Hard Corps (25 page)

Soon I was moaning and arching up into his mouth. I wanted him to consume me, to use me up. Just before I reached a point where I couldn’t stop, Eric pulled away and propped himself on his elbow, wiping his wet face against his shoulder. I was sighing and shuddering with unfulfilled lust.

‘Remy. Listen to me. I don’t ever want you to come again without first asking my permission. You understand, dear? I want to possess your body. Think of it as my body. It belongs to me. You can’t touch it, sexually, or experience release without my express permission. This will help you feel more owned. You need to be owned, don’t you, Remy?’

I nodded, feeling that my body would burn up from the craving to belong to this man. I wanted him to finish what he’d started, but I didn’t dare demand it. It was his body.

‘Remy, when you go away, because of course you must in just a few days, I want to continue to own your body. I want to possess you as completely as I can. Do you want that too?’

‘Yes, Eric. More than anything. But I don’t want to go away. I want to stay always.’

‘Oh, Remy. My darling girl. We’ll find a way to be together. But until then, you must never use your body for pleasure when you are alone. And if you remain in the Corps, and you are forced to come for someone else, you must silently beg my permission. Remember, even when you are lending it to others, that your body belongs to me.’

I fell silent. I hadn’t even thought ahead to that, for some reason. I was still a slave girl in the secret Slave Corps. I would undoubtedly find an assignment in my mailbox when I returned. And Eric wasn’t asking me to give that up. How could he? We had only just met, after all.

Did I want to give it up? I didn’t know; I would think about it tomorrow. Right now there was only one thing on my mind. ‘Please, Eric,’ I whispered in his ear. ‘May I come?’

O
ur last few days seemed to tumble and race to a close. On Saturday morning, as the sun was just climbing up over the horizon, Eric and I went out for a final walk together before I went to pick up Aunt Salome. The sky was as blue as cornflowers. Everything seemed to stand out in such bright relief. I realised as we walked quietly together that I had never really noticed the incredible splendour of nature around me, the way a hummingbird hovers over a flower, the way that flower opens. The way the bud splits so gradually, and always the same way, with the petals curling up and open toward the sun’s kiss.

I felt such a sweet ache as we kissed and parted. I felt a little silly as I clung to him, not wanting to let go. It wasn’t as if I wouldn’t see him again! I had invited him to meet my Aunt over lunch at her place that very afternoon.

As I climbed into Aunt Salome’s little yellow Porsche, I realised that my life had changed, maybe forever. I had started down a new path, though I wasn’t yet sure where it would lead me. As I pulled into the Airbus terminal, there was Aunt Salome, in a bright yellow-and-orange silk dress, waving wildly in my direction. ‘Aunt Salome!’ I called as I pulled up. ‘I thought I was early!’

‘Oh you are, sugar love. I took an earlier flight back. There was a space open in first class and this darling young man I met just insisted on paying my upgrade for the pleasure of my company. We met at the casino and became inseparable gambling partners. Lady Luck was right there with us! This trip more than paid for itself.’ She beamed at me as if this sort of thing happened to her all the time. I had a feeling it probably did.

As she climbed into the car, Aunt Salome turned to me. ‘So how was it this week, Remy? Were you lonely? Did you miss the hustle and bustle of school life?’

‘Not for second. I don’t want to go back. I love it here, Aunt Salome. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about this whole army career thing. I don’t know anymore.’

She stared at me and then tilted her head quizzically. ‘You love it here? I admit it’s a nice place, but that doesn’t sound like my driven, dedicated niece, who is going to be one of the first lady generals in this country’s army. What’s come over you, girl? Wait a minute.’ She grinned slyly at me, understanding registering in her eyes. ‘Don’t tell me. The impervious Remy Harris has succumbed to romance! You’ve met someone, haven’t you?’

Aunt Salome could always figure me out. I loved her for it. I didn’t answer, concentrating on my driving, but that in itself was answer enough, I suppose. She threw her head back, laughing with delight. ‘Well done, my girl! I was wondering when you would ever find yourself a beau! The tomboy is growing up at last!’

‘Oh, stop it, Aunt Salome. I just met a guy, that’s all.’

‘And when do I get to meet this guy? Where did you meet him? What does he do? What do his parents do? How old is he? Is it serious?’

‘Hold on. Before you give me the third degree about Eric, you can meet him yourself. I’ve invited him for lunch today. I knew you’d want to meet him.’

‘Eric, huh? Nice name. Sure, I’d love to meet him. From the glow on your face when you just say his name, I’m sure he’s terrific.’

Not surprisingly, Aunt Salome and Eric got along famously. He was enchanted, as men invariably are, by her vivacious manner and interesting stories. Then she skilfully teased out his life story with a gentle interview about his intentions. Eric was forthcoming and friendly, though he did forget to mention that he supplemented his carpentry career with the occasional erotic novel. I just sat back, enjoying the show, munching my sandwich. Eric sat next to me, his hand resting casually over mine on the table. I felt his closeness and would have been happy to sit there forever.

After Eric had left, Aunt Salome threw her arm around me. ‘Remy. He is it. I can feel it in my bones. Somehow you’ve managed to stumble on “Mr Right” your first time out! I get these feelings, you know. I knew it about your mamma and daddy and I’ve got the same feeling now. Be careful, Remy. Don’t let this one go too soon.’

I was surprised but pleased by her words. It confirmed my own feeling that there was something beyond just fabulous sex between us. If only I didn’t have to leave just when I was starting to find out. But Sunday arrived before I knew it. Eric and I had shared a last few hours the night before, but there was no getting around it: I had to get back to school. As I kissed Eric a final time before Aunt Salome drove me back to Stewart, he whispered in my ear, ‘I’ll see you soon, angel girl.’

It was hard to readjust to the stark regimen of classes and training after that lazy, carefree week in Columbia. As I donned the olive drab once again, I realised I would rather be in my soft, summer dress or shorts, walking barefoot with Eric by the creek. Somehow that energising feeling of efficiency and strength I used to get just from putting on the uniform was gone.

I felt a nagging sense of dread, rather than the usual anticipation, as I opened my little mailbox, sure that an envelope would be waiting for me. It was. I realised as I held it close to my body until I could get to my bunk and relative privacy, that I didn’t even want to open it.

Inside were the words, ‘Captain Rather, 0700 hours, Tuesday, stables.’ Captain Rather, the pony girl fellow. And the fact that we were to meet at the stables made things pretty clear. His promise, or threat, to make me into a pony girl, as he called it, was about to come to fruition. As I stared at the assignment, I knew that I just couldn’t do it. My heart wasn’t in it. I had to talk to someone.

Amelia was waiting at the bench near the bell tower that afternoon, as we had arranged. Word-lessly, we walked together to the SCU, where we could talk privately in one of the little rooms. Once we were seated in the little chairs at the small table in a corner room, Amelia spoke at last. ‘So tell me, Remy. What has happened? You aren’t yourself since you came back from break.’

‘That’s the funny thing, Amelia. I am more myself than I have ever been. I just didn’t know it yet before.’

‘What? You’re talking in riddles. What’s going on?’

‘I met someone, Amelia, over spring break. And he’s wonderful! I can’t do this Corps thing anymore. I belong to Eric.’

Amelia was quiet for a moment. Then she said, ‘I think I understand what you are saying, Remy. You’ve met someone who you think you are in love with and — ’

‘Not think, I know I am,’ I said emphatically.

‘OK, you know you are. And you can’t imagine subjecting yourself to submitting to some master in the Corps, when your heart belongs to Mr Right.’

‘Something like that,’ I mumbled, irritated that she made it sound so trite.

‘OK, well just hear me out for a second, Remy. I don’t think you should quit the Corps just like that. I think you should take a few days to decide about something like this. You still have two more years here and you’ve devoted an awful lot of time to becoming a Corps slave. To throw it all away over something that could just be an infatuation — ’

‘It’s not,’ I insisted again, feeling like a petulant child.

‘Please, Remy, I don’t mean to sound patronising. I’m just thinking about what your best options are. Why not try one more assignment and see what happens? If it still doesn’t feel right, let’s meet again and decide what the best path for you is then. Like I told you before, nothing is written in stone. You can get out whenever you want.’

She smiled at me, a very winning smile, and I decided she must be right. Against my own instincts, I agreed to give it one more try. To the stables with me, then. Let’s see what the hell this pony business is all about.

Early Tuesday morning I went to the stables and into the stall where I had been instructed to go. A young man who I assumed was the groom was there waiting for me. He nodded curtly. ‘Morning, I’m Joe. I’m to prepare you for the captain. He likes his ponies a certain way. Take off everything but your underwear. I have your gear here. I’ll help you put it on.’ Apparently Joe did this all the time. He didn’t ask me my name, or make any attempt at small talk. I took his cue and remained silent. He seemed rather bored as he watched me strip down to my underwear. I did catch him eyeing my breasts, though. His eyes slid away when he saw me looking at him.

‘OK, raise your arms.’

I did and he slipped a leather harness over my shoulders. It buckled in back, and he struggled for a moment with the clasps, pulling it snugly around my body. The net effect was that my back was covered in thick leather, with straps that came around in front just under my breasts. They were lifted and left exposed.

Opening a leather pouch, he took out what looked like two long, golden tassels. I saw that they were attached to little clamps. Joe matter-of-factly flicked at my nipples until they were stiff and then attached a tassel to each nipple. I felt ridiculous to be adorned like this, but then, no one had asked me.

‘Get on your knees. I have to put this on your head.’ He was holding a sort of bridle: a soft, leather cap with reins and a metal sort of necklace dangling from it. I was confused and not a little wary of letting him put it on me, but I kneeled obediently. He fitted the cap over my head, letting the reins fall down my back. The metal necklace turned out to be a bit. ‘Open wide,’ he said, and slid the steel bar into my mouth. I clamped down on it, feeling the cold metal against my tongue. The bit curved to fit the curve of my face, and wasn’t particularly uncomfortable, just very odd to get used to.

‘OK, it fits. Make sure it doesn’t fall out. The captain likes that bit in there. Makes you look more authentic, he says. Also keeps you from talking. If you take my advice, you’ll keep the damn thing in. He gets really furious if one of his “ponies” talks. Ponies aren’t supposed to talk, got that?’

I nodded mutely, only half believing this was really happening to me.

‘Now,’ he went on, ‘you need your knee pads and gloves.’ He had me lift each leg so he could buckle on heavy, thick leather pads that covered my knees. Then he slipped thick, workman-type gloves on to my hands. Was I going skating? I still hadn’t figured out all the aspects of this getup, but I was sure I would know soon enough.

This was so bizarre! I was dressed up like a horse, with a bridle and reins and a bit in my mouth! What next? I quickly found out that the worst was yet to come. ‘OK, now for the fun part. Pull off your panties and get on all fours. I’m going to put your tail in now. Don’t worry. We sterilise these after each use.’

He opened a final pouch and showed me a long, full tail made of the same gold tassels that adorned my nipples. The tassels were attached at the base to a thick, rubber rod the size of a large penis. I kneeled in position as ordered, belted and buckled into leather cap and harness. My ass felt especially naked and vulnerable, lifted and exposed to this man. I tensed nervously as he walked around behind me.

‘Don’t be skittish. There, there,’ crooned the groom, as if I was a real horse that needed calming. He stroked my back for a moment, and then my ass. His fingers brushed against my asshole and I shivered. This was going to be really hard. How could I let him slide that thing up my ass?

Do it for Eric, a voice whispered inside of me. Do it for your true love. Pretend you are submitting to him. No, don’t pretend, do it for him. Make this a test of your love for your true master. That was it. That was how I could get through this. I would do it for Eric.

I felt something warm and gooey against my asshole. Some kind of lubricant, which Joe smeared liberally on me and on the phallus. Then I felt it press against the sphincter muscles. I willed myself to relax, to open to the rod being forced into my rectum. He eased it in very slowly, telling me what a good girl I was and how master would be pleased. It didn’t hurt until the end, when the flared base popped into place, anchoring it firmly up my ass. I moaned into the bit, biting down and jerking forward, but it was done. I had a tail inserted into my ass.

‘Good,’ he said at last. ‘You’ve taken it all. Make sure it doesn’t fall out, or you’ll be whipped within an inch of your life. I’ve seen it happen. Good luck, slave. He should be here in a few minutes. Just stay on your hands and knees and look at the ground. You’ll know when he gets here. Good luck.’ With that he patted my ass like it was a horse’s flank and shuffled away behind me.