He was everything to her, though, and Catherine would rather have a small part of him as opposed to none of him. She knew that if she allowed her feelings to be known, that’s just what she would have.
Nothing.
She was certain Master would take the collar back and shred their contract. So she lived each day, happy in unrequited love.
Master had yet to play with her and Micah together, or even introduce her to Samantha, and she had begun to feel restless to an extent. He had been so kind with his willingness to go slow and allow her to acclimate back into the lifestyle, but now she was ready for more. There hadn’t been a nightmare for close to two months now, and she was itching for a good lashing. So much so that she was considering ways to be naughty.
“Catherine, would you care to explain why you cannot keep still?”
They were sitting in the back of Master’s car, being driven to an undisclosed location by Micah.
She was dressed in the outfit Master had laid out for her. A sleeveless, sophisticated cocktail dress made of rich, gray silk with a wide, black sash tied about her waist. It was pleated at the collar and her pearls, being several shades darker, contrasted against Catherine’s pale neck with elegance. All of her remaining accessories: bangles on her wrists, intricate wire-beaded earrings, stiletto-heels finished with a pretty bow over her toes were black. The gray landscape was broken by her striking red hair with lips to match, and her green cat-eyes. Wherever they were going, Catherine knew it was fancy.
“This girl is curious, Master,” she hedged, diving headlong into naughty.
Master rolled his hand at her to continue before returning it to where he gripped her knee, his long forefinger stroking the inner edge and upward, teasing her lower thigh.
The soft touch was making it rather difficult for her to concentrate.
“This girl is wondering when you will begin to push her for real? She feels unchallenged right now,” she managed to utter in between hitched gasps for air while that finger went higher.
His hand stilled and Catherine held her breath.
“And which limits pray tell, are you ready to explore, pet?”
“This girl wants to play outside the playroom, Master,” she confided with a resolute, but respectful tone.
“Does she?” He grinned wide enough that the gleam of the street lights reflected off of his teeth while the car drove by them.
“Aye, Master.”
“Then I will think on it. Perhaps tonight’s outing will involve more than dinner and a show.”
Catherine closed her eyes and shuddered at the promise his words carried. A quiet groan escaped when her nipples puckered against the cool material of her dress. She spared a moment to hope the fabric would not show the wet spot that was sure to be gathering beneath her. Per Master’s orders, she wasn’t wearing any panties.
~*~
In awe, Catherine was mindful of their height while she leaned out over the edge of the private box. They were located near the top and in the center at the back of the large room. Below her, multiple rows of seating spread out leading up to the elaborate stage. Above her, the Bass Hall dome looked alive with the painted clouds and blue skies, bringing the outside inside with an artistic flair. She turned back around with a happy smile, faltering when she noticed that Micah stood in the corner of the box, silent.
Watching.
Micah’s presence set her already racing heart off on a higher tempo.
Master had done nothing to her during their dinner at The Lonesome Dove, yet he had Catherine on edge. He’d reserved the Trail Room for their private dining, both of them enjoying the unique offerings of the chef. She’d never sampled things such as rattlesnake and wild boar before.
However, Catherine tasted the food with half the attention it deserved, too entrapped by the heat in Master’s eyes while they dined. He’d insisted she keep eye-contact with him through the meal, the single command he’d given thus far. She could tell he was scheming, and she accepted that she’d just have to be patient until he chose to reveal his plans.
Returning her attention to her present surroundings, her eyes darted from Micah to Master.
“Please have a seat, Catherine,” Master offered while his strong fingers curled over the plush, rose-tinted, imported velvet of the seat back.
With a quick curtsy Catherine moved away from the balcony edge toward the seat, maintaining a graceful poise while she lowered herself onto the soft cushion. Master took the seat next to her, and then snapped and pointed to the floor at his side.
“Micah, kneel.”
Catherine felt the involuntary widening of her eyes at Master’s firm words. Was this to be like that first night at his home – with Micah looking on? Would Master ask her to perform right here, while the other patrons sat around and below, ignorant of what was happening in their presence?
She watched, her gut twisting, while Master’s hand reached out and stroked Micah’s head, coming down the side of his jaw and curling under Micah’s chin to lift his face.
Catherine wasn’t fast enough to stop her escaping gasp when Master lowered his lips to tease across Micah’s. It was nothing more than a glancing touch, but the personal nature of the action unsettled Catherine.
Master’s eyes were dark when they turned back to her.
“I’m not a puppet to be controlled, pet. It would do you well to remember that when you try to orchestrate an outcome.”
Embarrassment and shame crept into her. Without doubt, Master was right. Since she had tried to force his hand, she deserved whatever discipline he wanted to dole out. Catherine would be humble in accepting her punishment. She’d been disrespectful and rude, and that was uncalled for.
Punctuating the moment, the lights in the hall dimmed at the same time she lowered her eyes and slid from her chair to kneel at Master’s feet.
“Please accept this girl’s profound apologies. She is willing to receive any reprimand her Master desires to bestow upon her,” Catherine murmured, and the words were almost drowned out when the orchestra played their concert F.
The lone note rose into the air until it reached its peak, and the orchestra held it steady and unwavering before letting it fade away. It was an exquisite display of the acoustics the room held.
If Catherine had dared to break form it would have been to cross her fingers in the hope’s that she could remain quiet with whatever was about to happen. Instead, she resigned herself to the excitement that traipsed across her skin at the delicious naughtiness of it all. There was no denying that her thighs were now sticky, or that she wanted to rub them together.
Down on the stage, the opening scene of Phantom of the Opera began with the loud rap of the auctioneer’s gavel reverberating throughout the hall.
Catherine and Micah stayed kneeling until the first song filled the great space. At which point, Master set his plans into motion.
“Catherine.” Her breath caught at the force of his whisper. “Take out my cock and stroke me hard.” She blinked, hesitating from surprise – she’d not expected Master to put himself on public display. His hand shot out lightning-quick and slapped the side of her breast. “Now,” he ground out, his warning clear.
Jumping into action Catherine scooted closer, shortening the needed reach. A trace amount of her earlier orneriness lingered, pushing her to be possessive of her Master.
The others didn’t have collars – just her, so it followed that Master was hers.
Catherine began by placing her hands on his knees, and then took her sweet time pushing them along his thighs up toward his crotch which already bulged from the simple act of him sitting down.
Catherine’s determined hands moved over the bulge with a teasing pressure to his waistband. Master slouched down making it easier for her to work his trouser fasteners loose and lower his zipper. She’d forgotten Micah knelt opposite her until he emitted a strangled whimper when she pulled Master’s cock into the open.
“Aye, ‘tis a thing of b
eauty,” she mumbled low just for Micah’s ears.
Master’s throat clearing drew her attention to his eyebrow which was quirked in question, and she grinned for a second realizing Master had heard too, before setting to her task: stroking.
It didn’t take long for Catherine’s sure touch to have Master’s cock stretched tight, the flesh an almost angry red in a visual display of his need. Gliding her hand up his length, she licked her lips when the first viscous bead oozed out from the slit. She waited for Master to give the command; to tell Catherine to take him into her mouth.
In her mind Catherine prepared, searching out that peaceful space she went to when participating in sexual submission. It was a quiet place with a blank slate; no preconceived notions, just opening her mind to accept what her Master asked of her body. One thing marred her special place – a cane enclosure kept her confined – other than that, she was open to do Master’s bidding. She needed to show Micah that she alone was enough for Master, even if she could never say the words out loud.
For the second time that night, Catherine’s world shifted beneath her feet when Master gave the command not to her, but to Micah.
“Come forward and take me in your mouth, Micah,” Master’s instructions were quiet and contained to their box.
When Micah came forward and his tongue flicked out at Master, Catherine’s first instinct was to ride the feeling of jealousy which was welling up inside of her. While she watched, his mouth closed over the top and Master’s cock disappeared behind Micah’s lips. Her breath hitched in a choked sob of disappointment and anguish.
You asked for this, Erin. You have no right to have your feelings being hurt like a petty child by this. Look at what is in front of you. How can you not appreciate that sight?
The urge to smack herself was strong. She’d pushed for this, and true to Master’s word, he was accommodating her. Catherine had no recourse to be upset. Questions began forming in her head; details and information she wanted about Master’s past, but she knew it wasn’t the time. Sunday would be her time. Looking upon the men before her, Catherine felt her inner turmoil settling. The two of them together were hot. Did anything else really matter right now?
“My jewel,” Master crooned, and patted his thigh giving her the signal to rest her head.
Laying her head down, she watched Micah work. Her hand still gripped the base of Master’s cock, and each time Micah descended far enough to let his lips bump against her hand, she shuddered.
“Do you like what you see, Catherine?”
She pulled her eyes away from Micah’s stretched mouth to look up. Master’s eyes bore into her, but she could tell he was having trouble not giving in to the attention being paid to his cock. Hunger and lust were thick in the air of the small space.
“Aye,” she whispered.
He chuckled. “I thought you might,” Master admitted, and then bit his lip to hold in a moan when Micah swallowed around him.
Between Master’s face and his lap, Catherine’s eyes danced. She was taking great pleasure in being allowed to watch. The opera continued down below, and it might have been a shame that she was missing out on her first time at such an event, but she couldn’t be bothered by that now. Chances were that Master – or Jayden perhaps – would bring her again another time.
Her breath picked up with the increasing speed at which Master’s chest heaved. With each pass of Micah’s mouth, Master’s cock shined with spit and drool. Her hands were fidgety in her lap where Master had told her to place them once Micah had found his rhythm.
Catherine wanted to touch and taste.
She wanted to watch, too.
Master’s hips began to rock while a quiet rumble grew in his chest. He would be coming soon. His fingers wove into her hair and gripped tight.
She relished being his anchor.
Master opened his palm and pressed it flat against her head, pushing her cheek roughly against his trembling thigh. His cock was right before her swelling and thickening more each time Micah’s withdrawal exposed Master’s cock to her.
The honor of bearing witness was Catherine’s.
With ironic timing Master’s grunts from the force of his orgasm were swallowed by the cacophonous notes of an organ crashing through the hall from the stage.
An immediate sense of relief to the fibers of her muscles happened when Catherine released the breath she’d been holding and felt her body relax. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been holding herself. Her body started coming down from its sympathetic non-orgasm, and she was hit with an abrupt sense of exhaustion.
Micah finished swallowing, and after cleaning Master, he sat back on his haunches.
“May this girl put you back in order, Master?”
He nodded, but then added a grateful smile that warmed Catherine from the inside.
It was the tender moments like these that made it worth it to keep her feelings hidden. With a gentle touch, she tucked his length back into his pants and did up his zipper and button.
She felt proud.
Catherine had been tested, and had passed – if in no one’s eyes but her own.
~~~Chapter 14~~~
Blurring Lines
“Just a minute!” Erin was in the middle of rolling out a pie-crust, and had flour everywhere. Clapping her hands together to rid herself of some of the white powdery substance, she made her way over to the door unsure who would be at her place on a Thursday morning.
She pulled it open to find nothing. “Hello?” she called while leaning out and looking around the doorframe and down the walkway. She still saw nothing so she closed the door. Erin was halfway back to the kitchen when the bell rang again.
“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” she grumbled, and stomped back, yanking the door open to Jayden who was standing there with a sheepish grin.
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
He leaned in against the door frame, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a rose out to Erin. She had grown accustomed to him having a rose for her when she arrived on Friday evenings. They were always a mix of white and coral, and she’d noticed that over time the two colors had undergone a gradual switch in places, the coral becoming more prevalent each time. However, today he held a yellow rose.
From what she could recall, yellow had something to do with friendship. She made a mental note to herself to look up the meaning of the flower colors. Although at the same time, she was afraid she might read too much into what she discovered.
“I pulled some strings with the boss to take the day off,” Jayden teased.
Erin harrumphed at him, and took the rose, bringing it to her nose to inhale the light fragrance before spinning on her heel and walking away. She knew he’d follow her in and shut the door without letting her heat out.
He joined her in the kitchen a moment later and started peeking around at her assorted projects while she put the rose in some water.
“What’s all this?”
“I’m just getting a head start on Friday,” Erin answered with a ‘well, duh’ tone that made Jayden purse his lips. She giggled knowing exactly what she had just done.
“Anything I can do to help? Besides not mess with your doorbell,” he added with a playful laugh.
Erin started laughing at the notion until she realized he wasn’t kidding. “You’re serious?”
“Sure. Why not? Looks kind of fun,” Jayden replied while going to the sink to wash his hands.
~*~
A few hours later, Erin and Jayden collapsed onto the couch worn out to the extreme. The kitchen had been cleaned, and the table was covered with three kinds of cooling pies. Her refrigerator housed the dishes that would just need to go in the oven to be finished off: cornbread stuffing, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and the ham was marinating in a Dr. Pepper glaze.
During their Sunday debriefing the weekend before, it had come up in conversation that she would be spending Christmas alone. Jayden had been quite surprised thinking – hoping
rather – that she was going to request the weekend off to spend the holiday with her dad. When he’d learned Erin hadn’t spoken to Woody since becoming involved with Spencer – she’d at least sent postcards to her dad while she was with Andrew – he had insisted on canceling his plans to fly down to his parent’s ranch so that he could join her instead.
Erin had agreed with some reluctance, but requested she be the one to do the cooking – and that they invite Micah to join them after Jayden had mentioned he had no plans to go anywhere either.
What Jayden kept to himself was that he had made a spontaneous decision where her father was concerned – a project he had begun first thing Monday morning by speaking to his HR department.
Jayden was inclined to add Catherine’s failure to mention the separation from her father earlier in their relationship to the punishment he was planning for her moment of cheekiness upon his arrival. However, he knew better. Most of what he had learned about Catherine’s father Woody had been gleaned from his conversations with her in an Erin frame of mind. It would be unfair to hold anything from those precious times with her, against her.
Her soft sigh brought his attention back to Erin, curled up at the far end of the couch. Jayden didn’t like how far away she was. He was used to being able to touch her whenever he wanted because she was his submissive, except that right now, she wasn’t.
Erin giggled.
“What?”
“You’re fidgeting,” she teased while she stretched out her long leg to poke him with her toes. “Not tired enough yet? I’m sure I could think of something else for us to do.”
Jayden caught her foot in his hands, and began pressing his fingers in and around her toes making her groan. The sound teamed up with his already wandering thoughts and raced downward to try to get his cock to join the party.
“You could, could you?” challenged Jayden.
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