Melissa was shocked, both to hear Joseph suddenly talking and also at the transformation of the mood. It took her a moment to parse what he had said and realize that he truly liked what had just happened. She was amazed to see how much she had been drawn into believing that he actually was a recalcitrant pony that had to be whipped into obedience.

Serena turned to Melissa and asked, “Melissa, how about you?”

“Wow… I don’t know. That was seriously weird. I guess I kind of got into it, but… well… I don’t know.”

Serena nodded her head at Melissa. “You seemed a little bit shaken there.”

“Yeah. It was pretty intense. It helps a lot to know Joe, I mean Joseph, liked it.” Melissa took a deep breath. She noticed Joseph clearly appreciated how her naked breasts expanded as she filled her lungs. With a quick glance, she saw that his penis was nearly erect. She decided he wasn’t lying about really liking the scene.

She heard Erik clear his throat and was startled to realize that he had walked over. He had clearly seen how Joseph and Melissa had just checked each other out. A coy smile played around Erik’s mouth as he said, “Remember Mel, it’s okay if you don’t like it playing a dominant role. When all is said and done, in fact, I’d be willing to bet a fair amount of money that you won’t. My guess is you’re more of a pure submissive, rather than a switch, like Serena. But I could be wrong. You might really like both sides.”

Serena butted in, “Being a switch is way fun! Definitely the best of both worlds.”

Erik gave Serena a mock look of disapproval at the interruption. Then he continued, “No matter what your final call is, though, it’s incredibly helpful to experience the other side. Even if you only enjoy being a sub, some time spent topping will give you a much better appreciation for what your role as a sub is all about.”

Melissa looked off in the distance for a moment, considering the idea he’d brought up. Then she nodded, feeling a more settled sense of resolve. Turning back to Erik and Serena, she said “Got it. I think I understand now. And yeah, being on the other side is… hugely different. Not at all what I’d thought it was. You’re right, I’m not sure I’m really into it. At least, not nearly the same way as I’m into it when you’re on top. But I do get a sense of the intensity of being on top. It’s sexually charged and all, but I’m so… foreign to it, I don’t know that it really clicks for me.”

Erik smiled at her reassuringly. “That’s fine. Actually, that’s great. It sounds like you’re connecting some dots.”

Melissa cocked her head, puzzled by a new thought. She asked, “How about you? Did you ever try bottoming?”

He gave her a wry smile and said firmly, “We won’t go there right now.” He looked off at the sun for a moment, seeming to calculate how much time remained before sunset. Then he glanced down at Joseph’s penis, which had reduced some in size during all the talking. Finally, Erik turned back to Melissa. “So, before poor Joseph completely deflates, are you ready to take the scene a bit further?”

“Ah, sure. Well, I mean, I’m not sure exactly how much more…”

“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “We won’t stress you too much more. In this direction, at least.”

“Okay…”

Erik stepped back and waved to Serena, “You may carry on.”

Serena said, “Sure. Well, ladies and ponies, clear your heads; take a deep breath; this time-out is over.” After a pause, she continued, “Mistress Melissa, you’ve done a nice job breaking your pony to your will, but now you have to teach him how to trot at command, and do it with proper form.”

Bending down, Serena picked up the long whip and handed it to Melissa. “You’ll need this. Put the crop back on your waist hook.” Melissa complied. “Good, now hold the whip in your right hand.” Melissa transferred the whip to her right hand. “Hold it a little closer to the base. It’s springy, so you want to get a good snap out of it.” Serena showed her how to hold the whip and flick it, so the loose leather tail on the end of the flexible shaft came alive. “Yes, like that. With a little practice, you can decide which of his balls to hit.”

Melissa blanched, and Serena giggled, reassuring her, “Don’t worry. I was just kidding.” She reached up to stroke Joseph’s face. “You don’t want to hurt this pretty little pony. Well not too much. He’s such a cute little thing.”

Serena handed the other end of the black leather lead to Melissa and told her, “Now walk over there, until the lead is mostly tight.”

Melissa walked further out onto the lawn, to where Serena had indicated. Then Serena stepped away from the pony/boy and told her, “Now you want to get him started. Give a little tug on the lead and then snap the whip at his rear to get him moving.”

Melissa tugged softly on the leather lead, then flicked the whip, so it passed behind Joseph. All he did, however, was stomp his foot in protest.

Serena called out, “You’re going to have to actually hit him to get him to move. You’re training him to know what the tug means. If you want, you can also sort of click your tongue to encourage him along.” Serena paused a moment, then asked her. “Have you ever worked with ponies before, or ridden?”

Melissa laughed, “Not exactly in my income bracket.”

Serena chuckled with her. “Know what you mean. So, just channel Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet or whatever other movie you saw of a girl with a horse.”

Melissa thought a moment, then said, “Okay.” Then she clicked her tongue and snapped the whip, so it brushed past Joseph’s rear. He moved forward a couple of steps, then halted.

“Don’t forget to give a little tug on the lead, and you’ve really got to pop the whip.”

Melissa gave Serena a frustrated smile. Then Melissa gave the lead a sharper tug and snapped the whip with a much more determined stroke. It landed across the small of Joseph’s back. This time, he bolted forward in a somewhat disjointed run.

“That’s good. Now put a little pressure on the lead to slow him down. That’s better. When you whip him, though, try for the rear quarters.”

Joseph slowed to a walk. Serena called out, “Okay, keep him going.”

Melissa flicked out the whip again, this time with better aim. She was surprised to hear the “thwack” of the leather strap against his butt. Once again, he bolted, and she worked on getting him slowed down. She had to alternate between using the whip and the lead to try to get him into an even trot. Every time she thought she had it, he would start to slow down again.

After a few minutes, she started to get better control. She could also see some red marks developing on his butt cheek. She shook her head in wonder, amazed that she had become so focused on the game of “training her pony.” For awhile, she had lost any external point of view. That external point of view still seemed vaguely ridiculous to her.

Joseph started to slow again, while she had been distracted. He looked more frustrated this time, as though he had noticed her wandering attention, even though the blinders on his head gear kept him from seeing her. She snapped the whip again clicking her tongue more firmly. He responded quickly.

The realization struck her that this scene was very important to him. He seemed to revel in the fantasy, even if she found it silly. It didn’t seem fair to him if she wasn’t serious and committed to the scene. He had trusted her with something that was special to him. She felt she had an obligation in return.

She laughed quietly to herself, realizing that having her gain this insight was likely why Erik and Serena had set up the whole evening.

Joseph started to slow once again, with his head drooping down. This time, Melissa called out firmly, “You naughty little pony. I’ll teach you to misbehave.” With that, she flicked out the whip, landing a firm stroke across both of his butt cheeks. He jerked his head up and resumed his speed. Melissa could see the red mark from her lash stroke. It was much more clearly defined than her earlier efforts.

She smiled at his renewed spirit and called out, “Get those knees up. You call that a trot?” She crouched down a little bit in order to land the next whip stroke diagonally across her last one. She was a little off in her aim, but the effect seemed to make an immediate difference in his gait.

Over the next several minutes, she gave him constant corrections, backed up by frequent strokes of the whip. He quickly had a raging erection, flopping up and down with every hoof beat. Finally, he was winded, so she pulled him to a halt.

She walked over to him, hands on her hips. “You are such a bad little pony. Just a naughty thing. I just don’t know what to do with you. And look at this thing…” She slid the shaft of her whip across his rampant penis. “What am I to do with this? It totally ruins your form.” She stepped closer, shaking her head. “Perhaps I should sell you.”

Behind Joseph, she looked over at Serena, who gave her a big grin. Then she looked over to Erik. He had returned to his Adirondack chair. He grinned as well, then made a silent clapping motion, indicating his complete approval.

Melissa stepped back, considering Joseph. She pointed at his erect penis. “That is just a naughty pony.” Turning to Serena, she demanded, “Why did you give me such a bad little pony?” She stomped over to Serena, as best she could in her boots, even though her heels sank into the turf at every step. She reached down to snatch her crop from her waist and pointed it at Joseph, commanding Serena, “Get over there and fix that thing. It’s all swollen up.”

Serena ducked her head and hurried over to Joseph, saying, “Yes mistress. I’m so sorry mistress. I didn’t know he’d be so naughty.”

Serena leaned close to Joseph and whispered loudly, “You bad little pony. Now you’ve gotten me in trouble with the mistress. We’ll both be beaten for sure.”

Melissa called out loudly, “I don’t have all day.”

Serena bobbed a quick curtsey, “Yes mistress.” Then she bent over from the waist, taking his penis into her mouth. At the same time, she rotated the c-hoop of her skirt waist around, so that the open portion now exposed her rear.

Melissa walked back to them, considering the scene for a moment. Then she cracked the crop across Serena’s bottom, adding a red blotch from the crop’s head to the three stripes that already crisscrossed her buttocks. “You’re not trying hard enough. Make it go away,” she demanded shrilly. Then she brought the crop smartly across Joseph’s buttocks, adding, “You’re such a bad little pony. I should just beat you silly.”

She could see Joseph’s chest shudder and his back arch. Serena continued to stuff him into her mouth, one hand firmly around the base of his shaft. Melissa swung the crop across Serena’s other buttock, giving her a matching red spot on that cheek. “You’re still not trying hard enough!”

Serena redoubled her efforts, bouncing her head vigorously in and out, around the head of his penis. Melissa saw Joseph’s eyes start to roll back. She smacked the crop across his bottom several more times, punctuating every word as she commanded, “I. Want. You. To. Cum. Right. Now!”

Joseph shuddered, filling Serena’s mouth with semen, much of which came shooting back out as she continued to pump her head up and down on his nearly purple member. Finally, Joseph’s copious supply of cum was exhausted, and he slumped back. Serena stood up and straightened her skirt. Cum was running down her chin.

Melissa stepped up, cupping hand to catch the cum and prevent it from dripping on Serena’s beautiful corset. Melissa shook her head disapprovingly, “Messy, messy, messy.” With a frustrated sigh, Melissa asked, “Do I have to do everything around here?” Stepping closer, Melissa licked most of the cum from Serena’s chin and transferred it to Serena’s mouth with a long and very sloppy kiss.

To her surprise, Joseph’s cum had a sweeter and cleaner taste than she had ever experienced before. She found herself enjoying kissing Serena, with the taste of Joseph spread liberally throughout both of their mouths. Melissa pressed her body against Serena. Melissa used her empty hand to hold Serena’s head in tightly against her. She felt the silk fabric of Serena’s corset firmly against her own naked breasts.

Melissa slowly broke from the kiss, only to finish licking Serena’s chin clean. Then she held out her hand, puddled with Joseph’s remaining cum. Melissa insisted, “Well?”

Serena, ducked her head apologetically. “Yes mistress. Sorry mistress.” She quickly licked it clean. With an edge of sarcasm, Serena whispered, “Thank you ever so fucking much Mistress, since you know how much I crave the taste of cum.”

Melissa quirked a smile and whispered back, “Serves you right.”

With a satisfied sigh, Melissa surveyed the scene and finally stepped away.

She turned to see that Erik was now sitting on the patio wall, clearly approving of how the scene had turned out. Turning back to Joseph, Melissa reached out to stroke his cheek. “That’s a good pony. See. Everything is better now. You just have to follow your mistress’ commands.”

Erik called out softly, “Nicely done. I am quite impressed. How did it feel?”

Melissa considered his question thoughtfully. Breaking away from the mood of the scene, she answered, “I get the idea much better. But I agree with you, I don’t think I’m really cut out to be a dom.”

Serena protested, “Could have fooled me.”

Joseph agreed, “Me too.” He rubbed his butt gingerly. “Ow!” Then he gave Melissa a smile to show that he was only teasing.

Melissa grinned back at both of them, then explained, “It’s not that I wasn’t happy about what I was able to do, at least once I figured it out. It’s just that it wasn’t actually a whole lot of fun on my end.”

Serena gave her a questioning look.

Melissa continued, “I was too worried about everyone else and if I was doing things right… Yeah, I know it seemed to be working pretty well. I could feel that. It’s just that it took so much concentration; I didn’t have any time for my own fun. I don’t know; maybe I’m just too selfish. I like it better when I’m on the receiving end, and somebody else has to do all the work. Then I can just sort of float along and enjoy it.”

Melissa looked at Serena and Erik. “I don’t know how you guys do it.”

Serena protested once more, “But you’re so good at it.”

Erik said, “Yeah, but if it’s constant work, then it’s hard for it to be fun. I get that. You see, for me, all the effort of creating a scene is more than rewarded by the joy of guiding the scene, taking the other person somewhere that they really love. When it works well, I get a huge rush. I love feeling that creative control. More than that, though, I love taking away someone’s hang-ups and self-conscious fears, freeing them to the point where they’re just a complete sexual creature. Then it’s like they’re blazing with sexual energy. They really love it, and for me, I feed and channel that energy, taking it to the point where all the other person desperately wants to do is satisfy me. That’s a huge… I don’t know, ego-boost? Reward?”

Serena offered, “God complex?”

He laughed, shaking his head. Turning more serious again, he walked over to Melissa and said quietly, “I think the awesome thing is how brightly and naturally you burn with that sexual energy. It truly doesn’t take much to release it.” He caressed her face, smiling. “It is very special, your Yin, to my Yang.”

Turning back to Serena, he tried to shake off his serious mood by joking, “And you’ve got both the Yin and Yang inside you. You don’t need any of us. You’re perfect all by yourself.”

Serena sardonically replied, “Lucky me.”

He shrugged apologetically. Melissa could see Erik’s realization that he had just openly expressed an affection for her that he would never feel for Serena, no matter how comfortable he and Serena might be together or how long they had known each other. Melissa was filled with a deeply bittersweet joy.

Serena had clearly heard the same message. She reached out and took Melissa’s hands, giving her a squeeze and a smile, fighting back tears.

Erik turned back toward the house, walking away from the feelings he had stirred up. He called out, “I’ll get some lemonade for everyone.”

Serena answered in a resolutely normal voice, “That sounds good.”

Melissa ducked her head, embarrassed that she was the cause of Serena’s hurt. Serena tugged on her hands, saying, “Come on, let’s go sit down.” The she called out to Joseph, “Stay there pony. We’ll water you later.”

Melissa and Serena walked back to the patio, holding hands. Melissa whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Serena shook her head angrily, tears now streaming down her cheeks. “I’m grateful for what I have. I’ve always known it wouldn’t be anything else. I never let myself be fooled into thinking anything else.” With her free hand, she wiped the tears aside. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m blubbering like this. Really, it’s just what I’ve always known.”

Then Serena turned to Melissa and whispered fiercely, “Don’t you blow it! And don’t you hurt him either!”

Melissa promised. “I won’t.”

“Okay.” Serena sank into one of the Adirondack chairs. “Let’s just sit for a minute.” Melissa sat in the chair next to her, still holding Serena’s hand.

After a minute’s shared silence, Melissa asked in frustration, “What is it about him that inspires such love and such strong friends. I’ve known him less than a fucking week, and I’m falling for him in a huge way. Goddamn it!”

Serena laughed, “Oh I don’t know. How about, he’s gorgeous, smart as hell, rich, sensitive, loving, an amazing dom… hell, in fifteen thousand ways, he’s larger than life. And hidden away, in the middle of all that, there’s a lost, hurt, little boy. Come on, what woman ever born wouldn’t fall for that? In an instant?”

Melissa laughed bitterly. “Okay. Yeah. You’ve got a point.”

Behind them, they heard the sliding glass doors open, and the rattle of ice as Erik carried a tray of lemonade-filled glasses out. He set the tray down on the patio wall and turned to face them. For the first time that Melissa could recall, she saw some uncertainty in his eyes. He clearly knew that what he told Melissa must have hurt Serena.

He picked up two glasses and brought them over. After seeing that both women were now in a lighter mood, he returned to more of his normal self as well. The women gratefully accepted their cool glasses. He went back to get his, then paused, looking out at Joseph, who stood, ever gracefully and patiently on the lawn. Erik shook his head. “I have to admit, I’m not a real aficionado of pony play. How the hell is he supposed to drink?”

Serena stood up, “Ha! I’ll show you.” She sauntered over to retrieve the last glass on the tray, complaining about “rank amateurs” and “posers” under her breath. Taking the glass out to the ‘pony,’ she slipped her fingers over the top of the glass to retain its ice, and then slowly upended the glass over his upturned face. He drank greedily as the lemonade overfilled his mouth, spilling down his chin and chest.

When the glass was empty, Serena returned with the same sauntering walk, announcing, “We’ll have to hose him off when we’re done, or he’ll get all sticky.”

“Sure you don’t want him all sticky?”

Serena cast a long glance back at Joseph, then turned back to Erik and Melissa. She said quietly, “Way too pretty for me. Besides, I’m fairly certain he likes boys better.”

Erik agreed, “Tis true. But now that you’ve got him cooled off, perhaps he could take you for a ride?”

Serena looked out over the lawn at the sulky. She protested, “But the sulky is set up for two ponies, not one. Of course… that would be why you have the extra set of gear.” She pointed at a clutter of black leather straps and other objects lying on the patio wall. “Don’t you dare think I’m going to wear that. I’ll ride a pony, but I don’t pull a cart. Nope. Not going to happen.”

Erik put his hands on his hips, feigning a perplexed state. He asked, “Well, who could we get to be the other pony?”

As though on cue, they both turned to stare at Melissa. Her response was, “Oh shit.”

“Melissa, my dear,” Erik began, “we have a wonderful opportunity for you to learn a new skill.”

“Fuck you.”

“Yes my dear, don’t worry. Serena and I will happily fuck afterward, but for now, we’ll do whatever it takes to get you properly outfitted and prepared.”

“Meaning hit me over the head and tie me up?”

“Well certainly, if you prefer. But it would probably be much easier if you just came over here.”

“You’d have to catch me first.”

“Alas,” he replied, pointedly looking at her thigh high, high-heeled boots, “that won’t be terribly difficult.”

“Oh shit.”

“Yes, you mentioned that before. Although I thought that Serena had strict instructions to give you an enema…”

Serena interjected brightly, “Yes sir, clean as a whistle.”

Melissa pouted, “Look who’s sucking up to the boss now.”

“Hey, as long as I don’t have to pull that damn cart, I’ll suck anyone off.”

“Humph! You’d suck anyone off anyway.”

“True, but that’s beside the point. Tell you what, stay right there. It’ll be easier to change your footwear while you’re sitting down anyway.”

Melissa crossed her arms in mock frustration while Erik and Serena brought the heap of gear over to her. She offered only grudging help as they transformed her into a pony to match Joseph. They made her stand to put the harness on and then bind her arms behind her back. Fortunately, balancing in the hoof-shoes was easier than she had feared.

Serena kissed her softly on the lips before slipping the metal and plastic bit into her mouth and buckling the bridle around her head. Melissa was grateful that the part of the bit that contacted her teeth was all plastic.

Erik held up a long horse’s tail that nearly matched the reddish blond color of Melissa’s hair. He said brightly to Serena, “Oh look, it attaches the same way as Mistress Amy’s clever little device.”

Melissa involuntarily stepped back, trying to put distance between her and the double dildo end of the tail.

“Oops, Serena, I think you’re going to need to get the crop ready.”

Unable to talk, Melissa stamped her hoof in frustration. She was completely surprised when the “whack” of the crop impacted her right butt cheek almost immediately.

“Already had it in hand,” Serena said proudly.

“Oh good. Clever girl. Now if you could just help me hold her still, I’ll pop this into place in no time.”

Melissa turned to stare at Serena accusingly. The blinders on either side of her head meant she had to turn completely to see anything around her, which is how Serena had surprised her with the crop.

Serena smiled pleasantly in response to Melissa’s angry stare; then she tucked the crop under one arm, reached up with both hands, and captured Melissa’s nipples between her thumb and forefingers. Serena called out to Erik, “Don’t worry, I have her.” Melissa’s eyes widened until Serena could see the whites all the way around her irises.

“Excellent,” replied Erik, “but could you get her to bend over a bit.”

“No problem.” Serena pinched harder, pulling down and forward. Melissa shrieked against the bit in her mouth and quickly bent over at the waist to reduce the pain.

“Oh, that’s much better. Thank you ever so much.”

“Absolutely, not a problem.”

Melissa felt pressure against her rectum while simultaneously something else slid partway into her vagina. Erik slowly pulsated the pressure against her rear as the tightness of her sphincter reluctantly relaxed, and the butt plug worked its way deeper inside her. Finally, the butt plug’s maximum girth passed into her, and the remainder of the plug slipped in quickly.

“There we go. Let me just cinch up this harness strap to help keep everything in place… Can you get her to straighten up?”

“Sure, anything to help.”

This time, Melissa tried to follow Serena as quickly as she could, so Serena wouldn’t have to pinch any tighter.

“Oh that’s perfect,” Erik said, stepping back to admire their handiwork.

Serena finally let go of Melissa’s aching nipples and stepped back to join him in admiring her. “She is indeed exquisite. Wow, it would almost be worth going through all that fuss and bother, just to look that good. Almost. Not quite. But almost.”

Melissa stomped her hoof again in frustration. As she moved her leg, however, the harness strap that ran between her legs put the most delightful pressure on her sex. She realized that her wetness had already thoroughly lubricated the leather. The strap was tight enough that it had pushed apart her labia and the wet leather strap lay between them. Every time she moved, the slick leather slid back and forth over her clitoris. The feeling was so intense; she wasn’t sure she would be able to walk.

Erik brushed off his hands and said, “Let’s get them hitched up.”

Serena slipped a finger under Melissa’s bridle and tugged her forward. “Come on little pony. Let’s get you all hitched up. You and the other little pony are going to pull me in that adorable little sulky. Melissa followed along behind, dazed.

Serena turned to watch her, walking backward, which, in a lucid moment, Melissa thought was quite an achievement in her heels. Serena stopped, with a disappointed pout. “You are such a lazy, naughty pony. Your form is terrible. You need to lift your legs.” She swung the crop. “Whack.” Melissa lifted her front leg, wobbling on the other.

Serena walked around her, hidden from view by her blinders. “Higher!” “Whack.” “Straighten that back!” “Whack.” “Head up!” “Whack.”

Melissa found herself vibrating from the unexpected blows. Serena came back into view. “Better.” Catching her bridle again, Serena led her over to the sulky, where Erik was already connecting Joseph’s harness to the crossbar in front. Serena arranged Melissa next to Joseph and started attaching her as well.

Erik finished on his side and stepped back to assess their work. “They do make a gorgeous pair of ponies. Well matched. Almost makes me wish I had taken more of an interest in pony play.”

“I don’t know Erik,” Serena said as she finished off, “you’re not really a horsey kind of guy.”

“But look at them,” he gestured, “aren’t they magnificent.” Melissa tossed her head and pawed the turf with her hoof.

Serena joined him and agreed, “Makes me wet, just looking at them.”

She picked up the long whip and climbed into the driver’s seat, letting the long black lace back of her skirt drape down behind her. She gathered the reins in her hand and snapped her whip at the ponies. They started pulling with gusto, quickly breaking into a trot.

Serena called out, “Girlie, knees up.” The tail of the whip cracked across Melissa’s buttocks, adding a new, if marginally fainter, red mark. Melissa tried to bring her knees up higher on each step, but it was quickly tiring. All of her day’s physical exercise had left her with little reserve.

Serena pulled to the right on the reins, directing the ponies into a sweeping turn. Melissa’s breasts were starting to ache now, from the constant jarring of her trotting gait.

The tops of her thighs were burning.

Serena must have seen her struggling because she soon pulled them to a halt. Melissa stood, feeling dizzy. Her arms were bound behind her back; her chest was heaving in gasping breaths; her feet were trapped in the hoof shoes – she was terrified she was going to fall.

Erik stepped up beside her, grasping her upper arms firmly, lending her support. After a minute, the world stopped spinning, and her breathing had slowed to a more normal pace. She saw Joseph step away from the sulky with his arms free. Serena then moved behind her, unfastening her from the sulky and freeing her arms as well.

Then Melissa saw that Joseph had removed his headgear, so she immediately reached up to release her own. Serena batted her hands away and unbuckled it herself, letting the bridle fall forward off Melissa’s head. Melissa tilted her head back and took a deep breath. She felt her right hoof shoe loosen and realized that Serena must have undone the straps. Soon after, the other one came loose, and she could step out of them. Once her bare feet made contact with the grass, she curled her toes in between the cool blades of grass, groaning in relief.

Looking over at Joseph, she said, “I’m sorry if I’m insulting your passion, but being a pony-girl is so not my thing.”

He smiled back at her in understanding. “It is a pity, though, we were a beautiful team.”

Erik released her arm but kept one hand on her shoulder. “I agree with Joseph. The sight of you two was simply amazing, but, unfortunately, I think we can cross this one off the list.”

Pitching his voice to Joseph, Erik continued, “Thank you so much Joseph, and also give my thanks to Master Drexler. Do you want to come in and cool off?”

He shook his head, “No sir, I should be getting back before dark.”

“Okay, do you need any help loading anything?”

“No, no. I’m fine Master Erik. Do you want to keep any of the equipment?”

Erik looked at Melissa, considering the question for a moment. “The shoes and the bridle can go back. I like the harness and the tail, though. I’ll keep those.”

“What about the whip and the crop?”

“I’ve got plenty of my own… although Melissa, do you want to keep the crop, so you can use it on Serena in the future?”

Melissa grinned evilly, “Oh that’s tempting.”

Serena said quietly, “Bitch.”

Melissa said, “In that case, yes.”

Serena complained, “You’d think I’d know to keep my fucking mouth shut.”

Erik walked over to pick up the crop and came back to hand it to Melissa. “It’s your first crop. I’ll be interested to see what comes of it. Anyway, let’s go in and leave Joseph to the task of getting everything put away. Again, thank you so much Joseph.”

“Yes Master Erik, Mistress Serena, Mistress Melissa. I really did have a lot of fun. Thank you.”

As the three of them came into the house through the sliding glass doors, Melissa felt loaded down, carrying her boots, skirt, fascinator, and crop. She had mostly gotten used to the way the harness strap slid past her clitoris with every step, but her sphincter was sore. Prancing like a pony had pulled the base of her tail up and down.

She whined, “Can I get this damn tail out of my ass now, Master?”

Erik chuckled. “It does look very cute. I was just admiring the way it swished back and forth on the way in.”

Serena chimed in, “It actually does look pretty amazing. I’m thinking of getting one myself.”

Erik mused, “You two in matching tails. That could be fun. I’ll have to think about the right venue…”

Melissa told Serena brightly, “You can borrow this one, for as long as you want.”

Erik asked more seriously, “Is it really that uncomfortable?”

“Sort of. I think it was mostly just the bouncing up and down. Walking around now, I guess it would be better. Except, I’m sore and tender now. I think I’d have to work up to having it in for a longer time.”

“Sounds fair. In general though, you okay with something like that up your ass?”

“Ah… I guess so.”

Serena quirked her mouth into a wry smile, “Come on, spill the beans. Somebody I know really liked her enema.”

Melissa looked down, embarrassed. “Yes Master, I like having something in my ass, especially when you put it there.”

“Thank you,” he said softly, “that’s good to know.” In a louder voice, he continued, “I can think of lots of things to stick in there.”

Serena snorted.

“Not just my own enormous self, of course. I mean lots of toys… remotely operated vibrators when we go out to the theater or dinner… someone else’s dick, while I’m in your front. Is having two men at once ever a fantasy of yours, or something you actually did?”

Melissa was certain that she was turning red. Once more looking down, she answered, “I never did, well almost, but no, the other guy got sort of weirded out and I was really glad. Well, maybe a little disappointed, but it was probably for the best. Anyway, yeah, I guess I thought about it.”

“Let me guess, your fantasy involved being tied down and helpless, while your tormentor and his friend had their way with you?”

“How did…”

Serena laughed, “Don’t worry, the guy’s a fucking mind reader. He knows more than any man should about how a girl’s mind works.”

Erik shook his head, “Maybe about how a sub fantasizes, but women in general? Alas, it is still a great mystery to all men.”

Erik suggested to Melissa, “Why don’t you take that stuff upstairs? You can get out of the harness and tail if you want, and then come back down.”

“Okay. Thanks.” As Melissa walked around, she deliberately rolled her hips to swish her tail back and forth. She was rewarded by appreciative laughter and applause, from both Erik and Serena.

Once she got to her room, she dumped her clothes on the bed and went straight to the bathroom to extricate the butt plug holding her tail in place. As the wide part of the plug passed the sore rim of her sphincter muscle, she gasped from a flash of pain. Once it was out, however, the intensity of the pain quickly faded to a dull soreness.

She unbuckled the harness enough to wriggle out of it. She was reluctant to undo too much of it, for fear of never being able to figure out how to put it back on. Without the tail, she decided, the harness was deliciously fun. She liked how it looked in the mirror. The strap that went between her legs was particularly wonderful.

She washed both plugs of the tail in the sink and set the whole assembly on the counter to dry. Then she took the harness into her bedroom and put it on the bed next to the skirt. Looking at the bed for a moment, she wondered where she would sleep tonight. Her heart sped up a little bit, thinking about sleeping next to Erik in his bed.

She wondered if Serena would join them. Melissa was surprised that she didn’t feel jealousy toward the other woman. Then again, she reminded herself, she had just made out with Serena in the shower. The weirdness of casually making out with another woman still astonished her. Even though the pony play was far weirder in some absolute sense, her reaction to the pony play was different because she had been ordered to do it, as part of her summer job. Making out in the shower with Serena, on the other hand, was something she had chosen, separate from whatever Erik had ordered her to do. The casual ease of her choice was disconcerting. She realized that part of what bothered her was that it still didn’t feel wrong. It felt like something it would be fun and easy to do again. When she thought about it, making her own decision to lick up Joseph’s cum seemed perfectly acceptable too.

She muttered, “How can I have changed so much, in just a couple of days? Or was I always like this, and Erik just set it free?”

The silent room had no answers for her, so she shrugged and headed for the door to go back downstairs.

As she crossed the threshold, she stopped, realizing that she was completely naked. She couldn’t figure out why walking around the house naked felt wrong, then she realized that it felt boring. She wasn’t decorative enough.

Turning and looking back at the clothes lying on her bed, she quickly ruled out the boots or harness. The tail, she decided firmly, was staying where it was for right now.

Erik’s theme for tonight seemed to be an English garden party, so she wanted to stay within that genre. After all the bouncing up and down, she needed to find something that would give her breasts some support.

Looking down at the collection of shopping bags, she couldn’t think of anything that she and Cathy had bought that would fit the bill. All of those clothes were definitely more “Americana” dressy-sexy, not “British Victorian bordello.”

She walked through her closet, pulling open drawers, looking at possibilities. There were more choices than she had remembered. She wondered if Erik had added more while she was out today, or if she had just been too overwhelmed the first time she had looked. Both alternatives seemed entirely likely.

She had just been about to select a black and gold leather corset with steampunk gear details when she spotted the pastel tapestry pumps that she had fallen in love with when she first arrived. The black and gold corset clashed with the pumps, so she looked some more, finally settling on an ivory brocade corset with a brown leather center panel. An intricate design was embroidered on the leather with heavy gold thread. As she walked out of the closet, she also grabbed a four-stranded off-white pearl choker, which went well with the ivory brocade of the corset.

Playing dress-up was fun. Walking over to the bed, where she laid the corset, shoes, and choker next to the cut-away bustle skirt and the fascinator. She wasn’t sure the fascinator went perfectly with everything else, but it was much too pretty to leave behind. Besides, she didn’t see any other hats in the closet. Some sort of head covering seemed a requirement for the evening’s dress code.

It took ten minutes in front of the three-sided mirror in the closet for her to finally get the corset cinched up and tied properly. She now understood why Victorian ladies had maids to dress them. She wondered – if the maid was cute enough, perhaps there were other duties. She grinned, shaking her head to dismiss the idea. She did, however, note that it might be a good fantasy to explore later, for Erik’s benefit, of course. She reassured herself that she couldn’t possibly be so far gone that she’d actively seek out another woman for casual sex.

While standing in front of the mirror and struggling with her corset, she also had plenty of time to examine the stripes across her rear. They were already fading to a paler pink, which reminded her of her first date with Erik. The stripes he had given her that day had almost completely disappeared by the time she had gotten back to her apartment.

She could also see how he regarded these marks as decorative. When Serena had bent over and pulled aside her skirt, there had been something surprisingly erotic about how the stripes crisscrossed her bottom. Melissa wasn’t sure what had been arousing about that moment, but even now, she could feel a thrumming deep in her pelvis as she remembered Serena’s striped rear – thrust out and waiting for her crop.

She shoved that thought aside as well, checked the fit of the corset one last time, and hurried back into the bedroom to finish getting ready. Then she left for downstairs.

From the dining/kitchen level, she saw Erik and Serena curled up on a couch below, looking out at the fading daylight. Melissa slowed down, unsure whether or not to barge in on their moment. A little jealousy curled up inside her, seeing them in such a loving pose. Before she could decide what to do, they both turned and looked up at her. Melissa realized that her high heels must have been clacking loudly across the dining area floor.

Serena exclaimed, “Holy shit, that’s beautiful!”

Erik added, “I agree perfectly with the sentiment, if not quite your wording.” Turning to Serena, he said, “Young woman, we’re going to have to wash your mouth out with soap.”

Serena laughed. “As many times as you’ve cum in it, I’m sure my mouth could use a good washing.”

Erik shook his head, defeated. Then he turned his attention back to Melissa, as she came down the stairs. He said, “You really are quite breathtaking.

Melissa walked around to the elongated ottoman in front of the couch and sat on it, facing Erik and Serena. She looked serious, rather than flattered. “You guys say that, and I really, really appreciate it, but I know I’m not beautiful, or gorgeous, or some cover-girl model. I mean, sure, I’m not ugly, and trust me, I’m incredibly grateful for that. In my better moments, I might even be sort of pretty, but in a plain-Jane, Irish lass sort of way. The two of you, though, keep on going on like I’m something exceptional, and I’m not. Really, I know I’m not.”

Erik and Serena shared a look, and then Erik asked Serena, “You want to tell her?”

“Naw, you’re better with words and crap like that.”

Erik shook his head, smiling at Serena’s straightforward nature. Then, taking a deliberate breath, he looked over at Melissa and began, “Okay. So yeah, at one level, I know what you’re saying has merit. There’s certainly nothing about you that’s ugly, and that’s a true gift of nature, God, whatever. Beyond that, though, you really are quite pretty. I suspect far prettier than you give yourself credit. But that’s not really what Serena and I are… responding to. You see, there’s an energy you’ve tapped into, and it takes you to a whole different level of being beautiful. It changes the rules. It’s not just about a clinical definition of attractiveness anymore. It’s way beyond that. You broadcast an aura of knowing that you’re desirable, sexual, and incredibly attractive.”

“But that’s not how I feel.”

“I know. I believe you, but trust me, that’s the zinger! This beauty and sensuality that you radiate are all wrapped in a little-girl innocence – and the killer thing is that your innocence is real, not pretend… tell you what, stop and think a for minute, don’t you feel desirable, sexual, attractive?”

“I guess so. But Serena has all that too.”

“Sure honey,” interjected Serena, “but I’ve also got way too many ‘been there, done that’ t-shirts.”

Melissa looked at her uncertainly, so Serena explained, “I don’t have your innocence. Most likely never did. It’s the whole ‘virgin-whore’ thing. Every man has that fantasy – the innocent virgin who’s also a total slut. And you glow with it, like a beacon. It puts cover-girl good looks to shame. I mean, somebody like Joseph is drop dead gorgeous, but when the two of you were strapped into that sulky, you were the one I couldn’t take my eyes off of. And I’m not lying, I really do like guys better, a lot better. But God, I’d go down on you in an instant.”

“Oh. Ah… I think you’re pretty… hot too.” Melissa looked up, meeting Serena’s gaze. An unexpectedly intense feeling of lust flashed between them.

Erik smiled ruefully, then wagged his finger at the oversized ottoman she was sitting on. He commanded Melissa, “Lie back.”

She turned to smile coyly at him and answer, “Yes Master.” She lay back, with her arms stretched out over her head on the leather-cushioned surface, leaving her feet still on the floor. “Like this Master?”

Erik stood and stroked his chin, considering. “Scoot down a little, so your butt’s right at the edge.” She arched up and wriggled to the edge. Erik walked around to one side, and Serena knelt down at the other side, near Melissa’s legs. Then Serena gave her a leering grin and reached down to slide a drawer out from the ottoman that Melissa hadn’t noticed. She pulled a coil of smooth, thick black rope out of the drawer.

Erik knelt down opposite Serena and took another coil of the same type of rope out from a matching compartment on his side.

Melissa looked back and forth between the two of them, “Does all your furniture have secret compartments?”

Erik smiled, shaking his head, “Not all. In fact, these drawers were actuallybuilt into the ottoman when I got it. The cleats on the underside, however…” Grinning evilly, he turned to Serena and nodded. Working in unison, they each lifted Melissa’s legs from the floor, folding her legs tightly against her torso so her knees were pressed into her breasts. Erik and Serena gathered her up so that she was curled into nearly a fetal position lying on her back, with her buttocks lifted off the leather ottoman. Her heels were pressed down, almost touching her raised buttocks. Working slowly and precisely, Erik and Serena wrapped a half dozen loops of the black rope around each of her legs, trapping Melissa’s legs in their folded position.

As Erik and Serena worked, the tail end of each rope would seem to casually drop across her pouting labia. Then Erik and Serena would, in turn, draw their rope gradually upwards, causing every twisted plait of their rope to slide slowly past her aching clitoris. Melissa shuddered almost constantly, desperately trying to quell her body’s need to thrash or jerk away.

Then Erik or Serena would loop another coil around her legs, allowing the tail of the rope to fall once again across her exposed sex. Melissa was gasping for air as they finally finished wrapping her legs.

Next, Erik and Serena each pulled their tail of rope off to opposite sides, forcing Melissa’s legs wide apart, leaving her completely exposed.

After a few moments, Melissa felt the tension on the rope become constant. Within that small portion of her mind that still seemed capable of conscious thought, Melissa realized that they must have used the cleats that Erik had joked about installing.

She felt them adding additional ropes to the loops around her legs. Soon, she was bound so tightly that she couldn’t move her hips in any direction.

Her arms were next, with loops of the soft rope encasing her wrists. They then pulled her arms firmly past her head and attached the ropes to the underside of the ottoman. She couldn’t lift her shoulders from the leather. The only freedom she had left was to raise her head and look a little side to side. She could also rock her body slightly left or right.

As she subtly tested her bonds, she had been puzzled by a persistent, quiet moaning. Then she realized that moans were coming from her. She had been mewing softly, her clenching sex still vibrating from the ropes that had trailed across her as they had tied her. Melissa blushed, embarrassed she had been so transparently demonstrating her desperate need.

Bound so tightly, she was aware of being vaguely worried and uncertain. Her thinking felt cloudy. A burning need and helplessness had pulled her into an almost feral state of consciousness. What frightened her the most was that she loved the feeling.

Without warning, a warm tongue slid into the gaping cleft of her sex, searching, probing, and then slipping upwards, past her aching clitoris. Melissa was instantly seized by overwhelming orgasm, and she screamed, straining against her bounds. Within the limited movement possible, she vibrated and shook back and forth. The orgasm rolled on and on. The intensity was simultaneously painful and rapturous.

Slowly, her pulses of orgasmic shuddering weakened and subsided. She was left desperately panting, crying for breath. A darkness crowded her vision, sweeping in from the edges, and she knew she was on the edge of passing out.

Vaguely in the background, she heard voices. A quiet, serious tone picked at the edge of her awareness. She mumbled, “Uhggh…” suddenly aware of how much her throat hurt from screaming.

She heard Erik say quietly to Serena, “I think she’s back.” He seemed relieved.

Serena laughed quietly in response. “Yeah. I’d say that being bound was a lot bigger hit than pony play.”

Melissa inarticulately moaned, “Uhh huhhnn” in agreement. The other two chuckled at her attempt to agree.

Serena asked Erik, “So what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I think she’s done for awhile, but I’m horny as hell.”

“Yeah, me too… here, let’s try this…”

Through half lidded eyes, Melissa saw Serena position herself over her bound body, but facing in the other direction. Above Melissa’s face was Serena’s creamy smooth labia. Melissa wondered tangentially how Serena could possibly keep her sex shaved that smooth and soft. Then she felt Serena kissing the inside of her thighs.

Panicked, Melissa begged, “Naghh… nooo… please…”

Serena laughed, nearly a giggle. “No fears, little one. I’m not going to make you come again. At least, not right now. I’ll be careful. Promise”

Melissa mumbled, “Oh kayee.”

Serena resumed her light kisses and nuzzling. After a few more anxious moments, Melissa was able to relax and enjoy the attention. Looking up at Serena’s soft sex, Melissa wondered if she should try to return the favor. Convincing her muscles to lift her head from the ottoman seemed impossible for the moment, and Serena was otherwise out of reach, so Melissa just remained still and tried to focus on recovering. She saw the shadows defining Serena’s sex darken as Erik stepped up behind her.

Erik’s hand stroked alongside Serena’s torso as he asked, “So where do you want it?”

“Silly man, you know where I like it.”

“Ha!”

Melissa watched as the swollen head of Erik’s penis slid into view, as he glided it past Serena’s cleft before pulling the head of his penis up until it pressed against the bare skin above her labia. Then he slowly drew it back, the veined ridges of his shaft teasing apart Serena’s labia. Melissa felt Serena pause in her nibbles. Melissa could see Serena’s ribs expand from a sharp intake of air.

As the hood of Erik’s head drew past Serena’s clitoris, Melissa saw Serena flinch in a quick shudder. Then Erik’s head was seated firmly at Serena’s opening. Melissa realized that she had never seen the mechanics of sex quite this close before. She had an odd realization that the scene would probably be vaguely disgusting if she didn’t like Erik and Serena so much. She wanted them to take pleasure in one another. They had given such intensity to her, it seemed only fair to let them catch up.

Then Erik’s head slowly disappeared into Serena, followed by the remainder of his penis in one long, smooth motion. Melissa was fascinated by seeing him so completely penetrate her. Serena groaned quietly and pushed back against him. Serena complained, “Tease.”

He laughed, withdrawing nearly all the way before sliding back in again. “You want me wet, don’t you?”

“Alright, already!”

Erik laughed again, then withdrew entirely this time. He lifted the head of his penis up until it was seated against the puckered opening of her anus. He pressed gently and firmly forward. Melissa watched in amazement as Serena’s anus smoothly spread open to take him in.

“Wow,” she thought, “Serena’s must have done that a lot more than I’d ever want to.”

Once again, Erik’s shaft slid fully forward, disappearing into Serena. His smoothly shaved scrotum swung forward as his pelvis bumped into Serena’s wide spread buttocks. Melissa tried to stick out her tongue to give his scrotum a quick lick on the way by, but she missed.

Serena groaned in pleasure, leaning forward and resuming her kisses and nibbles on Melissa’s upper thighs. Erik gently slid in and out of Serena, slowly building momentum.

Melissa wondered if Serena truly did prefer anal sex. She found it hard to believe. Perhaps Serena knew that Erik preferred anal sex and just went along with it. Melissa hoped that wasn’t his preference. She had never found having a man in her ass to be hugely fun. Her experience was limited to a handful of times. Once or twice, she supposed, it had been okay. One time, she had even gotten close to an orgasm. But Erik was larger than anyone she had ever let in there. While Erik wasn’t huge, Melissa was pretty certain that he was at least seven inches long, and pretty thick as well. Just trying to swallow his penis was intimidating enough. She winced at the idea that he might prefer anal sex.

As the intensity of their coupling had increased, Serena had sunk lower down, arching her back to take Erik in deeper, thrusting back at him. Her swollen sex was now in easy reach. Melissa decided that her duty as a friend was to help out. After all, Erik had been willing to suck off Michael. Tentatively at first, she reached out with her tongue to explore Serena’s dripping labia. As Serena felt Melissa’s efforts, she dropped even lower down. Seeing Serena’s eager reaction, Melissa circled her tongue around the other woman’s hooded clitoris.

Melissa wasn’t sure what Serena would want. She knew that once she was aroused, her clitoris was generally far too sensitive for direct stimulation. From the way that Serena quickly ground her clitoris into Melissa’s mouth, however, it didn’t seem that Serena had a problem with too much sensitivity. Melissa dutifully lapped her tongue side to side, across Serena’s straining clitoris.

Erik was now pounding in and out of Serena’s ass, his engorged penis millimeters from Melissa’s nose, while his scrotum slapped against her forehead with every thrust. Between being tightly bound and having her face covered in thrusting bodies, Melissa had to fight off feelings of claustrophobia. “At least,” she thought, “there’s no poop stink.” As close as she was to the intense action, she very grateful that Serena kept herself thoroughly clean, inside and out.

Then Serena brushed her tongue across Melissa’s sex, causing Melissa’s distraction with all the mechanics of sex to instantly evaporate. Melissa discovered she was straining to lift her pelvis up to meet Serena’s mouth. In response, Serena dropped her head, enfolding Melissa’s engorged labia and clitoris into her mouth, then swishing her tongue back and forth across all of Melissa’s captured parts.

Melissa gasped, forgetting where her tongue was for a moment, wanting only for Serena to somehow take more of her in, which she did. Then Serena released her hold. After an agonizing moment with no contact, Serena delicately reengaged, slowly sliding her tongue back and forth alongside Melissa’s clitoris, teasing it without direct contact.

Melissa gasped for air, which made her realize that her mouth was covered by Serena and she had completely forgotten about her own part in all this. Melissa restarted her efforts, causing Serena to redouble hers. Melissa wasn’t sure if she could keep focus on what she was doing to Serena while simultaneously coping with a quickly oncoming orgasm, but she was determined to try.

Erik, in the meantime, seemed to have sensed the shift in both women’s arousal, because his pace and energy level began to peak. Melissa wasn’t sure which one of them slipped over the edge first, but whoever did, ignited a rapid cascade of mutual orgasms.

Utterly exhausted and satisfied, Melissa laid her head back. Her most recent orgasm may not have been nearly as cataclysmic as her earlier one, but it had been imminently enjoyable. The shared experience with all three of them had been amazing.

Erik slid out of Serena, the tip of his penis weeping semen as he rested momentarily against the crease of her buttocks. Then he sank backward to sprawl across the floor with a satisfied groan.

Melissa relaxed as best she could in her bonds, breathing contentedly with the weight of Serena resting above her. She smiled, thinking that at least Serena weighed less than most men. While Melissa still didn’t feel entirely comfortable with all the same-sex activity, it was clear that it wasn’t completely horrible either.

As she smiled to herself, the simple contraction of her muscles made it clear that her tongue was stiff and sore. Gently sticking her tongue out of her mouth, she wagged it back and forth, trying to loosen up her cramped muscles. At that moment, however, a drop of Erik’s semen fell from Serena’s buttock, splashing directly onto Melissa’s tongue.

She heard Erik chuckle from the floor. He must have seen what happened. Snorting derisively, Melissa reached up with her tongue and mischievously licked away another drop of his cum. What Melissa hadn’t expected was Serena’s reaction. As Serena felt Melissa’s warm tongue lapping along the edge of her sphincter, she arched backward in a gasp of surprise. After a deep sigh of delight, Serena lay back down again.

Seeing what she had started, Melissa lifted her head back up, and with a wry grin, very deliberately licked Serena clean of all the cum that had leaked out. Serena’s satisfied groans and shudders made perfectly clear how much she enjoyed the attention. Melissa hoped that Erik was watching, which was confirmed when she heard him muttering from the floor, “You are going to be the absolute death of me. Truly, I tell you, I am a condemned man.”

Finished, Melissa let her head fall back to the ottoman, a contented smile stealing across her face. She decided that Serena was right. It was worth dealing with the taste if she could get that sort of reaction from Serena and Erik.