Safe Words

by Magnolia Robbins

  Scarlett’s expression was unreadable at first. I watched as she reached out, taking my hand in her own. She studied my wrist, still sore from earlier. There was a small trace of a bruise. When she looked up, there was concern on her face. “Has she done this before?” Scarlett looked back down at my wrist.

  “Worse,” I found myself admitting. “She had an audience today.”

  Scarlett looked angry when I said it. Her fingers brushed over my skin. I shivered when she touched me. She seemed as if she had a hundred questions. She looked up to me. “Does she know where you live?”

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “She figured out where I worked.”

  Scarlett pondered again for a moment. She released my hand and turned her body to face mine. When she did, we met eyes. “Natalia,” she said, her voice having grown firm. “You will go tomorrow and file a restraining order against that woman. You’re never to see her again. Do you understand?” Her voice was calm and serious.

  I stared at her, trying to process what she’d said. For a moment, I thought it might be just a firm suggestion. I was quick to realize that she was giving me an order. While I expected to feel panicked, instead I was unsure how I felt about it. It wasn’t how Justine had spoken to me, in a pleading sort of way. This was authoritative. Demanding. Yet it didn’t intimidate me, only piqued my curiosity.

  “Are you telling me what to do?” I asked, setting the glass of scotch on the end table beside me. It was the only thing I could think of to say in response.

  “That woman is endangering your life, Natalia,” Scarlett argued with me. Her eyes were locked onto mine. “I won’t allow you to let her get away with this behavior any longer.”

  “You won’t allow?” This time I felt something. A small tinge of anger. I scoffed at her. “I’m not a child. You don’t get to dictate my decisions. I spent years of my life being told what to do. Frightened into submission.”

  “Which is why you will file a restraining order. I’m not asking.” For a moment I thought I might continue to argue with her. Tell her she was like Megan, controlling and manipulative. Except I knew what she was asking wasn’t controlling or manipulative. The way she said it wasn’t the least bit frightening. She was calm. Completely in control. Her demand was filled with a protective concern. And every part of me wanted to please her more than I wanted to please anyone in my entire life. Her gaze diverted to my wrist for a moment as her fingers drew over it once more. Then her attention turned back, our eyes meeting.

  “I want you safe,” Scarlett said simply. The way she looked was burning a hole straight through me. Every fiber of my being wanted her. Before I was able to stop myself, I moved forward. My body came to hers. Our mouths collided. I breathed in the hint of the sweet tasting liquor on her breath as we kissed. Scarlett weaved her fingers into my hair, pulling me to her. Our tongues danced in each other’s mouths. I climbed on top of her and our lips moved together.

  “Tell me you are going do it,” Scarlett said through light pants, her eyes still locked on mine. Her hands rested on either side of my face. For a moment I was lost in the feeling of her holding onto me in such a comforting way.

  “I’m going to do it,” I breathed. My cheek leaned into one of her hands. “I’ll get the restraining order.” The way I spoke surprised me. It was with confidence. Firm. I meant it when I said it.

  “First thing tomorrow,” Scarlett reminded me. Those firm blue eyes had softened. Her thumb brushed against my cheek and it sent a small shiver rolling through me.

  “First thing tomorrow, Ms. Stone.” When I spoke her name, I could see a flicker of lust in her eyes. When I drew back in to kiss her once more, she stopped me.

  “Finish your drink.”

  I FOUND MYSELF IN SCARLETT’S town car again. While we rode, Scarlett ran her fingers up and down the length of my arm. Neither of us spoke and I was unable to enjoy the view of the city, too intoxicated by the attention I was receiving. When we reached Scarlett’s condo building, her taunting touches continued, even in an elevator filled with people. As we came closer to the top, the elevator emptied and Scarlett drew her body on mine.

  We kissed again. My body was pushed into the wall. When we reached the penthouse and the doors opened, Scarlett broke from me. I ached for her, trailing behind her as she entered the house.

  Scarlett took my uninjured hand and led me through the hallway. As we made our way past the familiar linen closet, I slowed, looking at it once more. Scarlett turned back towards me. Before I was able to speak, she walked up to the door, opening it for me. For a moment I stood frozen, unsure of what to do. When I had my wits about me, I moved to stand beside Scarlett, looking inside. While the closet was full of things, my eyes lingered back on the collection whips hanging from the door. Before I could help myself, my fingers trailing over them.

  As I looked, I felt Scarlett draw behind me. Her body leaned into me, lips against the side of my face, tickling my earlobe. The whip closest to me was wrapped around the hook it hung from. It had a long leather cord and a thick handle. My fingers brushed against it. “A signal whip,” Scarlett said in my ear. “It’s easy to crack. A good whip to use while blindfolded. It has a very prominent sound.” I’d heard the sound before, in movies and television shows. Hearing it in person however, would be another thing entirely.

  The next whip had many tassels at the end. It too, was made of a sturdy leather. “A flogger,” Scarlett explained, reaching up to run her fingers through the long strips of leather. “It gives a nice stinging sensation.”

  When my hands rolled over the next whip, Scarlett smiled. “A riding crop,” I said before she could speak, pulling it off the hook to hold it in my hand. The memory of the first time I’d held it came rushing back.

  “Good for beginners,” she noted and I felt the hairs on my back stand on end. Scarlett took hold of my wrist, the one that held the crop. “Working a whip is all in the wrist.” She flicked it gently and the whip snapped in the air a few times. She let my hand go and I turned towards her, my heart racing in my chest when I did.

  “Scarlett.” When I said her name, we met eyes. “I want you to use it on me.”

  Chapter Six

  WHEN I FIRST SAID IT, Scarlett didn’t reply. She studied me for a long moment. Then she took hold of me and led me through her house. We came into a lavish bedroom. A clean shade of white. It reminded me of the Stitch office. The comforter on the bed was fluffy and a light grey color. There was an assortment of throw pillows arranged on top. Everything in the room was high end and immaculately cleaned, to the point where I feared to touch anything.

  My mind wasn’t focused on the furniture for long. Scarlett set the riding crop on the bed and turned me to face her. Our mouths came together. While we kissed, her hands rolled over my body until they came to the hem of my blouse. She moved her fingers underneath, the tips brushing across my skin as she pulled the fabric from my body. As soon as she’d finished, she studied me over, that firm look on her face. It sent chills through my spine. I waited, hungering for her.

  Scarlett leaned into me again, planting her lips on the side of my face and into the crook of my neck. While she worked, her hands unclasped my bra, and it too fell to the floor. Scarlett pulled back to study me. Her fingers drew lightly over my skin. They circled around my breasts, teasing my nipples for a moment before she cupped them in her hands. Afterward, I felt her graze over my stomach, coming to the front of my pants. She undid the button and slid everything over my hips and down to the floor in one fell swoop.

  I stepped out of my clothes so I stood in front of her, vulnerable and exposed. Scarlett eyed me before she spoke. “Turn for me, Ms. Ross. Slowly. I want to get a good look at you.” Being on display for her, letting her study my nakedness, was almost more than I could bear. I did as she asked, rotating in front of her until I’d made a complete circle.

  “Sit on the bed,” Scarlett instructed me, and I moved. When I’d settled, she came to stand in front of me. “You
want me to use this?” Scarlett pulled the riding crop off the bed and I nodded. “Hold out your hand.”

  I did as I was told, extending my good hand out to her. Scarlett moved me so my palm was facing upward. With her other hand, she snapped the whip on my palm a few times. The motion of it was so fast that I could barely make out when it hit my skin. It stung a little, but was tolerable. “I want you to know what to expect,” she explained. “It will sting and you will notice it, but it should not be too painful. Understood?” When I nodded she continued. “Once we begin, you’ll do as I tell you. I’ll only use this whip and I will only go until you request to stop.”

  Scarlett let the whip move across my palm for a moment. The leather tip tickled. Finally she spoke again. “If for any reason you want or need to stop, or if things feel uncomfortable, you’re to use the safewords.”

  “Safewords?” I asked.

  “Yellow for caution and red for stop. Repeat them, Ms. Ross.”

  “Yellow for caution and red for stop.”

  “Good,” Scarlett said, rolling the whip down the length of my arm. Her eyes scanned over me as the leather tip traced around. It rolled onto my collarbone and in the middle of my chest. When I shivered, it seemed to pique her interest. I watched her wrist snap and the whip tapped onto the skin of my right breast. Then again on the left. It wasn’t much, but the subtle sting made my nipples harden. A stir heightened between my legs. The leather tip moved further onto my stomach, trailing all the way down till it hit the small patch of hair between my legs.

  We met eyes, and Scarlett spoke again. “Turn around, Ms. Ross,” she instructed me. Without a word, I sat up from the bed and turned away from her. Scarlett moved into me, pressing the upper portion of my body towards the bed. I fell forward onto the sheets. My lower half hung off the side. Cold air tickled my skin, and I felt a trail of goosebumps overcome me. “You’re to look straight ahead, Ms. Ross. Are we clear?” When I nodded, she wasn’t satisfied. “Tell me you understand.” I was so mesmerized by her commanding voice took a moment before I replied.

  “I understand, Ms. Stone,” I said, my head facing forward. After a moment, the whip teased my backside. It ran in smooth strokes over the length of me and drew around both of my fleshy cheeks. Then she stopped. The entire room went still and quiet. For a moment, I wondered if I had done something wrong. I waited for Scarlett to speak again, listening to the faint gasps of my breathing and the thumping of my heart in my chest.

  A sharp pain radiated off of my left cheek as a row of sharp smacks came down on me. They were soft, but very noticeable. I let out an audible gasp in surprise. Scarlett let me settle into it for a moment. I realized that if she had done it to one cheek, she was about to do it to the other. The pause seemed to last forever. Finally the sting radiated on the other side. One, two, three, four, five lashes. I drew in a sharp breath of air.

  It was funny how in the silence of the room, I could hear all the subtle sounds around me. My breathing became like a freight train to my ears. Every time Scarlett would flick the whip in her hand, I could hear it catching the air behind me. The pause this time was more agonizing than before. There was no taunting. No instructions. Just silence. The stinging from my skin tickled, and I reached back to soothe the burning flesh. I was reprimanded by another sharp smack drawn on each side of me.

  “Keep your hands where they are, Ms. Ross,” Scarlett said firmly. “And count for me.”

  The whip stroked down my skin again and in between my legs. I squirmed, finding it harder and harder to maintain my composure. “What?” I gasped just before the whip cracked down on me. I jumped, the soft stinging pain radiating through my legs.

  “That’s one,” Scarlett said. “Count, Ms. Ross.”

  “One,” I repeated, my body trembling. My breaths were growing ragged. The wait was so drawn out I almost thought to look behind me. Just as I was about to, the whip moved against me again. “Two,” breathed. My entire body was aching. Not in pain so much as an intense energy inside of me that was begging to be released.

  The whip came onto me two times, in rapid succession. Once on each cheek. It was rough enough this time I moaned into the room, my body collapsing forward into the bed. It still wasn’t very painful, but it took so long for me to recover, that Scarlett had to remind me to count.

  “Three and Four,” I said, my voice shaky.

  “One more, Ms. Ross,” Scarlett said. Again, she taunted me, the leather tip brushing between my legs. My hands clenched around her comforter, squirming. Scarlett snapped the whip in my most sensitive spots and it sent me into a frenzy. When the touches ceased, I braced myself, waiting. My impatience grew so agonizing that I began to beg.

  “Please,” I breathed, my body so hungry for it. Just as I asked, Scarlett let the whip fall on me a final time. The sting was intense, but relieving. The pent up excitement burst from me. I fell forward into the bed, relaxing.

  After Scarlett placed the whip on the bed, her hands massaged my cheeks. I pushed into her, enjoying the sensation while it lasted.

  “Turn around, Ms. Ross,” Scarlett instructed me. “And lay back.” Erupting into a long shiver, I did as I was told, turning around and falling back onto the bed. My backside burned, but it was the good kind of burn. The kind that reminded me of what had just occurred.

  Scarlett moved on top of me until our mouths came together. Her tongue entered my mouth, and I licked at it hungrily. The kiss was intense but brief, and then she moved over my body, her mouth tasting every piece of my skin. As she touched me, I continued to vocalize my enjoyment. Her mouth rolled over my breasts one at a time, and onto my stomach. As she moved down between my legs, I lifted my body up to watch her.

  “Lay back and close your eyes,” Scarlett said. Again, I obeyed, falling back against the sheets. When my eyes closed, every sensation on my skin heightened. Scarlett took a moment before she resumed kissing my stomach. I could hear each time her mouth planted against my skin. She let her fingers stroke the length of me and rake up the inside of my thigh. Each time she moved, she drew closer and closer to my middle. Hot air met my center and I squirmed. “Spread your legs, Ms. Ross.”

  When I moved my legs further apart, shivers shot through my spine. There was a long pause. I sat waiting. There were no touches, no breath against my skin. Just silence. My quiet panting filling the air.

  At first, there were light strokes of her fingers moving over me. Like feathers, teasing my flesh. Then her mouth came over me in one fluid motion, and my body erupted. As her tongue worked, Scarlett let her fingers draw inside of me. When she did I moaned into the room, unable to contain myself. My body trembled as the release ripped through me. My hands clenched the sheets around me while my breath came in gasps.

  Scarlett let me lie quietly for a moment before she had me turn back on my stomach. She inspected my backside, running her hands over the skin that had been whipped earlier. It tingled, and lightly stung, but was tolerable. When she was satisfied, she led me into the master bathroom. While she drew me a bath, she massaged my shoulders.

  “Did you enjoy it?” Scarlett asked me, her stern demeanor having dissipated. When I looked up at her and nodded, she broke into a small smile. After, she helped me into the tub. The hot water soothed my backside. While I settled, Scarlett cleaned the whip in the sink. I watched her for a moment, entranced by her meticulousness. When she finished, she looked as if she was going to leave.

  “You’re not joining me?” I asked her. That curious small smile hadn’t left her lips, but she shook her head. A wave of disappointment washed over me.

  “I have a phone call to make for work,” she said. “Take your time.” Before I had a chance to inquire further, she’d left me alone in the room. I couldn’t complain much, the bath was luxurious to say the least. Jets ran below the water, massaging my skin from every direction. Scarlett had added some sort of soap that smelled delightfully like lavender and several other flowers I couldn’t discern. Before I knew it, I was dozi
ng off.

  WHEN I AWOKE, I WAS wrapped in the most incredible sheets I’d ever slept in, the large grey comforter bundled on top of me. I had vague memories of Scarlett helping me to bed, but they were foggy. It was early. The clock read five in the morning, but I smelled food. I pulled myself from my warm cocoon, dressing in the clothes I’d worn the day before. When I wandered into the large living space, I was captivated by the views outside once again. I stared out at the skyline for a moment before a hand came to rest on my shoulder.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Scarlett said, and I leaned back into her. She rested her face against my head for a moment before she turned me and we kissed. Her hands wrapped around my face, stroking my cheeks with her thumbs. When we pulled apart, Scarlett smiled. “I made breakfast.”

  The two of us sat at a lavish dining table that faced the windows. Scarlett sat close beside me while I dug into the quiche she’d made. “I don’t normally cook,” she explained while we ate. The gesture sent a flutter through me. We enjoyed our meal while the sun rose in between the buildings. For not being a cook, Scarlett’s food was delicious.

  The two of us got lost in conversation for a while, Scarlett inquiring about small details of my life. I talked about my interests in journalism and my dreams of being a reporter someday.

  “My mom was a journalist,” I admitted, finishing off the last bit of food on my plate. I was surprised that I’d mentioned her. While she was always on my mind, I’d barely spoke of her to others. “A great journalist. I’d always wanted to follow in her footsteps. When she passed away, I kind of knew that path was meant to be for me.”

  Scarlett was as surprised as I felt when I’d opened up to her. For a moment there was silence in the room. Finally she took my hand and squeezed it. It was all I needed.