by Anna Stone
“Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.” Mel sifted through the pile of bags and boxes which her outfit had come in. She found the jewelry box. It held a pair of silver sapphire earrings and a matching bracelet. Vanessa herself was always wearing sapphires. Mel put them on.
“Is that it?” Jess picked up the empty jewelry box, frowning. “No necklace? That’s weird.”
“That’s everything.” Mel’s outfit seemed fine as it was. But Jess was the fashion expert.
There was a knock on the door.
“Elena must be here already.”
“Elena?” Jess asked.
“Vanessa’s driver.” Mel hurriedly put on the pair of strappy heels that Vanessa had sent her.
“Of course she has her own driver. No sports car this time?”
“Nope. Vanessa said she had to go early, so she sent Elena to pick me up. I’m meeting her there. Wherever there is.” It was all very mysterious. Mel finally got into her heels. She looked around for her purse.
“Here.” Jess handed Mel the clutch. “I’ll pack everything up and get out of here. I have so much studying to do.” Jess grinned. “I guess we’ve switched places, huh? I’m glad you’re finally letting yourself have a bit of fun these days.”
“Thanks, Jess. Wish me luck,” Mel said.
“You don’t need it.” Jess hugged her. “Vanessa is clearly head over heels for you.”
Mel looked out the car window. They were almost at the outskirts of the city. She located the button to roll down the privacy screen and pressed it.
Elena glanced back at her in the rear-view mirror. “Yes?”
“Where are you taking me?” Mel asked.
“Sorry, Vanessa told me not to say anything. And I’m sure you know how she is about people following her orders.” She winked at Mel in the mirror.
Mel flushed, causing Elena to chuckle. Mel decided to change the subject. “How long have you been Vanessa’s driver?”
“Five years or so.”
“What’s it like? Working for her?”
“I enjoy it. She doesn’t work me too hard and pays me very well. In exchange, I’m expected to do things that are well outside of my job description whenever she wants me to. Like picking up her dry cleaning. And tracking down things that she wants. Like I said, I’m basically her assistant. But I don’t mind. It keeps things interesting.”
“You must know her pretty well by now.”
“I do. I knew her before I started working for her. Vanessa and my wife are friends.”
They chatted away casually. Elena was a woman of few words, but she asked Mel lots of questions and listened intently to her answers. Eventually, the conversation died down and they drove along in silence.
After a while, Elena looked back at Mel. “You know, Vanessa doesn’t usually take anyone to these things.”
“What things?” Mel asked. They had been driving for almost an hour now. She was getting restless.
“You’re about to find out. Look out your window.”
Mel rolled down her window. They were on the grounds of a large modern mansion. The white house overlooked a huge, manicured lawn that was dotted with fountains and gardens. As they approached the house, Mel saw that there were groups of people milling around at the entrance. All wore evening gowns and tuxes.
The car stopped at the front of the house. Elena got out and opened the door for Mel, holding out her hand to help Mel out. Mel was grateful. Her heels and floor-length dress weren’t easy to move in.
Mel stepped out onto the path and scanned the crowd. There. Vanessa was standing near the mansion’s entrance, deep in conversation with a pair of older women. She looked so beautiful. Like Mel, Vanessa wore a floor-length gown, as black as her hair, which shimmered silver in the light. Silver heels and jewelry topped off the look. Her dark eyeshadow brought out the blue in her eyes, and her lips were a rich, deep red. Her loose hair flowed down her shoulders in waves.
“Melanie.” Vanessa broke away and strolled over to Mel. She placed her hands on Mel’s waist and kissed her lightly on the lips.
“Vanessa. You look beautiful,” Mel said.
“And you look exquisite.” Vanessa looked Mel up and down, drinking her in.
“It’s all thanks to you.” Mel smoothed down her dress. “I love this dress. The color is gorgeous.”
“I thought you might like it. But I’m not talking about the dress. I’m talking about you.”
Mel’s face grew hot. She had done all manner of kinky things with Vanessa, yet a simple compliment from her made Mel blush like a schoolgirl. She looked around. “What’s all this?”
“It’s my annual charity fundraiser. Well, it’s my company’s fundraiser. The city’s rich have deep pockets. This is a way to use it for good for once.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“Because I want you here. By my side.”
Mel’s heart swelled in her chest.
“Here. I have something for you.” Vanessa held out a flat square jewelry box. “Open it.”
Mel opened the box gingerly. Inside was a thin silver choker. It had a round ring hanging from the front of it, nestled between two small sapphires. It was subtle enough that it appeared to be nothing more than a fashionable necklace. But Mel knew what it was. A collar.
“Do you like it?” Vanessa asked.
Mel traced her fingertips over the necklace. “Yes. I love it.”
“Turn around. I’ll put it on for you.” Vanessa fastened the choker around Mel’s neck, the brush of her fingertips making the hairs stand up on Mel’s skin. She spun Mel back around. “A perfect fit. It suits you.”
Mel reached up to touch the necklace. The ring at the front sat perfectly in the hollow at the base of her neck.
“Let’s head inside.” Vanessa held out her arm for Mel to hold and they walked toward the building.
They attracted quite a few stares on the way in. To a crowd filled with wealthy conservatives, two women together was still scandalous enough to turn heads. Vanessa either didn’t notice, or didn’t care. Mel couldn’t stop touching her necklace.
They stepped through the door. The mansion was just as spectacular on the inside. Mel and Vanessa followed the stream of people into a large, packed ballroom. A band played cool jazz from the front of the room. There was a bar to the side, and a silent auction set up in one corner.
Mel didn’t get a chance to gawk. As soon as they entered the room, Vanessa was ambushed by guests wanting to talk to her. Vanessa would introduce Mel, then the conversation would move on to business matters. Vanessa occasionally dropped Mel little bits of information, but mercifully didn’t expect her to join the conversation. As Vanessa chatted away, Mel simply stood next to Vanessa, luxuriating in it all. The music, the food, the mansion itself. It was magical.
“I hope you didn’t find that too boring.” Vanessa had fended off the last of the guests. “Politeness requires that I at least make small talk with most of the guests. There are some very important people here tonight.”
“I don’t mind. I’m happy just being here.” With you, Mel almost said.
They wandered over to where the silent auction was set up. Mel scanned the prizes. Each was more extravagant than the last. There wasn’t a single item going for less than six figures.
Vanessa picked up a brochure for a holiday on a private island in the middle of the Pacific. “How would you like to come on an island getaway, my pet?”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. It’s for a good cause after all.” Vanessa scribbled an outrageous number on the clipboard. It was by far the highest bid there, and it had to be at least three times what the trip was worth.
Mel’s eyes widened. “Vanessa, I couldn’t…”
“You can and you will.” She put the clipboard back down. “It’s already done. We can go during the summer when you’re done with your internship.”
Mel was both too dumbfounded and excited to reply.
“Come on. Let’s go g
et some air,” Vanessa said.
They wandered out through the double doors and into the garden. For what felt like the hundredth time that night, Mel looked around in awe. There were topiaries cut into elaborate shapes and actual marble statues. As they strolled through the garden, they passed an old, worn mirror hanging from a trellis. Catching a glance of her reflection, Mel stopped to admire her necklace.
Vanessa sidled up behind her, her eyes lit with desire. She wrapped her arms around Mel’s shoulders, pulling her in close from behind. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to put a collar around your neck.” Vanessa’s lips brushed Mel’s ear as she whispered.
Mel’s heart began to race. Vanessa took Mel’s chin in her fingers and tilted it to the side. Mel closed her eyes as Vanessa’s lips met hers. Vanessa’s hot, hungry kisses still made Mel’s whole body weak.
“Vanessa? I thought that was you.”
Mel opened her eyes. A slender, androgynous looking woman stood next to them. She had delicate, high cheekbones and short blonde hair, and wore a suit that was perfectly tailored to her modest curves. The young woman possessed an air of cool confidence that Mel immediately knew drove every queer woman she came across wild.
“Vicki,” Vanessa said flatly. “It’s been so long.”
“Good to see you too, Vanessa.” Vicki raked her eyes down Mel’s body and back up again. “Who’s your new toy?”
“This is Melanie, my date.” Vanessa’s jaw was set. “She’s not a toy, Vicki.”
“Really?” Vicki looked at Vanessa curiously, then turned back to Mel. “Victoria Blake. But you can call me Vicki.”
Mel shook Vicki’s outstretched hand.
Vicki’s eyes fell to the choker around Mel’s neck. “That’s a very interesting necklace. Did she buy it for you?” Vicki cocked her head toward Vanessa. There was no doubt that Vicki knew exactly what the necklace was.
“Yes, I did,” Vanessa said.
“Relax, Vanessa.” Vicki flicked a stray strand of hair out of her face. “I’m not going to steal her from you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time. Tell me, are you still preying on every new girl who walks into Lilith’s?”
“I can’t help it. They’re just so eager and obedient. It’s too easy.”
Vanessa shook her head. “You haven’t changed one bit, have you, Vic?”
Vicki smiled. “Why would I want to?”
Mel looked from one woman to the other. Were they enjoying this? Mel was beginning to feel very out of the loop. “How do you two know each other?” She asked.
“Your girlfriend here and I are old friends,” Vicki said.
Friends? Mel raised an eyebrow.
“We used to walk in a lot of the same circles, so it was unavoidable, really. Since there are relatively few lesbians on the BDSM scene, our paths crossed quite a bit.”
“Our ‘paths crossed?’ More like we clashed. A lot. Vanessa here was the lesbian scene queen until I came along. She didn’t like having a rival.”
“This rivalry of ours only existed in your head, Vic.”
“You only say that because you lost.”
“No, I simply had no desire to participate in your childish games.”
As Vanessa and Vicki traded barbs, Mel tried to process everything that the two women were both saying and not saying. Vicki’s comments made Mel even more aware of the fact that she knew very little about Vanessa’s life outside of their interactions together. She had no idea if Vanessa was still as involved in the BDSM scene as Vicki suggested she once was. She did own Lilith’s Den, after all. Mel wondered if she knew Vanessa as well as she thought.
And more confusingly, Vanessa had been unusually possessive of Mel the whole night, even more so just now in front of Vicki. Until now, Vanessa’s games of possession and control never went beyond the bedroom. Was this something else entirely? Mel hadn’t missed the fact that Vanessa had made no attempt to correct Vicki when she referred to Mel as Vanessa’s ‘girlfriend.’ For a moment, Mel allowed herself to wonder what it would be like to actually be Vanessa’s girlfriend.
Vanessa’s phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse. “It’s the caterers. I have to take this. I’ll be back in a moment.” Vanessa hesitated. She turned to Vicki, placed a hand firmly on the blonde woman’s shoulder, and said something to her too quietly for Mel to hear. Then she walked off into the garden.
As soon as Vanessa was out of earshot, Vicki flashed Mel a charming smile. “So, Vanessa has finally found a pet she wants to keep.” She ran her fingers through her short hair. “I can see why.”
Mel fidgeted with her necklace. She didn’t like the way Vicki was looking at her.
“How did you and Vanessa meet?”
“At The Lounge. I work there.”
“Oh? You didn’t meet at Lilith’s Den?”
“No,” Mel said.
“Has she taken you to Lilith’s before?” Vicki leaned lazily against the wall.
“We’ve been there,” Mel said, not mentioning that they had gone there when it was closed.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her there. I guess that’s because of you.”
As quickly as it had come about, the sliver of jealousy that Mel had felt began to fade.
But Vicki didn’t stop there. “I wasn’t kidding about her being the scene queen. There was a time when Vanessa went to Lilith’s every single weekend. I wasn’t the only one who trawled Lilith’s looking for subs.” Vicki brushed some invisible dust off her pristine jacket. “But I’ve said too much already.”
Mel frowned. She knew when she was being baited. “What did Vanessa say to you just now?”
Vicki shrugged. “Just that you were off limits and to behave myself. For some reason, Vanessa seems to think that I can’t control myself around pretty little submissive things like you.” Vicki gave Mel a penetrating look that rivaled Vanessa’s.
Mel crossed her arms and stared back at Vicki, her eyes narrowed.
“Relax. It’s clear that you’ve only got eyes for Vanessa,” Vicki said.
Mel looked across the garden to where Vanessa stood. She had hung up her phone and was walking toward them.
“That’s my cue to leave.” Vicki turned to the mirror on the fence and smoothed down her hair. “There’s a girl over there who has been checking me out all night. The man whose arm she was hanging off has finally left her alone. I’m going to go see if she needs rescuing.” Vicki turned back to Mel and flashed her a charming smile. “I’ll see you around, Melanie.”
“Bye.”
Vanessa reached Mel as Vicki was leaving. She glared at Vicki’s back as she walked away. “That woman…”
“Is everything okay?” Mel asked.
“Yes. It was a small catering mishap. What did Vicki say to you?”
“Nothing much. She just asked how we met and talked a bit about Lilith’s.”
Wrinkles formed on Vanessa’s forehead. Was she worried that Vicki had revealed something about Vanessa that she didn’t want Mel to know?
“Vicki said that you stopped going to Lilith’s?” Mel wasn’t exactly sure what she was asking.
“Yes, I suppose it has been a while. I haven’t gone there since I met you. I haven’t needed to. Come on. There are some people I’d like you to meet.”
Vanessa’s affectionate smile made Mel forget all about Vicki’s comments. She took Vanessa’s arm again. They ate, drank and mingled a little more. Vanessa introduced Mel to more of her friends. Mercifully she seemed on better terms with them than Vicki. Eventually, the winners of the silent auction were announced. Vanessa won the island getaway, which wasn’t surprising considering how much she bid on it.
The rest of the night passed by uneventfully. After what seemed like hours, the party began to die down. Vanessa and Mel sat down on the chairs at the edge of the room, watching the hall slowly empty.
“That was quite the night, wasn’t it?” Vanessa said.
“Yes, it was wonderful.” Me
l slumped back in her chair. Her feet ached, and she was ready to fall asleep right there.
“Melanie?”
“Yes?”
Silence. Then, “Come home with me.”
“Sure.”
“I mean it. Not to my room at The Lounge. Home. To my apartment.”
Warmth sprung up in Mel’s chest. “Okay.”
Chapter Eighteen
Mel and Vanessa walked through the door of Vanessa’s top-floor apartment. Vanessa flicked on the light. Mel barely even glanced at her surroundings. She was far too distracted by the woman standing next to her.
After a moment Mel realized that Vanessa was being unusually quiet. “Are you okay, Vanessa?”
“Yes,” Vanessa replied. “It’s been a while since I brought anyone back here, that’s all.”
Since Rose? Mel wondered.
Vanessa turned to Mel. She had a soft smile on her face which seemed to light up her eyes. And for the first time, Mel felt like she could see into their depths. Vanessa drew Mel toward her and kissed her, softly, slowly. It was just like the first time they had kissed, moments before they were swept up in a whirlwind of lust. But this time, there was no urgency. Just a deep longing that only the other could quell.
Their lips and bodies barely parting, they made their way to the bedroom. With a tenderness that Mel had never seen from her, Vanessa slid Mel’s dress from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor.
Before Mel could stop herself, her hands were at the straps of Vanessa’s dress. “Please?” Her heart thumped hard in her chest. “I want to touch you.”
Vanessa touched a finger to Mel’s lips and nodded. “Tonight, you don’t have to ask.”
Mel unzipped Vanessa’s dress and slid it from her body. It joined her own on the floor, a heap of black and blue fabric. The rest of their clothing soon joined it.
They tumbled onto the soft bed in a tangle of limbs. Vanessa’s scent, rose, and jasmine, and desire, filled Mel’s nose. She dissolved into Vanessa’s skin, relishing the feel of the other woman’s body against her own. Their hands roamed over each other’s curves, and their fingers caressed sensitive places.