Through the Lens

by Laura Sutton

  Claire quickly slipped from the office as she quickly walked back to the Master room quietly and went into the closet. Looking at her watch, she knew that she had to hurry to be ready for the function that she had to attend with Aidan that evening for his job. She couldn't believe how the time had flown as she looked through the apartment. The last thing that Claire really wanted to do was to be around a lot of people. She was going crazy being cooped up inside of Aidan's penthouse but being around a hundred or, so people weren't high on her list. Aidan had commanded that she go, and she was not going to defy him.

  Claire stared at her side of the closet that Aidan had filled with several types of clothes. She slipped off the robe and hung it on the hook as she walked to the back at of the closet where the fancy evening dresses hung almost to the ground.

  It was her first event with Aidan since the accident. It was a special event for Aidan as he launched a new app for the market. He refused to tell Claire anything about it except that it was for artists, to help them expand their craft.

  Claire's hand ran over the material of the dresses. All of them were so beautiful but she hated to choose. As she ran her hands slowly over the dresses one slipped from the hanger and fell to the floor. Claire leaned over to get it as she heard a noise behind her. Aidan stood in his tux, just outside the closet almost frozen. His eyes running over Claire from head to toe as she stood in nothing but the lingerie that she'd found in the drawer. “Enjoying the show?” She said, unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice.

  “You sound angry.” Aidan eyed her, curious.

  “Frustrated.” Claire turned around as she looked back at the dresses. She could hear him walking, felt him getting closer to her as her stomach almost spasmed with the thoughts going through her mind. He grabbed her arm lightly, swinging her towards him. He kissed her softly and deepened in. When he moved away Claire was breathing hard.

  “Why frustrated?”

  “You know why.” Claire glared at him. “We're going to be late if I don't hurry up.” Claire turned again towards the dresses.

  “We have time,” Aidan said as he pulled her back, kissing her shoulder and up her neck. She could feel the large bulge in his pants, pressing the crevice of her ass. “Suck my fingers, Claire.” He held up his finger as she took them into her mouth and sucked. He pulled them out and slowly ran his fingers over the middle of her breasts, past her navel and into her panties. “You’re already very wet,” he whispered in her ear. She hadn't the nerve to tell him about trying to pleasure herself or that she had finally got so desperate when she was in his office. “What have you been doing?” He asked seductively as he pushed two fingers inside her as he thrust himself upwards behind her. Claire whimpered in pleasure. “Hush. Not a sound.” Aidan moved his fingers, in and out repeatedly, as he rocked her from behind. Aidan removed his fingers as he slid off his tux jacket. “Lean over, hands on the wall, ass up.”

  “But...”

  “Do not make me repeat myself or you'll be punished.”

  Claire bit her lip trying not to smile at just the mere thought of punishment. The idea, the imagery of his hand swatting her backside made the throbbing in her sex thump even harder. She heard the zipper of his pants as he put his hands around her hips and pulled her back away from the wall making her lean almost farther down, in order to keep her hands on the wall as he commanded. He grabbed each side of the lingerie and pulled. The bows came undone and the underwear fell to the ground. Standing up, he pushed one of her legs out farther as he stepped up, gripping her shoulder and thrust into her as far as he could. She bit her tongue as she remained silent. He pounded into her as he felt her tighten around him. “Don't come.”

  “Aidan...” Claire pleaded.

  He smacked her ass, hard. “Silence.”

  Claire clenched with everything that was in her. She would do as he said, this is what she wanted; what she needed. To be dominated like she had heard so much about. He slowed his rhythm, torturing her. With each thrust, she could feel him pulsing within her. She could taste blood in her mouth from where she was biting her lip to keep from coming. When she did not think that she could last another second Aidan's voice whispered, “Come for me, baby...” she exploded as he found his own release, deep inside of her, “bear.” He smiled as he kissed her neck. He pulled out of her as he helped her to stand.

  “Still frustrated?”

  She shook her head.

  “You may speak?”

  “No. No sir.” She wheezed; her throat completely dry. Claire's grin was on her face clearly and she did not care who saw. At this moment, she was happy.

  “Tonight,” Aidan said, lightly swatting her ass, as he turned around and left the closet.

  “Tonight?” Claire asked. Her eyes going wide she had almost forgotten the event and quickly turned around. She knew the perfect dress. Grabbing the black and silver designer dress she slid it on over her bra and ran from the closet. She looked in the mirror, glad that her hair and make-up were still in place. She started to leave the room and noticed Aidan coming out of the bathroom.

  “Aren't you forgetting something?” Aidan asked smugly.

  “No.”

  “Shoes. Jewelry.”

  “Right.” Claire sighed. She should not have spent the morning searching dominance, sex, pleasuring yourself, or looking for the hidden playroom in his giant penthouse. She knew that this event was tonight, and she hadn't gotten anything done. Their romp in the closet did not help the time restraint either. She was completely scatterbrained. She just prayed that she got through the evening.

  “Sit,” Aidan commanded as he walked into the closet grabbing a pair of shoes. He came out and saw her still standing almost frozen. He touched her arm, she looked to him and he could see. “I said sit.” She nodded and sat down on the bed. He picked up her leg and slid on the high heel and hooked it behind her ankle and did the same with the other one.

  “Jewelry?” Claire asked quietly. “Do I really need it?” She bit her lip. Aidan just arched his eyebrow before he set about the room looking at different pieces. He returned to her with a pair of dangling silver earrings.

  Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a long jewelry box. Claire smiled as he popped it open. It held a beautiful sapphire tennis bracelet and a long necklace. The blue sapphires matched the color of the lights within the playroom in his country home. Claire looked at him and knew that she'd chosen the right dress. “The necklace is long enough that it should not bother your neck. If it does, we will forgo the necklace.”

  “It should be fine,” Claire said with a smile as she looked at the necklace. He was taking care of her. He remembered her sensitivity to her neck and wondered if he had noticed that she never wore a necklace around him. She picked up her hair as he secured the necklace as it fell almost in her cleavage. He picked up the bracelet, securing it around her wrist as well. Before letting go he kissed her wrist and palm.

  “Let's go, Baby Bear.” Aidan smiled as he helped her stand and kissed her.

  Claire felt like a princess in a fairytale the moment that she walked into the event on one of the Ashby Tower floors. A server brought her and Ashby special drinks in champagne glasses since they both didn't drink alcohol. She walked around the room paraded on Aidan's arm. Almost everyone knew that she belonged to him after her picture was posted over every media outlet when she crashed. Security camera footage of the car flipping still brought her heart racing. We were lucky, so lucky. Claire sat down at their table and got as comfortable as she could. She played with her necklace in her nervousness as Aidan talked business with some of the others that sat at the table. The dinner tasted amazing; the chicken so moist that it fell apart with a great sauce over it. Claire finished the meal and saw Aidan smiling with approval. He had a thing about the food she noticed but she could care less about eating.

  The meal was over and the unveiling, the reason for the event, was beginning. Aidan stood up, buttoning his jacket. Claire stared at him as he
stood up there; so strong, so controlling, and so charismatic. “Thank you all for coming tonight. We are all here for the unveiling of our newest product. Claire, join me on stage.” Claire froze as the spotlight hit her. She was shocked but her feet moved to join him on stage. “I met Claire at a photoshoot for Elite Magazine. We talked about our love of painting, drawing, and sketching. Claire was my inspiration as I designed the 'DigiPri' app and the digital design printer. This app allows you to paint, draw, and sketch with the ability to sync with your laptop, our design printer, and other online platforms. Claire, would you draw something for us?” Claire looked at him, keeping her fake professional smile on her face.

  Claire was beyond nervous, she was terrified. She had never drawn in front of people, never did her art on command. She stepped up and grasped the pen and his company tablet. Claire set the tablet on the podium and closed her eyes focusing, drowning out the people that were watching her. Claire started drawing the one thing that she had always kept in her mind. She started drawing, picking new colors as the picture of Aidan's back in the snowy landscape. She put the pen down and handed Aidan back his tablet. She could see the light in his eyes. He had changed a lot in the past twelve weeks just as she had changed. “A beautiful picture. Let's sync it to the printer and you can choose how to print it. Canvas, photo paper, posters, and much more. Though canvas is my favorite.” He pushed the button for canvas as he heard the printer start. The printer stopped and Aidan pulled out a stretched canvas with the picture of what Claire had drawn. Everyone applauded and erupted in discussion and praise. He had brought out the who's who in the artist, design, and business community. Aidan took Claire's hand in his as he kissed her and walked down the steps of the platform. “You were amazing.”

  “I'm going to kill you,” Claire whispered with a smile.

  Aidan just smiled at her as he shook hands. Claire had several people coming up to her talking about her painting and wanting to know more. They were separated as people surrounded them wanting to speak to them both. It felt like an eternity that Claire had kept her smile on as her anxiety had her almost in panic attacks as she tried to focus on one conversation at a time. She was thankful for her doctor's constant roleplaying in any environment and staying calm and not letting people see the truth.

  “Dance with me,” Aidan whispered into her ear as he took her hand. “Sorry gentleman, it's our song.” Aidan smiled as he pulled her away. He could feel her lightly shaking. He wanted to curse as he knew that something was wrong. He should not have had her up on stage. He knew that she hated the spotlight, but he wanted to show her off. He loved her artwork, but he loved the woman more. Love. Could I really, truly, love her?

  “We have a song?” Claire asked as he felt her calming just by him holding her close.

  “No, but I was tired of watching them hang all over you.”

  Claire gave a small laugh, Aidan spun her on the dance floor, moving to the other side away from the men that were still watching them.

  “Are you jealous?”

  “Yes.” He pulled her closer, as Claire giggled into his chest. Looking up through her thick lashes.

  “Aidan, I'm all yours. I was talking to them about my gallery. A few were trying to hire me to do their portraits.”

  “Portraits, sure. Claire they were wanting to hire you for more than that.”

  “Mr. Ashby, how wild your imagination is.” Claire felt like she could breathe for the first time that evening.

  “Only with you.” Aidan kissed her as the song changed and they stayed on the dance floor in each other's arms talking quietly between each other.

  By the end of the night, she was completely exhausted yet beyond energized at the same time as people were talking about her gallery show coming up that week. They loved watching her draw... she bit her lip as she thought of maybe putting a camera in her gallery so she could record her painting. Her thoughts turned to her and Aidan and the stuff they could do in her gallery with a video camera.

  Claire walked into the penthouse and up the staircase towards the bedroom. Aidan's phone went off and he walked into the kitchen as he took it. She walked into Aidan's closet, staring at the clothes. There was something inside of her that craved him, needed to feel him inside of her again, to remind her that she was alive, and even cherished, as he always told her she was. She had never felt loved or wanted her whole life, but here with Aidan, she felt that. Claire wiped a tear away. She was not going to cry or show any sort of emotion. She had to get out of here, to think through these foreign emotions that suddenly rolled violently through her.

  Claire walked out of the room quickly and went into the room that was hers. She tried to slide out of her dress, but her hands were shaking. She tried hard to get it unzipped and fell to the bed, sitting there as tears ran down her face, covering her mouth to make sure that she did not make a sound.

  Aidan ended his call and went to his room, confused when he didn't see Claire. He walked through the house and found her sitting in the dark in her bedroom. He pushed the door open and saw the tears. He walked over and sat down beside her. “I'm sorry I made you come on stage. I know you don't like the spotlight.”

  “No, it was... fun.”

  “The people afterward.”

  “Overwhelming. I'm just being stupid.”

  “You're not stupid. Claire, talk to me. Trust me.”

  “I do trust you,” she said quietly.

  “Not with everything.” Claire was about to say something, but he held his hands up. Claire dropped her head to her chest, looking down to her bare feet. “Yes, I want to know all your past. To really know you but I am not going to press you anymore for that information. I just want to see you happy and your past upsets you. I can assure you of one thing.” Aidan lifted her chin to look at him. “I will love you no matter your past, your deepest darkest thought, dream, or fantasy. Claire, I love you.” Aidan kissed her. Her arms circled around his shoulders.

  “Though I have one question.”

  Claire moved back a little so she could see his face, gripping the comforter on the bed.

  “Why were you so wet when I saw you in the closet.”

  Claire's face went bright red and guilty might as well be flashing neon sign on her forehead.

  Aidan smirked. “Seeing your face, I'm gathering something happened. Tell me.”

  “Well... I...” Claire shuddered suddenly unsure of what to say and finally, the dam broke as she spilled everything. “You refused to touch me, and I was losing my mind. Definitely, losing my mind. I was looking for the playroom and I just sat down and I...”

  “Did you touch yourself like this?” Aidan asked as he lightly trailed his fingers over her through her dress.

  “I'm not proud of it.” She wiggled, obviously mortified.

  “Why not? It's natural.”

  “I've never...” Claire bit her lip from saying more.

  “You really want the playroom, more of the dominance?”

  “Yes, sir.” Claire looked up quickly hoping that he wasn't playing with her.

  “I did say tonight.”

  Claire's eyes were wide as she realized that he was not talking about the event but 'tonight.'

  Aidan stood up and put out his hand. She took it and stood up. He walked from the room. Going up the stairs. She knew it! It's in his bedroom. Instead, Aidan turned towards the pool area; stopping at a door marked 'no admittance, roof access' and unlocked it. The roof. They were going to the roof. Suddenly her heart was thudding. “Are we going to the roof?”

  “No.”

  The door opened and she gasped as the lights turned on. The room was navy blue leather,

  “Not what you expected.”

  “I was expecting Black and Red.”

  “Black should only be the color of clothes, not walls or accents. I prefer blue.” Sliding up behind her he whispered in her ear, “And white for purity.” He leaned up with a smirk. “Just like you Baby Bear. So new, so willing.” Claire coul
d feel the throbbing in her legs. She was completely at his mercy. He was right this was completely new to her, but she was eager to try his way. He stepped up behind her and slowly unzipped her dress. Stepping in front of her he pulled the dress off her as it fell to the ground he smiled. “You forgot your panties, Ms. Henderson.”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Better. Stay.”

  Aidan walked away and Claire watched him for a moment until her curiosity overtook her. She looked around the room. The bed had a gray frame and silver hooks. The walls had clear drawers and she saw all types of toys that just begged to be used on her. She saw the whips, a little fear struck her, but she trusted Aidan. She found him as he pulled out a few things from drawers. She noticed his energy, the way he almost stalked about the room. This was his comfort zone. She looked at the equipment that sat in the room. She was glad not to see anything too crazy. She had done way too much research, some of it scaring her, but mostly turning her on as her mound moistened as she saw the swing that was like the one in the White Room. This room was slightly larger than the White Room. The walls were lined with navy blue soundproof padding. A lounge bench sat in one corner, next to the inversion table. She was so busy with looking at the equipment and remembering what they had done in the swing last time that she did not hear Aidan coming towards her. He touched her as she looked over to him quickly. “Ready?”

  “Yes, sir.” Claire almost whispered.

  He unhooked her bra and tossed it toward the door. She lifted her hands to cover herself. He grabbed her hands and brought them down. “I did not tell you to cover yourself, Claire.” She nodded as she lowered her hands. He took her breasts into his hands and started to massage them as she had in his office. Pinching her nipples brought her arching opening her breasts even more to him. “That's right.” He clipped a clamp onto each of her nipples, connected with a tight chain. Aidan ran his fingers down her chest and necklace as he gently tugged on the clamps.