The Finest Line

by Catherine Taylor

  James looked at her sheepishly. “Tell me.”

  Mairead smiled. “It’s the way you express two opposing forces and bring them together so perfectly. You scare the hell out of me, but in no one else’s presence do I ever feel so safe. You are so unemotional and sober and calm and yet when you make love to me, you are so fierce and passionate and animated. Your strength is enormous and I am so aware that you could finish me with one blow, and yet I know that when you take the tiniest part of my body in your mouth how gentle you’re going to be. It’s the way you can be so self assured and knowledgeable about everything you do, and yet be so vulnerable about the way I feel about you.”

  She smiled as she watched him trying to keep his composure. “It’s the way that you are so disciplined, composed and organised and yet could still fall in love with the craziest, undisciplined, and completely out of control nutcase like me.”

  James grinned, but still had to wipe his eyes. “Is that all?”

  Mairead shrugged. “The sex is pretty good too.”

  His eyes narrowed at her. “When we first made love, I told you that you were spectacular. You told me I was okay.”

  She laughed with the memory. “Okay fair enough. I’ve found the word I meant to say.”

  He stared at her, “Which is?”

  “Perfection,” Mairead smiled. “Is that okay?”

  He nodded with a grin. “I’ll accept that.”

  With one movement, he had swept her up in his arms and taken her place on the bed, with her on top of him. He demonstrated just how passionate his kisses could be as his hands slipped beneath her hospital gown.

  “James Vaughn,” Mairead scolded. “I’m pretty sure you’ll find this is against hospital policy.”

  He smiled. “Hospital policy can get fucked.”

  He kissed her again, his roaming becoming more intimate and Mairead trembled under his touch.

  Nurse Amy came into the room and halted as she saw them. She blushed deeply and looked away, struggling to speak.

  “Your father and friends are anxious to see you. What should I tell them?”

  James sat up enough to talk to her. “Tell them this. They can wait for another bloody half hour while I give your patient the one thing she needs more than medication and then they may see her.”

  Amy nodded.

  Mairead grinned at her, “Should have taken my offer.”

  Amy grinned back. “I’ll keep everyone away.”

  When she was gone, Mairead looked at James. “I thought my punishment started today.”

  “Your speech earned you a concession but you aren’t off the hook by any means.” He removed the gown as he rolled off the bed, with her still in his arms. He lay her face down across the bed and she heard the distinct sound of his belt being unbuckled.

  Mairead giggled as she clutched hold of the bed, “Did I tell you it’s also that whole romantic thing you’ve...”

  She couldn’t say anymore as he penetrated her, his penis hard and full.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Being back in the VIP lounge at the airport was a disturbing reminder that Mairead still had James’ wrath to face for running off. James had already made her apologise to Steve, the security officer and now, sitting with him and Vanessa, she knew she had more apologies to make.

  She bided her time, watching quietly while James and Vanessa chatted. A little jealousy lingered, seeing the bond between them and knowing Vanessa had been with him through some of his toughest times. They were business partners as well, and she was still ravishingly gorgeous, attracting the stares of many of the men in the lounge.

  Mairead’s bruises were nearly gone and those that remained were well concealed under make-up. Her backside was completely healed, but she didn’t hold out that it was going to stay that way for long.

  From the airport they were driving up to Pukerua Bay to begin the most normal part of a relationship in living together. Mairead was excited and nervous at the prospect of being with James all the time. He had barely left her side in the last week, only taking time out when her friends were there or forcing himself to go back to his hotel to get some much needed sleep.

  Her father had accepted James’ resignation happily, joking that he was in fact taking on the most difficult position yet. Joanne had flown down to see her and Mairead took comfort in that she was not leaving her father alone. She wished that he would wake up himself and see that Joanne and he had long been more than employee and boss.

  It would be another week before James officially took the reins at Silver Dreams. It was difficult to imagine him running a nightclub or what type of boss he would be, though she had a fair idea. Already she had heard him discuss with Vanessa a need to clean up a drug culture within the place. It was going to be an interesting life.

  During a lull in their conversation, Mairead took the opportunity to speak to Vanessa.

  “I didn’t get the chance to say thank you for what you did for me,” She began, “And also to say sorry for taking up all of James attention.”

  Vanessa laughed. “I’ve had a ball and in several months I’ll be back and then I will have to deal with the grumpy old bastard on a daily basis. I told you, you have been the highlight of this holiday and I meant it. The sights of New Zealand are indeed very impressive.”

  Mairead blushed deeply, remembering how much she had seen after helping James rescue her from Richard.

  James intervened. “Cut it out Vanessa.”

  She ignored him. “I extended my holiday time a little more than perhaps I should have but the results have proven advantageous. It seems that I too have found a Kiwi girl in Queenstown who wishes for us to keep in close contact until my return.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Mairead was delighted for her and a little more reassured that men were definitely not her thing.

  When it was time for Vanessa to leave, she gave Mairead a long embrace, receiving a disapproving frown from James, though he also held her for a long time, imparting all the gratitude and love he had for her.

  ‘Don’t be too hard on her,” Vanessa told him as they broke apart. With that she was gone.

  On the drive back to Pukerua Bay, Mairead couldn’t bear not knowing. “How much does Vanessa know about... what we do?”

  “If you are asking if I talk to Vanessa about our sexual and physical relationship, the answer is no, I don’t.” His eyes remained straight ahead behind his dark sunglasses. “She knows enough about me to make certain accurate assumptions and she has an uncanny ability to detect a submissive nature.”

  “Is that what I am?” Mairead asked. “Submissive?”

  James laughed. “I wish, but in some ways yes. Not every woman would allow me to treat them in the manner which I treat you.”

  The question that had formed a thousand times and never found substance suddenly spilled from her mouth.

  “Were you and Vanessa ever intimate?”

  She heard him sigh and wished immediately that she hadn’t asked.

  “With each other the answer is no,” he told her. “Vanessa is a lesbian, not a bisexual and she has no desire whatsoever for men. She also has a very male nature about her which makes our friendship so good. We engaged in what you might call...” James smirked, “Group activities with a number of women.”

  Mairead’s mouth fell open. “James, I’m shocked.”

  “I learnt a lot,” he was still grinning. “If you want to know how to please a woman, ask a woman.”

  Still with her mouth open, Mairead sat back and shook her head. “I had this picture in my head, of what your life in England was like, and boy was I wrong.”

  James lifted his glasses and looked at her, his face full of concern. “Are you disappointed?

  “No.” She loved that he was sharing his life with her no matter how shocking. “I’m just thinking what fun it is going to be getting to know you.”

  When he still look worried she knew exactly how to assure him. “Maybe a little disappointe
d that perhaps I should have bypassed the apprentice and gone straight for the master. She was certainly interested.”

  Glasses were down and frown was back. “I am all the master you will ever need, and believe me I am going to demonstrate that today when we address a certain matter of you running off from the airport.”

  Mairead shut her mouth and sat back to enjoy the long anticipatory journey back to the cottage.

  The demonstration commenced the moment they arrived back at the cottage. Mairead was no sooner in the door when her clothing was completely removed. James towered over her, still in his shirt, tie and trousers, his eyes studying every part of her. Vulnerability had never been so well illustrated before.

  Mairead was sent to stand facing a corner of the lounge, a part she found extremely humiliating, but she figured that was the point of it. He insisted on her legs being wide apart, making her all the more aware of the activity between her legs.

  Her mind was divided to how the day would pan out. The excitement and fear of the range of sensations she would be submitted to was exhilarating but the thought of being denied sex afterwards was unbearable.

  After their passionate union at the hospital, there were no more concessions and it had been a long frustrating week. She found herself being extremely co-operative, polite and endearing to everyone, as much as it annoyed her that James’ discipline actually had an effect on her. Anything, which might earn her James’ attentions, was worth a go.

  Glancing around, she saw James arrange a dining chair in the centre of the room before fetching the mysterious black bag he had kept hidden in the boot. From it he drew out what looked like a transparent ping pong bat and put it down on the floor beside the chair. It looked harmless enough. The baby oil, which he put next to it, was more ominous having experienced the effects of a spanking on an oiled backside.

  She felt reasonably confident enough that her heightened arousal would soon have her in that wonderful zone where she could experience more pleasure than pain. A week without any sexual contact was more than enough punishment as far as she was concerned.

  Her thoughts were so engrossing that she nearly didn’t hear James call her. Turning around she gulped to see him sitting in the chair.

  “Are you listening to me Mairead?” His voice was stern. “I said to come here.”

  Nervously she walked the short distance and stood before him.

  “I need you to fully appreciate what is happening here,” His frown added to the grimness of his tone. “I know that you can quite easily turn this to something rather than its true intention which is punishment. I don’t want you to do that. What I want, is for you to think about how you close you came to being killed by putting yourself in an extremely dangerous situation and how my life would have been over too. I couldn’t have survived it, not losing you. I want you to feel every bit of the hurt I have suffered over this so that you will never disobey me again when it comes to your safety. Am I getting through to you Mairead?”

  Unfortunately for her, he was getting through quite clearly and any hope of getting enjoyment from this had vanished. She was already crying as she nodded.

  “Let’s get this over with,” he took her hand and brought her around to his side before guiding her over his lap. “I am not going to pin your legs down. You are going to concentrate on doing that yourself. That might help you keep your mind off other things.”

  His surmise proved accurate and Mairead was unpleasantly surprised at how much pain was being inflicted by his hand through just the warm-up. The urge to bring her feet back to block his hand was overwhelming and she had to kick to stop herself. Her one available hand was quickly grasped and held at her when she tried to cover herself.

  When it was over, there was no relief in sight as the baby oil was applied to her burning backside. As much as she relished his massage, she knew it was hardly for her benefit and more to do with adding extra sting.

  “This is going to really hurt Mairead,” he told her casually, softly patting and rubbing the strange paddle against her cheeks. “This is called a Lexan paddle, and is made from a polycarbonate resin. As harmless as it looks, its physical properties tend to make it one of the nastier implements used for this nature. I have heard the after effects being likened to being stung by a swarm of wasps.”

  “Oh goody,” Mairead managed to say, through her sobs, “I can hardly wait.”

  Three good whacks with the paddle were enough to know that the description was going to prove accurate. All bets were off and she struggled, kicked and bucked until James had to pin her down and complete the punishment.

  Mairead lay howling loudly and James caressed her back silently for a long time before she had calmed.

  “Are you alright babe?” his voice was full of concern.

  Mairead sighed, “Nothing a completely new arse wouldn’t fix.”

  He was relieved to hear her humour. “I like this one. I tried to paddle a big red love heart onto it. If you hadn’t struggled so much, it would have looked great. Now it looks a bit lopsided but it’s definitely red.”

  Mairead laughed until she meekly asked. “Am I forgiven yet?’

  James gently caressed her bottom. “You were forgiven the moment I saw that you were still alive that day, but I did need to make a point.”

  “Point noted and filed,” Mairead assured him. “Now can we have some fun?”

  His hand wandered down between her legs and she heard him sigh as he found how wet she was.

  “I couldn’t help it,” She quickly explained. “That one caught me completely by surprise.”

  “While it doesn’t surprise me at all,” he growled but his fingers slipped inside her and began working in and out of her. “How would you like to play a little game?”

  She sighed with relief and with his attentions. “If it involves getting fucked for several hours, I’m in.”

  James grinned. “You’ll love it.”

  He helped her off his lap and went to the mysterious black bag. He returned with some handcuffs and began to put them on her.

  “Don’t worry they’re lined on the inside for comfort. I don’t want your mind on anything else but what I’m doing to you.”

  Mairead held up her manacled wrists and opened them to the few inches of chain between them. “Quite restricting aren’t they?”

  “Yes they are,” James took hold of the chain and drew her closer to the couch where he sat down.

  Mairead stood before him and trembled slightly. “My bottom is really hurting me.”

  James feigned concern. “Is it baby? You better let me have a look.”

  She turned around but was startled as he pulled her down to sit on him, stinging her tender cheeks. “Ouch.”

  James leaned forward and whispered into her ear. “I want you to get up on your knees on the couch on the outside of my thighs”

  She obeyed and James took hold of her waist, drawing her down until her bottom was back on his lap. He reached out and drew out a long black cloth from the bag. “Sorry baby, but the blindfold is the last thing you get to see for awhile. Everything else you will have to distinguish by touch.”

  “I like the blindfold,” Mairead said as he tied it in place. “But I don’t know how long I can do this lotus position thingy without becoming uncomfortable.”

  “I have no intention of keeping you like that sweetheart,” James kissed her cheek before bringing his hands around to cup her breasts. Mairead expelled a deep breath. “Let your weight fall into my hands.”

  With her loss of sight and bound hands, it would have been a scary feeling falling forward, but she knew that he was more than strong enough to support her. Eventually she felt her body touch his legs stretched out in front of him and his hands left her breasts. She was now lying down the length of his legs, head down and bum up, her nipples flattened against the denim encasing his shins.

  Immediately he lifted his foot and trod the chain of the handcuffs to the floor. She was trapped and with her kne
es spread wide on either side of his thighs, she was fully exposed to his view.

  She blushed furiously as her vagina responded very excitedly to this situation. James helped embarrass her further by laughing and swiping his finger in the juices flowing from her. “You seem to like this game already baby and we haven’t even started.”

  Mairead blushed again, “This position is incredibly embarrassing.”

  “Looks great to me,” James disagreed as he licked his fingers. “Taste’s good too. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful view. Now here is how the game is played. I am going to touch your bottom, or your pussy or your clit with a variety of objects. You have ten seconds to say what the object is. If you are right, you get a reward, but if you’re wrong you have to pay a little penalty. Are you ready?”