Calliope's Master

by Melinda Barron

  “No, don’t do anything yet. I’ll be there in a minute.” He stood slowly and stretched, then dropped the phone onto the mattress.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Vandalism in the cemetery.” He looked around, then walked to his pants. As he jerked them on, she stood and went to her clothes. “You can stay in bed. When I get back, we can shave that pretty pussy.”

  She nibbled on her lower lip. “I’d like to go with you. I can take photos for your insurance. One of my cameras is good at night shots.”

  “Okay.” He disappeared inside his closet. While he was gone, she pulled on her pants and bra before going to her suitcase. She opened it and rummaged around for a sweater. When he came back, she was dressed, and so was he. She searched through a camera bag, selecting one of her more powerful models.

  “Who called?”

  “Chuck. He said he was bored, and he just had a strange feeling that something was wrong. He drove down and noticed that three headstones had been toppled. One of them is broken.”

  “That sucks.” They were heading out the bedroom door now. He stopped and turned to her.

  “We’re going to have to ban you from using the word suck.”

  What the hell? Henry had never banned her from using words. “Is this a Master/sub rule?”

  “Oh no, we’re nowhere near ready for that. But hearing you say suck makes my dick hard. You’ve got a great mouth, baby, and hearing that word reminds me of your tongue snaking around the head of my dick. So, don’t say it again. It would be embarrassing for me to sport wood while I’m talking to Chuck about headstones.”

  “Gotcha.” When they were in the main part of the house, he headed for a far wall. “Where you going?” She pointed toward the hotel.

  “Nope, going to go out through the garage. It will save us having to go through the stairs and such. We’ll have to walk through the woods, but I’ve cut a good path through them.”

  They took the stairs down, and at the bottom he handed her a flashlight. When they were outside, he took the lead, walking down a dirt trail. She fell into step beside him. “Why don’t you think we’re ready for Master/sub?”

  “Do you?”

  She shook her head, then said, “No, but you’ve seemed so positive. This is the first negative thing you’ve said.”

  “It’s not negative, Calliope. It’s just a statement of fact. When we do Master/sub, I want you to know it’s me topping you. Frankly, Henry’s still too much on your mind. I don’t expect you to forget him, but I do expect you to have come to terms with the fact that he’s gone. And you haven’t. I might push you a little bit, but I’m not going to tie you up until I think I have your undivided attention.”

  Her heart clenched in pain, mostly because she knew he was right. “I’m trying.”

  “I know.” He stopped and turned to her. “I’m not Henry. Until you come to terms with that, accept the fact that our relationship is different, we won’t play the way I want, and I think you want too. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, now let’s go meet Chuck and see what’s going on.”

  He started to walk again, but she put her hand out to stop him.

  “I just realized something.”

  “What?”

  “This is the same time that we were doing this last night. Two nights in a row—at four a.m.—something has disturbed our sleep. What if this really is a ghost town, and the inhabitants aren’t happy that it’s about to open?”

  Chapter 7

  Three headstones had been toppled. Two of them had broken in half, and one had a rounded corner broken from it. Calliope took photos of all three while Silas talked with Chuck. She caught bits and pieces of their conversation, and from what she could gather, Chuck hadn’t seen anyone on the road when he’d driven this way, and he’d seen no evidence the teens usually left when they were out here: empty beer bottles or used condoms.

  “Why would someone want to have sex in a cemetery?” She shuddered as she asked the question.

  “The teens think it’s cool,” Chuck replied. “I can’t give you the answer as to why; they just do.”

  “I think it’s creepy.” Calliope shivered as she thought about saying those words to Henry the day they’d arrived, and they hadn’t even been standing in the cemetery at the time. Maybe there was something about this place that made it a ghost town in the true sense of the word.

  “Can you read the names on the stones?” Silas was beside her now. He bent down and rubbed his fingers over the engraving.

  “Not in the dark. When I download them, maybe I can enhance the images and get the names that way. You say no one has done a census of this cemetery?”

  Silas stood and rubbed his hands together as if to clear dirt from them. “Not that I know of. We haven’t found it in any official source, but there are tons of books out there on Massachusetts’ cemeteries. Maybe we just haven’t found the right one.”

  Calliope looked down at the stone. The weatherworn marker had cracked in half, looking almost as if someone had taken an axe to it.

  “It definitely looks like something a man would do.”

  “Blame the male sex, huh?” Chuck laughed, and she groaned.

  “That’s not what I meant. I meant human.”

  “Well, yeah.” This time the lawman sounded a little confused. “What did you think? Some ghost came along and toppled his own headstone?”

  “Maybe.” She looked at Silas, who was still looking at the headstone.

  “Close down your ‘I need evidence’ brain, Chuck, and let me tell you a story.” Silas proceeded to tell him about the photo, and about something waking the both of them up at four the morning before. “And it was about the same time when you called and woke us up this morning.”

  “Doesn’t mean a thing,” Chuck said. “I could have found it at two, or at three. Or we could have discovered it later if I hadn’t come out here. There’s no telling when this was done.”

  “But you said you had a feeling,” Calliope said. “Something drew you out here. At about the same time something woke us up yesterday.”

  “Yeah, but no odd feeling pulled you out of sleep this morning,” Chuck said. “Is this an equal opportunity ghost? Does it want us all to be involved?”

  “Calliope and I were a little… preoccupied.”

  “I see.” Chuck smacked his lips. “So, since the two of you were fucking, it went looking for someone else?”

  She was glad it was dark outside. She could feel the flush all over her body, and was sure her skin was beet red.

  “Sorry, Calliope, I get a little blunt sometimes.”

  “It’s okay,” she whispered.

  “You need to see the photo,” Silas said. He’d ignored their exchange. He obviously didn’t feel embarrassed by what they’d been doing tonight. “You can have breakfast with us, and we’ll show it to you.”

  “Who’s cooking?” Chuck gave Silas a pointed glance. “You?” Then he waved a finger at Calliope. “Or you?”

  “I’ll cook,” she replied.

  The law officer rubbed his belly. “I could eat.”

  “Asshole,” Silas replied, humor evident in his voice.

  She made pumpkin-flavored coffee, walnut buttermilk pancakes and fried bacon while the men looked over the photos. It was obvious from their easygoing bantering, both at the cemetery and here, that the two men were very close.

  She wondered if they’d ever topped together, if one of them whipped a sub while the other watched. If she and Silas made it to D/s play, would he expect Chuck to join in? Chuck was handsome and well built, but she wasn’t sure how she would react to another person in the mix right now.

  Stop getting ahead of yourself. It’s like Silas said, you have to accept a D/s relationship with him, first. Sex is one thing, submission another.

  “These are delicious,” Chuck said around a mouthful of food. “If you’re cooking tomorrow morning, I’ll come by then too.”

&n
bsp; “Hopefully it won’t be at four in the morning,” she said as she took her place at the table. “What do you think of the photos?”

  “Well, there’s something there,” Chuck said. He took a swig of his coffee, and Calliope had the idea he was using the time to form his thoughts into a sentence that wouldn’t piss her off. “Don’t take this wrong, because I don’t think you’d do this, but the phrase a photograph doesn’t lie isn’t true nowadays, what with computers and all.”

  “You’re right, on both counts. But I believe in supernatural things, and I’ve heard that sometimes they occur at the same time as a person,” she swallowed hard, “died.”

  “If you’re talking about your late husband, that was later in the morning.”

  She remembered the time perfectly. “I’m not talking about Henry; I’m talking about something we haven’t identified.”

  “Something that, again no offense, didn’t start until you were here.” Chuck took another bite of his pancakes, but he didn’t take his gaze off her. “So why shouldn’t we think that, if it’s supernatural in nature, it has something to do with your husband, who died in the cemetery?”

  “I can’t answer that,” Calliope said as she put down her fork. “But Henry’s only come to me twice, and both times have been here.”

  “So, you believe in ghosts?” Chuck asked. He moved his head from side to side as if he were trying to figure out what to say next. “Interesting.”

  “You believe in them too,” Silas said. “You can’t grow up around here and not believe in the supernatural.”

  “Sure, you can,” Chuck replied. “I know plenty of people who don’t believe. As for me, I’m not sure. I know I’ve never had a ghost come up and tap me on the shoulder and ask, ‘How’s it hanging, buddy’. I just know I need solid evidence that I can see with my own eyes and hopefully feel.”

  “Thank you, Doubting Thomas.” Silas huffed. “Appreciate the support. Now, you sound like Phillip.”

  “I didn’t say I couldn’t ever believe,” Chuck replied. “I just said I needed…”

  “Proof.” Calliope went to the counter and retrieved the coffee carafe. Back at the table she refilled cups before she held up the empty container. “Shall I make more?”

  Both men nodded yes. She could hear their voices as she worked, but they were talking low enough that she couldn’t make out the words. When she sat back down, Silas glanced at her.

  “I want you to go into Salem today. There’s a historical society there. We did some research before we bought the land, but I’d like you to look specifically for information on the cemetery. Maybe they’ve found something since then.”

  “Yeah, something they haven’t found since the 1600s.” Chuck scoffed.

  “Your sarcasm is not appreciated,” Silas said. “There’s a new clerk there. As a matter of fact, she lives next door to my parents. Her name is Gloria.”

  “Nathan’s stepmother?” Chuck asked. “She’s nice. Pretty hot too.”

  “She’s at least ten years older than you are,” Silas said. He turned his attention to Calliope. “The clerk that left was unhelpful when we were there. Maybe Gloria can point you in a new direction.”

  “Who cares how old she is?” Chuck continued to talk as if Silas hadn’t spoken. “She’s still hot.”

  Silas sighed. “Not that this is the topic of conversation, but her last husband was twenty years older than she was. Something tells me she’s not interested in younger men.”

  “You never know,” Chuck said, wiggling his eyebrows. “I didn’t know she was working there. When did she start?”

  “I have no clue,” Silas said. He threw up his hands. “Mom mentioned it the last time I was over there for dinner. Now, can we get back to the subject at hand? Ghosts?”

  “Sorry, Calliope.” Chuck got up and retrieved the coffeepot. “I’ve been without a sub for a while. I wonder if she’s submissive.”

  “This is the last thing I’m going to say on the matter,” Silas said as Chuck refilled their cups. “Submission notwithstanding, Nathan would freak if you fucked his mother.”

  “Stepmother,” Chuck said.

  Calliope cleared her throat. She wasn’t sure she wanted to stay around for this argument. “I’m going to shower, and then I’m going to go into town. Do you need anything while I’m there?”

  “Go upstairs and wait for me,” Silas said. “I’ll be up in a minute, so we can shave your pussy.”

  Heat flooded her again. How could he say something like that in front of Chuck? What should she say back? Yes, Sir? Whatever you say, Sir? Luckily, Chuck saved her from answering.

  “Sounds intriguing.” He took a healthy swig of his coffee, then stood. “And on that note, I’m going to leave. I have reports to finish. Do you want one on your vandalism?”

  “No.” She could hear the disgust in Silas’ voice. “The cost is not enough to file on the insurance, I’m sure. The deductible would barely cover it. I’ll talk to one of the stonemasons in town and see if he can replicate the markers.”

  “Okay.” Chuck winked at her. “See you two later.”

  When he was gone, Calliope surveyed the kitchen. She’d cleaned as she’d cooked, so the only thing left to do was wash the plates. When she went to get them, Silas stopped her.

  “Upstairs. I want that pussy shaved before you go into town. We’ll do the dishes tonight.”

  They walked silently to his house. This was a chore that Henry had always made her do on her own, and the thought of Silas watching her was a little unnerving.

  “This is very BDSMish,” she said as he closed the door behind them.

  “Yes.” Silas nodded as if he were considering it. “It does cross the line of what I said earlier, but I think it’s a good first step. Just a little push in the right direction.” He fixed a hard stare on her. “Take off your clothes.”

  Calliope shed them quickly. When she was naked, he crooked a finger at her, indicating she should follow him into the bathroom. She imagined herself in a collar, imagined Silas had hold of the leash attached to it. In the bathroom he pointed to the counter.

  “Jump up here, put your ass right on the edge, and spread your legs as wide as you can.”

  The marble counter looked cold, and when her ass came into contact with it, she found out it was. She shivered as she followed his directions, parking herself between the two large basins.

  He’d gone into the large walk-in closet that was on the other side of the bathroom. When he reappeared, he had two small stepladders in his hands. He placed one on either side of her, then patted her thigh.

  “One foot on each stool. That’ll keep your legs nice and wide for me.” When she’d done it, he clasped her hips and pulled her forward. Her ass was barely on the counter now.

  “I won’t be able to keep my balance with one hand while shaving with the other,” she said. “I need to scoot back.”

  “You’re not going to shave.” He moved to a cabinet and opened the door. “I am.”

  Shock coursed through her as she watched him take out a can of shaving cream and a razor. “You’ve kept it trimmed, but I want it all gone. I’m going to use this new razor, so it’s very sharp, which means you need to be very still.”

  He stood between her legs, and she watched as he focused his gaze on her pussy. “I bet you’re sore.”

  “Yes.” Her heart raced. “Very.”

  He took a bottle in his hand and turned it upside down. The scent of lavender filled the room as oil dropped from the bottle into the palm of his hand. After he set it down, he rubbed his hands together. Lord, would she make it through this? Her pussy was already soaking wet, and he was going to rub the oil into her to prepare her skin for the razor.

  Her chest rose and fell rapidly as he continued to warm the oil between his hands. When he cupped her mons, she groaned deeply, the need to climax almost overtaking her.

  “Tonight, I’ll have to find a new home for my dick, give your sore cunt a rest. How about
your tight backside? Would you like that, Calliope, if I bent you over and fucked you up the ass?”

  “Yes.” She ground her body into his hand, wanting, needing, for him to part her lips and touch her.

  “Hold still.” He shook the can, and she heard the hissing sound of the cream being dispensed. She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut. The oil felt wonderful, but the actual shaving?

  “Let me do it, please.”

  “No.” She opened her eyes to find him staring at her. “If you don’t want it, say so, and you can get dressed and go into town.”

  There was part of her that screamed run, and there was another part, a larger part, that said running would accomplish nothing. That was the part that was still on fire from where he’d rubbed in the oil. She watched him as he watched her. His expression didn’t tell her what he wanted, even though she knew if she said no it would disappoint him greatly. Truthfully, it would disappoint her, also.

  “I’ll go into town… after.”

  A very slight smile touched his lips, and he curved his hand over her mons for the second time. The cream was cold, and she shivered as he spread it. It seemed so intimate, which was strange since he’d been inside her last night, more than once. But this was something no man had ever done for her before.

  “Don’t move,” he said. “Promise me.”

  “I promise.” She let her eyes slide shut, and she licked her lips slowly as the razor slid over her skin, going from top to bottom in what seemed like a caress. Arousal soared through her as he shaved first one side, then the other. He carefully avoided her labia, which stuck out a little from between her outer lips. He’d done this before.

  A strange sensation swept through her and after a moment she realized it was jealousy. She didn’t like the idea that he’d done this to anyone else. She wanted to be the one and only woman he’d ever shaved. It was dumb, of course, since she’d been with her husband before this.

  The shaving produced too many different feelings. It was confusing, yet wonderful at the same time. She would sort out the implications of the event later. Right now, all she wanted to do was enjoy the sensations.