by Cari Z.
"Dalton had planned to come back this afternoon to assist in taking down Natasha's booth anyhow, a bit earlier won't inconvenience him," Lucy replied. "And my tea is infinitely better than anything a hotel is going to be able to offer us. Ginseng and mint, chamomile and a hint of licorice … it's very soothing, but keeps your energy up. Now." She held out her hand and assisted Danny to her feet. "We'll rendezvous with Natasha and Lillian and pass the time before our next tea ceremony more pleasantly."
Once Lucy seemed assured that Danny could stand on her own without any issues, she let her go. So, that little scene was over, then. It had been nice. Really nice. Honestly, Danny could have gone for a lot more of Lucy touching her, but she wasn't going to complain. She didn't feel like she had the right to, not quite.
How would it feel if I could just ask for more? Danny thought she knew the answer to that. She'd get greedy. She'd never been tempted to cling to anyone before, but with Lucy it was a compulsion she was barely holding off. And clinging was so endearing, Danny thought as she rolled her eyes and trailed after Lucy, trying not to feel too much like a duckling.
"Well, here they are!" Natasha said as Lucy and Danny approached. "You have a nice morning, ladies?"
"An enlightening one," Lucy replied. "But now we're looking for something a bit less challenging. Would you care for some assistance?"
"Always," Natasha said, pointing at the line of four ladies and one man waiting to the right of the booth. Lillian was working with the first one with a tape measure in her hands, holding out swatches of fabric and making notes on a piece of paper. "Those folks need to be measured for custom corsets, and I've got a dozen order details to input into my spreadsheet. My Lillian's good, but she can't be everywhere at once, and I'm trying to keep people from passing us by."
"I'll help Lillian," Lucy said. "Danny, are you comfortable with Excel?"
"Um … a little bit?" They used it at the garage, but Danny had always been more comfortable working on the cars than in the office. Since her dad's accident, he'd been doing a much better job of keeping up with the books, and so her help there was rarely needed.
"It's easy," Natasha promised her. "Everything's labeled, you just have to hit enter after each new number, and it'll take you right down the list."
"Got it." Danny sat down on a sturdy cardboard box, took the orders and the laptop Natasha handed her, and got to work.
It was relaxing, actually. Normal, mundane, exactly the kind of thing that Danny needed after being so damn unsure all morning. This was just business stuff, data entry: boring but simple. There were no surprises here, even if there were a lot more measurements needed for a corset than Danny had expected. Over the bust, at the bust, from nipple to nipple, and that was just for the top to fit right, it didn't even go into how long the actual corset itself needed to be. There was plenty to keep Danny busy, and she didn't even notice how much time had passed before Lucy was standing in front of her.
"It's time for a break, Danny. Dalton brought tea and sandwiches."
"Sweet," Danny said, rolling her neck from side to side to crack it. She was actually kind of hungry now.
Of course, the "sandwiches" were actually tiny little finger foods, lemon pepper turkey or sweet teriyaki salmon pressed between two pretentious seeded crackers. There weren't enough of them to be really filling, not between four people (Dalton abstained), but they went well with the tea, and Lucy seemed to love them.
Before long, it was time for their last demonstration. Lucy pulled Danny aside and gently tweaked her clothes here and there while Dalton readied the table. "How do you feel?" Lucy murmured.
"Fine," Danny assured her. "Ready to do this." The last demonstration, the last tea ceremony, the last—oh. It was the last one. Her job was pretty much over after this.
It wasn't an end, though. Danny wasn't going to let it be an end. She wasn't ready to let go of Lucy. She looked at Lucy calmly, and after a moment of searching, Lucy smiled.
"Good, Danielle. Shoes off."
"Yes, Mistress." Danny took the heels off and handed them to Lillian.
"Go up onto the stage and kneel in front of the table."
Just like before, only Danny knew better than to have any expectations this time around. She left the booth and walked slowly onto the stage. The crowd was bigger today, much larger than either of the other times. She ignored them, settled gracefully onto her knees in front of the low table, and started breathing like she'd done before. Slow in, slow out, pretending that Lucy's hands were on her shoulders, firm and reassuring. She could do this. She was good.
After all, her mistress had said so.
Waiting for Lucy wasn't the anxious thing today that it had been last time. When she finally felt a light touch on the crown of her head, Danny suppressed a smile.
"Lift your arms over your head," Lucy said.
Danny immediately complied. Something incredibly soft wrapped around both of her wrists, looping and curving until it was suddenly drawn tight, binding her hands together so that they faced in, palm to palm. The tip of the crop traced a path up one of Danny's extended arms, then down the other, and she had to fight hard against the urge to writhe, trying not to let on just how wet her pussy suddenly was.
"Lower them down," Lucy said, and Danny put her hands back in her lap. They were bound together with smooth black cloth and a simple knot. The rope looked so silky and felt so good. Danny wanted to rub it over her cheeks, her breasts, all her tender places. It would probably feel incredible between her legs … the brisk rap of the crop on her right shoulder brought Danny back into the moment.
"I evaluated your proficiency," Lucy said, tapping all the way down Danny's right arm. "I assessed your willingness," she continued, this time touching the left. "Now I want to see how well you can cooperate, Danielle. Don't let me distract you," she added, sliding the crop down to the small of Danny's back and crumpling the tulle of her skirt with it.
Danny took one deep breath, then another, then reached slowly for the box of tea. She knew all the steps, she had this down cold, and at least she could use her right hand this time. Every move was done with care and precision, Danny's brain fighting her libido for control as Lucy just kept touching her, sometimes no more than the delicate slide of a finger along the back of Danny's neck, sometimes a brief, stinging strike from the crop that always left a warm haze in Danny's mind as Lucy corrected something. A tap to her thigh—Danny adjusted her legs. Another snap across her upper back—posture, she had to remember her posture. Lucy didn't speak and Danny didn't need her to. She remembered the corrections, and she complied as best she could while trying to coordinate both of her hands to do the work of one.
The matcha went into the bowl smoothly, the water followed without losing a drop, and when the time came to mix them together, Danny managed to whisk it vigorously enough that when she was done, she got an actual smile from Lucy. It was small, but real. Danny smiled back and held out the bowl to her mistress.
Lucy bent over at the waist like she had the first time, and wrapped her hands tightly around the ropes on Danny's wrists. They weren't stiff enough to hurt, but Danny loved the extra pressure, the feeling of being tied to Lucy even though she was only really tied to herself.
"You first, Danielle," Lucy directed, and tilted the steaming bowl toward her face. She moved slowly enough that Danny was ready for it, though, and Danny let Lucy set the pace, swallowing the frothy tea with a sense of deep satisfaction. It wasn't that the matcha tasted any better than Danny ever found it, but it was so much nicer to drink it from Lucy's hands.
Nothing spilled and Danny didn't have to back off to keep from getting drenched with hot tea, so she considered it a success when Lucy moved the bowl away and drank the rest of it herself. She set the bowl aside, still holding onto Danny's wrists, then pulled Danny forward. "Beautifully done, Danielle," Lucy said. Praise, that was nice, did that mean Danny got a reward? A kiss on the forehead, maybe another few strokes of the crop—
&
nbsp; Lucy's mouth against hers completely derailed Danny's musings, cut off her thoughts and focused everything she was on the feel of Lucy's lips and tongue. Not a soft, chaste kiss this time; this one was carnal, open mouthed and penetrating, bitter and sweet like the matcha. It was fierce and claiming and Danny heard herself moan, and she couldn't have stopped it even if she'd tried. This, this—it was perfect, it was everything she wanted. Her hands grasped for Lucy fruitlessly, but Lucy was stronger than she looked, and didn't even waver until she finally ended the kiss and stood up straight.
"I believe we're done here."
With that, Lucy helped Danny get to her feet and led her off of the stage by her bound wrists. There was applause behind them, something that hadn't happened before, and Danny thought giddily that if she could she'd turn around and take a bow right now, because damn right, that show had been hot. But Lucy probably thought that bows were improper or something like that, and so instead it was down the steps and back into Natasha's booth.
Danny looked around and saw Natasha, Lillian, and Dalton starting to pack up the outfits with careful precision, all the clothes and shoes put away in tidy suitcases. Looking at them work, Danny realized the finality of the moment. Her giddy joy drained away, leaving something that felt a little bit sad. "Can we help you guys?"
Natasha lifted her head and waved a hand at them. "Nah, you two go, you've already done a lot of work today. We're good here. Have fun. Oh," she added, straightening up and extending her hand to Danny, chuckling as Danny did her best to shake with her hands still tied together. "It was a pleasure to see my clothes on you. You did a great job, thanks for that. Everything should be handled with your agency, but I'm throwing in the outfit you're wearing as a tip." She winked. "You never know when you're gonna want to play dress up." Lillian didn't offer a hand, but at a nod from Natasha she smiled and waved once before going back to the packing.
Lucy untied Danny's hands with gentle movements, and she shivered as Lucy's fingertips caressed the inside of her wrists. Danny was free, but she had no intention of going anywhere. Too bad the convention seemed to be closing down and they couldn't stand like that all afternoon, or even, by the looks of things, for the next hour.
"We'll retrieve our things and then I'll take you home," Lucy said, letting go of Danny's wrists once she seemed satisfied that they looked okay. Danny wanted to push them back at her and demand Lucy tie her up again, but that probably wouldn't go over very well. "You did very well this weekend, Danielle. You should be proud of everything you accomplished and learned. I hope the work has been enlightening, if nothing else."
Danny blushed brightly and followed Lucy out of the ballroom and to the elevator. She brushed past people wearing collars and codpieces and leather and latex and didn't bat an eye, which Danny thought was kind of a lot of enlightenment, all things considered. "It's been that and a lot more," she admitted, the heat never leaving her cheeks.
Lucy gave Danny what Danny hoped was a knowing smile, but stayed quiet. They packed their things in a comfortable silence. Danny changed into a pair of jeans and a thick sweater, and folded the corset and skirt as best she could manage into her duffel bag. Corsets couldn't wrinkle and the tutu was nothing but wrinkles, so it would probably be okay. Twenty minutes later, they walked out to Lucy's car after checking out of the hotel.
"Would you like to drive it?" Lucy asked her as they stood in front of the Aston Martin.
"You don't mind?" Danny replied, her mood instantly brightening as she looked down at the gorgeous machine.
Lucy tossed Danny the keys and put her things in the back. Danny wasted no time doing the same, and soon she was behind the wheel of car that cost more than all the vehicles she'd ever owned put together. Probably more than the ones all her brothers had owned too. Her family had good taste, but they were practical people, and bought used, reliable cars that didn't turn heads. Danny didn't mind and never had, but she could appreciate beauty when she saw it. Or in this case, was able to drive it. She'd have to get Lucy to take a picture of her behind the wheel. Clint was gonna be so jealous.
Danny was beyond careful as she backed the car out of the parking space and left the garage. As her confidence increased, though, so did her speed, until after a few miles, she was barreling down the highway. She wished it were warmer so she could drop the windows and turn the sound system further up, because damn. If you couldn't be flamboyant in a car like this, when could you?
"To get back to your house, take the next exit," Lucy said as she turned down the radio so she could talk without shouting.
"I know." Danny had been driving in this city for years, she could find her way around, but her house wasn't really the place she wanted to go. Danny drummed her fingers over the steering wheel, indecision warring within her. "And if I didn't?" She didn't look at Lucy as she asked the question and let the implications lay between them.
"Being vague isn't that charming, Danny. If you want to have something, ask for it. Where would you like to go?"
Lucy's words were clipped, but her tone wasn't harsh. Danny took a breath and chanced a quick glance at her. "To your house."
"Mm. Why is that?"
Danny felt like she might hyperventilate, she was so anxious. The conference was over, everything was changing, it was different now, but Danny wasn't ready to let go. "You said if I earned my pleasure, I'd get a reward. I'd like to… do that."
She caught Lucy's warm smile out of the corner of her eye. "I wondered if you would take me up on that," Lucy said speculatively. "I'm glad that you are. In that case, go two exits up and then take an immediate left. Try not to get us pulled over before we get there, Danielle."
Danny smirked, feeling very much like she'd won the lottery as she floored the gas and raced to Lucy's house. Excitement and anticipation warred within her belly, but on top of them, overriding everything else, Danny was looking forward to proving to Lucy that she could earn a place in Lucy's life, and that Lucy would be more than welcome in Danny's. Not just for the night, Danny wanted more than that, but for now… for now, tonight would do.
Fin
About the Authors
Cari Z. is a Colorado girl who loves snow and sunshine. She has a wonderful relationship with her husband, a complex relationship with the characters in her head and a sadomasochistic relationship with her exercise routine. She feels like Halloween should be every day, and hopes that you enjoy reading her stories as much as she enjoyed writing them in the first place. Find out more about Cari and her books here:
www.carizerotica.blogspot.com, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2989189.Cari_Z_
twitter: @author_cariz.
Caitlin Ricci was fortunate growing up to be surrounded by family and teachers that encouraged her love of reading. She has always been a voracious reader and that love of the written word easily morphed into a passion for writing. If she isn’t writing, she can usually be found studying as she works toward her counseling degree. She comes from a military family and the men and women of the armed forces are close to her heart. She also enjoys gardening, hiking, and horseback riding in the Colorado Rockies where she calls home with her wonderful fiancé and their two dogs. Her belief that there is no one true path to happily ever after runs deeply through all of her stories.
Website: www.CaitlinRicci.com