by Sherri Hayes
Then he was silent, and my mind raced through everything he’d just said.
When he spoke again, his voice was softer. “What do you choose?”
I didn’t have to think about it. Not really. I’d already made my choice. He was my new Master, and as long as he wanted me, I would be his. But instead of answering verbally, I showed him my desire. Sliding somewhat less than gracefully from my chair, I knelt before him with my hands in my lap and my head bowed.
There was no movement from him at first, but I could feel his eyes on me. And then he stood. I felt him move behind me. “Lift your hair,” he requested, his voice soft, but firm. I did, and soon felt the coolness of the metal brush against my skin. A soft click sounded in my ears as he closed the clasp. I was his.
Stephan
It was done.
I’d collared her.
The process had gone much easier than I’d expected. There had been no hesitation on her part, and for a moment, I’d wondered if she really knew what she was getting herself into. But of course she did. Brianna understood more than any eighteen-year-old should.
As I closed the clasp on her neck, a surge of possessiveness rushed through me. She was mine. My hands ran up the span of her neck and into her hair, moving it back into place. Beautiful.
“Stand up.”
She rose slowly, and I saw her fingers come up to touch her new adornment. I could tell she liked it, and her happiness brought a smile to my lips.
Moving so that I was once again in front of her, I placed my hands on either side of her face and angled it up, silently asking her to look at me. Her eyes locked with mine. They were bright, like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders. I would take care of her, I vowed, for as long as she would allow me.
And to seal that promise, I lowered my lips to hers, softly pressing against her mouth. I kept it chaste with my lips firmly closed, even though I wanted so much more. She did not kiss me back exactly, but she didn’t resist either. Her mouth relaxed and gave, following my lead.
I pulled back, but her eyes remained closed for several seconds. When they finally opened, her eyes found mine again. “Do you like your new collar, Brianna?”
She smiled and said, “Yes, Master. Thank-you.”
Looking down, my fingers skimmed along the surface of her collar before meeting her eyes once more. “It’s metal so you will not need to take it off to bathe. It is to remain around your neck at all times unless I say otherwise.”
“Yes, Master.”
This was the longest she’d ever held my gaze, and I realized that as much as I loved her bowed before me with her head lowered, willing to serve, I also loved staring into those beautiful blue eyes of hers. My hand came up to stroke her cheek. “We have some things to discuss, Brianna,” I said, motioning to the chair she’d recently vacated.
Once we were both seated again, I instructed her to raise her head as I wanted her to look at me. “I want to go over a few things with you, and I want you to feel free to ask me any questions you may have about what my expectations are. In return, I expect you to answer any questions I have for you with complete honesty. Will you do this?”
I saw her swallow and knew she was nervous. “Yes, Master.”
“Good,” I said. “First, I want to discuss your schooling.” The look of surprise on her face was almost comical, but I suppressed my reaction and went on. “From what I’ve learned so far, I’m assuming you did not finish high school. Am I correct?”
“Yes. I mean no, I didn’t graduate.”
She looked sad, which was a good thing. Hopefully she would be happy with my first command. “I thought so.” Grabbing the folder I’d laid down earlier, I placed it in front of her. “You will look through these papers and fill them out in their entirety. The University of Minnesota has evening classes for individuals who, for whatever reason, were not able to graduate high school. The course is twelve weeks long, and at the end, you will take a test for your GED.”
Brianna didn’t move at first. She was watching me and then looked almost blankly at the folder containing all the necessary paperwork. Her right hand came up from her lap and caressed the university picture gracing the front. “Why?” she asked almost reverently.
She wasn’t upset, and I knew what she was asking. Brianna wanted to know why I would do something like this for her. “You are my submissive, and your needs are my responsibility. It is also my desire for you to finish high school, and when you complete this course successfully, we can discuss college if you’d like.”
Her eyes lit up, and I could see moisture there. “Thank-you, Master.”
I smiled back at her, letting her know I was pleased with her response. “You’re welcome. You should know that it will not be an easy course, and you will be required to do a lot of studying. I do expect you to apply yourself one hundred percent, Brianna.”
She nodded. “I will, Master, I promise.”
“Good.” I watched as she started to open the folder and then close it again only to reopen it once more. “You’ll have plenty of time to look over the information later, and you will need to complete all the forms this weekend so that we can finish your enrollment.”
With that, she closed the folder and put it softly to the side but kept her right hand lying on it as if it might disappear.
Next, I removed the new key from my pocket along with a small key ring. For now, the only key on it was for my penthouse, but soon it would hold a car key as well, as she would need transportation. I held my hand out to her, silently asking her to take it.
It took a few seconds but she removed it from my hand and looked at it skeptically. “It is a key to my home. You will use it whenever you need to. As you’ve agreed to be responsible for our evening meals, you will need to do the grocery shopping and will be required to get in and out of the house. There will also be school. I expect you to do all of your errands with the exception of school while I am at work during the week. You will be home by the time I am.” I paused, “Any questions so far?”
“No,” she whispered.
Her answer was soft, but I knew she’d heard me for her eyes had not left my face since I’d started talking again. I imagined this was a lot to take in, but it needed to be done. “We will not have time to get you a vehicle this weekend so unfortunately that will have to wait. Until then, I will see about a rental.” And then I thought of something very important. “Do you have a driver license?”
“I . . . I used to. I mean I . . . well, I don’t have anything from . . . before.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem then, just a matter of tracking down some records.”
Brianna
Who was he? First, he was sending me to school, then he gives me a key to his home, and now he’s talking about a car? And he was serious. This wasn’t a joke. He was really giving this to me.
I wasn’t stupid though. I still knew what I was and that he could take all these things away from me any time he wished. First and foremost, he was my Master; he owned me along with anything he gave to me.
But for now, I would enjoy them. He was happy with me, and I would continue to try to make him happy.
I was so lost in my musings that I almost missed what he said next. “Tomorrow you will be accompanying me to my aunt and uncle’s house for dinner. While we are there, you will not address me as Master. I would rather you touch my arm or shoulder to get my attention should you need it, however I will be paying close attention to you so you shouldn’t.” He looked at me very intently as he said his next words. “I will be very displeased should you slip tomorrow, Brianna. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master. I will not displease you or embarrass you.”
“Very good.” He smiled. I really liked it when he smiled, and not just because it meant he wasn’t upset. It lightened up his face, and his eyes almost glowed.
“There is one other thing I wish to discuss with you, Brianna, but I wanted to ask you again if you have any questions?”
There was something I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t. Wouldn’t. It was another one of those things where if he hadn’t thought of it, I didn’t want to put it into this head. So instead of voicing it, I just shook my head no.
“All right,” he said skeptically as if he knew I was holding something back. “As my submissive, you are free to use my home as you wish while I am at the office. This includes the library upstairs. I will clear off a space for you there where you may study. You will also utilize the gym at least three days a week. On Monday, I will set up a time for my personal trainer to come and work with you on an exercise routine.”
He paused and raised an eyebrow at me. I remained quiet though, not really sure what to say. The study space kind of made sense given he was sending me to school, but the gym? Why would that matter?
His voice cut off my thoughts once more. Again, it was almost like he was reading my mind. “Brianna, I will have you do things at times that you will not understand and may, on occasion, not like. I do, however, expect you to comply with my wishes whether you understand my motivations or not.”
I nodded and lowered my head. This was it. The kiss earlier had been almost nice, but I knew it wouldn’t end there. He hadn’t had sex with me yet, but I knew it was coming. I was wearing his collar now. He was keeping me. It was what I wanted, I reminded myself.
Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and slowly raised my eyes. He hadn’t said a word since I’d lowered them, and I knew he was waiting. As soon as I was looking at him again, he continued, “Everything I do, Brianna, will be with you in mind. I will always do what I think is best.”
I knew what he meant. He would do what was best for him, but I’d liked the first part. The part where he said he would do everything with me in mind. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it was something. I hoped it meant that he wouldn’t hurt me too badly. I really hoped that.
Then he reached out and placed a hand on my cheek. His thumb rubbed along the bone just below my left eye. “You belong to me, Brianna. You are safe.”
My Master’s words continued to run through my mind long after he left me to go upstairs, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around them. I’d felt the possessiveness in his touch when he’d kissed me and again when he’d touched my cheek earlier. It was so contradictory, as so much was with my new Master, in that both were equally as gentle.
I tried to look over the forms for school, but I couldn’t focus on anything other than our conversation and its implications. He’d given me so much, and I knew the price would be high. I didn’t know why he hadn’t used me yet, but he would.
Then his last words echoed in my ears. You are safe. I thought about that and realized I was, at the very least, safer. For some reason he seemed to want my trust, and even though it scared me beyond reason, I knew on some level I did trust him, a little.
I needed to stop worrying about what was going to happen. There was no way to stop it either way. Stephan would come back downstairs soon, and I wanted to have this paperwork filled out by the time he did. So I forced myself to concentrate.
Amazingly, the forms were simple, at least until they’d asked my reason for leaving school. How did a person in my position answer that question? In the end I decided to ask Master. It would not do for me to anger him by putting down the wrong answer.
He was still upstairs by the time I’d finished filling out the paperwork, so I took my time going through the rest of the packet of information. There were some brief overviews of some of the undergrad programs they offered, nothing detailed of course, but enough to make me want it. I’d always dreamed of going to college and maybe even teaching someday. The teaching might not be a possibility now, but maybe, if what he’d said were true, college was.
I was so lost in my daydreams of college that I didn’t hear him come down the stairs. I didn’t even notice him until he was standing a few feet away from me, calling my name. My reaction was immediate. Dropping the papers, I fell to the carpet and lowered my head to the floor. I knew he didn’t like me to say I was sorry, so I bit my tongue and allowed my actions to speak for me.
Master stood without moving for several long heartbeats, then he bent to pick up the papers I’d dropped. I heard shuffling and knew he was looking them over. He took his time and must have read every word both typed and written. While he read, he did not address me or give me permission to get up. And so I stayed where I was.
I felt movement and then his feet disappeared from my view. The sound of fabric giving a few feet away told me he’d sat down. “Come to me.” Again, his voice was firm, but he didn’t seem upset. I noted he had not told me to get up or rise, but to come, so I only raised my upper body and used both my hands and knees to bring myself to his feet once again.
Once I was sitting at his feet, he reached his hand out and raised my chin. “You were not paying attention, were you, Brianna? What was so important that you neglected to pay attention to your surroundings?”
I swallowed. Would he take this away from me if I told him the truth?
“I see that mind of yours working; however, I expect you to tell me the truth. There is no greater insult or displeasure you will cause me than to lie to me.”
My eyes began to lower, and I felt his hand on my chin tighten in warning. Immediately I brought my eyes back up to his. “College, Master.” His brow rose again in question. “I . . . I used to dream of going to college and . . .”
My words drifted off, and he finished them for me. “. . . and you realized that now it may be a possibility. That is understandable, Brianna, but it is still not acceptable for you not to notice what is around you. You must be aware of where you are and who you are with at all times, whether that be inside or outside of this house, is that understood?”
“Yes, Master,” I whispered.
He watched me for a long time and then said, “I will let this incident go without a consequence, but do not let it happen again.”
“I won’t, Master.”
He released my chin and picked the papers back up. When he spoke again, it wasn’t what I’d expected. “Come sit in my lap, Brianna.”
My heart started pounding. This was it. I swallowed down my fear, stood slowly, and did as he requested as gently as possible. The arm not holding the paperwork wrapped around my waist. I kept waiting for it to move up or down, but it didn’t. It just lay innocently on my stomach.
As we went over what I’d filled out, I had to concentrate hard on what he was saying. I didn’t want to get caught again not paying attention, but it was difficult.
Somehow I managed, and we were able to come up with something to fill in that empty space I’d been so unsure of with “personal conflicts.” Master didn’t think they’d want a more specific answer because it was only for record-keeping purposes.
Amazingly, I’d gradually started to relax the longer we sat and talked. The bliss of the moment was cut short as he set the papers down and said, “Kiss me.”
I hesitated and began to see the furrowing of his brow showing his disappointment. I didn’t want that. I’d promised myself that I would do whatever he asked, and now that he was asking something of me, look at my reaction. It was a kiss, just a kiss. So I leaned in, closed my eyes, and tried to stay calm.
He relaxed under me the moment my lips touched his, but he didn’t move other than to kiss me back. It felt odd. I’d never kissed anyone before. I mean, I’d been kissed, but I’d never been the one doing the kissing. Maybe that shouldn’t make a difference but somehow it did.
When I finally pulled my lips from his, I opened my eyes to find his staring back at me. Then the knuckles of his left hand came up and brushed my cheek. “Very nice, Brianna. But next time do not hesitate.”
Brianna
I was in a deep sleep when I heard an annoying beeping sound by my ear. And as much as I willed it to go away, it wouldn’t stop. Finally, I opened my eyes and located the sound. The alarm.
Reaching out, I hit the sn
ooze button, desperate for it to stop. But as soon as my eyes opened enough to take in my surroundings, I remembered where I was. It had been so long since that had happened.
Lifting my hand to my neck, my fingers grazed the tiny circle of metal there. My collar. Stephan.
Thinking of him set my mind in motion, and I realized that I’d not set my alarm last night. My eyes flashed over to the source of my wakefulness and rested on the folded note taped over the numbers. I had no doubt as to who had left the note or who had set my alarm. Pulling the tape loose, I opened the note and read it.
Dress and meet me in the gym.
Clothes are on the bench at the end of the bed.
I’ll be waiting.
Although I was not a morning person, I’d gotten used to having to wake at a moment’s notice and made myself get out of bed. I did not want to anger him this morning. Last night had been so very nice, and I wanted it again.
I dressed quickly in the tank top and shorts he’d laid out for me and headed up the stairs. Just as he’d said, he was waiting for me.
When I entered the room he was facing away from me, but that soon changed. It seemed as if he could tell I was there because not more than five seconds passed before he turned around. I immediately dropped my eyes.
He walked toward me slowly, deliberately. My body went on alert as he got closer. I had no idea what he was going to do to me here.
My Master stopped directly in front of me. “Good morning, Brianna. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, Master. Thank-you.”
His hand came up to lift my chin. I knew by now that he wanted me to look at him. My eyes found his and waited. He didn’t make me wait long. “I’m glad to hear that. I was going to introduce you to my gym this morning, but it seems you’ve already become acquainted.”