Bound by Consent (6 page)

“Remove your bra.”

Bryana flinched, almost imperceptibly, and a soft gasp escaped her lips. After another significant pause, she reached around behind herself to unclip the fastening then slipped the straps down and off her arms. She dropped the flimsy scrap of lace onto the floor then straightened. Her ample breasts bounced seductively as she moved her hands to her sides close to the elastic of her panties. I noted with satisfaction that her nipples were already erect and begging me to attach the clamps that I had in a bag under the pillow but under the circumstances, those clamps had to wait awhile. Although we’d used a set during our night together at Auchtercairn, I didn’t honestly think Bryana was ready for us to use them again, yet. First, I wanted to do something else. Something important, that would define our relationship and maybe help Bryana to see where I was coming from.

“Come here.” I reached under the pillow, feeling around until my hand closed upon a long narrow box. I’d designed this item and had it handcrafted especially for Bryana. Now I hoped she would see my offering for what it was; an attempt on my part to reach an understanding, to signify a starting point and the first step on a long journey toward total commitment.

Bryana frowned, seemingly surprised that I hadn’t asked her to remove her panties. She stepped out of the mess of clothes surrounding her feet and approached the bed.

“I have something for you.” I raised the lid of the box. Bryana moved closer to look at the contents and a frown creased her brow as she ran a finger over the item inside. She took a deep breath, lifted the decorative choker from the box and examined the malleable silver braid that looked like an item of jewelry and would sit comfortably around her neck. Then she turned her attention to the Celtic symbol engraved on the silver clip that formed a centerpiece at the front. I’d based my design in part on one of the four emblems that appeared on my family crest. A three-point knot inside a circle to represent peace, understanding and unity. I hoped this ancient talisman would influence her emotional strength and help her achieve a perfect balance in thought, word and deed.

“It’s beautiful…but…” Bryana fingered the fancy clip, opening and closing it several times, her expression troubled. “Umm…Is this what I think it is?”

I responded with my own question. “What do you think it is?” Since the sight of the collar clearly troubled her, I wanted to get to the root of the problem and felt it important to ask her to spell out what she thought it was, rather than having it come from me.

“A collar…for a sub…?” She gnawed at her lip.

I got the distinct impression that her first inclination was to throw the collar away, as far away as possible, but curiosity got the better of her.

“In principle, yes.” I nodded and took a long breath in an attempt to slow my rapid heartbeat. “Do you understand what wearing it will represent?”

Bryana shot me a puzzled glance as if I was asking her to state the obvious. “That you own me… Once you fasten this around my neck, I am your slave.”

“Not exactly.” I smiled at her misconception. She clearly had a lot to learn, or more likely unlearn, about the D/s scene. “This is merely a Collar of Consideration, a first step to understanding where we are headed. As well as offering you some protection, it represents a serious intent on both our parts to explore this relationship and to see if it has a future but without the need to make any formal commitment. Think of it rather like a friendship ring. Either one of us may remove this collar at any time with no hard feelings or, in due course if everything goes well, we might move on to the next stage. The Training Collar carries more responsibility and a stronger bond. If you use the same analogy as before and think in terms of an engagement ring then you’ll have some idea of the progression.”

“Oh…I didn’t know about the different levels.” Bryana sounded awed. “I thought…” The shudder that accompanied her statement convinced me that somebody had made a very clumsy attempt at domination without taking care of her or the essential details along the way. This was obviously a serious hurdle to overcome. I silently cursed those idiots who crashed into the scene and took what they wanted without any thought for the victims or the broken lives they left behind. We would need to work through her fears and eliminate all the negative influences before progressing further.

“Bryana, honey.” Having got her attention, I met and held her gaze then put her on the spot. “Will you wear this special collar for me?”

A look of horror momentarily clouded her gorgeous sapphire blue eyes.

“This is an important step forward for both of us,” I tried to reassure her. “I want you to know that I will never intentionally do anything to hurt you or to cause you any harm, that’s not what I’m about.”

Bryana nodded. “Yes.” Her hand shook as she handed me the collar. “Will you put it on for me, please?” She knelt down beside the bed and bundled her hair out of the way.

I fastened the collar around her neck, rejoicing in this breakthrough. Her acceptance of me as her protector, her tutor, and her lover warmed me. I hoped that in time she would want to play a permanent role in my life. This deserved a reward. I pulled her onto the bed and sealed our bargain with a kiss.

One kiss led to another, then another. The caress of her naked skin against mine raised the temperature several degrees and drove me wild with desire. I rolled her over and settled my body into her soft curves, my knee between her thighs, and deepened the kiss. Bryana sighed and opened her mouth to accept my tongue. She tasted wonderful, sweet and fruity, a combination of vanilla and wine. My hand sought her breast, and the nipple responded, swelling and hardening when I rolled it between my fingers. I moved to savor the nipple with my mouth, sucking hard then teasing the tip with my tongue.

“Yes, oh, yes.” Bryana rocked her body against mine, spreading her legs, seeking better contact.

I slid one hand down to caress her thigh, sweeping the soft flesh, widening the circle until my fingers brushed lightly across her silk covered mound. Bryana jumped, her body coming off the bed then sinking back, as if I’d touched her with an electric cattle prod. My teeth grazed her nipple as I withdrew then I kissed and licked my way down her fragrant body, taking her panties down as I went, craving to bury myself in the moist heat of her femininity.

She met me full on, raising her pelvis, thrusting her clit into my mouth. In the throes of passion she was a different woman again; a hot, sexy wench who needed to be fucked long and hard. I pushed one finger into her slick heat then added a second and finally a third; her muscles encased my hand like a silken glove. She moaned softly, eagerly meeting and matching my thrusts. I nursed her clit, savoring her sweetness in my mouth and drove harder, pushing her toward a climax.

“Yes...Cassie!” Bryana screamed my name as she dissolved into a shuddering orgasm that seemed to go on forever. Then, thoroughly sated, she slept in my arms for the remainder of the night.

****

We arrived at Out of Bounds just after eight thirty. The taxi dropped us off outside a sprawling Victorian mansion situated on the edge of Hampstead Heath. Bryana signed me in as her guest then proceeded to give me a guided tour of the facilities. Having explored the main floor of the club that housed both a lounge bar and a dance floor, mostly unoccupied at this early hour, she led the way downstairs to the basement. The few people milling around were mostly staff; hosts, or dungeon monitors, who were available to answer questions, ensure safety, or demonstrate equipment to the members and guests. I didn’t need any such help since most of the stuff available was familiar to me. However, Bryana stopped briefly to chat with the few people she knew and explain I was checking out the club prior to joining.

“Oh!” Bryana suddenly left my side and darted away to exchange air kisses with a statuesque brunette attired in a revealing black latex outfit and thigh-length boots, who occupied a small dimly lit alcove furnished with a couch and an impressive array of whips.

I shook my head at her impulsivity and followed in her wake then smiled when I got close enough to recognize an occasional visitor to Auchtercairn. She usually flew in to the castle for a long weekend bash with a group of high profile celebrity guests who always imported their own people to both staff the dungeon and to provide the entertainment.

“Cassie!”

“Sasha!”

We exclaimed in unison. I stepped forward to take the outstretched hand and exchange kisses with Sasha.

“Wow!” Bryana whooped in amazement. “You two already know each other.” She turned to me, her eyes unusually luminous. “Sasha is not only a good friend, she’s the wonderful person who gives me relief and restores my sanity.”

“What a surprise.” Sasha pumped my hand, then let her puzzled gaze drift from me to Bryana and back again. “I wouldn’t have pictured you two as friends or… Not in a million years.”

Or lovers, or…

I picked up Sasha’s difficulty in defining our relationship. I imagine this would be the reaction of most people who knew me in the Scene, since the memory of Deanne, my last long-term submissive partnership was lost in the mist of time and I never paraded any of my real life friendships. The fact that Sasha also knew Bryana probably compounded her confusion.

Over the past few days, through our open and frank conversations, I’d established that Bryana was, as I’d already surmised, a complete novice. By all accounts, she had suffered greatly at the hands of a cruel manipulative, bitch who had fancied herself as a Domme but who had no proper knowledge or understanding of the D/s scene.

“We’ve know each other a while.” I deliberately kept my response vague then waved one hand to encompass Sasha’s domain. “And I wouldn’t have expected to find you here.”

“Touché.” Sasha laughed. “It pays the bills. As Bryana will no doubt tell you, I’m a fixture in this little niche now and–” She stopped speaking abruptly and looked around frowning. “Where is Bryana? She was there a moment ago, then she just disappeared.”

I spun around, my gaze sweeping over the large dungeon. Both the central space and the perimeter walls were dotted with equipment yet almost empty of people, as were most of the smaller specialist alcoves. I turned back to meet Sasha’s concerned expression. “She can’t have just disappeared. Maybe she went to the restroom.” There had to be a logical explanation.

She nodded. “I sure hope so.”

Sasha’s uncertainty and her oddly worded remark had me worried. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing…it’s just that Bryana has been having trouble with her ex…” Sasha bit her lip. “Ummm, I don’t want to break any confidences. How much do you know about Bryana and her life?”

“Enough to know that she’s been frightened out of her wits by some stupid bitch masquerading as a Domme.”

Sasha shrugged. “That’s the way of the world. It happens everywhere, even here, despite the checks we carry out on prospective club members. However, this is serious, the woman is evil and vengeful, too. Since they broke up, the two of them – Esmée and that poisonous little cat she runs with – have made Bryana’s life a total misery. She needs somebody like you, a strong arm, to guide and protect her.”

“Really?” I raised a questioning brow.

Oh!” Sasha clapped a hand over her mouth. “Am I reading this wrong?

“It’s very early days, but no…I wouldn’t say you’re mistaken in making that assumption.”

“Whew!” Sasha wiped her brow. “In that case you’d better start looking for her. You’ll need my help to search, this place is a damned rabbit warren on all levels.”

Sasha called to a colleague to watch her place. We started with the basement. The dungeon itself, being open plan, it didn’t offer many places to hide. We also drew a blank with the basement restroom, plus the one upstairs by the bar, and the locker room.

“Where to next?”

Sasha indicated the wide staircase.

“What’s up there?” The sumptuous red, black and gilt décor made it look like the set from a nineteen forties movie. I almost expected to see Ginger Rogers descending on the arm of Fred Astaire prior to one of their famous dance routines.

“The upper floors house all the individual cells. Members rent them, as one would a hotel room, for private play. Wait here, I’ll need to grab a pass key.” She darted away then returned a few moments later, patting her skimpy shorts. We ascended the stairs side by side and checked the first corridor. Just as I’d expected, the individual rooms on the first level were well appointed with lavish en suite facilities and kitted out for different types of play. A nice setup for those who could afford to pay for the luxury.

We moved on to the next area. “Is there any CCTV in this place?” I asked, now increasingly worried by the negative results.

“Yes, there is, but I’m reluctant to involve the management at this stage.” Sasha glanced up at the ceiling then took my arm and pulled me into an alcove. “We’ve got new owners now and things are not… let’s just say I’m not confident the cameras are being used solely for safety and security.”

“You mean…” I dropped my voice to match Sasha’s whisper .

“I’ve heard a few rumors that some of our more prominent members have received blackmail threats. I’m not in a position to confirm those rumors or the source of the threats but...”

“Holy cow!” I wanted to get out of here smartish but not without Bryana. My business and the famous guests who flocked to Auchtercairn relied on my ability to offer total confidentiality. Any sniff of sexual indiscretion would have a hoard of paparazzi camping on my doorstep in hours. I couldn’t afford to have my good name besmirched and my life raked over by some grubby ratbag journalist, or worse still be forced to pay a premium for the privilege of keeping my name out of the gossip columns.

“Come on.” Sasha took my arm and we started on the next group of cells. All but one of them were unoccupied. We moved on swiftly from that one, leaving a startled couple to no doubt wonder who we were and how we had managed to interrupt their private scene. Up another flight of stairs, the cells were smaller, and more basic, yet still functional and all vacant.