Marketplace

by Laura Antoniou

  “Would you like me to send for something to drink, ma’am?” she asked, turning to put the bottles of oils and gels away.

  “No, Claudia. Just turn down the bed and lower the lights, will you?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  That was swiftly done, the lamps adjusted so that Alex could put them out with a simple touch. Claudia drew the curtains and plumped up the pillows before Alex came into the room.

  “Good,” the mistress of the house murmured. “You’re coming along very well, Claudia. Come here and let me look at you.”

  Claudia approached and allowed Alex to examine her, turning her body at the lightest touch, bending when pushed, raising her arms when they were tapped. Her responses were excellent.

  Alex tapped Claudia’s lips with her fingers, and Claudia took two of them into her mouth, encircling them softly and wetting them. She sighed as Alex trailed them down her throat and then returned to get them re-moistened. Several motions like that ran a trail of moisture from Claudia’s throat across her nipples (which immediately sprang erect), and down to her belly. She sighed.

  Alex walked over to her bed and leaned back against the pillows. “Come here and please me,” she said simply. Claudia turned and eagerly joined the mistress, poising herself comfortably above her. “Start up here,” Alex gracefully stroked her own throat, and Claudia leaned forward to kiss it.

  She pressed her lips gently to the places that Alex liked, and then slowly warmed to the task by giving little nibbles and flicks of her tongue. Alex encouraged her, guiding her head and then bringing one of Claudia’s hands up to start stroking the sides of her breast. Claudia whimpered a little at the move, but changed her position and did as she was directed. She waved her fingers lightly over Alex’s body, not quite teasing and never rough, and passed her kisses down one shoulder. Alex brought one of her hands up and cupped Claudia’s left breast, compressing her nipple and making her moan.

  “You want this, don’t you?” she prompted.

  “Oh, yes, yes ma’am,” Claudia responded breathlessly.

  “And you love it. Say it.”

  “I love it, ma’am! I love every touch, I love pleasing you!”

  Alex smiled and brought Claudia’s head up. “Good girl. Turn around and show me how wet you are. Tell me about it, that’s it, put your head down against the bed. Spread your legs apart. Wider. That’s it. I can see how much you need this, Claudia, did you know that?” Claudia moaned in humiliation, but maintained her position. She folded her arms to act as a cradle for her head, and straddled Alex’s legs, facing away. In between the inverted “V” of her spread thighs, her hairless pussy was open, the sides lustrous with her moisture.

  “Tell me,” Alex said again. The mistress sat up a little more for a better view, and casually touched herself as Claudia began to speak.

  “I-I am wet, ma’am,” Claudia began. It was so hard to talk about these things, especially when she was like this! But the potential rewards outweighed any embarrassment, so she plunged onward. “I was when I first came to see you tonight. I always am when I’m with you! And—and I want your touch, ma’am, oh, I need it! Please, please, let me serve you, let me make you happy...”

  “Get off the bed,” Alex said gently, “and crawl across the room. Behind the door in the next room are two things I would like you to bring back here. You may not carry them in your hands, so think carefully before coming back. Go.”

  Claudia unfolded herself and climbed off the bed. How surprising! She was positive that Alexandra would keep her there longer, making her say these things until she ran out of words. But she scampered across the floor in an adorable crawl, and found her way into the next room.

  Behind the door, sitting on a square of black silk, was a leather gag and a small brown leather paddle. She stopped and stared at them. How long had it been since she saw toys like these? A new rush of warmth spread through her, and she touched them with one careful finger. Now how to carry them? She could probably put the strap of the gag in her mouth, and then one side of the paddle, but that would keep her mouth open wide, and it would look very unaesthetic. But there seemed no other way, so she positioned them both carefully and started the long crawl back. Of course, Alexandra was lying on the edge of the bed, watching her for every step of the trip. She tried to concentrate on not dropping the items, or biting them hard enough to put marks in them.

  Alexandra was silent as she took them from Claudia’s mouth, examined them, and then carefully buckled the gag on. It had a soft rubber mouthpiece, and it wrapped firmly around the girl’s lips. It emphasized the pleading quality in her eyes, and despite the fact that Alex didn’t much like gags, she had to admit that Claudia looked particularly helpless and cute in this one. Sitting back in a comfortable position, she patted her lap, and watched as Claudia climbed up, trying not to show her eagerness.

  The paddle was made of good, thick leather, and the sounds it made were not as startling as the sounds that Chris’s strap produced. But Alex wasn’t interested in punishment. She took time to rub the leather against Claudia’s body, patting her thighs and her back with it, and then lightly swatting at her sex. Each change in tactic evoked new muffled sound of pleasure from the girl, who was squirming delightfully in no time. She even did that well, managing to move sensuously without losing her balance or giving the impression that she was trying to get away.

  Alex picked up the tempo slowly, building up a warm, glowing sensation on Claudia’s rounded cheeks and taking a lot of time to continue her relentless tantalizing, stroking and patting and occasionally running her fingernails along sensitive places on Claudia’s body. Claudia’s cries became more frantic as Alex circled closer and closer to her sex.

  “You want to come for me tonight,” Alex said. It wasn’t a question, because there didn’t need to be an answer. “And you will, if...”

  Claudia raised her head, her nostrils flaring around the gag.

  “If... you’re a very good girl and promise to scream as loud as you can when you do. That’s why the gag is there, Claudia. I want you to be able to scream into it loud enough to shake the windows. I want you to thrash around and arch, and bend and let everything go until the last vestiges of pleasure are simply screamed out and there’s nothing left but exhaustion.”

  Claudia trembled.

  “If you can’t promise me that, then we’ll just keep going like this for a while, and then you’ll go to bed. If you promise, nod your head.”

  Claudia’s head pounded with the weight of the decision. I want to come, she whimpered to herself. Oh, I want it so bad! But I couldn’t... I never... she shook all over, as Alexandra trailed her long cool fingers down her back, and to her delighted dismay, she raised her head higher and nodded. Oh, what has happened to me? she thought, moaning into the gag again. I’m becoming nothing but a slut!

  “That’s a good girl,” Alexandra crooned, as though to counter Claudia’s thoughts. “Then let’s get on with it, shall we?”

  And the seduction/torment continued, with spanks that awakened fire in Claudia’s loins and strokes that made her twist, and then Alexandra took hold of Claudia’s right hand and guided it under her body. “You did realize,” Alexandra whispered, “that you would bring yourself off, didn’t you?”

  And Claudia screamed! Behind the soft leather of the gag, her mouth opened around the rubber mouthpiece and she screeched out the first of a series of yelps of pleasure. Her fingers had automatically slipped into the most perfect spot, and Alexandra’s soft voice and firm hold were all that were needed to spark the explosion. Each wave of pleasure wrenched out another yelp, and when Alexandra’s voice came to her again, urging her to do it “Again!” and then “Again!” Claudia could only obey, her body thrusting against her hand and Alexandra’s lap, her head shaking up and down with a frenetic fury, and even her pretty little feet rising up to kick at the empty air.

  By the time Alexandra let her slump to the floor, she was a sodden, wasted wreck of a lovel
y young woman, still shaking from the after affects of her orgasms, covered in sweat, tears and the abundant moisture from between her thighs. Alex bent down and took off the gag, and Claudia made a sobbing sound as it was drawn from her mouth. Her jaw hurt, her throat was sore, her ass felt like it glowed, she was positively raw, and she was absolutely happy. She rolled over onto her belly to cover Alex’s feet with grateful, wet kisses.

  And for the first time, one of the slaves did not return to the dorm to sleep.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “...and finally, Claudia, Sharon and Brian will meet with me after dinner and we will proceed to the main dining room to hear Robert’s first presentation. Is everyone clear on their assignments today?”

  Three nods, accompanied by “Yes, Chris,” in perfect unison, and one choking sound answered him. He locked his gaze onto Robert, who somehow found a way to fumble the simple act of holding a fork.

  “I hope your voice is in better form tonight,” Chris said with a slight smile. “You are all dismissed.”

  The first day without Rachel to control her portion of the household and without the temporary help that walked in and out of the house like industrious shadows, was a day of barely missed disasters. Claudia, constantly referring to her pages of handwritten notes on what had to be done and in what order, got lost and frightened and panicked. In mid-afternoon, Chris took her aside, organized her notes for her and, curiously, did not beat the living daylights out of her. Claudia was too relieved to wonder why. After the wondrous night she had spent with Alexandra, the hustle of the new day was almost unbearable.

  Brian began to think that he was living the life of a schizophrenic. He started out working in the stable in the morning, where Jack was his usual unintelligible horny self, and then after lunch found himself being decked out in peach-colored lace bows, including one that he had to thread through the wire cage around his cock. Thus attired, he vacuumed and carried things under Claudia’s cautious and apologetic direction. Since she was unsure of how to actually tell him what to do and he was unaware of what had to be done next, they often found themselves hiding from one another, avoiding the inevitable time when they would have to make believe they knew what was going on.

  Sharon endured yet another lesson with a very distracted Robert, and then found herself scrubbing the kitchen floor, dusting the rooms on the first floor, and then putting stamps on a pile of letters that Grendel had in his office. In the afternoon, dying of boredom, she found herself having to spend a good chunk of time going down on Claudia while Alexandra watched. Since this event took place in the middle of the second floor landing, right by the rail overlooking the main hallway, it was a little different than usual. And Claudia, a girl who Sharon had decided was just plain frigid, seemed more than willing to let it all hang out today, which made it more fun than usual. But after that, it was back to work, this time slicing potatoes for a dinner salad. It was all Sharon could do to keep from screaming.

  As for Robert, the entire day passed in a blur of varied intensity, until he found himself unable to eat anything at dinner and shaking like a leaf when Chris came in to dismiss them. The majordomo took the other three away, and told Robert to go directly to the main dining room and wait. Robert sat in the large room, his knees together, running his memorized poem through his head over and over again. Oh, why did he have to do it in front of them? And why did Alexandra choose this poem for him to do first?

  I can’t cry, he thought, closing his eyes. If I do, they’ll all be there, and I just couldn’t stand it if any of them took a beating for me again. What if they decided to beat Claudia? I’d just die. I have to stay calm. I have to be manly. I have to be... dignified. Maybe I can just pretend that I’m talking to all those men in suits. I used to be able to sell them electric apple slicers, for God’s sake, I can just say this stupid poem and get it over with... can’t I?

  Chris came in, snapped his fingers, and Robert shot up. Together, they set the dining room chairs up, three front and center, two off to the side. And then Chris gave Robert a little lopsided smile and left again. When he returned, Alexandra and Grendel walked in with him, and took the two seats over to the side. Alexandra said, “Turn around, Robert. Since we don’t have a curtain, you’ll have to turn to face the audience when we’re all assembled.”

  He did as she said, and heard the sounds of his companions entering the room and taking their three seats. It seemed kind of odd to him—why weren’t the slaves on the floor? And why wasn’t there a seat for Chris? And how...

  Chris’s voice cut through Robert’s wonderings. “Trainees, tonight Robert will entertain us with a dramatic reading of a classic poem. Robert, you may now turn around and begin.”

  Robert took a deep breath. Stay calm! Stay calm! Carefully, trying to be as fluid and elegant as Alexandra said he could be, he turned around and opened his eyes. And after a moment of sheer confusion, tried his damnedest to keep from bursting out into laughter.

  Because arrayed before him in three chairs, were his three companions, their faces touched with light blushes and barely disguised mirth.

  Brian was sitting in his chair dressed in a white lace apron, with a lace cap on his head and little strings of pearls dangling between his nipple rings. Heavy ropes of more pearls hung around his neck, and Victorian-style earrings danced and dangled from his ears. Helping out and exaggerating the natural color on his cheeks were bright circles of paint that could only have accompanied a clown costume.

  Claudia was wearing a pair of loud, plaid boxer shorts much too big for her, and men’s socks with old fashioned garters. A pair of suspenders held the shorts up, and a smiley face button was attached the right suspender, a McGovern campaign button on the left. Her hair was in pig-tails.

  And Sharon—well, Sharon was dressed in something that looked like it came out of the latest rock video or an old science fiction pulp magazine cover. Her breasts were covered with demonically pointed golden cones attached with strands of chain, and she had a skin-tight pair of lycra leggings in a tasteful gold lamé which covered her from ankle to hips. Her feet were encased in fluffy, pink bunny slippers, and a pair of gold antennae bounced above her ears.

  Robert stared in shock. He could see that Brian was struggling not to laugh, and the young man was losing the battle. Finally, he folded his arms over his chest, hiding the pearls, and looked down at the floor. Claudia was in a kind of shock herself. She seemed not to know what to make of the entire affair, except that it was silly and maybe a little bit embarrassing and she tried not to look at Robert for fear of distracting him, knowing full well that he couldn’t help but be distracted.

  And Sharon? Well, she simply blazed with her uncomprehending anger. The look on her face was hostile, and Robert couldn’t tell if she was angry at him, or Chris, or Alexandra, or what! But somehow, the tit-cones and the bunny slippers made her seem terribly ridiculous, and Robert had to struggle to control the twitching at the side of his mouth. He glanced over to Alexandra, and felt a droplet of sweat run down the back of his neck. Alexandra, seemingly unaffected by the oddly dressed slaves, waved her hand for him to start. Grendel was hiding his mouth behind one hand. Chris was standing to one side next to the two of them, his hands behind his back and an entirely disinterested look on his face.

  Robert swallowed and cleared his throat and tried to focus his eyes on the air above everyone’s head. He must not stammer. He must not speak in a high-pitched tone of voice. He must sound impressive and clear.

  Sharon’s antennae bounced into his peripheral vision.

  Laughter spurted up within him, growing in his belly and chest, and he fought it back down. Carefully, trying to keep his voice steady, he put his hands behind his back and began,

  “’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves, did gyre and gimble in the wabe...” and collapsed into peals of laughter. It was infectious. Brian burst out into loud guffaws, actually slapping his knee, and Claudia snickered and giggled until tears formed in her eyes. Their laugh
ter rose in intensity every time they looked at each other. Sharon looked confused for a moment and looked around he, unable to figure out what to do. Finally, she allowed a snicker to escape, and reinforced it by staring at the bouncing pearls on Brian’s chest. In no time, the four slaves were laughing so hard, tears trickled down their cheeks and they had to gasp for breath.

  Alexandra hid a smile but maintained her composure. It was her show, after all. But Grendel threw back his head and grinned at Chris, the only one in the room still struggling to keep a neutral look on his face.

  “That’s quite enough!” the majordomo said sternly. “Pull yourselves together!” It was quite a feat, with Claudia managing to obey first, by staring at the floor and physically holding her mouth closed. Brian and Sharon took an extra minute, their shoulders shaking almost uncontrollably. And Robert, wiping the tears out of his own eyes, cleared his throat again and looked over to Alex, who nodded for him to begin again.

  Words that had threatened to come out in chunks of strangled sound flowed from Robert’s lips like the well known phrases of a liturgy. The barely constrained hilarity of the moment was a perfect tonic, and even as the lines of the nonsense poem rolled out in a smooth (but not very dramatic) cadence, Robert found himself amazed at the ease of his delivery. Having the three sitting directly in front of him in their funny costumes was only one part of what made it easy. The other part was the subtle encouragement he felt from them. Hints of giggles and snickers rose during some of the stranger linguistic jumbles, but everyone managed to maintain some form of composure until the end.