Alex watched Leah’s face as she got her first glimpse of the pony girls and boys, and knew instantly that she had never even dreamed such a lifestyle could exist. “Are you okay with me giving you a tour?” He didn’t want to push her, but he did want to share with her a little of the person he truly was.
Still in shock Leah could only nod, not able to move any more than that until he took her elbow to lead her forward. If she had any common sense, she told herself, she would demand he take her back to the hotel right then, but there was a part of her that was curious about the people she was seeing, just as she had been curious that first night in Rhett’s dungeon.
More than a few of the people she could see seemed to be wearing objects that belonged on a horse, not a human, and even had strange imitation tails protruding from their backsides. Though she didn’t know what was going on, there was one thing she was certain of, she hadn’t come across anything like it when she was researching Rhett’s lifestyle on the internet.
Alex led Leah away from the small crowd of people and up a long flight of stairs. “Years ago I was brought here by a wonderful woman, who became my Mistress.” He wanted her to understand a little about his past.
“But I thought you were a Master,” Leah said in confusion, looking down the long row of doors that graced either side of the hall.
“I am now, but originally I was trained as a pony slave.” He noted the confusion in her eyes and smiled as he waited for her questions.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Leah admitted. “Do you mean you were trained to pretend you were a horse?” Even compared to the things she had seen on the internet and in Rhett’s dungeon it was a strange idea to her.
“You could say that,” he said with a grin. “The relationship between the Master or Mistress and their pony is very intense, and one you would have to experience to understand, at least I believe so.” The training to become a pony could take years, and in his opinion, intense was a mild description for it.
“But why?" Leah tried to understand but couldn’t. “Why would anyone want to be treated like an animal?”
“Why would anyone want to be tied and beaten?” Grinning he saw that she was thoroughly confused.
“Touché,” Leah said with a smile after a few moments. “Why are there so many rooms?” she asked, looking around her at the number of doors that were visible.
“Open one and find out.” He held out a hand to gesture at the closest of the doors, curious to see how she would react to what was on the other side.
Unable to contain her curiosity, and not actually wanting to try, Leah took hold of the door handle and turned it. She found herself looking at a small and strangely decorated room. At the back of the room was a small cot, and on the floor was a pair of sterling silver dishes that looked like dog bowls. An assortment of riding crops and other items she couldn’t identify hung from hooks on the walls. “People sleep in here?” She couldn’t keep how she was feeling from her voice; the thought of what happened in that place left her nauseated and filled with a desire to leave, as quickly as possible.
“The ones that have earned the right to be housed, the others remain in the barn.” Seeing the expressions that crossed her face, he knew she was shocked and out of her element. Being so new to their world, this was something she couldn’t possibly be prepared for he conceded.
“You make people sleep in a barn?” Leah bit her lip to stop herself saying what was crossing her mind; she knew she was being judgmental, just as she had been when she first entered Rhett’s dungeon, but she couldn’t help it.
When he nodded curtly in response to her question she found herself looking at her feet as she tried to work out how to word what it was she wanted to say. “I don’t really like this,” she said finally. An understatement if she had ever uttered one; she was sure that there was nothing anyone could do or say that would encourage her to even consider participating in something so deviant.
Alex gave a quick chuckle at the look of distaste on Leah’s face. “It is something that a woman or a man can choose to do if they want to be completely submissive. There is nothing forced about any of this, as with all other aspects of the lifestyle it is completely voluntary.”
“This turns you on though, doesn’t it.” She just didn’t get it, she couldn’t begin to imagine what it was about being a horse, or a pony as he called it, or the Master of a pony, that he found arousing.
“It does, I enjoy having a woman surrender herself to me completely and allow me to take care of even her basic needs.” He knew she didn’t understand, he also knew that she was only seeing the strangeness of the lifestyle from an outsider’s point of view.
“The master spends long hours training his pony for this; it’s a very intimate experience. She is fed, bathed, trussed up, and trained, while at the same time giving over to him completely. “There are few relationships in this world as committed, or as filled with trust, as the one I am sharing with you tonight.”
“I hope you’re not offended, Alex, but I just don’t see you as being that controlling.” He had been so nice to her, and had let her lead everything up to then, which made it difficult for her to connect the human horse man to the sweet lover he had been with her the previous night.
Her remark amused him, though he could see how his treatment of her up to then had her confused. “We train these women and men to go to other owners, Leah, and while I hope that one day I can share this with my own submissive, it is not something that anyone can enter into without a great deal of trust and respect, on both sides.”
“So this is like a boarding house for untrained human horses?” She couldn’t help it; the thought was amusing enough that it brought a grin to her lips.
“We offer a service.” He shook his head at the way she had described what happened at the farm, but couldn’t help seeing the humor in it. “Maybe one day you will let me run you through a day of training here, perhaps it would give you a better understanding of this place and what happens here.”
She thought about telling him that it would be a cold day in hell before she would allow anyone to dress her up in horse gear and parade her around. She resisted though, remembering that she had felt similar just a few weeks before, and that had changed with a simple offer. “I don’t know, Alex, who can say.” There, she thought, that was a vague enough answer.
With a grin Alex led her from the room. “Well remember the offer is open if you ever decide you want to give it a try.” He had no intention of pushing her; the visit there just then was about being open and honest so that she knew and understood him a little better, and he had accomplished that. “I need to speak with the manager here and then we can drive back home.”
As they walked back to the entrance hall Leah watched curiously as the human horses were led around by their owners, all of them were led using bridles, just as a real horse would have been. There wasn’t anything sexual about it, she thought as her eyes moved from one pair to another; with the exception of all the horses being naked it seemed boring, if more than a little bizarre.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to my manager privately for a few minutes; do you think you will be comfortable waiting in the sitting room?” He motioned through a door at a leather couch in the center of the massive room.
“Sure, if anyone gets out of line I’ll just grab a whip,” she said with a grin, trying to find some humor in the situation.
“Just make sure you okay it with their owner first.” He led her into the next room and over to the couch where he dropped a quick kiss on her cheek before walking away.
As the horses and their Masters or Mistresses moved around the room Leah watched the strange rituals being performed. She didn’t know if it was because none of what she saw was sexual in any way, at least not to her, or for some other reason, but once she got past the initial strangeness of it she found herself more comfortable than she had been that first night in the dungeon.
“Are yo
u checking in?”
Turning her head Leah saw the inquiry had come from a middle-aged man who had sat down beside her while her attention was elsewhere.
“Um, no, I’m just here with Alex.” She smiled awkwardly as she gave the oddly normal looking man next to her the once over. He could have been her father, or indeed any other middle-aged man she might meet during the course of a day, she thought to herself. There was nothing about his appearance to suggest he would be involved with anything as strange as what went on at the farm. Seeing that he was holding a set of reins loosely in one hand she looked past him to his pony, a strikingly fit young woman who remained absolutely motionless, staring straight ahead.
“Ah, pity, you have a beautiful form, I can tell you keep yourself in shape.” He smiled at her warmly and gave an approving nod.
His comment left her a little flustered, though she did her best not to show it; she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of him checking out her form, as he had called it. “So is being in good physical shape necessary for this?” she asked finally, deciding that she should be sociable and maybe find out a little more about the place.
“Absolutely dear, it’s a very strenuous lifestyle, and those that aren’t already in shape have a very hard time committing to the workouts, which can be quite overwhelming at times. A pony must have incredible arm and leg strength; pulling a chariot can cause serious injury if one is not trained properly. And then of course to race, well you can imagine how fast one must be to win.”
Leah nodded, though she had no idea what the man was talking about. “I’m sure it does take a great deal of fitness to do those things.” Feeling out of her depth she smiled politely and fell silent, hoping the man wouldn’t say anything more.
When the silence had continued for a couple of minutes the man stood, displaying a riding crop in one hand. “It has been very enjoyable speaking with you, but I must run my pony through her paces.” Bringing the crop down smartly on his pony’s backside he moved off, the young woman following, lifting her knees and walking with high steps.
“Nice to meet you too.” She forced herself not to shake her head at the odd scenario; she hoped Alex would be finished soon; she was ready to leave and return to something a little more normal.
“I hope I didn’t keep you too long,” Alex apologized, holding out his hand to help Leah to her feet when he returned.
“It’s okay.” They were silent during the short walk out to the car, but when they got there Leah couldn’t help speaking up. “One of the Masters in there said you race those people as horses, is that true?”
Alex waited until he had pulled away from the house before he replied. “Yes, some of the horses are raced, if the Masters and Mistresses wish to race them, and the horses are in condition to be raced. The races are very exciting, if you’d like to watch one I would be happy to bring you along.” He was pleased that she was curious, even if he knew she wasn’t sure about the whole lifestyle.
Leah thought about his offer for a few moments, before deciding that there would be no harm in it, and it would certainly be something unusual to see, even if she couldn’t tell people about it. “Okay.” She nodded her agreement, and then had to quickly cover her mouth with a hand as she yawned. “Sorry,” she said in embarrassment, it had been a long, yet exciting day, and she was more than ready for bed.
“If you want to get some rest I’ll understand, we have a forty-five minute drive ahead.” He wasn’t surprised that she was tired, they had been on the go for quite a few hours and it was getting late.
“Thanks, Alex, I have to admit I’m beat.” Her grin was distorted by another yawn and without thinking she curled up as best she could in the seat, almost immediately she was asleep.
He didn’t have the heart to wake her when they made it back to the hotel and with very little effort he lifted her from the passenger seat. Carrying her in his arms he bore her sleeping form all the way up to their suite, where he set her down on the bed in his room.
Removing her shoes he covered her up and then undressed before sliding into bed with her. The moment he slid beneath the covers she rolled over, as if sensing his presence, and cuddled up against him, her head resting on his chest. As much as he would have liked to make love to her, he found himself just as happy with the situation as it was, and he soon fell asleep, holding her against him.
11
DISCOVER
The smell of bacon pulled Leah from the bed the next morning with a smile, though she was confused when she discovered that she was in Alex’s room. The last thing she remembered, after the weird farm he had taken her to, was falling asleep in the car.
She quickly realized Alex must have carried her up from the car when they got back to the hotel; that thought brought back the smile she had woken with. What he had done was the act of a gentleman, in her opinion, and it pleased her that he had acted that way.
Still in the clothes she had worn the previous day, which made her feel less than fresh and in dire need of a shower, she crossed the bedroom and entered the living area of the suite. She found Alex seated on the sofa, dressed in just a pair of boxers and reading a newspaper, the financial section from what she could see.
“Good morning,” he greeted her, putting the newspaper down and getting to his feet. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a baby,” Leah admitted. “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”
“You were tired.” He dismissed the apology. “I had room service send up breakfast,” he gestured toward the dining cart, from which the smell of bacon, and other delicious foods, came.
She couldn’t help but be relieved by his thoughtfulness; she hadn’t eaten since late afternoon the day before and her stomach was grumbling and craving the bacon she could smell. “Thank you, I think I could eat all of this right now,” she said, lifting the covers off the dishes to reveal not only bacon, but toast, pancakes, sausages, and scrambled eggs.
Taking a plate she piled a selection of food onto it and carried it, and a mug of coffee, to the kitchen island, where she sat herself on a stool. He joined her, taking a stool a short distance away, where he drank coffee while she ate her breakfast. “Are we okay after what I shared with you yesterday?” They hadn’t had time to discuss the situation, and he knew this wasn’t the best time, but he didn’t want her to be completely freaked out by what he had shown her, especially since they both worked and lived together.
Sipping on her coffee to help down a mouthful of pancake Leah nodded. “I really don’t think it’s anything I want to try, at least for now, but I don’t have a problem with what you enjoy.” That was as honest as she could be with him, she thought. “I had wondered why you haven’t asked me to do any of that dungeon stuff, but I think I get it now.”
“I haven’t asked you because I don’t feel we’ve known each other long enough for you to trust me as fully as I think necessary for that kind of play,” he told her. “I do enjoy other things, besides the human horses, as you called it,” he chuckled, “but I believe a couple needs to trust each other fully before they should get involved with any kind of lifestyle activity.”
Leah nodded, understanding what he was saying and finding that she agreed. “I guess I just thought that all Dom's kind of took over as soon as they got involved with someone.” She was going to say relationship, but she wasn’t sure that what they were doing was actually a relationship.
“There are some people that enter into the lifestyle right from the very start, personally though, I don’t believe in doing so. I do choose people who are into BDSM when I wish to get involved with someone, but I prefer to get to know a potential submissive on a personal level before takings things deeper.”
“So how long do you usually, um, date someone before you move into that?” She hoped date was the right terminology, she just wasn’t sure that it really applied to what they were discussing.
“That depends.” He smiled and reached over to grab her plate, which she had emptied, and put it back on the din
ing cart, along with their cups.
“On what?” Her curiosity was exacerbated by his evasiveness.
“I usually wait until the submissive asks to move to the next level.” He smiled again and then crossed his arms across his chest, waiting for her to ask her next question, knowing she must have more.
“What if she doesn’t ever ask?” He was so different from Rhett, she couldn’t help thinking.
“Most submissive's crave the lifestyle as much as a Master does, so it usually only takes a few weeks of enjoying each other sexually before it’s brought up.” It had never actually taken that long in his experience, for people in the lifestyle, regular sex was simply too dull.
“Is that what you’re hoping I’ll do?” Leah wasn’t sure she was ready for that with him yet, or if she would ever be. She had enjoyed the night they’d spent together, and liked that she didn’t have to worry constantly about pleasing him, it had been a pleasant change.
“At the moment I’m happy to enjoy whatever you’ll allow me to have of you, Leah.” He winked at her. “I need to grab a shower, would you care to join me?”
She wasn’t prepared for that answer, and couldn’t stop the smile that found her face at his comment. Her body instantly replied to his question and she nodded, blushing. Taking the hand he held out to her she allowed him to lead her back into his bedroom and then into the en-suite bathroom.
Once he was in the bathroom Alex slipped his boxers off, kicking them aside as he moved over to the shower to turn it on so it could heat up. Turning away from the shower he watched as Leah undressed, the splashes of color that found her cheeks were adorable, in his opinion. “You have no reason to be embarrassed around me, Leah; I think your body is absolutely incredible.”
His words stroked her ego, and she found herself relaxing enough to drop her arms and let him see her as she undressed and joined him in the shower. He made no move to touch her as he washed his amazing body, and that disappointed her a little; she wanted his hands on her body, but she felt uncomfortable with the idea of asking him to touch her.
Beyond 10 Nights (Forbidden Desires Series) Page 16