Camellia

by Cari Z.

  "I thought Danny wasn't part of the scene! Where do you get off punishing her?" Natasha hissed as soon as the last of them were gone.

  Well, this was an interesting intrusion. Partly, Lucy was warmed by her concern for Danny, which meant she liked her enough to get involved. Still, Lucy felt the need to correct Natasha's assumption. "I said that Danny was outside our circle, and she said that she was new to this, not that she wasn't interested. This was hardly a punishment, Natasha. Though Lillian is perfect in nearly every way, I'd still think you'd be able to recognize the reality of the situation. You know me. I would never punish someone under my control in such a public and humiliating way."

  Natasha's anger seemed to dissipate more with each word that Lucy whispered in her ear. "It wasn't a punishment to strike her?"

  Lucy gave her a tight smile and trailed her hand up Danny's bare arm as she walked away from Natasha. Her fingertips lingered on the smooth curve of Danny's neck and she held Danny there, enjoying the feel of her pulse under her fingertips as Danny leaned into her touch. The slight motion wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone else, but Lucy was warmed by the trust Danny obviously placed in her.

  "Danielle, did you feel punished when I put my crop to your arm?" Lucy asked her, knowing the answer but wanting both Danny and Natasha to hear it as well. Lucy wasn't a strict domme, but she was a correct one. She'd never expected the kind of obedience in a sub that Natasha required from Lillian, and perhaps that was the difference between their definitions. Lucy expected that any reprimand would look like punishment to a mistress as tightly controlled as Natasha was.

  Danny shrugged and Lucy lightly tapped the tip of her crop against Danny's upper thigh.

  "Words are required to answer," Lucy told her as she held the soft leather against Danny's skin.

  Danny cleared her throat and stood a little straighter. "No. I didn't feel anything like that."

  Lucy glanced over her shoulder at Natasha and gave her a sharp nod, closing the discussion. Though Danny was naturally submissive, she wasn't formally Lucy's sub, and that drew a distinct line between what Lucy could and couldn't do with her. Lucy would reward Danny how she wanted, would bring her almost any pleasure she desired, but didn’t want to put a hand or any physical extension of herself on Danny as anything more than a simple correction.

  "Well, all right, then. Are you two done for the day?" Natasha asked them.

  Lucy answered for them both. "Yes. I have a massage booked. Enjoy your evening, ladies. We'll see you both tomorrow."

  Pleasantries over, Lucy took Danny's hand in hers and led her from the stage. "Do you wish to see anything before we retire to the room?" she asked Danny without looking at her. She was far too busy trying not to trip over someone's whips that had spilled out of a plastic tub to be distracted by the face that had held her fascination all day.

  Danny shook her head. "No, thanks. I think I saw most of it during lunch. You mentioned getting a massage?"

  "I did. Would you like to join me in the spa here?" Lucy was glad Danny nodded. A massage would probably do them both some good. Adding a treatment for Danny was a simple matter of stopping by the front desk of the spa center, a set of rooms off the main lobby decorated with tall bamboo stalks to give those waiting to be seen a bit of privacy.

  They were greeted quickly and taken back to separate rooms to change into lightweight green robes. "If you need assistance with your clothes, don't hesitate to ask," Lucy called to Danny before she was whisked away into the room across from her. Lucy saw Danny nod before the door closed between them.

  Lucy had her own assistant, a young woman with small hands and sure fingers that worked carefully to get her out of the corset, shirt, and skirt until finally Lucy stood in front of her in just her underthings. "I believe I can handle it from here," she told the woman, who had yet to leave the room despite Lucy's state of near undress.

  Blushing, the girl excused herself, and Lucy removed the thin shell she'd been wearing under her lace shirt, along with her pale silk stockings. Lucy was left in a simple lace bra and matching pair of panties. They were expensive, as she appreciated nice things, and Lucy stared down at herself and sighed. No one else had appreciated them since she first purchased the set four months ago, which seemed a terrible shame.

  Lucy took her lingerie off and hung it on the back of the door next to Natasha's clothes, then wrapped the robe around herself before stepping into the hallway. Danny's own changing room lay abandoned, so Lucy followed the sounds of voices down the hall through an open door, where she was greeted with soft candlelight and the smell of sandalwood oil, along with a half-dozen more potted bamboo plants. There were two tables in the center of the room, and one was occupied with Danny, already stretched out face down on the sheets.

  "Miss Culpepper?" the masseuse in front of an empty table asked as she entered.

  Lucy nodded. "I am."

  Danny rolled her head to the side to look at her, and though Lucy was aware that she now had an audience, she didn't mind so much that it was Danny whom she heard quickly draw in a breath as Lucy disrobed before climbing onto the massage table. The room was dimly lit, but Lucy was satisfied that Danny had gotten a good look at Lucy's assets, so to speak. It was only fair, considering that Danny had been on display for Lucy—and everyone else—all day.

  "I didn't know you'd booked a couple's massage," Danny said once she found her voice again.

  Lucy made sure she was facing Danny as the massage began, pleased with how convenient the setup was for conversation. "Given our shared experiences today, I didn't see it as being an issue. Do you disagree?"

  "Not at all. I'm just glad to be getting a massage. This isn't something I do all that often. Or, well, ever, really."

  "You should. It's exceptionally relaxing. After a long day, there are few things I find better than a good massage," Lucy said. Her own masseuse quickly earned Lucy's respect as she found a particularly troubling knot on her shoulder and worked into it as much as possible before moving on.

  She heard Danny's low moans and smiled, glad that Danny was enjoying this treatment but wishing those sounds were brought on by something else entirely.

  Their hour on the massage table passed far too quickly, and soon Lucy and Danny headed back to their hotel room, their clothes in bags hanging over their arms and Lucy's boots dangling from her fingers. They'd opted to keep the robes on instead of re-dressing, since Natasha's clothes were too nice to risk spoiling with oil. Even Lucy could only take a corset for so many hours a day.

  "I'm going to rinse off and change into something," Danny said as they entered the room, looking incredibly relaxed if the sway in her step and the droop of her eyelids were anything to judge by.

  "All right. Have you decided on whether you're staying here tonight or if you'd rather I drive you home?" Lucy asked her as she watched her go.

  Danny's voice was muffled by the bathroom door and the sudden spray of water, but Lucy still heard her reply well enough. "I think I'll stay. It makes more sense, right? That way neither of us has to drive until tomorrow afternoon once the convention is over."

  Lucy had her sudden smile under control by the time Danny shut off the shower and emerged from the bathroom in tiny shorts and a tank top that did nothing to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her breasts were full and heavy, and Lucy tightened her hands into fists to remind herself that she wasn't free to touch.

  "Bathroom's free if you want it," Danny said as she flopped down onto one of the beds. She spread out with a sigh and curled her fingers into the sheets. "Wow, that massage felt amazing." With sure, quick movements she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Lucy was curious to know what she was doing as her fingertips flew over the keyboard, but seconds later, her phone beeped and it was put away again. "Sent a text to my dad letting him know I was staying," Danny explained.

  "We wouldn't want him to worry," Lucy said as she got to her feet and went to her suitcase. She'd brought something to sle
ep in, and it wouldn't do to be nude under a robe for the rest of the evening. She stole away into the bathroom, rinsed the oil off quickly, then slipped on a pair of silk pants and a fitted shirt. She considered putting on her dressing gown, but really, it was warm in the room, and Lucy liked the thought of Danny getting a closer look at her. She headed back into the room, sat in the chair next to Danny's bed, and pulled the room service menu over.

  "I could eat. Would you like something?" Lucy asked Danny as she began flipping through the menu.

  Danny made a face. "Is it going to be more cheese and fruit?"

  "You may not have had the food you wanted for lunch, but did you find that you felt exhausted afterward?" Lucy asked her without looking away from the menu.

  "No," Danny replied, sounding contrite.

  Lucy nodded. That much of an admission was enough. "Order whatever you want for dinner. There seems to be plenty to choose from." Danny sat up and Lucy handed her the menu, then waited while Danny quickly made her selection—a bacon cheeseburger and double order of French fries, naturally. It sounded heavy and greasy, two things Lucy tried to avoid, but Danny looked delighted when, half an hour later, their food was delivered.

  Lucy's entrée, a delicate blackened Mahi Mahi with mango salsa, was about half the size of Danny's, but they both finished at about the same time. Lucy couldn't deny that Danny certainly enjoyed her meal, if the sounds she made were anything to go by. Danny made a few soft moans and each put Lucy more on edge until, blessedly, Danny finished her dinner. They were left in a comfortable silence as they cleared away their plates.

  "Why was Natasha so upset by the idea of you punishing me?" Danny asked Lucy once the area had been cleaned.

  For a long moment, Lucy considered brushing the question off. It wasn't likely to be information that would be useful to Danny, but since it involved her, Lucy supposed that Danny deserved to know the answer. "Reward is usually a simple exercise. Correction is slightly more complicated. I can use my crop to alter your position without any lasting consequences. But for there to be punishment between a dominant and submissive pair, there must be mutual respect and understanding of boundaries and expectations. These are things that the two of us could not have possibly accomplished in the short time we've known each other, which Natasha knew, and so she thought I had crossed a line and punished someone with no knowledge of such a thing."

  Danny's face tightened as she pulled her feet under her on the bed. "I do understand it, though."

  Lucy quickly shook her head. "You understand the concept, I'm sure. But a dominant person wields physical and emotional power over a submissive. Punishments aren't something to be taken lightly or given out without just cause. When a parent spanks a child, they have to be careful not to do it without being fully in control of all their faculties, or things can get out of hand. In the same way, a dominant person must never let themselves be emotionally tied to a punishment. It would be far too easy to do damage to their submissive otherwise, and that is something that should never be acceptable."

  "What about rewards?" Danny asked her. As Lucy watched, Danny touched her tongue to her lips. Her shoulders rounded and she leaned forward over her knees, causing her tank top to slip down and expose some of the raven tattoo on her chest. Lucy forced herself to look away from that enticing display.

  "I reward you because I want to, because it's the right thing, and because you've done well. There are some things we, as competent human beings, are expected to do simply because we know that we should. We do our laundry, clean our dishes, and pay for our groceries. These aren't actions that require rewards. But accepting a touch, doing well at a tea ceremony, opening yourself up to learning a new skill—that kind of initiative and caring should always be rewarded. I prefer to do so with my crop, for those who get pleasure out of it. As long as the reward or punishment matches the action, there is always a balance."

  It felt good to share her knowledge and ideas with someone as eager to learn and understand as Danny appeared to be, especially with regards to the crop. Pain didn't have to equal wrong, and though Lucy didn't enjoy the hardest forms of physical domination, she understood them and welcomed those that enjoyed them responsibly into her life with open arms.

  "What about you? Do you enjoy giving the rewards?" Danny asked the question hesitantly, and was blushing pink before she had a chance to turn away.

  Lucy considered how to best answer this question. She could take a fair guess at Danny's reasons for asking it, but people didn't always ask questions they were ready to hear the answers to. In the end, honesty and a desire to be open with Danny won out. "I do," she said, letting that declaration linger between them. She would not indulge Danny's interest any further without her asking for what she really wanted to.

  Danny looked surprised. "So ... uh ... you get ... turned on when you use the crop?"

  Lucy gave her a slight smile. Unlike Danny, she felt no need to look away when she answered the question. "I find pleasure in bringing it forth from others."

  "With your crop?"

  Lucy took a sip from the bottle of water in front of her, buying some time. Danny was fixating on Lucy's favorite thing, and it was hard to remember just how little they really knew about each other when Danny seemed so eager. But far more was required for a successful scene than simply an eager sub, and Lucy wouldn't be the person to damage Danny's delicate skin or heart. "With my crop, with my hand, or with other instruments that I keep in my bedroom at home."

  Danny leaned forward a little, putting her cleavage back on display. Damn it. "And using them on someone gets you off?"

  It was the same question as before, slightly altered. Clearly Danny was stuck on the idea, although whether it was because she wanted it or was curious as to why Lucy wanted it, Lucy wasn't sure yet. "It isn't as simple as that, though for some people it might be. I enjoy bringing pleasure out in the people I find attractive. Red marks on tender skin, watching a beautiful woman struggle against silk ties ... Can you imagine it?" That was a dangerous question, Lucy knew, and as soon as it left her lips she thought she might have been better off not uttering those words at all.

  But then Danny nodded and softly sighed. "Yes."

  A full smile blossomed across Lucy's face. "I believe you can." Dangerous questions became even more complicated actions as Lucy took a chance she rarely allowed herself to indulge in. "Do you wish to see?"

  Danny stopped breathing for an instant as she met Lucy's gaze. "See? As in ...?"

  Lucy hesitated, unsure whether she should really go through with it or not. Beautiful women were easy to find. Submissive on top of that narrowed the pool somewhat, but not dramatically. There were a dozen women in the hotel that Lucy could have without risking any part of herself to get them.

  While that would interest Lucy for an evening, she knew that Danny was different. There was something about her, more than just beauty, willingness, and that particular ability to transform pain into pleasure. Danny was a gift, one Lucy wanted to savor.

  "Do you wish to engage in a scene?" Lucy asked her, her words clipped in an effort to hide her eagerness. If Danny said no, she would accept that without question.

  "What would we do?" Danny asked as she got to her knees on the bed. Lucy didn't miss the hardness of her nipples or the way her pupils had expanded while they'd been talking.

  Lucy had a dozen things she wanted to try with Danny, and even more ways that she wanted to see Danny laid out before her like a tray of delicate sweets, just ripe for the taking. She was a woman to be indulged in, to be caressed and lovingly petted. But she was also a woman that Lucy wanted to see bound with the black silk ties that hung from her bedposts as Lucy whipped her back and butt. There was a delicate balance between the two ideas for Lucy, both equally appealing and even better in concert.

  Any more time spent considering and Lucy would be stalling. She had to come up with an answer. With limited supplies on her and no desire to go back down to the convention and buy somethin
g else right now, her choice was simple. "I would use my crop on you. With or without clothing—that would be your choice. You'd cry out, you would be sore tonight, you might be shocked at the marks across your skin. But you would enjoy it."

  Danny squirmed a bit on the bed, and Lucy didn't have to guess at her level of interest. "What if I didn't?"

  "Then we stop," Lucy said. "Of course. Do you remember the word that I told you to say if something became too much for you?"

  "Apple," Danny answered instantly.

  Lucy gave her a soft smile. "Yes, apple. Your favorite fruit. So, now you know what would happen. Take few minutes, decide what you'd like to do and how far you're willing to go right now. Whatever you decide tonight, should you ever come to me seeking such a thing in the future, I promise that I'll never do anything more to you than you want and have given me permission to do."

  Lucy saw Danny swallow. "So how do you want me?"

  "Are you going to continue wearing your clothes?" Lucy asked.

  Danny looked down at herself and curled her fingers under the hem of her shirt. "I think so. Yes. For right now."

  Nodding, Lucy got to her feet. "Come stand in front of me. Here." Lucy took her crop and pointed to a space on the carpet in front of her. Danny moved more eagerly than gracefully, but she stood obediently in front of Lucy a few seconds later.

  Lucy examined Danny, looking at the flush of her cheeks and the wideness of her eyes before she cupped Danny's cheek in her hand. "You're safe here," she repeated. "You know the word that will stop this instantly. I won't touch you anywhere that you don't wish me to. You will address me as Mistress, and for this you are Danielle. If you like something you may ask for more. If I ask you a question, you will answer me. If you want something, you may ask for it. Are the rules clear, Danielle?"

  "Yes, Mistress." The title was a whispered caress falling from her lips, and it made Lucy shiver.