, which confused her.

She stumbled more than once as he led her to the center of the room, hauling her over to the empty set of stocks. Her heart rate kicked up a notch when he stopped in front of the thick wooden device. Defiantly, her chin lifted, not giving him the satisfaction of a reaction, even though she was uneasy about his intentions considering the anger that poured from him in waves. Even the onlookers wore puzzled expressions at the sight.

“You have no fucking idea what you started tonight, Syd,” he growled as he threw the top wooden lid of the stockade up, the hinge creaking quietly.

His hand remained wrapped around her hair, gripping the strands tightly at the base of her skull. She tumbled forward when he tossed her half naked body against the stockade… hard. Pushing her head in the smooth curve, he barked, “Put your fucking wrists in the sides. Now.”

Without question, she dropped them in the opening and he slammed the lid over the top of her, securing it in place with a heavy lock. Fuck. Maybe she shouldn't have opened her mouth earlier. The club had a universal safe word, so even though he gave her none, she knew if things escalated too far, it could be used and one of the monitors that kept watch would step in. It was one of the many safety precautions that made her feel so comfortable at Paradise.

Master Connor’s hand skimmed down her back. Wrapping his finger around the lace ribbon at the bottom of the corset she wore, he yanked until it unwound through each metal grommet. It tickled as it slid upward and apart, and she had to stifle a laugh at the sensation. Once it weaved through the last hole, the pretty corset parted and fell to the ground, leaving her breasts fully exposed. The chilled air whipped around, and her nipples pebbled instantly. Feeling her skirt slide down her legs, a shiver skated up her body as she stepped out of it. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him fling the material to the side. She was now fully naked and at his disposal. Continuing, his hand caressed further down, rubbing over her ass, caressing the twin globes appreciatively.

Playfully tapping each cheek, he purred behind her. “I can't wait to see my marks here, to see this perfect tanned flesh turn a glowing red.”

He spanked her once on each side with the palm of his hand, the blows landing with a sharp sting.

“My cock is hard just thinking about it, pet.” He struck her ass once more. “But you see, Syd, I won’t be using my hands.”

She tensed as his warm palms started to roam down her slender thighs and calves, stopping at her ankles.

“Maybe…I'll use my belt.” He yanked her legs apart, splitting them wide open. The feel of the cold steel made her shiver as it locked around the ankle he was still holding. “Maybe…I'll use a flogger. Or a whip.” He shifted and snatched up her other ankle, pulling it further apart from the first before snapping another metal cuff around it.