The British Bondage Collection (8 page)

“Get her out of here. The ungrateful little
bitch obviously doesn’t know what’s good for her. I don’t want to see you
again, Holly,” he spat.

Justin grabbed her arm, yanking it until she
screamed and tears beaded in her eyes. She fought against him but his hold was
too painful and he forced her out of the office.

“You bastard,” she shouted as he dragged to the
back entrance of the club.

Pressing open the emergency door with an elbow,
Holly braced herself to be thrown across the ground but the pressure on her
wrist released suddenly and nothing happened. She turned around to see Daniel
bringing his fist across Justin’s face.

She squealed and jumped aside as Daniel
launched Justin through the door. Kicking out at his prone body, he brought his
fist across his face again and yelled something about ‘never touching her
again.’ Satisfied Justin got the message, Daniel stormed back in and slammed
the doors shut behind him.

Holly cradled her sore wrist as he bundled her
into his hold and her resolve crumbled. Her tears came thick and fast as her
misery rose to the surface. Daniel hushed and soothed her, stroking his hands
over her hair and back.

As she sniffed away the last of her tears, he
pulled back to study her damp face. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

Holly took in his dishevelled  appearance - his
tousled hair and half-buttoned shirt. “What were you doing here? You were meant
to be in bed.”

“I came looking for  you. I was going to quiz
your
uncle
as to where my sub had gone. I wanted to wake up with you.”

“So you heard?” she whimpered, clenching her
hands together.

“Some of it. What really happened, Holly? And
the full truth this time please.”

Nodding slowly, she pulled in a deep breath and
straightened her shoulders. “M-my parents died when I was young and my uncle
took me in. With no inheritance, I was dependant on him. He refused to let me
go to college and steadily stopped me from even seeing friends. When I turned
eighteen, he made me come and work here, threatening to kick me out if I
didn’t.” She eyed him nervously as his expression darkened. “When he said you
wanted me, I said I’d do it. But only if he gave me a large sum of money and
let me go.”

“I see,” Daniel said tightly.

“But he refused to pay. I’d hoped…I’d hoped to
be gone before you woke up. You should never have found out. I’m sorry.”

Daniel shook his head and stepped forwards
abruptly before pausing. “Wait here,” he commanded.

Frowning, Holly nodded and wrapped her arms
around herself as she watched him storm off. Was he angry with her? With her
uncle? What was he doing? And what had he meant when he said he wanted to wake
up with her? Whatever he’d meant, she’d no doubt ruined it now. If there was
even the smallest hope that he felt something more for her, her dishonesty had
probably destroyed that.

She waited in the corridor until he returned,
his expression unreadable. Thrusting a slip of paper in her hand, he moved back
and ran a hand through his hair.

Holly gawped at the cheque. “Fifty thousand…?
But how did you…?”

“It’s no more than you deserve, Holly. After
all your years trapped…and giving up your body for me…Let’s just say, I have a
lot of influence. I can make life very difficult for your uncle. I’ve told him
that he is to never even speak to you again.”

Her heart panged in regret. “I don’t know what
to say.”

“Don’t say anything, darling. Just go and live
a life finally. And if you need anything, anything at all, come and find me.”

Pressing a shaky kiss to his cheek, she
clutched at the cheque. “Thank you, Daniel, for everything.” She fixed him with
a bold look. “I mean everything. Our night together wasn’t just about money,
you know. I’ll never forget you.”

Before he could answer, she turned away and
hurried back through the club and out onto the front street. She couldn’t bear
to hear him tell her that it wasn’t the same for him. Or even worse, to lie to
make her feel better. She glanced down at the cheque. Well, at least she had
one thing she wanted. Freedom. It was just a shame she couldn’t have Daniel
too.

***

Holly grumbled as her mobile buzzed at her
bedside. Reaching out for it, she squinted at the screen, not recognising the
number.

“Hello?”

“It’s me.”

Sitting bolt upright in her bed, Holly clutched
her sheet to her chest. Even after six months, she still remembered that voice.

“Are you there?”

“Yes,” she croaked. “Yes, I’m here.”

“I miss you, Holly.”

Her heart leapt into her throat and she held
her breath, waiting.

“Can I see you?”

“Yes,” she replied without a moment’s
hesitation.

“Now?”

“Yes.”

“Let me in then.”

Leaping from her bed and chucking her phone on
her side, Holly grabbed her dressing gown and thrust her arms into it. He was
here. Was he really? She’d spent months dreaming of him, wishing things had
gone differently. She had a small house now and a steady job but there was
still something missing. It didn’t surprise her that he had tracked her down -
with all his money it was probably easy - but she never expected that he’d want
to. Dashing down the stairs, she flicked on the porch light and threw open the
door, her heart thudding.

“Hi,” Daniel said softly as a grin spread
across his face.

“Hi.” Holly stepped aside and he pressed past
her into her small hall.

“You’re doing well,” he commented vaguely. “I
hear you’re setting the world of accounting alight,” he added with a wicked
grin.

Holly flushed and laughed. “It’s not exactly
thrilling, but I like it.”

“So you’re happy?”

“Yes, I mean, almost.”

“Almost?”

“Well, there’s still something missing…”

Daniel’s brows shot up and he edged close,
forcing her back against the wall. “And that would be…?”

Holly gulped. Could she do it? Could she put herself
on the line? “A master,” she said quietly.

“A master?” His lips twisted as he flattened
himself against her, running his hand across her cheek. “Just any master?”

“No.” She tilted her head up as his lips bore
down upon hers. “You.”

 “Thank God,” he murmured against her lips.
Threading his hands into her hair, he kissed her lightly and her stomach
fluttered. God, how she had missed him.

“I wanted you, Daniel, almost from the
beginning. It was always about more than the money. I just didn’t think you’d
want me forever. I thought I was just another woman.”

“I couldn’t forget you, Holly. I’d never be
able to find another woman like you, but I didn’t know if…” He sighed. “I
didn’t want you to feel controlled by anyone, especially me, after what your
uncle did to you. But I just couldn’t stay away.”

“I’m so glad you didn’t. I like my independence
but I need you, Daniel. I trust you. I know you’d never control my life like my
uncle did.”

“Damn right. Just your sweet, hot body,” he
added with a grin. “Now get that tasty little cunt upstairs. I’m dying to bury
myself in that tight pussy of yours.”

Laughing, Holly pressed a swift kiss to his
mouth before dashing upstairs. “Yes, Daniel,” she said as she ran.
Independence
is all well and good,
she thought as she laid down on the bed and Daniel
prowled over her,
but what’s the point if you can’t choose to sacrifice just
a little of it to the man you love.

*********

Nestled
in the heart of the English countryside, Hartslow Hall dominated the surrounding
fields with its huge cream columns and large windows. The lawns leading up to
it were striped and lined with flowers, and Harriet imagined the gardens would
be spectacular.

“Are
you coming, love?” her mother called to her.

With
a sigh, Harriet followed after her mother. Catching up to her, she caught that
look again. The look that said ‘poor heartbroken Harriet.’ Since the divorce
everyone gave her that look along with all the right sympathetic noises. She
was sick to death of it.

Anyway,
she wasn’t heartbroken. Will’s new girlfriend was welcome to him, along with
his sulky moods and terrible bedside manner. She should never have married him
in the first place. If only she’d not been so optimistic and believed the sex
would get better. What a waste of three years.

Eyeing
the grand house as they neared, Harriet snorted. Well, it sure beat her
parent’s farmhouse. Since Will had somehow wrangled the house in the divorce,
she was living with her parents. It was pretty humiliating having to move back
in with your parents at twenty-nine but seeing the grand stately home filled
her with determination.

A
fresh start, that’s what she needed. And a new man. Not one for keeping though,
just someone who could give her what she really wanted. She glanced at her
mother’s kindly face as they climbed the steps to the front door.
Poor mum,
if she really knew what I wanted from a man, she’d probably have a heart
attack.

Leaning
forwards to press the doorbell, Harriet and her mother jumped back as the
bellow of chimes echoed through the house. On cue, the door groaned open and a
skinny grey-haired woman in a sharp pinstriped suit stepped aside to let them
through.

“Mary,”
she greeted her mother with a smile. “And Harriet, it’s lovely to see you. My,
you’ve grown since the last time I saw you.”

Harriet
smiled stiffly back. “Yes, all grown up now.”

“Thank
for showing us around, Elaine. I’ve been wanting to see around Hartslow for
years and it’s good to get Harriet out of the house, especially after the—” her
mother paused and mouthed, “divorce.”

Harriet
resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was fed up with people tip-toeing
around her.

Elaine
ushered them in and Harriet’s mouth dropped open as she took in the
surroundings. The hall was massive with vaulted ceilings, a large rug and
several mahogany console tables. Two large marbled pillars stretched in front
of her and a recess at the back held a bust of a distinguished looking
gentleman. Family portraits hung from the walls, generations of men and woman
all staring down at her from their gilded frames.

Making
the appropriate noises, Harriet and her mother followed Elaine through the
house, admiring the grand furniture and the portrait gallery. Harriet paused in
front of the most recent painting. The gentleman stood less formally than the
others, posing with a shaggy looking dog. He looked to be in his thirties, with
a handsome, rugged face and thick chestnut hair. His hands really captured her
attention though. They were strong and capable looking. Harriet licked at her lips.
The kind of hands that would know exactly how to give a good spanking.

“Harriet?”
her mother called.

Cheeks
heating, Harriet scurried after her. That’s what she needed, she decided. A man
that could give her a hard spanking. Her ex had never understood her need to be
dominated. Just another reason to be glad she was rid of him.

Elaine
led them into the ballroom. It was no doubt impressive with painted ceilings
and tall windows but it was not the furnishings that caught her eye. Sidling
over to the window, Harriet peeked past the curtain.

Out
on the lawns stood the man from the portrait. Harriet’s mouth dried as she
watched him. He was topless and doing some form of martial arts, Tai Chi
perhaps. His loose sports trousers rode low on his hips and Harriet was sure
that if she looked hard enough, she’d be able to see the line of hair that led
down into the waistband.

Her
heart thudded as she watched the ripple of his muscles undulating with each
movement. Jesus, she’d never seen anything so beautiful. Now
that
was
the kind of man she needed. Gorgeous, strong and not to mention bloody rich.
Harriet smirked. Well, she could dream anyway.

Reluctantly
drawing her attention from the window, Harriet and her mother followed Elaine
through several reception rooms and into a grand dining room.  

Elaine
paused in front of them. “I can’t show you upstairs while Mr Wright is home.”
Her cheeks coloured. “But I’d love to show you the barns. Mr Wright recently
converted them into a gallery and we have some wonderful work from local
artists in there at the moment.” Elaine must have noticed Harriet’s expression
as she gave her a smile. “If you’d prefer to stroll around the gardens,
Harriet, you are more than welcome.”

Nodding
eagerly, Harriet grinned. “Yes please. Watercolours bore me I’m afraid and our
local artists are terribly fond of painting the same scene over and over.”

“Harriet!”
her mother scolded.

“Well,
it’s true.” Besides she’d rather wander around the gardens and see if she could
bump into the elusive Mr Wright. Hopefully he hadn’t put his top back on yet.

Elaine’s
lips twisted and she nodded. “Have an explore and then come and meet us in the
coffee shop.”

“Okay,
see you in a bit.”

Harriet
strolled towards the back doors, waiting until her mother and Elaine were gone
before dashing through them and out into the gardens. She hurried across the
lawns and tucked herself behind an ornamental bush. Peering round it, her heart
sank. He was gone, along with his exercise mat. Damn.

A
movement caught her eye and she realised it was Mr Wright talking with a
gardener. Her heart bounced against her ribcage and damp gathered in her pussy.
He was still topless.
Yes!

He
moved away from the gardener and Harriet followed. Was this weird? Yes,
probably, but she had to get a closer look. A body like that could feed her
fantasies for days.

Keeping
her distance, she followed carefully. He entered the house and she hung back
for a moment before tailing after him. He bounded up the main stairs and she
tucked herself into a recess. Fuck, what was wrong with her? She could hardly
introduce herself casually after practically stalking him. And Elaine said they
weren’t allowed upstairs.

Her
stomach dipped as she remembered those taut muscles just waiting to be
unleashed on someone. There was something about him that screamed
dominant
.
Screw it. She would not pass up the opportunity to at least see if she could
steal another look at him. Preferably closer up.

The
desire coiling through her urged her forwards and Harriet tip-toed up the
stairs, her chest tightening as she waited for someone to come up and demand to
know what she was doing. When she reached the top of the stairs, she paused and
stared around.

Shit,
he was gone.

Endless
doors lined the hallway and Harriet walked past them slowly, eyeing each one. A
set of double doors at the end sparked her interest and she put her ear to the
door.

Nothing.

Pressing
it open, she peered through gap.

Oh.
My. God.

Stepping
all the way in, Harriet’s mouth dropped open. The room was dark - thick purple
damask curtains covered the large windows - but lamps glowed dimly on the
walls, giving off a warm, sensual glow.  A large four-poster bed dominated
one side of the room on a raised platform. Gilded chairs sat to one side and
several mahogany chests lined the walls.

But
it was not the luxurious fabrics or beautiful furniture that caught her
attention. Padded restraints were secured to the bare wall at the back of the
room and a huge mirror hung opposite the bed. On top of a low cabinet lay a
selection of carefully arranged paddles and whips.

Closing
the door, she strolled around the room, fingering the restraints and running
her hands across each whip.
It’s like a submissive’s dream.

“Like
what you see?”

Whirling
around, Harriet squealed as she came face to face with a glistening chest. “Oh
shit.” A smirk came across his face as she remained rooted to the spot, taking
in every inch of his tanned chest all the way down to the towel clasped in one
hand around his hips. Blinking, she brought her gaze back up to his face.
“I-I’m really sorry. I got lost. E-Elaine was showing us around and I…” she
trailed off as his grin expanded.

“You’re
Harriet then.”

“Yes,
sir.” Her hand flew to her mouth as his smile widened. Where had that come
from? “Shit, I mean, yes that’s me.”

“Jonathan
Wright.” He extended a hand. “Say, you’re not Harriet Green, are you?”

She
took his hand, the warmth of his palm prickling through her skin. They were
rough, as if he used his hands a lot. God knows, what for. He was rich enough
not to have to use his hands for anything ever again. They would feel bloody
amazing against her arse…

Her
cheeks flamed as she shifted on her feet. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Elaine
didn’t say,” he mused. “You went to the all-girls school right? We hosted
hockey matches for your school at my college. You can’t have been more than
fifteen but, fuck, all the guys couldn’t stop talking about you. You were one
hot teenager.”

“Oh…Oh
thank you.”

“You’re
even hotter now.”

Harriet
stared at her feet as her stomach fluttered. “Oh, thank you,” she whispered
again.

“Will
you give me a moment to chuck something on? I’d love to catch up.”

“Y-Yes,
of course.”

Snatching
some clothes from a drawer, Harriet sighed as she watched him retreat to the
en-suite bathroom. Fuck, even his back was gorgeous. All rolling muscles and
sleek skin.
And he thinks I’m hot.

Harriet
waited, still standing by the collection of whips. She glanced at them and
edged away. Jonathan hadn’t shown the slightest bit of embarrassment at her
seeing all this stuff. Staring at the restraints, she wondered how many women
he had brought up here. Her pussy twitched as she pictured herself up there,
naked and exposed. A shiver ran through her as she imagined his strong hands
bringing a flogger across her trembling skin.

Jonathan
strolled casually out of the bathroom and Harriet’s throat constricted. A tight
t-shirt stretched across his chest and he wore loose jogging bottoms again but
they still hugged his arse. He pulled open a door in the nearest chest and drew
out a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

“I
know it’s midday,” he said with a grin, “but I’d like celebrate meeting you
again.” He popped the cork and poured the champagne. “I must confess you
haunted many of my dreams when I was in college.”

Harriet
flushed and took the champagne, taking a quick gulp to cover her embarrassment.
“I’m afraid I don’t remember you.”

Jonathan
laughed. “That doesn’t surprise me. I was a geek.”

“No!”
She couldn’t imagine this gorgeous, confident man had a geeky bone in his body.

“Unfortunately,
yes.” He considered her for a moment as he took a sip of champagne. “What
brings you back to Hartslow? Last I heard, you had moved to the city.”

“Divorce,”
she said simply.

He
motioned to the chairs and pulled one back for her. Lowering herself into the
chair, she watched as he sat with ease.

“I’m
sorry.”

“Don’t
be. He was an arsehole.”

He
chuckled. “Actually, I’m not sorry, especially if he was an arsehole. If he
lost you then he must have been an idiot. I wouldn’t let you go so easily,
Harriet.”

Harriet
spluttered and dropped her glass onto the cabinet beside her. “T-thanks.” She
shifted in her chair as he eyed her intensely. One part of her wanted to shrink
back from him while the other wanted to throw herself at his feet. “Well, it
was very nice to meet you but Mum will be waiting.” She went to stand but he
motioned for her to sit and she instinctively obeyed, dropping back into the
chair.

His
lips twitched as he noted her reaction. “Let me send someone down to tell her
not to wait.” Without waiting for a response, he grabbed the phone from the
bedside table.  “Charles? Can you find Elaine and our visitor and tell
them that Miss Green and I are going to do some catching up.” He glanced at her
with a knowing twinkle in his eye. “Yes, we’re old school friends. Tell Mrs
Green that I’ll bring Harriet home…later.” Placing down the phone, he strolled
over to her. “So…do you like what you see then?”

Harriet
gulped. Did he mean him or the room? Heat coiled in her womb and she sucked in
a breath as she pulled up her chin. “Yes,” she breathed.

His
jaw ticked as he stared at her, tracing her lips, her long blonde hair, the
curve of her breasts. Her skin tingled under his inspection. She jumped when he
finally spoke.