Of Course You Can, Part One (f/m, sexual situations)

At the urging of my dear friend, Embraceabl, as well as my sweet Redscript, I've buckled and am posting the first part of my tale--I was going to wait until it was finished in its entirety, but I trust them both. Be prepared, it's lo-oo-ong...but hopefully, you'll find it enjoyable enough that you'll have wanted it to be a little longer...

____________________________


Dedicated to my Dark Angel, sweet "John of the Forest", who single-handedly unlocked the rusty shackles that had bound my imagination. May this tale, in small part, repay him that favor...as well as forewarn him of possible future events. ];-)

Disclaimer: All characters appearing in this tale are 18 years of age or older. Includes F/M, semi-nudity and strong sexual situations.


The three young men lounged on the picnic table, idly watching the cars go by while surreptitiously passing a filched bottle of beer between them. Twilight was coming fast and all of them chatted casually, finally feeling the alcohol helping them loosen up. It had been a long, grueling day for each of them and as they relaxed, it seemed nothing could feel sweeter than the realization that, for once, there was no need to hurry. For the rest of tonight as well as tomorrow, they were each free; no school for Aaron or Matt, no work for Charles. However, Evan, their "fearless leader" was missing from the group. As it inevitably happened, the conversation eventually wandered to discussing the missing one.

"Where is he this time?" Aaron inquired, waving as a car full of young girls rode past them, honking.

"Probably over with Gia. She and her parents are going to be gone for a while, like two weeks or so, coming up in about a week. Some kind of family shit, she said," Charles replied. "He was all bummed out because now she won't be here for his birthday."

With that, the three chorused a mock-sad "Awwww!" on behalf of Evan's girlfriend's absence. "It's not like they don't ever see each other," Aaron responded. "He's with her almost every weekend."

"Yeah, well, now he'll probably hole up in his room again, pouting and fucking around with his computer or drawing more of that weird shit he's been getting into," Charles stated.

"What, the anime? Hey, screw you, man, that's not that weird!" Sharing Evan's love of the craft, Matt's usually soft voice rose defensively.

"No, not that. Take a freaking breath, will ya? I mean that other thing—that tickling stuff."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Aaron demanded in irritation.

Charles sighed. "Remember he told us about how he was getting into it a couple months ago? The night we were drinking over at Nelson's for Matt's birthday? Well, have you ever really seen any of that, besides what he draws?" Neither Aaron nor Matt had, and Charles shook his head, whistling softly. "Man. I mean, some of it is kinda hot in a fucked-up way, I guess…naked chicks tied up and all, you know, but some of it is totally off the freaking wall. At least, what I saw was." The other two boys now prodded him with wide-eyed curiosity and Charles said, "Okay, look. If I tell you this, you gotta swear you won't tell him you heard it from me. If he knew what I did, he'd try to kill me, I know it. Got it?"

Aaron and Matt nodded their allegiance, then the three huddled in closer and Charles began in a low voice: "I was at his house a couple days ago. I stopped by after work to drop off some DVDs he'd loaned me, and we were just sitting in his room bullshitting. Then Gia calls, so he goes into the living room and starts talking to her. You know how he always paces around when he talks on the phone?" The others nodded, aware of their long-time friend's habits. "Okay, so he's out roaming the house and I start getting bored. I figured I'd surf for awhile until he finishes with Gia, so I sit down at his PC and maximize the browser window he had up… and holy shit." Charles again shook his head. "He was on this website about this tickling thing. He'd been in the middle of writing a message to some girl, so I couldn't navigate away from the page--but I got more curious, so I...kinda copied down the website address and his screen name. He came back before I could look anymore. But once I got home, I went back to the site and starting looking at all the shit he's been posting there. He's drawing all kinds of pictures—"

"Yeah, he showed me some of those," Matt interjected. "He's getting really good. And at least he trusts us enough to share it," he added loyally.

Charles stared Mark down for a moment before he continued with,"—and posting messages about some of the stuff he's done with Gia…plus the stuff he wants to do and have done to him." Charles paused significantly, looking at his friends with raised brows. "He talks a lot to this one chick called "The Phoenix"."

"Evan?" Aaron said in astonishment as Matt's mouth dropped open. Now, this was unprecedented. Evan had always been slightly more private than most when discussing himself. To think that he would share such intimate details with complete strangers, especially another female, was showing a side of him that none of his friends had imagined was there.

"Yep." Charles dropped his eyes for a moment and he mumbled, somewhat shamefacedly, "I also sorta hacked into his account on that big forum website and was reading the messages he's been sending and getting from…"

"Damn, Charles! What's up with that?!" Aaron interrupted, shaking his head. "Why are you getting all up in his business like that?" Matt scowled with disapproval, nodding his irritated agreement as well.

"Because I don't get it, okay?" Charles yelled back. "People getting off on tickling each other? I was worried about him! I was afraid he was getting hooked up in some freaky shit and would start going all weird on us!"

"So what are you saying, then? That he's a freak or something? What, you want to have some kind of a fucking intervention because he's into something a little different?" Aaron demanded scornfully.

"Don't be an idiot, man," Charles shot back. "Evan's been my friend longer than either of you have even known him. I don't know…" Charles paused, rubbing his face with both hands in confused frustration. At last, he heaved a sigh. "Yeah, all right. If he likes it, he likes it. From what I was seeing, I guess it's not really that big a deal…it's just kinda weird, that's all. It's not like he's out splooging on dead people's toenails or fucking chickens or anything." After a stunned second, both Matt and Aaron burst into shocked laughter; after another moment, Charles joined them. Then, as the hilarity finally began to die down, Charles said contemplatively, "You know what? I just got an idea. I just got a really good idea."

"Uh-oh," Matt sighed as Aaron rolled his eyes.

"What?" Charles asked in annoyance.

"Every time you have a good idea, it costs us money," Aaron retorted, "and you're the only one with a fucking job right now!"

"Yeah, well…okay, you're probably right," Charles agreed. "But hey, this is something for Evan's birthday, man. Something totally freaking awesome. You don't think he's worth it?"

"Worth what?"

"Besides, this may be our last chance. What if the stupid shit winds up marrying Gia? We'd never get away with it then." Charles continued speculatively vocalizing his thought train, half to himself, and swallowed more beer.

"Get away with what?" Aaron exhaled sharply.

"And how much is it gonna cost?" Matt added.

"Huh? Oh." Charles' attention returned to his friends. He grinned at their suspicious expressions. "Well, fellas, that kind of depends on where she is."

"Where who is? What the f—"

"Just shut up and listen…"

____________________________________________________________________

Evan sat in the glow of his computer monitor, trying to lose himself in the artwork he was studying. With his 19th birthday in just a few more days, he knew he should at least be slightly cheerful. All he was feeling was desultory, however; with his girlfriend gone and not returning for at least another week, he really wasn't expecting the day to be all that festive. Thankfully, though, his buddies had been promising him a night to remember for the last few days, teasing him about a gift they'd gotten for him that he'd never expect and never forget. He was more than a little curious about what it could possibly be, but no matter what, he knew he could count on them to take his mind off Gia's absence. He was going to have a good time. Damn it.

He sighed and focused on the next drawing before him. "Oh, now, that's sweet," he murmured, appreciating not only the precision of the artwork but the act it was depicting. The woman had the man strung up well, immobile, and was tracing his body with a feather, a seductive, knowing smile on her face, while he strained in his bonds,. His face was a portrait in itself of purely agonized pleasure. She was also dancing the long, perfect nails of her other hand along his ribs; his head was thrown back, his eyes squeezed shut and he was almost visibly squirming with arousal. It was further apparent where her feather was going to be stroking next. Even if that wasn't the artist's original intent, that was what Evan would have wanted, anyway…if only it were him.

He felt himself stirring as he viewed the picture. He could imagine letting Gia do that, all that, to him, he desperately wanted her to—except she hadn't. She would allow him to worship her feet on occasion, or, even more daring on her part, she would go so far as to touch-tickle him gently, and make him lie still and take it. However, she'd never really restrained him and forced him to find his limits. He'd hinted, but either she wasn't interested or just didn't get it. Either one of those reasons prevented him from asking her outright. If she did wind up doing it only because he wanted her to, it would be somewhat hollow…he might as well just be masturbating, which he did enough as it was. It would amount to almost the same thing if she wasn't at least a little enthused about participating.

A pop-up signaled a private message had just arrived for him. He swiftly switched over to the appropriate screen, smiling slightly. The Phoenix, his best online friend and confidante, was wishing him an early happy birthday. She had been called away and wouldn't be near her computer on the actual day, she explained, but she didn't want him to think she'd forgotten him so she was sending him greetings now. He quickly read the rest, then shook his head with yet another sigh. Her teasing little innuendos weren't really cheering him right now, either; irrationally, it actually frustrated him a bit that even she would be busy on "his day", though she didn't even occupy the same time zone.

Still--it was sweet of her to remember him, he supposed. But then, she was sweet anyway. The Phoenix was one of the only people with whom Evan felt totally at ease discussing his recently recognized and admitted fetishes. She was fun in her own way; funny and teasing, writing about things she knew would get to him, encouraging him to write freely and openly about everything he liked and/or wanted. They’d even spoken on the telephone a time or two, but given the distance, it was financially foolhardy to do very much, so they’d kept almost strictly to email and private messages at the forum.

The relationship between them would probably be considered odd, and in point of fact, Gia's insecurities would more than likely cause her to have a running, screaming fit if she ever knew all of what he and The Phoenix had discussed. Still, he felt more than satisfied by all aspects of his online relationship with her. She was safe. She was smart. She was insightful and interested in the things he did. At times, she was intensely exciting. And she liked him. Not for what he could do for her, or what he could give her, but just for being himself. And, he hastily added in his thought, she was far enough away that there was no worry of any entanglements whatsoever. Gia would never have to have her world rocked by finding out about The Phoenix or what she was capable of doing to Evan with mere words.

Evan logged off the forum's website, then went to his closet and retrieved the worn red fold containing his artworks-in-progress. He thumbed through several of the sketches until one caught his fancy. He removed it carefully from the stack, set it on the desk and retrieved his pencil. After seating himself, he gazed at it, then slowly allowed the sketch drawing of a beautiful woman's naked feet being thoroughly worshipped begin to flow through his hand onto the paper. This; this was his haven and refuge. This was where he lost himself, forgot about everything and lived simply to feel. He imagined the only thing that would even come close to resembling this cathartic sensation would be to experience the reality of even a part of his fantasies. But, since he was aware that might never happen, he would simply continue to content himself with the therapy of his trusty pencil and paper and escape to the places where he and he alone was in control.

____________________________________________________________

"Hey, it's me," said Aaron when Charles answered the phone several days after the plan had been hatched. "Did you do it?"

"Yeah," his friend replied smugly. "It's all set and paid for, even. What about you?"

"No, not yet. I wanted to know for sure before I called Ed." Aaron paused. "Dude, are you sure you don't want to maybe get a room at the Lion's Head? Or at least the Danube?"

"Shit, no!" Charles exclaimed. "Why should we?"

"Well--I mean, it'd probably be more comfortable and--"

"And we'd have to come up with even more cash," Charles interrupted. "No, forget it. I love the guy, but Evan or not, I'm about tapped now. As long as the power's on, Ed's place will work fine. We got just enough time to go out tomorrow and clean it up if it needs it. That shouldn't be too tough if we get Matt and Nelson to help."

"And you're absolutely sure this is gonna happen, right?" Aaron tried not to sound as doubtful as he felt. "It'd really suck to have it fall through. I mean, how would we get our money back, anyway?"

Charles exhaled sharply. He reached over and opened a browser window on his pc, called up his email, then read the confirmation he'd just received that morning to Aaron. "Okay? It's for real," he finished. "So just get a hold of Ed and work it out, all right?"

Aaron glanced at his watch. "Then lemme off the phone and I'll ask him now. I think he's at my sister's."

"Yeah, okay. Just call me back as soon as you're done and tell me what happened."

Barely five minutes later, the phone rang again. "Good to go," Aaron said cheerfully. "I'll get the key tonight."

They spoke for another brief moment to arrange meeting times, then hung up. Afterwards, Charles leaned back against his headboard, grinning wickedly up at the ceiling as he pictured his friend's reactions to his strategically planned upcoming birthday gift. "If it wasn't supposed to be happening," he mused, "then it sure as hell shouldn't be working out this perfectly. You're not gonna know what hit you, buddy," he snickered before grabbing the phone up to call the rest of his partners-in-crime to action the following day.

_________________________________

"Happy birthday, you bastard!" His friends shouted their greeting out the open door as Evan climbed into the car on the long-awaited and yet slightly dreaded night. However, the familiar howls, playful insults and laughter of his friends brought a slow, reluctant grin to his face, and as they playfully pummeled him while Nelson, yet another close comrade in the group, drove off, Evan finally allowed himself to relax. He began to get swept up in the raucous revelry his closest friends were creating, accepting the flask of vodka Charles pressed into his hand and taking a long pull from it. After all, he reasoned, it was his birthday, no matter what else might be bothering him.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Aaron shouted, causing the car's occupants to quiet down slightly. "Nelson, pull over into that parking lot for a second--go to the back." The driver complied without question. When the car had halted, the door flew open and Aaron jumped out, pulling Evan along by the arm. In just a few seconds, the other three followed suit, and the four swiftly surrounded Evan.

Charles handed Evan the flask again, cleared his throat and raised another alcohol-filled container. "A toast!" he proclaimed loudly.

"A toast!" echoed the rest, each raising their own flasks dug from various pockets.

"To Evan--may this be a night he'll never fucking forget!" Charles grinned wickedly.

"To Evan!" came the hoot-laced reply, and yet another long swallow was consumed. Charles then nudged Evan and said, "Dude, look at it. It's yours."

Evan glanced down at the unfamiliar silver flask, then paused and looked more closely. He gaped for a moment, then managed a flushed grin again as he read the previously unnoticed inscription:

04/17/2007
Hope you're tickled--drinks are on us!

Shaking his head, he unscrewed the cap and took one more healthy draught of the citrus-y vodka as his best friends in the world stood by and cheered him on.

Then Charles held up his hands, silencing the others immediately. They watched him expectantly as he threw his arm around Evan's shoulders and asked, "You ready?" Evan raised a brow and asked laughingly, "Ready for what?"

"Your birthday present. Are you ready for it?"

Evan blinked. "I thought this was it," he replied in surprise as he held up the flask.

"Damn, we're not that cheap. But...you're gonna have to totally trust us for about 30 minutes and do exactly what we say." Charles paused, waiting for some type of response from his friend, but none was forthcoming yet as Evan contemplated all of them. Finally, Charles added airily, "I mean, if you're too big of a chicken shit..."

At that, Evan elbowed him in his unprotected side. "What the hell would I have to be afraid of? You get me a fucking cobra or something?" he joked. "Just bring it on."

Charles couldn't hide the smug victory in his answering grin. "Well, there is just one little catch."

Evan was immediately wary. He knew all of these guys far too well and the myriad of things that "catch" could be was intimidating at best. "What kind of catch?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well, see, it's like this. It's still mostly a surprise until we can get you to it. So--" Charles pulled a bandanna out of his back pocket, "--we need you to put this on until we get there, otherwise it'll be spoiled."

"Put it on where?" Evan asked, looking askance at it.

"Over your eyes! Where'd you think, your dick?"

Evan instinctively started to shake his head, but halted suddenly in swift contemplation. These were his friends. They'd never knowingly hurt him or put him in any danger. Whatever it was they were planning, they'd been at it for almost a week, and would all be bitterly disappointed if he held out or spoiled it due to his own innate caution. Slowly, the negative shake of his head became instead a nod. "Yeah--okay," he agreed. "But you better not do anything stupid. I'd hate to go to prison for killing you on my own birthday."
He reached out for the bandanna but Charles held it up out of his reach. "Ah-ah-ah," his friend said. "I'll do it. Turn around."

Evan rolled his eyes and turned his back to Charles. The bandanna slipped across his eyes and tightened, effectively blocking his sight. He reached up to feel it, but Charles slapped his hand away smartly. "Knock it off!" his friend barked. "As of this moment, you don't touch that thing. It comes off when it's taken off. Got it?"

Evan jumped and shook the sting out of his knuckles, his surprise hidden behind the blindfold. "Ow, damn! Yeah, okay, sure," he agreed, "whatever you say. Just lay off the abuse, huh?" His wary curiosity ratcheted a few notches higher when his friends all burst into inexplicable laughter at his statement, but he gamely let them load him into the car again, quietly praying as the carload continued the bellowing merriment that he wasn't making some terrible, unforeseen mistake.
______________________________________________________________________

"Is it…a movie?"

"Nope. Try again."

"Is it a…horse?"

"What? No! Try again."

Evan mulled over the possibilities in his head as the car sped onward toward its destination. The alcohol has seeped into his brain and he was feeling quite pleasantly warm and jovial as he played in the gift-guessing game. Suddenly he frowned for just a moment. "Dude, it's not a prostitute or anything, is it? Because…"

The rest of the car's occupant burst into laughter. "For God's sake, Evan!" Charles cackled, "we wouldn't blindfold you for that! You'd need to see what you're getting into, right? Unless it was, like…one of your grandmother's friends, or…" The rest of his wisecrack was drowned out as the boys responded with groans and gagging noises.

The car abruptly veered on a left hand turn, causing the occupants to tumble into each other. "Hey!" "What the fuck?" came the varied complaints.

"Sorry," Nelson apologized. "I almost missed it. Haven't been here in—"

"SHHhhhh!" Charles hushed him with a quick slap to the back of his head. "If you give it away now, I swear, I'll rip you in half!"

Evan felt another small rush of concern at that exchange, but the vodka coursing through his veins was just potent enough to allay it as quickly as it came. The car's tires crunched over gravel as he fumbled blindly for the flask to take one more shot "for the road", he snickered to himself, but before he could manage, he felt the vehicle slowing to a halt.

Nelson cut the engine, and there was a single second of quiet. Then all four began a banshee howling and the doors flew open as they bailed out. Evan took a deep breath as he felt hands pulling him from the back seat, and he allowed himself to be stumblingly half-dragged, half-carried to whatever destination lay ahead of him. He laughed as he tripped over what felt like a rock on the soft, possibly earthen pathway, noting in the back of his mind that there were no city sounds here--wherever here was. He inhaled quietly. No, not the city. This smelled more…woodsy.

"Okay, hang on," Charles ordered and the small gang stopped. "You guys wait here, I'll be right back."

Evan strained to hear Charles' receding footsteps in an effort to glean just one more hint where they'd taken him, but the group began bantering yet again, effectively drowning it all out. Evan furtively tried reaching up to the blindfold, attempting to sneak a peek at his surroundings but hands immediately flew at him like angry hornets. "Cut it out!" Aaron warned. "He told you not to touch that!" Evan's arms were then held firmly out to his sides by the remaining three.

Charles' voice cut through the din. "Okay, it's ready…hey, what's the deal?" he questioned, regarding Evan's new captivity.

"He was trying to look," Aaron snitched immediately.

"Oh, yeah?" Charles slapped Evan on the back cheerfully as Evan grumbled an epithet at the stoolie. "I knew you couldn't make it. Kind of a shame, but…good thing sh—uh, I brought these. Didn't think we'd need 'em this soon, but whatever. Hold his arms, guys."

Evan felt something sliding over his hands and upward onto each arm, almost like gloves. "Hey!" he protested, trying to pull away. "What—"

"Quiet, Evan… and for God's sake, hold still!" Charles grumbled teasingly. "It's easier harnessing a fucking bee than getting these things…closed up…Would you hold his damn arm straight, Matt?...There. Okay, you can let him go."

Evan felt his heart pick up its pace as the restraining hands released him. Whatever was on his arms had his hands encased as well. "Okay," he ventured, "you wanna fill me in here? Seriously, this is getting a little…"

"You need to just relax. You said you'd trust us for at least 30 minutes, right?" Charles interrupted.

"Well…yeah, but…"

"Okay, well, it's only been 20. Now come on. Walk, so we don't have to carry you." Charles gave a slight tug on the arm encasements and the group once again made their way forward. "Steps," Charles warned suddenly.

"Up or down?" Evan asked.

“Up.”

“How many?” he persisted, stopping.

"Fuck it. Carry him in."

In a twinkling, Evan was hoisted off his feet and conveyed into the building. Despite his escalating apprehension, he couldn't help but chortle at the constant repartee' going on beneath him.

"Would you look out? You're gonna break his fucking arm off!"

"Well, hold the door open!"

"Hey! Come on, move it already, he's not as light as he looks!"

Once inside, they set him back on his feet and allowed him a moment to get his bearings. "Okay, you need to go sit down for just a second, Evan," came Mark's quiet voice as a scuffling filled the room. "It's okay, really. Getting you in here was the hardest part."

Evan allowed himself to be led into another room and let the hands ease him down onto a…toilet? He was in a bathroom? If he had been perplexed before, he was now mystified. What the hell was going on?

He flexed his hands inside the glove-like restraints. Apparently they laced up, judging from the way Charles had pulled and jerked at them when they were being forced onto Evan's arms outside, and had some type of straps or ties at the ends that the crew had used to lead him to the building. They hugged his limbs past his wrists; he raised one closer to his face and caught the definite scent of leather. Where the hell had Charles come up with these, anyway? "Hey!" he called out flippantly. "What if I have to take a piss? Somebody gonna hold it for me?"

Suddenly, Evan caught a whiff of something else. It was a sweet, musky feminine aroma, totally unfamiliar but strangely enticing. He felt a jolt of adrenaline shoot through him, battling with the alcohol buzz. Shit, there was a woman here. They'd said no hookers! He got to his feet, but took no more than a single step before hands were once again holding him.

"Where you goin' there, birthday boy?" Charles asked with a tipsy chuckle. "You need to just relax. Two more minutes, I swear, and you're gonna get the best birthday present any of us ever had." He hiccupped lightly. "I'm pretty fucking well jealous, if you want the truth."

"Who the fuck is here, Charles?" Evan snapped, his sudden anxiety masquerading as anger. "Get these things off me now—I'm done with this."

"No, you're not. Sorry." This came from Nelson. "Take three steps forward and raise your arms."

Evan shook his head. "Forget it. I've played along long eno—hey!" he shouted as he was none too gently dragged forward. His arms were forcibly raised up over his head and held fast for a few moments, then the many hands holding him were gone.

"Okay, Evan, old buddy, old pal. Here comes your night to remember!" Charles poked him in the side with a single finger, causing Evan to jump as though he'd been shocked. Then, with a chorus of rowdy laughter, the crew of boys left the bathroom. Evan was stunned when he heard them rough-and-tumble out the front door as well.

He stood for a troubled moment, then pulled experimentally at his arms; they were secured fast. Before he could try anything else, however, he became very aware of another presence and froze. "Who's there?" he asked in a low voice. Although there was no verbal response, he felt whoever it was moving closer to him, then a finger dragged a whisper-soft caress across his cheek. He pulled back slightly, but then, as the individual moved around behind him, an idea hit him and he suddenly grinned in relief. Damn, it was Gia! She must have gotten back early and the guys had managed to get her here to surprise him! How did they manage to get her out from under the thumbs of her overbearing parents? He felt a thrill go through him as he realized this would be one of the first times they'd ever really been alone together…and considering his current position, his heart sped up at the notion that just maybe, Gia was finally willing of her own volition to do the things about which he'd only dreamed.

"Ohmigod. Gia?" he said thankfully. "Damn. Okay, okay, you and the guys got me real good." He tugged at his restrained arms again with a laugh. "Come on, why don't you let me down now so I can at least get a hug from you?" With that, he felt a pair of slender, feminine arms surround his waist from behind and pull him into a loving hug. The unfamiliar, provocative scent of a woman's perfume once again permeated his senses and his mouth suddenly went dry.

It wasn't Gia.

His heart began to pound and he stiffened, trying to pull away immediately, but her arms tightened more snugly around him. "Shhh…now, don't freak out, nothing's going to hurt you," she murmured soothingly to him. "Hmmm…happy birthday, Evan," she added, pressing her breasts into his back as she held him close.

He paused momentarily at her words. That voice was definitely faintly familiar. He knew he'd heard it before, but where? He racked his brain to place it, but to no avail, the alcohol and his anxiety were casting a shroud over his logic. "Who are you?" he growled, yanking again at his tethered arms and trying to twist away from her.

She chuckled lowly, not loosening her grip. "Awww…I'm hurt, I really am. You don't recognize me?"

"How the hell can I recognize you when I can't even see you?" he retorted. "Just get off me and let me go, unless you're going to tell me who you are. And where we are," he added.

"Evan, just hold still," she admonished. "You don't need to see right now. What you feel is more important." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "You're just going to have to trust me, sweetling."

Her use of the unique endearment immediately revealed her identity, purposely or not. He stopped suddenly, his low-level terror blending with a painful bolt of excitement as she began to gently pull his shirt out from the waistband of his pants. No, it couldn't be. That would be…the most mind-blowing combination of magnificence and dread he could ever imagine. Not her…God, no, she knew too much about him…he told her almost everything! "Phoenix?" he finally whispered incredulously.

"See? You do recognize me!" she teased, her nails playfully tickling at his waist. She giggled when he jumped sharply, then did it again, testing his reaction. Once again, he jumped and tried ineffectually to pull away. "Wow…you really are that ticklish. You weren't kidding, were you?" she grinned, gently raking across his tummy, then circling his navel.

"No, I wasn't kidding!" he replied, gasping as she slipped her hands beneath his shirt. "I always told you the truth, always!" A minute whimper escaped from between his gritted teeth as he felt her long fingernails begin a slow, lazy exploration along the unprotected flesh up his sides, teasing their way across his rib cage, looking for the spots that made him pull and twist. His muscles clenched more and more tightly, feeling the torturous invaders climbing slowly upwards to the unprotected valleys beneath his arms. "Phoenix, please!" he ground out desperately. "This isn't…I mean, I can't—"

"Of course you can," she interrupted him smoothly. "You just don't know it yet."

To Evan's relief, her fingers bypassed his exposed underarms. His reprieve was very short-lived, however, as those horrible, wonderful fingernails began to spider-tickle their way to his back. 'No, not there!' he thought, unable to form the words quickly enough. 'You know what that does to me!' And indeed she did. She began to tickle him softly, gently, along his spine, pushing his shirt up higher and higher. He shuddered beneath the onslaught, unable to withhold his moans as he felt her mouth begin tracing his shoulder blade, nipping at it now and then unexpectedly. As The Phoenix shifted her oral attention to his opposite shoulder blade, her hands suddenly went straight up his sides to the very spot he thought he'd escaped, and a sudden howl escaped him as her nails began a deeper, tormenting dance beneath both his arms simultaneously.

His encased hands fisted desperately and he pulled down against the gloved restraints, instinctively trying to escape the attack on his underarms. She expertly worked him there, her mouth never leaving the trigger points on his back. He shook his head helplessly as the laughter began to spill from him, aware that after just this little bit, already the begging was trembling right on the tip of his tongue. He felt as though his entire consciousness had gone into a never-before experienced type of overload, leaving him unable to comprehend anything but the sensations that were ravaging his body, and the presence of the woman responsible for them.

The war he was waging with his own body was incredible. He was vaguely aware that if he writhed or pulled away sharply from her torments, he could possibly hurt her. Her tender mouth was still exploring his back; if he jerked, she might accidentally bite him, or worse, herself. It was taking every single fiber of will not to succumb to his fight-or-flight instincts. She was playing him like a virtuoso now, gliding her nails across his stomach, up his chest, circling then tweaking his tight and hitherto unknown highly sensitive nipples, then dancing along his collarbone while that vicious, exquisite mouth nibbled and lapped at the broad expanse of his back. Then up on tiptoes, her lips skimmed from his shoulders to the also-surprisingly sensitive nape of his neck, using her nose to nuzzle his hair aside or quick puffs of breath to separate the heavy locks there. Evan shuddered as his flesh burst into goosebumps at the tickling, chilling heat.

Evan's own breath was coming in short bursts as his friend's fingers and nails continued to inventory every sensitive point on his upper torso. She murmured appreciatively as she reached up and traced down his straining biceps back to his underarms, around his shoulders. "Poor little sweetling…so, so ticklish," she crooned, "and it's worse when you can't even see what I'm doing, isn't it?"

All he could do was nod, not trusting his voice at the moment. In a twinkling, she had moved in front of him and quickly finished hoisting his shirt upwards until it was well over his head and tangling around his arms. "I'm going to do all the things you told me you wanted, Evan," she said softly, stepping in close once more and embracing him briefly. "Everything you said she wouldn't do. Everything you were afraid to tell anyone else…" she paused, kissed his chest, flicking her tongue at his nipples, which brought him up on his toes in shocked pleasure, "…and then I'm going to do all the things you made me want to do to you." She kissed the tip of his chin, rubbing her velvet lips over the faint stubble there. "We both know what you want, Evan. I'm going to show you what you need."

"Please…let me see you," Evan finally asked when he was able to take a breath. "I need to see your face."

The Phoenix merely chuckled, leaning into him and beginning to slowly rub the knuckle points of her fisted fingers across his ribs. As his head flung backwards at the new and unexpected intensity, she replied, "No, sweetling…feel me. That's more important."

"Phoenix, no, wait!" His voice rose as her knuckles began to strum across his ribs more quickly, then again headed steadily north. "God, stop! Please! Ahhhhhh—Bože! Stani…molim te, nemoj!" he cried out, lapsing for a moment into his native tongue. He tried to back away, twisting from those hands, but his arms were strung too tautly upwards, and she followed every evasive movement with surety. On and on it went, tickling him from his ribs up to his underarms then back downward, using precisely the correct amount of pressure to begin to drive him mad without digging in so deeply as to bruise or discomfort him.

She laughed teasingly, continuing her torturous washboarding along his vulnerable flesh and ignoring his escalating pleas in both languages. "Evan, you have to say words I understand if you expect me to listen to you," she taunted, raising her voice to be heard over his helpless laughter. "For all I know, you're telling me how much you love this…"

"Ne! No more, please…! Wait, just…just give me a second…just…" His head fell forward and he struggled to take a breath as The Phoenix mercifully slowed her attack; then his spine arched quickly at the unsettling, overwhelming combination of pleasure and agony as she returned to tracing his now-nude and sensitive upper body with her sharp nails. He began an internal prayer that she would stop…then following on its heels came the prayer she would never stop as she left off using her nails and began a simple massaging stroke with her fingertips along his back and neck. His skin had taken on a glow from perspiration, his hair beginning to cling to his face and the edge of the bandanna blindfold soaking with the sweat from his forehead.

"Poor, ticklish little Evan," she teased him. "Look at you—soaking wet already and we've only just started to play." With that, her wandering hands left him, and a moment later he heard water running. Although his breathing had finally returned to normal, it caught in his throat as he felt a faintly cool, moist cloth begin to caress his skin. Across his back and shoulders, around his sides to his upper arms, down his chest and tummy—then finally up to his neck and face. She carefully, lovingly soothed his heated flesh, whispering soft endearments as he relaxed under her ministrations. Finally, she asked, "We have much more to do tonight, sweetling, but I need you on the bed for it. Will you go without a struggle for me?"

"Will you let me see you?" Evan countered, rubbing the side of his head against his raised arm as though trying to rub the blindfold aside. "And what bed are you talking about?"

"Evan, my sweet little love, you're in no position to demand answers or to show me any attitude whatsoever," The Phoenix replied with a chuckle, making him gasp and rise up on his toes again by tickling at both his nipples with her nail tips. "Now, are you going to let me lead you to the bed without fighting, or--"

"Yeah, sure. Give that a try," he retorted, hiding a grin. "Go ahead, take my hands down."

He tensed after a moment when he heard absolutely no reply from her. He listened carefully but could not detect even so much as a tiny movement. "Phoenix, come on," he said, the suspense lending a tiny note of frustration to his voice. "Let me down and—oh, shit!!" His voice leaped in panic as her arms again surrounded him from behind—but this time, her hands plunged down under the somewhat loose waistband of his pants to search out and tickle the tender spots at the insides of his hipbones. "No, oh my God, Phoenix, stop! Please, please--not there, not there—" He tried twisting again, but her arms tightened around him, clinging tightly and riding his moves. She swiftly changed again to her knuckles in those same spots, taking care not to dig too deeply, but only just enough to send him into a tailspin of hilarity. After a few more moments, she again switched to using her nails there.

Evan was skirting the edge of overload yet again. The sensations The Phoenix was hijacking from his body were almost more that he could cope with. He uneasily felt the unexpected beginnings of his very masculine response to the location and torment of her hands and fingers, as well as the true ecstasy this working over of his flesh was providing. It was like nothing--and yet it was everything--he'd ever imagined.

At last, she ceased her attack, but left her hands in place directly over those vulnerable areas near his groin. "I'm asking, Evan," she said gently. "Will you let me lead you there without any trouble?" He opened his lips to reply, then froze with a soft gasp as he felt those fingers curl ever so slightly into the appropriate position to begin again. "Evan, don't make me ask again," she whispered. "If you refuse, then I have to go get your friends to help me. The problem with that is, I had to agree to allow them to watch the rest of what I'm going to do to you tonight if I had to get them involved again." She stroked the tender flesh beneath her fingers almost lovingly, causing his nerves to jump spasmodically. "I'm pretty sure they're just outside. Should I go get them?"

"No!" Evan shook his head vehemently. "No. I'll go."

"Okay, then. We always said we trusted each other, no matter what. I'm trusting you now," she replied. She withdrew her hands from him and stepped away. He heard a scraping and shuffling, then felt the taut pressure holding his arms up release. With a muffled groan, he lowered his arms, rolling his shoulders to ease some of the complaint his joints were making. He jumped as he felt her hands go directly to that area and begin a comforting, quick massage, gradually relaxing as she eased the discomfort quickly.

"Sorry about that, sweetling," she apologized. "Now listen. I'm going to lead you into the other room. Please don't do anything to make me scream, or we'll have to have an audience all damned night. Okay?"

"Yeah. Okay," he replied in a slightly subdued voice. He stood still until he felt a tug at his hands, then walked forward slowly. He did consider for just a split second putting up a fight, but discarded the notion immediately. Although he could feel the fires deep inside him stoking up higher and higher as he continued to submit to his hellishly exciting friend, he couldn't find even a portion of an iota of pleasure in the idea of his friends witnessing what he hoped and feared was going to happen to him next. He lowered his head, and allowed The Phoenix to lead him.

__________________________

Moments later, Evan stood silent as his captor pulled the bunched shirt the rest of the way off his arms. He remained unmoving as her hands then slowly and almost loving ran over his chest. “You know, you’re even more beautiful than any of those pictures you sent me,” she murmured almost to herself as her palms glided up to caress the sides of his face. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. You’ve always been the King of Understatement anyway.” Her hands then drifted downward and stopped to rest at the waistband of his pants. “Evan,” she whispered, “I need to take these off now.”

His back stiffened, but still he made no sound or protest as he felt her fingers undoing the garment’s fastenings. His mind took up a steady screaming for him to say something, to stop her, she was removing nearly his last vestige of defense; but he found he couldn’t bring himself to object. He was almost terrified; he could admit that to himself, but…no matter what, he wanted this. After all the yearning, all the days, months, even years of dwelling in his thoughts and fantasies, it was here, right here in front of him. She was here, the only person in the world who truly knew the depths of what he desired…and the one person he knew he could trust this implicitly to take him where he needed to be. As he felt her slide his pants down to his ankles, he again lowered his head slightly in submission.

He obediently lifted his feet when she tapped each respective calf to remove his shoes and finish undressing him, concentrating ferociously on not beginning to visibly tremble. At last, he stood before her, wearing briefs alone. For a moment, his mind once again rebelled. He was standing in front of a woman he barely knew, for all intents and purposes he was naked, he was blindfolded and his hands were out of commission. The anxiety swelled up again, speeding his heart rate and making him almost lightheaded. He needed to get out of this, oh shit, he needed to just stop her—God only knew what she was really going to do or if he could even handle it, this was a mistake, he never should have let it go this far, he’d never come anywhere close to doing anythinglikethisohGodhehadtogetaway---

In a twinkling, her arms were around him, embracing him lovingly. “Shhhh,” she soothed him. “It’s just me, sweetling. Remember?” He nodded with difficulty. “And what have I always told you, ever since the very beginning?” She waited, but he didn’t respond. “I told you I’d never, ever--”

“—hurt me,” Evan finished in a low voice.

“That’s right…and the only thing I wanted was to make you--”

“Beg for mercy?”

The Phoenix burst into laughter and squeezed him closer affectionately. “No, besides that…I only wanted to make you happy.” She gently turned him. “Now sit.”

He lowered himself to the bed, then felt her lips graze his cheek. He took a deep breath. This was it. He wouldn’t turn back now. He was hers.

Following her instruction, he found himself positioned almost crucifix-like on his back, his feet resting on what had to be the footboard and his arms lashed tautly above his head to either post of the headboard by the straps on the mitts. He again felt his heart begin to race as she began to swiftly bind his ankles together—but the anxiety was now most definitely laced with a heavy dose of sexual tension. She was tying him up. Oh, God, she was tying him up. He’d fantasized about this for as long as he’d given in to his internal desires and raw heat began to circulate throughout his body. In just another few seconds, he would be helpless...completely at her mercy.

And she knew what to do. He’d practically given her a blueprint.

At last, she said, “Okay, sweetling. Wiggle some, let me see if you’re secured.” When he didn’t respond quickly enough, she chuckled. “Fine, have it your way…” Evan cried out as he felt a sharp nail swiftly run up the length of his sole and instinctively tried to jerk his foot away. It didn’t budge. “Excellent,” she said. She dragged her nail along the opposite sole, eliciting another cry but again, he was caught. She had apparently not only lashed his ankles together, but had anchored them to the top bar of the footboard.

He heard her move to the side of the bed, then felt the mattress give as she sat. “Pull down on your arms, love,” she requested. Trying to spare himself another surprise attack, he obligingly tugged at his hands. Again she chuckled. “I said pull, Evan,” she admonished and in a flash, her fingers were spider-tickling their way up his sides to his underarms.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” he managed through the laughter once again spilling from him. He pulled down, pulled hard, trying futilely to shield his unprotected, ticklish flesh from her maddening torment. After another moment, she stopped; he felt her tighten the arm straps again. As she leaned across him to complete the process, he felt her hair fall across his chest and the scent of her cologne suffused him; he inhaled slowly and deeply. If he ever smelled that scent again after this night, it could remind him of only this moment for the rest of his life.

He felt her stand up; it was quiet for another minute, allowing the tension to build in him yet further. Then he jumped as she suddenly leaned down and whispered in his ear, “Are you ready, Evan?” He stiffened in anticipation. “Hmmm?” she continued to taunt him. “Are you ready for me to tickle you…?” He gritted his teeth, his muscles clenching. Still she didn’t touch him. His hands clenched into fists inside the mitts, his toes curling down into almost cramp-inducing tightness. Just as suddenly she was on the other side, whispering in his opposite ear, “You wanted this, didn’t you, baby? You wanted to feel my hands all over you, my nails tickling you all over…like here,” he yelped as her finger prodded him gently in the ribs, “or here…” another poke into the rigid muscles of his belly and another squawk, “or maybe under here…?” He howled as she moved down, her nails reaching under his upraised legs and tickling down the backs of his thighs. “Aww. Does this tickle you, sweetling?” she asked innocently, continuing to scratch-tickle his legs down to behind his knees. She continued for another few minutes, until he began to pound his head into the pillow, then she ceased. “Hmmm…” The Phoenix continued, “what about…right…” Evan panted, feeling his body tighten even further, “here…?” Oh, no, oh, God, she was at those tender groin muscles again! She poked him gently, repeatedly, first one side then the other. There was no way he could twist. No escaping those torturous prods that threatened to drive him over the edge. “Phoenix, stop! Stop! Bože! Ne!!” he pleaded, until his laughter stole his words. Instead of stopping, however, she intensified the stimulation, using all her fingers on both sides, driving him into an even higher frenzy.

Evan was certain he was going to lose his mind. This was too much, too much, more than he could bear! She paused for a second, and he seized the opportunity, gasping, “Please! Phoenix, it’s too much, I can’t—“

“Of course you can,” she interrupted merrily. “Look, I’ll show you.” Her hands were then racing down the front of his thighs and back up, squeezing just above his knees, then sneaking around for rapid attacks on the hypersensitive backs of his legs. He shrieked in surprise, then once again succumbed to the maddened laughter, unable to hold back as she ravaged his legs. He strained against his bonds, desperately trying to pull his assaulted legs up away from her reach, but it was useless. “See?” she giggled, “I told you!” She continued until he was nearly frantic, then at last slowed her attack to a slow stroking . Finally she stopped and Evan heard her move away from the bed.

He worked to catch his breath, feeling the blindfold damp against his cheeks both from the new wave of sweat as well as the tears of laughter she’d wrung out of him. He tried to locate her, listening hard, terrified and yet more strangely excited than he could ever recall being in his life, but could hear nothing over the labored pounding of his heart. He attempted to moisten his dry lips, but his tongue was even drier.

He started when The Phoenix suddenly spoke directly next to him again. “Yeah, I know, baby,” she murmured. “Here.” She slid a hand behind his neck and lifted his head a bit; he felt a straw slip in between his lips. “Now take it easy,” she warned as he drank the cool liquid gratefully. “Not too fast. You don’t want to get sick, we’re not done yet.” She eased the drink away from him and he once again felt the cool moistness of a cloth soothing the fire on his skin, calming him as his respiration and heart once again returned to normal.

“Are…you going to untie me now?” he ventured quietly. The Phoenix chuckled wickedly in response from near the foot of the bed. Her proximity set all his alarms jangling again. “Oh…no…” he whispered. “No, wait…”

“I’m done waiting now, sexy. It’s time for me to have some fun,” she replied. He felt her blow softly along his toes, causing him to clench them down tightly. “Hmmm. You know, I was afraid of that,” she murmured. “You scrunch up like that and you’re not going to be able to fully experience every…single…thing…I…want…to…do.” She emphasized each of the last words with alternating fingernail flicks across his arches. He tried to jerk his feet away from her, letting out a muffled groan and she giggled yet again. “Just a second, sweetling. Be right back.”

He could no longer hold back the trembling as he waited. Not his feet, she knew he could barely stand it. She’d drive him wholly mad—especially if she remembered everything he’d told her about them. Even more frightening was the realization that he’d actually told her he wanted it, and wanted it like this, even bemoaned the fact that he’d never experienced it…and now it was far too late to change his mind. The Phoenix was about to make his entire being explode and he knew it.

She was coming back.

Within what felt like a mere few seconds, she had bound his big toes together, then he felt them pulled back and secured yet further. Apparently unsatisfied, she wrapped the soft binding around the 4th toes on each foot, pulling them back securely as well. Evan’s feet were stretched taut and almost completely immobile. He heard her sigh happily.

“Can you move them now?” she asked. He shook his head, not entirely trusting his voice to reply out loud. “Let’s see,” she said mischievously and ran the pads of her fingertips up his soles from heels to toes. Evan clenched his teeth with a deep breath, fighting not to respond. She did it again, and yet again; each time, he battled making any sound in response.

“Oooh, yes, that’s right, little sweetling,” she crooned. “You go right ahead and resist. The longer it takes you to crack, the better it will be for both of us.” Stubbornly, he refused to even reply to her, his jaw muscles knotting with the effort. He felt her fingertips continue to explore the bottoms of his feet, caressing rather than attacking or truly tickling. It was the oddest combination of sensation he could remember; he wanted to pull away from the tickling, yet conversely, it was soothing--and shooting little sparks of sexual electricity up his legs as well. He began to relax into it, even feeling another slight surge of physical response to her digital explorations.

There was a pause, then he felt the soft yet stiff bristles of some kind of brush deftly swirling over his soles, teasing, tickling him in places he wasn’t even aware he was ticklish. His feet twitched, pulled away as much as they were able, but The Phoenix had bound him too well. Sounds of his escalating torment began to leak out of him, slight whimpers escaping his throat as the tickling grew more and more intense. She was slow and deliberate in her ministrations. The brush traced underneath his toes, dipping down unexpectedly every so often to dance across the hypersensitive arches. Suddenly the attack was directed to specifically to his toes. She concentrated the attentions of her evil brush on the vulnerable toe stems, darting in and out between them, then tickling each toe tip individually, crooning lovingly throughout.

“Poor, ticklish toes…nobody pays this kind of attention to you, do they? No, I know they don’t.” She twiddled the brush across his big toe, then probed into the tender webbing between his last two toes on the other foot. “Oh, Evan, this feels sooo good, doesn’t it?” He could actually hear her grinning as she obviously reveled in his torture. “Doesn’t it make you want to just go crazy? Hmmm?”

Evan’s heart rate had increased as the laughter finally bubbled up yet again. Within moments, it had begun to overflow from him as the thought crashed unbidden into his head once more that he was totally helpless before his tormentress. He had no defense; she was wringing him dry. He was losing control.

That was exactly what she’d been waiting for. The moment she heard him lose the pride battle and begin to truly laugh, she immediately attacked his feet in earnest with her long, sharp fingernails. Tracing the slight wrinkles and indentations, circling the balls, scrabbling across his heels and spider-tickling along his arches, she was relentless in her assault. She even allowed those demonic nails to jump to the unexpectedly ticklish tops of his feet randomly, or to skitter up around his ankles to his shins, all the while keeping him off balance and overloaded by staying constantly on one sole or the other with her opposite hand.

His back arched up from the bed, every muscle strained. Too much, too much! He couldn’t take a deep enough breath to speak, to maybe even give completely in and beg her. His laughter had gone silent, his scream wavering in his throat, no air to allow it even a whistling escape. Still she tirelessly tickled his soles, his toes, his heels. Then his mind began to shut down as the rapturous agony went on and on; nothing else existed but the sensations she was wrenching from him, no other thought but for…

…“Mercy!” he wailed after hauling in just enough breath to do so. “Please, Phoenix, please—God, let me breathe!” He let out a stifled sob of relief as her fierce attack actually dwindled, working to fill his lungs with precious air. Her ticklish persecution slowed yet further, until she was once more simply drawing her fingertips lightly and gently across his soles. Evan was shocked to find that what had originally been bordering on anguish was now feeling more like a raw sexual thrill, the faint sparks of ecstasy he’d initially felt turning to bolts of electricity shooting up his legs to gather at his groin and into his chest.

“Oh my God…” he whispered, immediately aware of her hot breath across the tips of his toes. He felt her sharp, moist tongue begin to probe them and his gasp of surprise became a groan of pleasure as one by one, they disappeared into her mouth. Never, never had he thought it would feel like this! She nibbled at the tips, then tickled them again with her tongue tip as he automatically tried to jerk against it, even though the bonds she’d judiciously applied kept him virtually still. Evan’s head was spinning … She was literally adoring his toes orally even as she’d tortured them just moments ago.

At length, her lips left his toes and her teeth nipped delicately along his feet; the mirth escaping him was now laced heavily with sexually-laden bliss. His head rocked on the pillow, whimpers of delight interspersed with light laughter while her soft fingertips played along the sole opposite the one her mouth was investigating. He arched again as she drew the flat of her tongue from his heel to his toes repeatedly, her fingers mirroring the action on his other foot, then continued by slowly tracing the rims of both his feet in the same manner. Evan felt as though he was literally going to explode; he was passing the point of being able to process the rapid-fire mass of sensation.

Finally, Phoenix slowed her strokes. She blew hot breath along his moist soles, then pressed a kiss to first one arch, then the other as he tried to relax. “Okay, you. Time for a new thing,” she said, and he felt her begin to undo the bindings of his feet and toes.

“Letting me up?” he asked, flexing his newly-released toes.

“Hmm. Not a chance,” she retorted impishly. “I’m having way too much fun. Besides—I’ve got three whole days here. We haven’t even played for a whole night yet.”

Evan started. “Three days?” he repeated. “How…who…?”

“Shhh. Can’t tell you any of that. Let’s just enjoy it while we can, hmm?”

Evan contemplated this as she quickly parted his feet and rebound them to the top of the footboard, putting him into a more traditional spread-eagle position. How had she managed to pull off this trip? Just how deeply involved were his buddies? And how the hell did they even know each other, anyway?
He didn’t have too long to ponder it. He again felt her brush a kiss to the tips of his toes, then, with a shock, felt her hop onto the bed and straddle his prone body at the waist, with her back to his head. “Wh…what are you going to do?” he asked automatically. “You know we don’t…I mean, I can’t…”

“Of course you can,” she replied. “Just breathe through it, sweetling. Relax…I’ll drive,” she added roguishly. “We talked enough online—I know our boundaries. Trust me, okay?”

His verbal response was lost to a gasp as her fingertips began running gently along the tender inside of his thighs. “Oh, shit,” he whispered, immediately overtaken by this new sensation. He’d been touched there before, but never in such a submissive, vulnerable position—and never with such obvious intent. Between the sensory overloads she’d been dragging him to all night and the wicked way she was manipulating his weakest points, he felt his response growing more and more obvious. And she had access to everything now.

Everything.

She continued to trace along his inner thighs, sometimes sneaking up just under the legbands of his briefs to play along the leg-groin creases, or letting her nails dip back under to the backs of his legs. Evan writhed under her ministrations, small sounds of delight coupled with uncontrollable chuckles escaping him. He twisted and jolted as much as he was able underneath her, causing her to giggle. “Trying to buck me off, Evan?” she taunted. “You think that’s going to stop me?”

“It will for a minute!” he retorted with a small grin, giving another small upward jerk.

“Really? Seriously…?” She quickly reached down and began to lightly pinch-tickle his inner thighs up to his dreaded groin and lower belly again. “Go ahead. Show me.”

Evan couldn’t have prevented himself from doing that very thing if he’d tried. She was tickling him in one of his weakest spots and he reacted like a bolt of electricity was surging through him. “No! No! God, stop, I can’t stand it anymore!” he cried out through his again-rapidly escalating laughter. “Phoenix, stop!” He bucked as much as he was able, but he had no leverage. She was well-seated and barely moved.

“Come on, you. Of course you can stand it. Is that all you got?” she teased him, doubling her efforts for just a moment. “Is this how you’re gonna make me stop?” His laughter was entering the silent phase yet again. She stopped as quickly as she started and he was finally able to weakly draw a deep breath. “Hmm,” she said mock-contemplatively. “Looks like I won again, huh?” She giggled as he managed a slight growl at her words.

With that, she slid off to his side and settled alongside him. He felt her lying along his right flank, felt her breasts against his upper thigh as she rested her head on his still-upraised leg just above his knee, and inhaled sharply as her knee slid across his stomach. He tensed, not knowing for certain what her next move was going to be but feeling a dark, joyful apprehension. He remembered what she said she liked. She knew what he liked. In this position, he couldn’t stop her from doing either…or both.

In the few moments of quiet, Evan again rubbed the side of his head against his shoulder and was shocked to feel the blindfold slip upwards ever so slightly. It must have loosened a bit during the activity, he thought as he froze for a moment, but she hadn’t noticed it. He tilted his head back slightly and peered underneath it past the edge. No, not enough to actually see her face…but oh, God, he could see her foot resting near his shoulder. He’d seen pictures of them before, but in person—and especially after the extended play, just seeing it there, touching him, was more than enough to send a massive bolt of arousal coursing through him. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut for a moment, wanting nothing more that to tilt his head enough to feel the satin softness of it against his cheek or even his lips. She’d painted her toenails a light color instead of her usual crimson, which he was almost certain was for his benefit…and he had even seen the glint of an elegant toe ring gracing her longest toe…

“Wow,” The Phoenix said in slight surprise, “what’s sparking you all of a sudden, sweetling?” Evan was certain he flushed as he realized she was referring to his growing, conspicuous arousal, and opened his mouth to stammer out a reply, but she interrupted sweetly, “Shhh—just hush.” He felt her kiss his thigh. “Let’s just see what mischief I can get into down here now. Your job is to relax and…take it.”

Her arm wrapped around his leg and she bent her head to kiss his sensitive inner thigh again. “Tell me what you want, Evan,” she ordered softly.

He hesitated and she immediately began to paintbrush her nails across his opposite inner thigh. He yelped and twisted, but she was persistent, additionally beginning to flick her tongue at the crease where his leg met his torso. “Tell me what you want,” she lifted her head and insisted again.

“I…I want to…to…” he stammered, and once again her head lowered to the area she knew was his most responsive, now nibbling him gently there while continuing to tickle his other leg in long, slow strokes. He fought not to jerk away, reminded again that, although he was more thoroughly restrained, hurting her was the last thing he wanted to do.

She had tormented him to new heights most of the night and his resistance was low. He broke much more quickly, especially since he was still able to secretly see that beautiful foot resting on him. “Tell me,” she asked again, adding the nails of her other hand where her lips had been.

“Your foot!” he cried out at last. “I want your foot! Please!”

“My foot?” she repeated. “You mean…” she lifted her foot from his chest and dragged it delicately down the side of his face, “…this foot? Like this?”

He nodded speechlessly. She again drew her toes down his cheek, then across his chin. “Do you want to kiss it?” she asked huskily. “Do you want me to let you do that?”

Again he nodded, his excitement nearing obvious fullness. His breath was coming in short digs as she lightly rested the ball of her foot against his lips. He kissed the soft skin, kissed it again, then let his tongue flick at the top of her arch. He heard her soft gasp of surprise and she pulled away slightly. “I never said you could do that!” she scolded kiddingly, then ran the backs of her toes down his opposite cheek. “You’re going to have to behave yourself.” She resumed teasing her toes over his face, over and over, while she returned to gently tickling and teasing his legs, then at last rested her sole against his mouth yet again. “Just…keep kissing me there,” she said quietly. Evan heard the underlying arousal in her voice and grinned to himself, but obeyed her wordlessly.

He inhaled sharply as he felt her run her nails down the length of his now fully erect member through the thin material of his briefs. He felt a momentary panic—this was brand new territory, but she wasn’t giving him any option of refusal. He instead chose to focus on the silky skin of her sole, kissing her there as she’d asked, and licking her as often as he dared. Her hand tightened around him for a moment, gently squeezing the engorged flesh and dragging an involuntary moan from him while her manipulations as well as her foot at his lips took his physical excitement to almost painful levels.

She took him fully by surprise when she drew down his slight undergarment enough to slide him between her lips. His back arched slightly and he cried out at the exquisite, previously unknown feeling. Her mouth was soft, hot, wet, and her tongue danced rapidly, snakelike, over and around the head. Her hand curled even tighter around the shaft, beginning to stroke him as she let out a breathy moan in response to both her own actions…and his. His lips and tongue were busy with the foot she’d left in full presentation at his mouth, and with one of his last fully cognizant thoughts, he reminded himself to make note of her unexpectedly strong, aroused reactions to the oral attention he was directing there.

She was driving his insane. Evan was rocketing toward climax despite himself; the concentration of sensation she was creating tore down every last vestige of control or resistance he possessed. He moaned as a newer, more intense ecstasy coursed through him, recognizing the pinnacle was within reach, feeling the icy hot shudders building deep and radiating upwards. He began to pant, his body clenched tightly in anticipation…

…and she stopped. Completely.

“Awww…you didn’t think I was going to let you off the hook that quick, did you?” she asked teasingly as he groaned in shocked frustration. “No, you need to work a little harder for it. Come on, let’s play awhile longer first.”

She rolled nimbly on top of him, her knees supporting her weight on either side of his ribs. He felt her hair brushing his inner legs as she leaned further forward, then held his breath as she drew her feet together and rested her toes against his lips. He kissed them immediately. “No. Suck,” she demanded. “But if you bite, you’ll be sorrier than you’ve ever been, believe me!” she added in a playfully menacing tone.

He opened his mouth to obey, his tongue darting quickly over them when she moved herself a little farther back and quickly lowered her mouth onto his belly directly next to his still-throbbing shaft. He cried out and lunged upwards at the unexpected assault but she rode his every move, her tongue stroking and prodding the now-even-more sensitive area, then her teeth darting over and nibbling at his hipbones, one then the other. Suddenly, she switched tacks and captured him between her lips again, sucking hard until he was again at the doorway of release, then stopped once more and returned to his thighs to nibble and kiss.

She repeated.

And yet again.

Evan was finally at his limit. She had removed her toes from his lips and her feet now framed his face, preventing him from even seeing them; her mouth was releasing demons inside him he hadn’t even known existed.

“Phoenix…” he moaned, “Phoenix, please!”

“Please what?” she asked, stroking him maddeningly with the tip of her tongue.

“Please, I can’t stand anymore…no more…please…”

“Of course you…” she began.

“Ne!! No! No more!!” he interrupted her wildly.

“You want me to stop…?” she murmured wickedly.

“No, don’t stop! God, please…finish me!”

She stopped moving entirely. “Are you begging me, Evan?” she whispered.

“Yes! Yes! Please, I’m begging you!” he howled, pride and stubbornness gone, no other thought in his mind now but to be let loose from this agonizing mania into the blissful release she’d kept dangling just outside his reach.

Without a word, The Phoenix lowered her head once more. It took only a few more moments to have him at the edge, but this time there was no halting. Evan tightened every muscle in his body as his orgasm screamed toward him like a freight train, gritted his teeth as his point-of-no-return sunk heated talons into his lower belly and the waves of shattering bliss began to crash over him. He had never uttered more than a whimper during a climax, but now, cries of joy were torn from his throat unheeded as his body obeyed her wordless domination and he spilled every single drop he had.

He collapsed weakly, every ounce of strength drained from him. He was barely aware of her changing her position and snuggling in alongside him, her knee across his hips, arm around his waist and her head resting on his chest. They lay quietly for a few minutes as Evan recovered. For once, the girl beside him was silent.

Although he wanted nothing more than to drift off to sleep as she was apparently doing, at last Evan said softly, “Phoenix, wait. You’ve got to loosen this thing.” He jangled his right arm. “Charles put it on too tight and now it’s killing me.”

“Hmmm?” she said sleepily. “Oh…yeah, okay.” She reached over her head and pulled sightlessly at the lacing on the mitt. “Better?” she murmured after a moment.

“Yeah,” he whispered back. She’d believed him, he thought merrily. “Go ahead, sleep for awhile. Like you said, we’ve got three days, right?”

He felt her nod against his shoulder and waited quietly as the minutes ticked by, knowing his heartbeat was lulling her into a deeper sleep. When he finally felt the delicate jerk indicating she’d gone under, he slowly twisted his hand and slid it out of the bondage mitt she’d unwittingly undone. He waited a few more moments, then blessed his luck when she turned over away from him. He reached over her, felt for the top of the other mitt, released the clasp and quickly unlaced it as well, pulling it off his arm.

At last, he pulled the wretched bandanna from his face and tossed it away. He glanced at her, but her back was to him, preventing him from actually seeing her for awhile longer. He did see she wore only a thin cotton t-shirt and, presumably, panties but nothing more. Her long dark hair spilled down onto the bed between them.

Just a few more moments passed and he had managed to release his feet. He slid carefully off the bed and sprinted to the bathroom, his bladder screaming for relief. Afterwards, he stood debating with himself, then stepped into the shower, quickly cleaning away the sweat and even the remnants of tears she’d wrung from him. He toweled off swiftly then went out to retrieve his pants, pausing by the bedside and finally gazing at her face as he slid them on.

The Phoenix was sleeping deeply, oblivious to her captive’s liberty, her hands under her cheek as she reposed curled up on her side. He was struck by the dichotomy of the innocence of her face in slumber, recalling as well the wickedly wonderful things that mouth and those hands had done to him just half an hour before. He shook his head with a rueful grin. He knew her, knew her as well as she knew him. She could never deal with the same treatment; she was far too control-oriented to ever be able to…

His eyes suddenly narrowed as the fullness of his thoughts sank in. He looked at the bondage glove that was dangling just above her head, and his grin began to change from rueful to calculating, then moved on to blatantly evil. Whether or not The Phoenix could truly endure a session of the same caliber…well, that was really a matter of investigation.

Wasn’t it?
____________________________________

End Part One

Very, very excellent. Brilliantly written and ver erotic. Looking foward to further installments.

Thank YOU!!!

That was, in a word, AWESOME!!!
My hands are shaking so badly now it is taking me way to long to type this. You are truly amazing!

I am <I>blown away</I> by this story. I knew I was in for something good when I found myself actually wanting to read the portion of the story that led up to the later events (and don't get me wrong; I <I>want</I> stories to have beginnings that I want to read, but I think it takes a lot more skill), and when I did read it, it was great. How do you write stereotypical burnout guys so well without turning them into total idiots?

Anyway, must go on. Great plot. Gia didn't even need to exist, but she helped a lot in showing where Evan was, and I'm betting she's going to be responsible for something later.

I won't even talk about the actual sexual playout, suffice to say that it was very amazing to follow Evan through that whole experience. Making a reluctant person test their restraints that way is extremely sexy 'cause it instantly establishes the tickler's control, and you're the first writer I've seen actually use it.

And finally, and ending that I honestly did not expect to become a table-turn until Evan did, and that works perfectly. I'm literally <I>so</I> looking forward to the next part, and I'm really amazed I can't find any other stories here by you. So please make some.

Could Evan be... Croatian? Somewhere nearby?

Adding my voice to what is sure to become a chorus, I have to congratulate your instigators, Redscript and sweet Embraceabl, for convincing you to post this work-in-progress earlier than you'd anticipated. It's well crafted and plays out wonderfully in the reader's mind as they (I) read it, thank you for sharing of yourself, and I look forward to the continuation of this saga!

Smiley

You totally hit the nail on the head with that one...i was so drawn into that and into thinking about being in her position... that was amazing...

Ok, people, these are the blueprints to what she'll do to me when she gets her hands on me. At this time I would like to ask anyone who can help me with some survival tips. This bondage virgin cares for his life.

If I could remove the anxiety of expecting the onslaught, I would conclude that this is a wonderful story, and anybody who disagrees with me... well I shal be very upset and just cry. Seriously, a great story. Nothing more to be said - I'm gonna feel it!

A truly fine story, great description of her tickling him and highly erotic.

PS: There's nothing wrong with long stories, let it grow naturally and you may wind up with a book.

Aura, I cannot tell you how happy I am that you finally posted this story. I've said it privately and now publically. . . this is by far one of the most amazing stories I have ever read.

Kudos to you my dear friend. . . THIS STORY ROCKS!!!!!

Nicole

Wow!!!!!

Thank you all so very, very much for your kind words--definitely the shot in the arm I needed and more than I had even hoped for!

Dev: You took the comment cherry on this one --thank you for taking a moment to let me know you liked it!

Teezable: Also, thank you...what a thrill to know my words could have such a strong effect on someone.

Coda: I'll do my very best to help you via PMs--but moreso, thanks for telling me exactly what you liked about this. I agree--Gia absolutely doesn't need to exist , but what the hell. LOL Honestly, I had no plans to further use her in this original 2.5 parter...but now that you mention it, if she were to choose to confront The Phoenix in any way as this unfolds, I can guarantee a far more hardcore, highly intense f/f sequel--and she'd pay dearly for the insolence.

Smiley: Both Redscript and Embraceabl were the "wind beneath my wings". Would never have done it of it weren't for them. Thanks--I appreciate your time to read it.

IW2BT: I hope you like and can relate to the next part as well as you did this one. But, given your name, I'm pretty sure that's a slamdunk.

Milagros: You've been such a major contributor here on TMF, receiving this compliment from you is doubly satisfying. Thank you for supporting what I feared was "prolific verbosity"... LOL

Embraceabl: Nicole, you know I wouldn't have finished or posted without you. Thank you so, so much, my very dear Friend--and be prepared for more as soon as I quit basking and start writing again.

Last but not least, my sweet Redscript: Stop the begging for help, you know I don't pay attention to that anyway. Resistance *is* futile... And happy belated birthday, of course. And thank you for the inspiration... I just watched the movie you put in my head. And--thank you for the stunning, still-breathtaking drawing you made for me first.


Mistress Aura

Great

Hi Mistress Aura!

That story took my breath away! I loved your attention to details as the events unfolded! That was great!

Kevin

Absolutely superb story! I can't wait for part two.

Mistress Aura, that was awesome! !

Mistress Aura-

I loved it, every word!

tklishmark

OMG!!!
That story was awweessooome!!!

You wrote the story very well Aura. The descriptions of the actions were great. I'm sure Evan will have fun with Phoenix if he can get her in bondage somehow. Maybe she is a deep sleeper haha.

Hot damn!

Absolutely amazing, from the character development to the just twisty enough plot. Thanks very much for effort and for posting it.

Simply put, your story's hot!!

Great work, keep it up and feed the need!!

Wow

Very well done.

Oh my...

Wow... Thats my first comment.

Beyond that, Im not usually the F/M type but this story was quite... heh heh exciting. Excellently written and the suspense was played out perfectly.

Cant wait to see the next installment.

Damn it woman get part 2 up yesterday!

When I'm reading stories on the TMF, once in a very great while I'll copy and paste my absolute favourites into a file so I don't lose track of them. This story absolutely belongs in there.

Extremely well written (which I feel matters a great deal), plausible and well thought out plot, enjoyable (and heartwarming) tickling, and lovable characters combine for one of my favourite stories from 2007.

Thank you very much for your contribution and I do hope you'll keep writing.

This was well written. I became the guy on the bed and Phoenix was my tormentor!

Good details and not much ha ha ha, you let the mind create the laughter!

Can't wait for part 2!

One of the greatest tickling stories I have ever read. Bravo You have such a way with words I can not even explain it.

A very nicely developed and executed piece of work.

I'm always pleased to to see new quality writing appear on the TMF. Thank you for taking the time to write and share it.

Myriads

omg.


please, continue.


I can't wait to hear more!!!! er... look at more!