Restraint

by Alyssa Clark

  Franklin seemed to be struggling with an answer, too. His expression was closed but serious. “Charles is doing less managerial work at the office. He has left it up to Gregory and I to handle the office. I find that the more things that I have to manage on top of legal cases the more stressed I feel. I found the website that Angela began to advertise on by chance. Since I have submitted to her it seems as if all the stress is taken away simply by doing as she commands and taking my punishment,” he paused for a breath, collecting his thoughts.

  “Why is he being punished?” She looked at me.

  “Now? That’s obvious,” I waved a hand as if it didn’t matter. “A submissive is punished when they don’t meet my demands. I see him twice a week. I demand that he comes to me well rested. Often he’s not, the stress can also be obvious. Some of the things I do to him are because he specifically asked for it. The command of silence is something he asks for. If he makes a noise he’s punished for it.” I could see confusion there, “There’s a rush of endorphins when you get hurt, pain is something that can create pleasure for some people. While I don’t have sex with Mr. Franklin, there are times that orgasm does occur.” I didn’t give Franklin the same treatment I gave Matt. But there were times where the random simulations would cause him to cum, I just never thought the stimulation I was giving him was sexual.

  At least I didn’t consider it sexual.

  I didn’t expect her to understand, but I was relieved when she nodded. “All of this is about pain and punishment?”

  “There’s more to it,” he started.

  “There are rewards,” I supply for him. “Affection, pleasure. As he said, I am all business, and I do not offer him sex as a reward. But for two people that are in a relationship sex is a reward that can be used.”

  There’s a challenge in his expression as he looks at her, “Would you do this for me? Would you put me in my place? Beat me? String me up?” He thrust his hips forward to bring attention to the erection he had, “I enjoy every excruciating thing she does to me. I gladly pay the rate she charges for the pleasure of having her hurt me. If you are so offended by it, by all means, feel free to get a lawyer. I will sign the papers without complaint.”

  Apparently, he saw something on her face that I didn’t. I didn’t see disgust, just confusion. I wasn’t going to punish him for his rant, I guess it was something he needed to say. I could see the tension in his shoulders as he prepared to be struck.

  I was too focused on Linda, I didn’t bother with him. I didn’t bring her here for this. I didn’t want to be the catalyst that brought an end to their marriage. My heart hurt for her, I couldn’t imagine being in her position.

  “Give that to me,” but here she was, catching me off guard.

  I blinked, it was my turn to be confused. “I’m sorry?”

  “Give that,” her voice was hard, commanding, “to me.” When she met my gaze, I felt a thrill go through me. I eagerly handed her the flogger, and I found myself reconsidering my stance of female submissives. Maybe I should give a woman a try.

  I stepped away giving her enough room to work. I watched as she tried to mimic the strike I had taken. It didn’t sound like it hit him hard enough and I heard Franklin snort tauntingly, “Going to have to do better than that, Linda. Put your tennis lessons to good use, woman.”

  She pulled up short, and I saw her eyes narrow, this time when she hit him he cried out. There were red streaks blossoming in his back now. She didn’t wait for another taunt, she hit him again with a force that made him stumble. I saw her huff for a breath and hit him again, I felt so good watching this. Obviously, I was creating a monster. I should feel bad, but hopefully, this would save their failing relationship.

  “Fitzgerald,” he grunted after one particularly hard swipe.

  She didn’t register what it meant and began to strike him again. I couldn’t have that. There were still rules to this. I caught her arm to stop her, “That’s his safe word.” I could see her confusion, “When he says that it means it’s time to stop. You pushed his limit.”

  She blinked rapidly at me as she processed what I said, “If I’m punishing him why do I have to stop?”

  “Because you are pushing his limit,” I repeated. “You don’t want to actually hurt him. When the pain of the punishment is too much for him to bare, he’ll use his safeword.”

  “He made me angry,” she explained, and it was clear she wasn’t understanding. “I have dealt with so much,” her voice quaked. “I have faced the fact that he doesn’t love me anymore and he was cheating on me. I have a right to hurt him.”

  “You do,” because I wasn’t going to argue with her. “But pushing past what he can take is abuse, and that is not what I do. If he said to stop, I have to make you stop.”

  “I’m not done,” she retorted.

  “This,” I took the flogger from her, “is done. I understand your feelings, I do. But you have to understand there is a limit to what you can do.” I glanced at her husband, and I could see a familiar stiffness in his shoulders and back. “He’s had enough now. It's time to let him down and make sure we didn’t do anything damaging.”

  Linda nodded her head, but she didn’t make any move to help me. I took the clamps off first, and he whimpered. Then I went down on my knees to take care of the bar I had between his ankles. His erection had faltered, and it was clear that he hadn’t enjoyed any of this punishment.

  “I expected more of a protest from you,” I said lowly, trying to give the appearance that we were having a private conversation even with our audience. “You’re angry, but you’re still playing at being the good little submissive.”

  “This is a well-deserved punishment,” he agreed, and I watched his face for any kind of sign that he was lying.

  I stood up, his face was placid and hard to read. “Too agreeable. Do I have to worry about letting you down?” I wasn’t afraid of him, I didn’t think I needed to be. But here he was hiding things from me. If he was an attorney I could see how he was successful. “Because if you try to retaliate, it won’t go well for you.”

  “I am far too aware of that,” he looked at me in a way that made me hesitate.

  There wasn’t really a reason to be afraid, but his reaction wasn’t what I expected it to be. It wasn’t enough for me to keep him. I went to release the pulley that left him dangling, I lowered him slowly until he was resting flat on his feet and his hands were to the point I could easily reach them. I continued the supervised act of releasing him, and I could feel the pent up energy coming from Linda in waves. She wasn’t done, and she seemed antsy to continue punishing her wayward husband.

  “You are done then? You just let him go because he said a word?” She questioned at last, “What about giving him what he deserves? What about putting him in his place?” Her eagerness was damn near heartwarming, it was infectious, and if I wasn’t careful, I would end up being taken away by it.

  I had the cuffs unhooked, and I was busy unbuckling them when I spoke, “His health and trust are important. Going beyond what he can take is not something I do. If he says stop, then I cross a line that leads to not just abuse but rape among other things. While you might question this lifestyle, I still have integrity.”

  “Am I free to speak?” Mr. Franklin asked, still playing at his part in this.

  “Yes,” I had him free, and now it was the chore of cleaning him up. I took the toys and restraints I had in hand to put them aside for cleaning, from there I needed the soothing lotion.

  “I want to terminate our arrangement,” he said it with such a surety that I paused in what I was doing. I shouldn’t be surprised, this was supposed to be something that didn’t include anyone else. I had gone to his wife.

  I found the lotion and came back to him, not letting anything show. “If that’s what you want,” I said coolly after all this was my goal in the long run. “You can pay me for this visit, and I will cancel all pre-existing appointments.”

  Linda stayed quiet, but
she seemed to simmer in response. I felt her eyes on me as I started smoothing the lotion on her husband’s back with a cold precision.

  “You just had to get her into this,” he growled at me. “You had to trifle in something you didn’t belong in.”

  Now that he was negating our agreement I didn’t feel like I had to hide my feelings anymore from him. “Just as you arranged for me to trifle with your coworker? Just as you used me in a way that you shouldn’t? Just as you,” my voice rose despite the way I steadily worked the lotion into his battered skin, “betrayed my trust I have betrayed yours. The only difference here is I went for the gut. I don’t use others to shadily advance myself, Allen. The direct approach is what works best for me.” I stopped satisfied with my work and stepped back so I could maintain my air of command. “This is a mess you have made, and no one else is responsible for the outcome, but you.”

  His expression closed as he digested my words, he nodded his agreement and went forward to dress. Linda came to me, seeming to have gathered what was happening here. “I don’t want you to end your agreement with Angela,” that surprised me. I looked at her and then back to Allen. “I want her to teach me how to do this so that I can do this for you.”

  Allen was pulling on his slacks as she spoke and I couldn’t tell how he felt about it. His shoulders were set in a way that I was familiar with, but I couldn’t see his face to see exactly what he was thinking. This was a type of intimacy I had avoided since Kurt. I had put myself into their marriage and Linda was trying to use me as a tool to fix it. “That’s not a good idea,” he said after a length. “She just proved to me that I can’t trust her.”

  “After a year of you showing that I can’t trust you I think this is something you can deal with,” she took a slow breath before she continued. “I don’t want to divorce you, but I don’t want to be treated as if I am insignificant any longer.” I could see how much this had affected her, it was a feeling I was familiar with. She had enjoyed taking command just as much as she had enjoyed beating him. “Do not,” she snapped at me, “cancel his next appointment. We will both be here for that.”

  I glanced over at him to gauge his opinion on the matter. He was looking at his wife with a new set of eyes, he didn’t bother to argue. He kept dressing as he listened to her speak.

  “Very well,” I didn’t bother curbing my smile. “If that’s the case and you intend to come along I do have a request that you dress a little more appropriately. Perhaps he can give you an idea of what his tastes are.”

  “I’m not prepared to give him any sort of rewards.” She was going to be a hard mistress to please.

  “Some rewards,” I started lightly. “Are for you, too.” I gave Allen another look, “Maybe this time when I tell you to go home and worship your wife you will listen.”

  “If she will allow it I will do it,” he was straightening his tie, but I doubted my suggestion would go the way he wanted. He didn’t wait for her, he marched to the door as if he were the anything but a submissive. Though he was smart enough to wait at the door, I noticed.

  I looked to Linda, “Are you going to be able to keep that commanding voice at home?”

  She looked a little surprised but nodded, “I could.”

  “Take him home,” I said lightly. “Don’t let him go back to the office. If he argues or gives you any sort of attitude take him over your knee.”

  “What?” Her face flushed and I could see the surprise there. “Like a child?”

  I nodded, “Stay angry if you must. But don’t hit him with the intent to harm him. Instead, think of it as trying to get him to see how you feel about the situation.” I went to find my purse, struggling to find a card. “Rewards are necessary, but you decide what kind of rewards he gets. Whether its affection or sex, that’s up to you.” I offered her my card, “If you need advice at all consider me at your disposal.”

  She took it with a sigh, “At this moment I’m willing to do anything.”

  “I hope you will find it as empowering as I did,” I tried to be gentle with her. This was my fault. But at least in this situation, something good could come from it.

  I wasn’t comfortable meddling in Mr. Franklin’s personal life, but it seemed necessary at this point. Linda went to meet her husband at the door and with an authority that made me feel proud she told him, “Come, Allen, you’re taking me home.”

  I spent the better part of the hour after that cleaning up. It was an unfortunate time that left me reflecting on a lot. Even with their problems, assuming things worked out, Allen and Linda had one another. Trust could be rebuilt. They could work to an agreement that made them both happy.

  What did I have?

  It was the first time in over a year that I felt lonely. The only person I could think that could even possibly understand was Matt. But, calling Matt wouldn’t be something I could do. Not with what he wanted from me. He wanted something more serious than easy casual sex.

  I didn’t know if I was capable of that. I just knew that there was this ache to see him, to touch him, that I just couldn’t shake.

  I hung up the flogger to dry and decided to make a leap. Hopefully, this wasn’t the wrong decision. I dug through my purse until I found my phone. With my heart firmly lodged in my throat, I sent him a text.

  ‘I need to see you.’

  13

  Matt

  It's been an hour since I got the text. I decided to ignore it. I wasn’t going to be used. I wasn’t going to fall for her if I couldn’t have her. She wasn’t willing to give me more than sex then I could easily ignore text messages from her. I found work to do just so I wouldn’t be tempted because that’s just what Angela was. Temptation.

  Angela was the type of woman that took your hand and drug you through the rabbit hole. She had me craving things I wasn’t familiar with and enjoying things that I otherwise thought I wouldn’t. She had me wanting her without an effort. I remember the first time I saw her, she was gorgeous and intelligent. The anger was clear on her face, and I took too much pleasure in it. She was quick to anger, and I didn’t realize how dangerous that could be until it was too late.

  She opened the door to something that I wasn’t familiar with. Something I’d never fathomed doing or having done to me. I was used to being in control, to decide what happened in the bedroom. Women had never taken charge before aside from rolling over and climbing on top. It didn’t bother me as much as being tied up in a vulnerable position, not sure what was going to happen next. It bothered me as much as it thrilled me. Hell, thinking about it and about her seemed to have the obvious effect. I shifted in my chair as my slacks got tighter, thinking about it was the wrong course of action. I needed to forget her.

  The ‘I need to see you,’ from her only seemed to make it impossible to. What could she want? My heart thudded in my chest as possibilities ran through my head; it had been a while since our last encounter. Maybe she was still upset that I walked out, giving her a taste of her own medicine. Maybe she wanted to fuck again. That got my cock’s attention.

  It made it harder to ignore her text.

  I found myself caving, again, like some pathetic lovesick pervert. I was going to end up putting Franklin to shame if I kept coming back to her each time she called. I never thought of myself as desperate, but here I was picking up my phone to answer this woman that was turning shit upside down.

  ‘I’m not looking for casual sex,’ I send back to her. Granted if she were to walk in here I wouldn’t be able to say that. Just the idea of her in my office gave me visions of bending her over my desk. That vision interrupted when my phone vibrated with her response.

  ‘It’s been a while since I was in a relationship. It's been awhile since I had someone I could trust enough to confide in. I don’t know if I can remember how a real relationship works.’

  I wasn’t expecting an immediate reply. I expected tenfold for her to leave me waiting. I’d left her waiting. Her response was open and honest, it made me feel like an
ass with how I had reacted.

  ‘I think this might be something we should talk about face to face.’

  It felt like if I saw her maybe it would be easier to interpret what she was after. There’d be no confusion, and I wouldn’t get stuck repeating the same mistake over and over again. After all, she did say she needed to see me.

  ‘Promise me something.’

  Confused by that, the natural thing to send back was, ‘What?’

  ‘Promise you won’t make me regret this.’

  What did she have to regret? I couldn’t understand where she thought the problem would be. Without thinking I immediately sent her; ‘That something you can promise me?’

  What she sent back was an address, an apartment. So, I wasn’t meeting her at her office? Curious, I finished up the paper I had been distracting myself with and decided I’d call it a day early. I didn’t bother to check to see if Franklin was in his office, I didn’t even bother with his secretary.