Satisfied I twist her nipples one last time before I pick up the flogger again to add a few even harder strokes on her tits. Bella shrieks at the first two, then clearly tries to fight the urge to make a sound, but she fails miserably.

"Don't worry, no one can hear you out here," I taunt her, then add a slap with my open hand on her left breast. "But I love to hear you scream.

Makes my cock even harder. Don't you want to make me happy?"

Her grunt is parts defiant so I slap her other tit for good measure, too. The way my hand print stays visible for a second even over the reddened patches from the flogging is mesmerizing, so I do it again, and again. That only seems to feed her resistance as I can barely hear her gasp from the pain. But I want to hear those delicious sounds, and won't stop until I get her to utter them.

When ten more hard slaps on her tits don't accomplish my goal I reconsider my tactic, then grab her breasts around the nipples and aureoles – and pull upwards. She gasps, then tries to push her whole body with the motion as she rises onto the balls of her feet, so I take a step back from her, forcing her tits to extend in a direction she can't follow. And then I just hold still there and wait.

At first I only hear her heavy, fast breathing, but as the seconds tick by a pained whimper becomes audible. It actually takes an added twist of her extended tits that breaks her stubbornness, and finally she gives in and screams. Not one of those stunted, partly swallowed sounds, either, but a real, agony laced shout that's as much of a turn-on as it's frightening.

I let go of her after three seconds that must be endless to her, then listen with satisfaction as she falls silent, but only to add a few sobs and sniffles to her calming breathing. She definitely deserves a small reward for toughing that out so I move close and stroke her tits gently, although at first the contact makes her cringe anyway. That changes a little when she feels me lap and suck on her tormented nipples, while my other hand is back to rubbing her clit through the ropes.

All the while I listen closely to the sounds she makes – even hampered with the gag she can easily use her safeword if she wants to – but with the immediate sharp pain gone she looks ready to go on. Seeing her covered in rope with her skin red and a few marks that might turn into faint bruises later is a huge turn-on for me, and I have to get a grip on myself not to untie her feet and fuck her right away, but I'm not there yet. Instead I kiss her neck where I can reach it, and also her mouth over the gag, feeling her try to respond in kind. Grinning at her I let go of her again, but stay close enough that she can probably still feel the heat of my body next to hers. I study her for a while, enjoying how she keeps swiveling her hips slightly to increase the friction of the rope over her sex, and how hot she looks, helpless that she is.

And then I turn around, and making as much noise as possible without seeming to overdo it, I walk away from her. There's a fallen tree only fifty yards North, that's as far as I go, before I sit down and look back at where I've left her. Moving very carefully I untie my shoes and slip them off, so when I track back to crouch down next to the stump where the camera is resting on I'm barely making a sound.

At first she's still enjoying the fact that I've stopped tormenting her, but then the lack of sound coming from the direction she must have heard me walk off to is starting to have an effect on her. She's writhing in her bonds, her face turned that way as she obviously strains to hear – but there's only the usual sounds of the forest.

Her head whips around when in the distance a twig snaps, then again when a few birds take flight to her left. I'm sure that deep down she knows I wont leave her alone, but she's still uneasy – and as the minutes pass that unease slowly turns into uncomfortable restlessness.

I know I'm a bad, bad man for enjoying this as much as I do, but fucking with her mind like that is even more rewarding than inflicting pain. Before long she starts testing her bonds for real but finds them holding tightly, and her breathing picks up when a hint of panic joins her twitchiness.

I'm just about to take pity in her and reveal my position when I hear the sounds of leaves rustling get louder. Turning in that direction I crane my neck, while I hear Bella gasp softly behind me. The sounds get louder still, and when the underbrush parts, a yellow colored Golden Retriever struts into our small clearing, its tail wagging as it chases some invisible trail by scent.

A moment I'm torn between the urge to laugh or make sure we're still on our own, but while the dog's bright green collar proclaims it someone's well-kept pet, I'm sure that his keeper must be a far way from us, or else I would have heard them. I still pick up a branch from the ground, less to scare him off and more to keep him away from getting too curious about Bella by playing with him.

The motion attracts the retriever's attention and he wags his tail faster, then barks twice, clearly happy and excited about seeing a fellow playmate in the wilds. Bella utters a cut-off shriek that actually scares the dog, and I have to swallow a laugh that would give me away. Torn between wanting me to throw the stick and investigating the scary albeit scared woman at the tree the dog looks from one of us to the other, before he takes a few hesitant but noisy steps towards her.

"Cody! Cody! Here, boy, come to momma!"

The dog's head whips towards the sound of the faint female voice from the direction whence he came from, but he seems reluctant to leave Bella alone, even more so that now she's writhing in her bonds with new energy while making all kinds of interesting sounds.

Unable to hold back my laugh anymore I whistle at the dog, then move the stick up and down before him.

"Here, fetch!"

He bounds off after the stick and I look over to Bella. She has gone utterly silent and has stopped moving, and I'm sure she would be glaring at me if she could only see me. Still chuckling under my breath I follow the dog and accept the stick he's happy to give up after a little tug-o-war, and two more rounds of playing fetch his owner, a nice elder lady in hiking gear, appears, followed by a friend of hers in similar dress.

"Oh you rascal, here you are! Cody, heel!"

The dog is somewhat unimpressed by the command but when I let him have his stick he trots off with his booty to show off to his owner, and the two elder ladies laugh delightedly.

Then they turn to me.

"Thank you so much for stopping his run for freedom! Normally he's a really well-behaved dog, but I think all the forest around is calling to his long lost inner wolf."

"I think he heard something, he was all tired and docile but suddenly took off."

I just wonder what that might have been, but hide my evil smirk behind a nice smile.

"He probably smelled my lunch or something. At least he made a direct line for the sandwiches."

"Now that sounds more like him, doesn't it?" the woman replies laughing, scratching the dog behind his ear. I guess that's one white lie I can forgive myself as Cody seems content with the attention from wherever it hails from.

"Again, thank you, I hope he didn't disturb you too much?"

"Not at all."

The ladies both smile, then the dog owner extends her hand towards me.

"I'm Adelaide, and this is my friend Gertrude. Nice to meet you."

"Edward," I reply as I shake their hands.

"Are you staying at the resort, too? Because we're kind of lost here and really need someone who can show us the way back."

I'm more than glad to help them, but only as far as explanations go.

"Actually I am. You're just a little off the main road back there, about four hundred yards in this direction, and you can't miss it. Then you turn left and go straight for another two miles."

They seem a little disappointed but then take their leave, but I can hear them chuckle and laugh all the way back to the main path and out of earshot. Making sure to wait until they're really gone I turn around and walk back to Bella, who's still where I've left her, no surprise there.

I can make out her breathing pick up as she hears me come closer, then stop in front of her and just stare at her. She doesn't fidget but her whole body is tense, and after a minute I reach up and yank the blindfold off her face.

Her eyes are a little puffy as she blinks at me and there are tear tracks on her cheeks, yet her gaze is steady as she looks me right in the eye. I prefer her defiance over the panic she could have been in, but that doesn't mean I like seeing it particularly.

"You really thought I'd left you there, all alone."

She doesn't protest which is all the admission I need, and I'm surprised at how hurt I am at that.

"What part about explicit trust did you not get?"

Bella keeps up the glaring match for a few seconds before she looks away, and when she starts trying to speak through the gag I reach up and pull the knotted rope from between her teeth.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me completely alone. But where from should I have known that you were sitting right there in front of me? And then that blasted dog came along, too, and -"

"Just shut up."

Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she wisely keeps her lips sealed, and I can tell it takes her that long to realize that we're still playing.

True, until a short while ago I would have ended the scene here, but as it is I'm not done with her yet. And she just made it worse for herself.

"Anything else you might want to add, slut?"

She shakes her head and looks down between out bodies again after a brief glance at my face, but then she opens her mouth nevertheless.

"I'm sorry, Master, I shouldn't have doubted you. Please -," she swallows thickly, and looks back up again. "Please punish me for not trusting you?"

Her plea quells my anger a little bit, and it seems as if the situation is still salvageable.

"Stay here." Not that she can move, even if she wants to. "Maybe I can think of something else than dragging you back to our cabin by your hair."

I only need to search for a short while to find what I'm looking for – a bunch of nettles. I still hesitate for another second before I return to Bella to grab the rags formerly known as her dress so I can more or less safely grab the plants without ending up burned badly, although having a few itching places on my fingers will be by far less than she's going to get anyway.

Bella's eyes are huge when she sees with what I return to her, and it's kind of amusing to watch her flatten herself against the bark of the tree even before I can come too close.

"This isn't really punishment," I tell her as I shift my grip on the stinging plants so I can aim them better. "It's more a way of hammering that message home. You trust me or we can't play like this. So what will it be, backing down or bearing the brunt of it?"

The way she exhales sounds awfully final, but her voice is strong as she answers.

"Please do your worst."

"Gladly."

I feel nearly exhilarated with glee as I start dragging the nettles across her skin, caressing her softly with them. Bella bites into her lower lip nearly hard enough to draw blood but a silent shudder is all I get out of her, even when I get dangerously close to her pussy as I pay attention to her thighs.

Also tickling her breasts doesn't get much of a reaction beyond her obvious apprehensive tensing, so I decide to take it a step further.

In theory, whipping someone with nettles might sound like a good idea, but they are way too soft to be of much use there. I still give it a try but mostly end up getting them on my own arms as much as on Bella's tits, and eventually accept defeat – on that count.

Steeling myself mentally I untangle the plants from the rags, then grab a handful before I start mashing them all over her breasts. Considering how much they irritate me they must be a bitch to bear for her, but I love the way she tries to cut off the involuntary sounds. Only that it's still not enough for me, and she seems to realize that herself even when I let go of the nettles and grab the pocket knife from my pants.

Of course I could take the time to untie her now to save the rope as it is, but I'm much too impatient – and I still want to fuck her while she's completely restrained. The hemp rope around her left ankle and on her lower stomach gives way easily, but instead of going right for the grand finale I pick up some of the nettles again.

I wait to make the next move until I have her full attention, or rather the weeds do, before I run them down from her navel to her pussy lips. Her loud gasp get me to stop for a second and I make eye contact again, waiting for her to decide whether she wants to utter that single syllable that will make me stop, but she doesn't.

"Raise your leg."

She complies with a whimper of dread, but the fact that she doesn't hesitate tells me that she does indeed trust me. Keeping my motions gentle and deliberate I peel the knotted rope away that's still resting between her labia, smirking at how soaked it is, before I replace it with the nettles. I make sure that they reach from just next to the butt plug up to her clit before I flatten my palm against them and start rubbing her, just as if I'm making her come the usual way.

Sweat is covering her brow and her teeth keep digging into her lip, and after a second or two she gasps out a low "Fuck!" that goes straight to my cock.

"Hurts?" I taunt, grinning at her obvious discomfort.

"Fuck, yes!"

And still her hips jerk forward against my hand, increasing the friction even more. Her pants grow louder with each passing second but she doesn't seem ready to stop, and eventually I shift my grip a little more so that I can push two fingers into her – along with some of the nettles.

"Holy motherfucking shit!"

In spite of myself I start laughing, unable to stop myself, but she seems too far gone by then to really care. She's so incredibly wet that I feel like her juices already dampen the burn of the plants on my skin, but that's very likely just an illusion. I still keep up what I'm doing for another few minutes, delighted how turned on she is while she seems unable to reach that orgasm she's yearning for this way.

When I finally relent and pull my fingers out of her she sags in her bonds but keeps watching me warily as I pluck the remaining nettle leaves from her pussy. Same as on her thighs and tits the skin of her labia is covered in irritated, pimple-like burn marks, but her sensitive flesh is also as puffy as it only gets when she's really turned on beyond the usual.

I consider looking in the backpack for a condom but then figure that I kind of deserve to get my cock all burned up if I didn't do a good job cleaning her, and I'm too impatient at the moment, anyway. Bella looks a little confused when I hitch her freed leg up over my waist before I shove my cock into her pussy, making her howl with delight.

"I

I thought you said ..." she tries to say, but I cut her off with a rough kiss.

"I think this definitely qualifies as a special occasion."

So I fuck my poor, helpless, tortured sub still tied to the tree, and the inevitable burn of the nettles on my cock only adds to the fucking awesome feeling of it. Too much strain and pain have once again stripped all modesty from her as she keeps cursing and screaming through it all, begging me at the top of her lungs to fuck her harder, and once I deliver that, to let her come.

And because I'm not a completely cruel bastard, I finally let her orgasm right before I climax myself, reveling in the sensations she pulls me through.

After I feel secure enough on my own feet so I can support her I cut through more of the rope, too tired to care much for salvaging some, until I can draw her away from the tree and cradle her in my arms. She's sobbing a little but mostly from sensual overload, and eventually she calms down enough to whisper a raspy "I love you" into my ear. Hugging her closer I assure her that the feeling is mutual, while I can't stop grinning because I'm so proud of her and happy to call her my own.

Eventually I help her get up and hand her the clothes I've brought, and she doesn't even bat an eyelash at them. While she dresses slowly I gather up all evidence of our deviant behavior, before I take her hand and lead her back to the main path. As she doesn't complain about the butt plug I leave it inside of her, and mentally make a note that yes, she's been right, and won't need the small one anymore.

Back at the cabin I get a few reproachful looks from her while she's busy doing some thorough damage assessment, but I simply can't feel bad about the bruises and whip marks next to some rope burn on her wrists that remain. The only thing she doesn't complain about are all the nettle burns that liberally cover her body, but that's probably due to the fact that on the way back to the cabin she has kept rubbing her thighs together whenever she thought I'm not looking.

I don't apologize for anything and I don't think she expects it, either, but we spend the rest of the afternoon either soaking in the hot tub or screwing around all over the hard spaces inside the cabin, as quite frankly, nettle burns itch and we quickly reach a silent agreement just how to scratch that the best way. And because it's still under special circumstances Bella isn't too sore by the time we go over to the main building again to enjoy a late dinner.

The evening passes in relative quiet and comfortable ease, until we run into Adelaide, Gertrude and Cody just as we leave the restaurant as they return from a last evening stroll. I can barely wish them a good night before I start laughing, mostly as Bella turns a deep shade of red that could have rivaled a lobster. I'm sure eventually I will pay for that in one way or another, but right then, life can't get better.

Chapter 21

As the last days of warm weather give way to true autumn, a comfortable routine settles between us. Both Bella and I have to work a lot, which cuts harshly into our precious free time we can spend together, but we manage to work around irregular schedules and endless shifts as good as we can.

But even though lack of sleep and having to deal with an abundance of stupid people should hamper our mood I feel as happy as never before, and every time I swoop her up in my arms and see her radiant smile, I know that she feels the same. Nothing can really reach us, nothing can hurt us, as long as we just have each other, that's all that counts.

The same as sometimes negative things seem to pile on each other, at least I go through a spell of the little issues and problems taking care of themselves. At work, Amanda gives me hell for two weeks for pretending to be sick so I could take the weekend off for our stay at the cabin, but that also means that she forces to me live up to my full potential. Every time she busts my ass for something I know I'm learning to be a better surgeon, and every once in a while I even get a thumbs up from her - something I never see her give anyone else. I know some of the others are jealous of the bond forming between my mentor and me, but only as far as her scarce praise goes. Unsurprisingly enough, they never envy me when she drags me back into the OR only thirty minutes after I get a chance to sneak off to catch some sleep.