by Amy Valenti
“I don’t know, but I’ll be shocked if she goes through with this once she finds out the entire weekend involves not only having sex with the lights on, but also learning new techniques and positions.”
“Be a damn shame for you if she doesn’t.” Everett smacked Adam on the shoulder and started for the other room. “I have to go get ready for my first session with Karen. Good luck, buddy.”
“Thanks,” Adam called over his shoulder at his new friend. At this point, he probably needed all the luck he could get.
* * * *
Easing her way onto the sofa cushion, Sara struggled to concentrate on the woman who was going to help her and not linger over the man who, in less than a minute, had made her wet with just one look. She’d be seeing him soon enough.
Sitting across from her, Ms. Black crossed one slender leg over the other, and straightened her short skirt. “Ms. Kingston. You’re here because you’re unhappy with your sex life. Is that correct?”
Heat filled her face and Sara nodded, diverting her attention to the carpet.
A hand landed on her knee and she looked up to see Ms. Black’s empathetic smile. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of, dear. Lots of people need a little boost in the bedroom.”
“I-” Sara gnawed on her lip as she struggled to share her innermost thoughts. “I have self-esteem issues. I’m a big girl, Ms. Black and the thought of having my fleshy parts exposed to light makes my stomach turn.”
“What does Adam say about your ‘fleshy parts’?” Ms. Black air quoted the words.
Sara let her gaze traveled to the alcove where he’d disappeared earlier. Her mind churned with replays of their last argument. “He says he loves me just the way I am and I shouldn’t be ashamed.”
“But you don’t believe him?” Ms. Black questioned.
Tears burned Sara’s eyes as she shook her head. “How can a man, as gorgeous and built as Adam, possibly desire a woman like me?”
“He desires you because he has the ability to see past your flaws to the woman beneath. Part of a woman’s beauty is what’s within the woman. That’s why some stick thin women who are visibly perfect have trouble finding and keeping a man. They have no inner beauty to compliment the outer beauty.”
Sara considered Ms. Black’s words. “What she said made sense and reaffirmed what Adam already told her. She sniffled. “I want to change.”
Ms. Black smiled. “And I can help you change, but in order to accomplish your goal, you must adhere to my rules.”
“I understand.”
“Good. For the next three days, you will do as told. You cannot refuse to perform an act; however, if at any point what you are doing causes you pain, you may use your safe word to stop.”
Sara shot her a humiliated glance. “What if I do refuse?”
“You will be asked to leave the premises immediately. I will not waste my time or my people’s time on those who do not wish to help themselves. Be assured, no harm will come to you and the acts you will engage in are meant to stimulate, excite, and further your sexual desire. On Sunday night, there will be a going away dinner to celebrate your completion of the program. If all goes right, you and your trainer will be closer than you’ve ever been. Do you agree to those terms?”
There was still time. She could say no, turn around, walk out, and forget the whole thing. Yet something deep inside her psyche screamed at her to go for it. She swallowed hard. “I agree.”
“Good.” Ms. Black rose to her feet and reached for Sara’s hand. “It’s now time for you to begin anew.”
Sara stood and followed Ms. Black through a door on the far side of the room. It slammed shut with a loud thud, signifying her entrance into another world. A long dark hallway lay before her. Doors peppered each side almost all the way to the end, opening toward the back into what Sara could only assume was a large room of some sort.
Ms. Black’s voice echoed in the empty space as she stepped forward and walked slowly down the corridor. “For the duration of your stay, you are not to venture past the door we just came through; however you may walk freely into any of the rooms back here. There are no windows. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about anyone seeing you. Frosted skylights illuminate each room. The door at the end of the hallway is an emergency exit only and should not be used unless there is one.” She pushed open the door to Sara’s right and walked inside. “This will be your room.”
Sara surveyed the area, drinking it all in. The cavernous space reminded her of an overly large studio apartment. Blue-gray walls surrounded her, while paintings hung strategically on the far wall. The subject matter helped to create false windows and give the feel of a normal room. A four-post, queen size bed set between the paintings, while matching nightstands flanked it on either side. She shifted from one foot the other as she continued to study the space. “Um…it’s a very nice room.”
Ms. Black smiled. “Thank you. My goal is to make the rooms as comforting and inviting as I can. It helps to ease my clients' nerves when the rooms they’re staying in seem more like a vacation resort or spa.”
Sara directed her attention from the bed to a huge brick fireplace taking up a large portion of the interior wall. An armoire and a bookcase sat on either side. She followed Ms. Black across the room to where a small dining table with two chairs sat nestled near another door.
“That doorway leads into a private bathroom, stocked with everything you may need for the weekend. If there is something you desire that’s not there, please let me know.”
“Okay.” Sara glanced at the door, making a mental note to look through the cabinets and see if there was anything she needed which wasn’t already there, then turned her attention back to the petite woman.
Miss Black continued. “You have been assigned one trainer, whom you already know and one assistant, whom you don’t. The assistant will bring you your meals, clean your room, and help you with all your personal needs. While you already know Adam is your trainer, you need to remember he has a job to fulfill. You will do exactly what he says. Your safe word is ‘red’. If at any time you feel you cannot continue, use the word and your experience here will end.”
Sara drew in a deep breath and held it. Better to start before she lost all nerve and backed out. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Fine. Your weekend of learning will now start. Marissa will be in shortly to help you prepare.”
Sara extended a hand to stop her. “Wait! Who is Marissa?”
“Your assistant.” With that, the door closed and Sara was alone.
She wandered over to the bed, dropped her purse on the mattress, and turned to sit. Her stomach churned and she feared she might vomit on the spot. Finding a trashcan close by, she dove for the metal receptacle. When her breakfast finally cleared her system, she headed for the bathroom to brush her teeth.
Hunter-green walls contrasted against the white fixtures. A large, seductive claw foot tub set perched on an angle in the corner of the room.
An overly long vanity stretched along the wall next to the tub. She padded over to it, searched the medicine cabinet, discovering a toothbrush and toothpaste. She brushed, pulled a cup from the holder, filled it with water, and rinsed. Once finished, she paused to study the room a bit closer. Rows of drawers lined the cabinet beneath the counter and she couldn’t resist checking to see what was inside. Most of the drawers were empty and she was about to abandon her search until she opened the last one. What she saw had her pausing in both horror and curiosity.
After their fight, she had decided to try to expand her sexual horizons on her own and ventured into an erotic gift shop. She still remembered the words ‘Anal plug’ written in big letters above what looked to be a funny shaped penis. The embarrassment alone had caused her to make a quick exit. Now, in front of her sat an entire tray full of them, in various sizes. Surely they wouldn’t expect her to put one of those things… She shook away the thought and quickly closed the drawer. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.
The sound of the door opening caused her heart to skip a beat.
“Hello, Ms. Kingston. I’m Marissa. I’m here to assist you.”
The light cheerful voice carried through to the rooms and before she could stop herself, Sara answered. “I’m in the bathroom.”
A pretty redhead appeared in the doorway. “Are you finding everything to your liking?”
Sara wanted to say no as she shot a cautious glance at the cabinet drawer. “Yes, everything’s fine.”
Marissa smiled and walked over to the tub, her auburn ponytail bouncing off her back as she went. “Good, then let’s get you prepped,” she said, and started the taps.
“Prepped?” Sara asked, nearly choking on the word.
“Yes, Ma’am. Miss Black requires all of her clientele prepare for their trainers. Don’t worry, it’s nothing bad.”
Sara gulped down the bile building in her throat and walked to the tub. Why she was being so compliant she’d never understand. The possibility she’d lost her mind penetrated her thoughts. Something had to be going on inside her brain for her to go along with what was about to happen. Of course, it occurred to her, she didn’t know what was going to happen. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she found the unknown a little exciting.
Feeling more than a bit self-conscious, Sara slowly stripped and stepped into the warm water. The scent of lavender floated up her nostrils and filled her senses, relaxing her more than she could have imagined, considering the circumstances.
Marissa moved to one end of the tub. “If you’ll lean back, I’ll wash your hair.”
Sara did, and before long was beginning to think the weekend wasn’t going to be so bad after all.
“Time to get out, Ms. Kingston.”
Sara opened her eyes and glanced up at the girl. Marissa already stood, holding a towel open for her. She stepped out of the still warm water and allowed Marissa to wrap the terrycloth around her.
“Ahem.” The deep sound of a male voice reverberated through the room and sent a shiver of fear racing up Sara’s spine. Slowly, she turned to see Adam standing in the doorway. “That will be all, Marissa.”
“Begging your pardon, Master, but I haven’t finished preparing Ms. Kingston.”
He shot Sara an intense stare that made her nether regions clench with anticipation. “I said that will be all, Marissa.”
Chapter 2
Following his orders, Marissa moved away and walked slowly to the bathroom door. It was all Sara could do not to beg the girl to stay, especially considering the way Adam was looking at her. She nearly frowned at her own thoughts. This was Adam, her boyfriend and lover for the past two years. No matter how nervous she was, she knew he wouldn’t do anything to harm her.
He stepped into her personal space, drawing her gaze away from where Marissa had stood only seconds before. The intensity of his stare bored a hole directly through her and Sara took a step back.
“Are you afraid of me?” he asked, his rich, deep tenor soothing over her like a favorite song.
Despite the fact she shouldn’t be, Sara was more frightened than she wanted to admit. It wasn’t him per se she feared, but the role he was playing, the atmosphere surrounding her and what she’d be expected to do. Her last thought scared her the most. What exactly had he learned in the days leading up to this and what would he demand of her? “Maybe a little,” she finally admitted
He raised a hand to her, and she shied away only to feel him graze a knuckle along her cheek. She lifted her head to look at him and met his penetrating stare. He gazed down upon her and for the first time since she arrived, Sara saw the love radiating from his eyes. “I promise not to hurt you. Everything I do to you will be things you’ll like, okay?”
He was sweet of him to ask her permission, considering he probably wasn’t supposed to. She nodded.
“Good. Now let’s get started.” He lowered his hand and worked beneath the death grip she held on her towel. “It’s okay, honey. I only want to see you.” It was silly of her to keep him from viewing her naked body when he’d seen it already. It wasn’t as if he were some stranger she was forced to strip for. She released her hold on the towel, allowing him to pull the terrycloth away.
He smiled. “With us abstaining from sex for the last month for this, I almost forgot what a gorgeous body you have.” He moved close enough for his warm breath to waft over the sensitized skin on her neck. His lips touched the sweet spot directly above her collarbone and for a second she thought her knees would buckle. “Now up you go.”
His quick switch of gears caught her off balance and before she could protest, or even ask what he was talking about, he hefted her onto the nearby table, then moved to the sink and began to fill the basin with warm water.
“Pull your legs up so your feet are on the ledge.”
She shot him a wary look, but did as he instructed, hugging her knees against her chest. He frowned. “No. Like this.” He grasped her ankle and repositioned it to the side then moved her other leg the same way. Sara now sat atop the table with her legs spread apart, the lips of her sex on display for his pleasure. Mortified, yet slightly titillated, Sara’s stomach twisted and turned while she waited for his next command.
He opened a drawer and removed a can of shaving cream and a razor. “I’m going to shave you now.”
Her body prickled with awareness. He was going to shave her, there. The idea both intrigued and horrified her. Removing hair from legs and underarms was one thing, but she’d never considered shaving off the hair down there. She opened her mouth to argue, then promptly shut it again when he shot her a stern look. “You agreed to play by the rules, which means you do what I dictate. If you don’t like it shaved, then you can let it grow back in.”
Damned if he wasn’t shifting gears fast enough to make her dizzy. So much for the sweet, romantic Adam she knew. She nodded, conceding her agreement to the weekend. Even if this wasn’t what she’d had in mind, she had signed up for the weekend retreat and she’d paid good money for it. It was simply too early to be backing out already. He wasn’t hurting her and it was only hair. It would grow back.
With a large dollop of white foam on his fingers, he slathered the cream over her lips. Sara’s stomach clenched about the same time her sex did. Heat flooded her face at the idea her body could so easily betray her and she wondered if he noticed her growing wetter by the minute. Bad body! Bad body!
He slowly stripped away her last barrier. The final thing keeping her innermost parts secret, even to her. Trying hard not to think about what he was doing, she concentrated on his face, surveying the angles and planes in his jawline and chin. His shoulder-length hair was not only longer than she’d remembered, but darker too. Had he changed that much in just a month or was it the light playing tricks on her?
The frown of concentration that stretched across his temple and tugged at the corners of his succulent lips concerned her. Was he simply worried about cutting her or was he not pleased with what he saw? She wanted to roll her eyes at that thought. Why would she care if he wasn’t pleased when she was the one who’d be living with it for the next few weeks?
He rinsed the razor and then turned back to her, once again using his knuckles to brush over her newly denuded lips and she quickly figured out why she cared. His action caused a fresh shot of moisture to jet into her channel as new tactile sensations raced through her. It certainly was a different feeling without the hair in the way. A feeling she realized she liked.
Apparently pleased with the final product, he took her hand and helped her from the table. “Stay right here.” He strode out of the room, returning moments later with two articles of clothing in his hand. “We’ll start with the top.” He moved closer and reached down to open a drawer, removing a tiny velvet bag from within.
He opened the bag and dumped the contents onto the counter. Two gold rings lay next to each other. Each circle was broken at the top with two small balls plugging the ends. A heart charm hung from the bottom of each
circle.
“These are removable nipple rings. Except for bathing and sleeping, you’ll be expected to wear them.”
Currents of electricity shot through her as he tweaked one tiny nub between his finger and thumb, rubbing it into a hard point before moving to the other. When he seemed satisfied with the result, he picked up the first ring, pulled the ends apart, and gently placed it on her nipple. A biting sting raced from the tip, through her body, before she could stop herself a gasp passed over her lips. Two separate signals registered, the pain signal went to her brain while the pleasure signal centered in her pussy.
“You okay?”
Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, she nodded. Like everything else that had occurred so far, she wanted to stop what was happening and leave, but her body screamed for her to stay, to see what adventures might still be in store.
He clamped the second ring in place, sending the same mix of signals raging through her system. How could something that hurt feel so good? Before she had time to consider the question, he slid what she thought was a bra over her breasts. Only once in place, she discovered the center of each cup was missing. He snapped the peek-a-boo bra closed, and adjusted each breast so it lifted and held at attention.
Unsure about the garment, she glanced over her shoulder at him.
As if reading her mind, he grinned and shook his head. “I know, I know, you think it’s ridiculous, but the rest of the clothing isn’t any better. So we’ll simply have to make the most of it.”
She arched a brow, but remained silent. It was easy for him to say since he wasn’t the one wearing the stupid thing.
He grabbed what looked to be a garter belt and strapped it around her waist. Sara eyed the piece cautiously. The hooks seemed awful close together. “Um…is this right?”
He put a finger over her lips. “Another rule is you’re only to speak if you’re spoken to. I’ve already let you slide more than I should. Oh, and you’re supposed to refer to me as Master or Sir.”