The Keyholder

by Claire Thompson

  Suddenly she wondered with a sinking heart if he had only come here as a friend. Had she been fooled by her own longing? Yet he hadn’t objected when Sir Gordon had assumed she belonged to him.

  As if reading her questioning thoughts, Jack, his hands still moving like silk over her shoulders and back, said, “Eva, I’m so sorry about what happened earlier. You are perfect and your offering was pure grace. I was such a jerk.”

  Eva turned back to face him, opening her mouth to protest at his characterization of himself, but he stopped her by placing two fingers against her lips. “No,” he said. “It’s true. I behaved badly. I’m lucky Sir Gordon didn’t make you forget all about me, but if he had, I would only have myself to blame.”

  “Oh, no, Jack,” Eva replied, a rush of joy moving through her bloodstream like champagne bubbles. “That would never have happened. Sir Gordon is a nice guy, and all, but it was just a scene. I made that very clear from the outset.” She reached for his hand, and to her delight, he lifted her fingers to his lips and kissed them.

  “Want to know a secret?” she said shyly.

  “Sure.”

  “While I was waiting for him to let me down, I was wishing with all my heart that he would magically morph into you. I was dreaming that when he removed the blindfold, it would be you standing there, waiting to take me into your arms.” Though she felt herself blushing at this blatant admission, she continued, “And then, there you were!”

  Jack put his arm around Eva and pulled her close. She leaned against him, letting her head rest on his shoulder. The flogging had been rejuvenating. It was the first real BDSM experience she’d had since before the abduction, and every muscle and nerve ending in her body had reacted with pure, lusty joy. Though she hadn’t been lying to Jack when she said it was just a scene, nevertheless the physical touch of the leather and the caress of Sir Gordon’s dominant words as he flogged her had been like water to a woman dying of thirst. It wasn’t the full banquet of sensation and experience she dreamed of with Jack, but it had definitely reawakened her masochistic and submissive appetites, and left her starving for more.

  “Take me to Hawthorne Dungeon,” she said suddenly.

  “What?” Jack pulled away from her to regard her. “Now?”

  “Yes. Now.” Realizing she must sound awfully bossy, Eva added, “Please, Sir.”

  Before he could reply, there was a light tap on the doorframe. Nora and Charles stood in the doorway. “Hey there. You guys okay?” Charles asked. Nora smiled, and Eva understood she already sensed they were fine, just fine.

  “Eva wants to go to Hawthorne Dungeon,” Jack said with a frown that made it clear he wasn’t entirely on board with the idea.

  The couple stepped fully into the room, and Nora said, “That’s an excellent idea. That’s just exactly what you two should do.”

  Charles nodded. “Agreed. It’s late enough. Maybe one of the rooms is free.”

  Jack stared from them to Eva, his conflicting feelings showing on his face. Nora moved close and leaned over Jack. “Trust her. Trust yourself,” she said so softly Eva almost didn’t catch the words.

  But Jack did. He nodded slowly. “Yes. That’s good advice. I won’t forget it again. Thank you.”

  Nora moved to Eva and bent down to kiss the top of her head. “I’m so proud of you, honey,” she said.

  Eva beamed. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you, Nora.”

  “Yes, you could have. You would have,” Nora contradicted, but she was smiling.

  “Hey,” Eva said, suddenly pondering the delightful possibilities of a joint scene with Charles and Nora. “You guys want to come with us?”

  Charles shook his head. “Normally we’d love to, but we agreed to scene with Mistress Adrienne and Jeff later tonight. Soon, though, I promise.”

  They said their goodbyes, and Jack and Eva left the club, climbing the stairs and stepping up onto street level. Once they’d found a cab and were ensconced in the back seat, Eva said, “Jack, I don’t just want to visit the second floor. I want to see the attic where he kept me.”

  Jack regarded her solemnly, and she stared back at him, letting her eyes linger over the curves and angles of his handsome face, which was alternately in shadow and light as the city lights flashed through the taxi cab’s windows. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Jack stroked her cheek. “I can’t bear the thought of you being hurt any more than you already have been.”

  Eva reveled in his touch a moment, but then drew back, intent on making him understand. “Going back is another step in my recovery. Master Phillip”—she caught herself and amended—”Blake Stanton took a wonderful concept of a safe place for serious players in the scene to meet, and he turned it into a backdrop for my nightmares. If I stay away forever because of what he did, then he wins, don’t you see?”

  Jack nodded thoughtfully. “I do see, and I understand. I understand that you’re a very brave woman, Eva.”

  Eva smiled. “Thank you.” She reached for his hand. “I don’t think I would have the courage to go back if you weren’t going to be there beside me.”

  The cab pulled up in front of the address Jack had given him, and Jack leaned forward to pay the man. He was out of the car in a flash, moving quickly around the back of the vehicle to open Eva’s door for her. He extended a hand and Eva accepted it, her skin tingling at his touch as he helped her climb out.

  They walked together up the flagstones toward the entrance of Hawthorne Dungeon. Jack pulled out his keys and fitted one into the front door of the old brownstone. They entered the large front hall. Eva let Jack help her off with her coat. She was still wearing the borrowed satin gown, and her nipples perked in the cool air of the front hall.

  Jack reached for a clipboard from the occasional table that stood to the side of the door. “We’ve devised a system for using the dungeon rooms until we find a replacement Master Keyholder,” he explained as he ran his eye over the clipboard. “Looks like all the rooms are occupied right now, except for the harem room. Were you ever in there?”

  “I was forced to clean it a few times,” Eva said in a low voice, her stomach suddenly clutching unpleasantly at the memory of dragging a heavy bucket and mop, her ankles hobbled by chain, the fear of Master Phillip’s rebuke and punishment pushing her forward despite hunger and exhaustion. She turned away abruptly so Jack wouldn’t see the sudden tears in her eyes.

  From behind her, he cupped her shoulder with his big, strong hand. “He can’t harm you anymore, Eva. And soon he’ll be in prison, hopefully for a long, long time.” He kneaded her shoulder muscles and Eva felt herself relaxing beneath his touch. After a moment, she turned back to face him, managing a smile. Leaning down, Jack kissed the tip of her nose, which made Eva giggle.

  “That’s better,” he said, smiling back at her. He looked down once more at the clipboard and back at her. “How about I’ll sign us in for the next hour in the harem room? We don’t have to do anything,” he added quickly. “But it’s a nice place just to relax. The atmosphere in there is very peaceful.”

  Eva nodded, grateful for his easy, pressure-free approach. Though she’d started out from the club certain she wanted to continue to scene with Jack, now that she actually stood in the building where she’d endured the most harrowing experience of her life, she no longer felt quite so amorous.

  “First the attic,” she said, her voice coming out hoarsely. She cleared her throat and rallied her courage.

  Jack regarded her intently. After a moment, he nodded. “Let’s go, then.”

  They climbed the stairs to the second floor, pausing on the landing as they glanced at the closed doors of the various dungeon rooms currently in use. As they started toward the third floor, Eva’s heart picked up its pace. Her eye was drawn to what had been Master Phillip’s bedroom, an uncontrollable shudder moving through her as she recalled the one time he’d kept her in his bed overnight, hogtied like an animal at the foot of the bed, with dildos filling both orifices, a p
iece of duct tape over her mouth, his sticky ejaculate drying on her back.

  “Eva, you’re pale. We don’t have to do this.” Jack moved closer and pulled her into his arms. For a moment she hid her face against his chest, drawing strength from his embrace and his concern.

  When he let her go, she drew herself tall, determined to move ahead. “I’m fine, Jack. Really. Let’s finish this thing.” She watched as Jack pulled the thick cord that released the trapdoor in the ceiling. As the stairs unfolded she was assailed with sudden dizziness and, for a moment, she thought she might pass out.

  Then her vision cleared, and she lifted her chin. Jack took hold of the stair railing and put his foot on the first step. Turning back toward her, he extended his hand.

  Once at the top, Eva wrapped her arms around her torso to stop herself from trembling. Jack opened the door and flicked on the light. Eva forgot to breathe as she stepped inside the space that had been her prison for the seven longest weeks of her life.

  She looked around, confused. She had been envisioning the room exactly as she’d left it, and it took a moment for her brain to adjust to what she was seeing. The filthy mattress in the corner was gone. The exam table and cross had been removed, as had the thick chains that had hung from the ceiling beams. The floorboards were scrubbed and the room smelled of lemon oil and Lysol.

  She looked at Jack, who was watching her intently, the concern evident in his expression. “What happened to all the stuff that was in here?” she asked.

  “Some of it was removed by the police and is being held as evidence for the trial. The rest of it we destroyed. We all agreed we didn’t want anything that monster had used up here to remain in Hawthorne Dungeon. Once the police gave the all clear, the place was scoured and cleaned by a professional crew. It’s just an attic room now. A place for storage. Nothing more.”

  Though she knew it was fanciful, Eva could almost feel another rip in the fabric of her wellbeing mending itself. There was no place left in the clean, empty space for any lingering ghosts of suffering and misery to hide. She turned to Jack and smiled.

  “Thank you.”

  ~*~

  Jack led Eva down the hall toward the harem room. Even though no words had been spoken, something had shifted between them since they’d left the attic. Eva had been correct in her desire to see the place where she’d been held captive. It was as if a darkness that had stained both their souls had suddenly lifted. Jack understood it was time for him to take the control she longed for him to exert.

  They stepped together into the sumptuous space of the harem room with its marble floor, silk couches and richly woven rugs. Only the stocks in the center of the room hinted at the BDSM possibilities.

  Jack closed the door and turned the lock. He led Eva to one of the couches, but instead of directing her to sit beside him, he said, “Take off your shoes and gown and present yourself to me. Stand at attention, feet shoulder-width apart, hands behind your head.”

  Eva’s clear brown eyes widened and she swallowed visibly, but after a moment, she did as he commanded. Jack sat back on the couch, riveted to the erotic scene as she slipped the narrow straps of the gown off her shoulders and let the dress puddle to the ground. She was completely naked underneath. A pleasing rosy flush moved over her face and throat, but there was a quiet determination in her actions. She stepped out of the heels, drew in a deep breath, and assumed the required position.

  Her body was exquisite—her breasts firm and high, her curves in all the right places. She was shaved smooth at her cleft, and Jack’s cock hardened to steel as he drank in her beauty.

  “Turn around,” he ordered softly.

  Eva turned slowly until her back was to him. Her ass was small but shapely, perfect for spanking, and his palms actually itched with anticipation. Then he focused on the scars, and his heart cracked. In addition to the long welt seared over her shoulder blade, there were smaller scars on her ass cheeks, and another long, ridged scar on the front of her right thigh.

  She’s stronger than you think.

  Nora’s and Charles’ words echoed in Jack’s mind, and he knew they were right. That bastard had marked her, both physically and emotionally, but he hadn’t broken her. It was up to Jack now, as her Dom, to reinforce her strength, and bring out the full submission she longed to give him.

  He stood and unbuttoned his shirt, his gaze fixed on the naked girl before him. He removed the shirt and tossed it back onto the couch. Eva hadn’t moved. He stepped slowly around her until he was standing in front of her, close enough to kiss her if he lowered his head to hers.

  “Drop your hands to your sides,” he instructed. She obeyed. He took her left hand in his and kissed her palm. A small shudder rippled through her frame. He touched the soft skin on the inside of her wrist with the tip of his tongue. He licked the warm, supple skin, and she shuddered again.

  Dropping her arm, he stepped back and regarded her. “Eva, are you still willing to give me the gift of your submission? Are you offering complete obedience, no matter what I ask of you tonight? Is that what you want?”

  A flicker of fear lit her face like a sudden flash of lightning. A part of Jack wanted to instantly retract his words and fold her into his arms. He forced himself to stand strong, determined to give her the respect she deserved and the space she needed to come to her own decision.

  After a moment, the fear was replaced by a calm determination, and she replied in a low but clear voice, “Yes, Sir. That’s what I want.”

  Jack reached for her, taking her face in his hands. He kissed her eyelids and then touched her lips with his. He kissed her gently at first, but when her lips parted, his passion rose. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, keeping his hands firmly on either side of her head. She moaned against his mouth.

  His cock throbbing, Jack finally pulled away long enough to unbuckle his belt and jerk down his fly. He kicked off his boots and socks, and dragged his pants and underwear down his legs. Eva watched him with hungry eyes, her chest heaving, her nipples hard and rosy red.

  He pointed to the carpet at his feet. “Kneel and place your hands behind your back. Then take my cock in your mouth.” His balls ached as he watched her lower herself into position. He groaned with pleasure as her hot mouth closed over his shaft. She leaned forward, taking the length of him until her nose touched his pubic bone. He placed one hand on the back of her head, holding her in place for several long, delicious moments.

  When he released her, she remained where she was, impaled on his shaft. “Now show me what you can do when you have use of your hands, sub girl. Pleasure me fully,” Jack commanded, his voice husky with lust.

  Eva lifted her gaze to Jack’s face, and he could see the passion smoldering in her eyes. She slid slowly back, almost but not quite releasing his shaft. Keeping her lips wrapped over the head, she gripped the base of his cock with one hand, gently cupping his balls with the other. The sensation was incredible. Jack wanted to lift her onto the couch and plunge into her, but he held himself back.

  He let Eva suck, kiss, stroke and fondle his cock until he couldn’t take another second without losing control. “Stop,” he finally gasped. She obeyed at once, her hands and mouth falling away, leaving his wet, rock-hard cock bobbing between them. He stared down at Eva, who looked up at him with her lips parted, her eyes shining, her breath coming fast and shallow.

  “Tell me what you want,” he said.

  She looked confused. “What I want, Sir?” she echoed.

  “Yes. Right now. From me. I am giving you permission—no, I’m commanding you to tell me what you want at this moment. There is no right or wrong answer. I genuinely want to know what’s in your heart and mind right now. Do you crave another whipping? Would you like to be cuffed into those stocks while I do it? Do you need a good, hard spanking? Are you aching to be fucked? Would you rather I just held you in my arms and kissed you from head to toe? There’s no shame in slowing things down, Eva. We have all the time in the world.”

/>   He held his breath as he waited for her reply. Though she’d behaved with complete submissive grace since they’d entered the room, it was possible he was pushing her too far, too fast. He only hoped she trusted him enough to say so, if that was the case.

  “Oh,” Eva breathed as she gazed up at him, a devilish understanding lighting her eyes, her lips lifting into an angelic smile. “All of the above, Sir. Please, Sir. All of it.”

  Jack laughed, both relieved and delighted. Reaching down, he lifted Eva to her feet and pulled her into his arms. “Then you shall have it,” he said, covering her face in tiny kisses. “All of it.”

  He led the beautiful, naked girl to the stocks that hung suspended from thick chains on either side of the apparatus. As she stood watching, he lifted the top half of the stocks. He pointed to the half-moon indentations where her neck and wrists should rest. “Place your head and wrists there. When you’re comfortable, I’ll close the stocks. If you need me to let you out at any time, for any reason, you will say red light. That’s your safeword, okay?”

  “Yes, Sir,” Eva said. “Red light. Got it.”

  She leaned forward and placed her head and wrists over the lower half of the wooden stocks. She shifted her feet until she was comfortable. “I’m ready, Sir,” she said. Jack carefully lowered the top half of the stocks over her neck and wrists and slid the deadbolt that would hold it securely closed into place.

  He stepped back to admire the gorgeous sight. Bent at the waist, her torso was parallel to the floor, her legs spread wide for balance and comfort. He moved to enjoy the view of her smooth, bare cunt from behind. He fisted his cock, still slick from her kisses, as he admired her feminine perfection. How easy it would be to step closer, grip her hips, and plunge into her with one perfect thrust. The image was so powerful he nearly succumbed, until his head reasserted control of his body.

  Letting his cock go, he moved to the wall where an array of whips, crops, paddles and floggers were hung. He stood a moment, pondering what to choose. He didn’t want to repeat Sir Gordon’s earlier efforts. He selected instead a thick leather strap. It wouldn’t be quite as intense as a paddle or single tail, but would pack more of a wallop than a flogger. He slapped it against his thigh, taking its measure as he returned to her.