by Imogen Nolde
“You may enter the room further,” I said once the allocated time had passed. “Please approach the desk.”
Vera began taking steps towards me.
“No,” I said calmly. “Around the other side of the fountain. Go.”
She stopped, then slowly turned around.
As she walked by the light of the fountain I caught a glimpse of her bare, milky white legs.
“You may ascend to the platform. Walk around to the other side of the desk.”
She continued on. Giving me nothing but silence.
Discipline.
Obedience.
“There are some drawers on the left side of the desk, nearest to you,” I said. “Go down into the bottom one and open it.”
Vera’s figure disappeared behind the desk.
I remained where I was.
“Do you see the objects in there?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Take out the eye-mask.”
I waited.
She stood up from the desk holding it in her hands.
“Have a look at the clip at the back,” I said. “Tell me whose name is on it.”
She turned it over and inspected it closely.
I heard her exhale and then her hands fell away. “Mine.”
“So then. It belongs to you.”
I began advancing towards her.
I climbed up onto the other side of the platform.
“Before I get any closer to you, I’ll need you to put it on.”
I saw her shoulders cave in. Shards of pain flared behind my eyes.
Only to cease once she complied.
“Now I can’t see anything,” she said.
“But you know where you are.”
She put her hand to the desk. Holding it for support.
“Get on your knees,” I said.
She crept down onto her knees.
“Put your hands in the drawer again.”
She put her hands in the drawer.
“Take out the handcuffs.”
She reached in and took them out.
“Place them on the ground beside you.”
Clank.
“Turn around, face away from me.”
“Still on my knees?”
“Yes.”
She huddled her body around.
“Now put your hands behind your back and interlock your fingers.”
She glanced back at me. “Be gentle.”
I waited until she had completed her task and was facing away from me.
“I’m not taking suggestions, Vera. When I want your opinion about something, I’ll let you know.”
“Sorry, I was just –”
“Shut up. Be still.”
She shut it.
I stared at her.
My eyes on her back.
Her knees digging into the carpet.
Her hands twitching to hold position.
The handcuffs glinted with blue light.
After a suitable amount of time had passed, I strode over to where she was, bent down and fastened the cuffs tightly to her wrists.
My shadow rose over her.
“Stand up,” I said.
Her feet wobbled as she got off the ground.
“Face me.”
She turned around.
“This is the closest we’ve been to one another, isn’t it?” I said.
“Yes,” she murmured.
“Do you like being close to me?”
“Yes.” Quicker answer this time.
“You probably wish your hands were free, don’t you?”
Silence.
Then she said, “I don’t know.”
“Don’t you wish your hands were free so you could remove your eye-mask? So you could see what I look like? And who I am?”
“You know I want that.”
“Freedom is a gift, Vera. Freedom to move as you wish to move. Freedom to touch things. Or to speak. Or see. Sight is a gift, not an entitlement.”
“You’re saying I have no rights?”
“I’m saying that as long as you want me, everything you have is because I have given it to you.”
“What about chivalry?”
I thought a moment. “I’m not sure exactly what you mean by that word, but I’m pretty sure it’s part of some other affair with some other man. As long as you’re with me, there is going to be a reward system. When you do as I say, and sacrifice to please me, you will be rewarded. Disobey me, give me backtalk, try to fight me, show me any disrespect at all, and you shall be punished. Do you understand?”
“What sort of punishment?”
I inhaled. Touched my face. “That depends on the infraction.”
“You wouldn’t hit me, would you?”
“Not in the way you’re thinking of, no.”
“How do you know what way I’m thinking of?”
I blinked. “That sounds like backtalk to me, Vera.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“I’ll let it slide but just this once. Next time you will suffer.”
“Mr. Redthorn … Um, can I ask you a question?”
“What?”
“You’re not angry with me or anything, are you?”
“I’m rather pleased actually. I admit I’ve been with women who have come as far as you have, and even further, but I have a feeling about you, Vera. If you stop thinking about yourself so much and start thinking about me, then this could go far.”
“Have you ever let a woman you were involved with see what your face looks like?”
As soon as she said it, a face flashed through my mind.
I had to turn away.
“Mr. Redthorn?”
I breathed in deeply. “Not in many years.”
“What is it? I can hear something in your voice.”
“Once you see my face, there will be no going back. You will not be able to leave. I can’t risk it.”
“Risk what?”
“It is important for me to remain anonymous at all times. Once you discover my secrets, my identity, I won’t be able to let you leave. That’s why I try to eliminate these things before they ever start. You must never fight me. You must never go against me. You must never tell me lies. If you break my heart now, things can go back to the way there were. No change. You’re not in danger because you don’t know anything.”
“What about my heart? How do you know you won’t break mine?”
I reached out and put my fingers to her soft, sweet cheek.
I felt the trembles all over her.
“I won’t hurt you, unless you hurt me first. Despite appearances, I’m extremely loyal.”
Her face reached out for my touch further as I drew it away.
“You don’t sleep around then?” she asked.
“No,” I said.
“Even though you could.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“I mean, why not just sleep around? What’s stopping you?”
“You slept with your friend, James, last night, didn’t you?”
Her feet stumbled. “Uh. Yeah. You know that.”
“And yet you still want more.”
“I didn’t have feelings for him. It was pointless.”
“Exactly.”
I looked at her sideways. It was time to ease my mind again.
“What are you thinking, Vera?”
She shrugged. “I’m in over my head?”
“You can go now, if you want.”
“No, I don’t want that.”
“What is it you want?”
“I want to be with you.”
I nodded. “So you want to be my girlfriend? Officially?”
“Oh. Sure…?”
“You don’t sound sure.”
“I mean, yes. But what happens next?”
“Tomorrow I’ll show you a bit of what I do. You’ll come out with me. Professionally. We’ll see how you
handle it. And then go from there.”
“Okay. What will that be like?”
“It’s the second phase to consummating our relationship. After tomorrow night, I’ll know whether I can trust you with my secrets. I’ll know whether you’re truly ready to be a part of my world.”
“So is this the first phase then?”
I shifted towards her, and put a hand to her back as if on cue.
“No,” I said. “This is.”
And then I leant into her. So we could have our first kiss together.
Passion had burned right through me. On the other side of our kiss together, I am sure about her. I am sure she is the one. She isn’t forcing herself at me, but at the same time she isn’t holding back. She is moving how I want her to move. She is kissing how I want her to kiss.
Our tongues massaging one another’s, our mouth locked, and our minds in the exact same place, I passed along the key and placed it against her arm.
She allowed me to break away.
Then I whispered to her.
“I’m going to give you your arms back. But you must promise not to take off the mask.”
“I promise,” Vera said.
“Okay. Turn your back towards me.”
She twisted round.
I leant in, my lips at her ear.
“I’m warning you. It better not even fall off by accident.”
“Or you’ll kill me?”
“Maybe.”
I unlocked the cuffs and let them slide into my hands.
Clank.
Vera faced me again.
She put her arms around me.
“What do you look like?” she asked. “Just so I can picture you in my head.”
“I look like a prince,” I said. “And you are my princess.”
I took her hand swiftly and led her down the edge of the platform. We moved closer and closer towards the light in the water fountain.
I stood her in front of it.
“Get naked,” I said.
She quickly started to undress, while I removed my shirt and trousers.
As the dress came away from her I could see she was smaller, more fragile than I realized.
“What?” she said after a moment.
“Nothing,” I said. “I’m just admiring you.”
“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“That is true.”
A moment passed. I stood close to her.
“I feel like a blind person,” she murmured. “All my other senses are firing.”
“Tell me about them.”
She smiled. “I can smell your cologne. Your scent. It’s strong. Overbearing. It makes me want to cuddle up in you.”
“What else?”
“I can hear you breathing.” She reached out. Put her hand to my bare chest. “I can hear your heartbeat.”
“What else?” I said leaning forward.
My erection grazed her belly.
Her mouth fell open.
Her fingers fell from my chest and grasped hold of my dick.
“Fucking hell,” Vera murmured. “Is that really you?”
“Why don’t you put your lips around it and find out?”
Vera lowered herself and began sucking me. Her mouth was small, warm, wet. Her teeth were tucked away and there was nothing but soft pleasure for my penis to feel.
I put my hand into her hair and lifted her off it.
“What does it taste like?”
“It tastes like you,” she said.
“And what adjective would you use to describe me?”
“Amazing.”
“Good.”
“Do you want me to keep going?”
“Yes, please.”
She resumed sucking.
Both my hands had made it to the back of her head. Each time she went down, I thrust her further.
She started to choke.
Drool ran from the corner of her mouth.
“Okay,” I said. “Your turn.”
I scooped her off the ground and laid her across the edge of the fountain, the water’s surface just beneath her. I spread her legs apart and rubbed the top of her pussy with my thumb. I splashed some water on it, and then bent my face down to lick it up. My tongue buried its way inside her, enjoying her juices. She was absolutely gushing wet before I even started rubbing her, and by the time I’d finished she was going even more crazy.
If the room wasn’t soundproof, her cries of pleasure would echo all the way down to the ground floor.
I scooped her up again forcefully and turned her over so that her knees were pressed against the base of the fountain. I stood over her and dunked her face in the water, five seconds at a time. Then I took a handful of water and splashed it on her anus which she bared to me.
I moistened it further with my tongue, then forced her cheeks back and wide to insert myself.
I felt her body spasm with a jolt of shock.
Her ass was tight and hadn’t received a lot of attention by my estimate, so I didn’t advance myself on her to my extreme liking. I could have, of course. This was all my doing. My game. My choice of practice.
She knew that too.
Once I was satisfied her asshole and my cock had become well acquainted, I cleaned both off with the water and forced my way into her cunt. The sheer amount of orgasmic secretions and burning friction almost caused me to cum on the spot. Instead, I restrained myself, and began pumping her fervently to both our hearts content.
She screamed.
Yes, yes, yes, yes. And more yes.
I was intoxicated. Nothing else mattered in that moment. Nothing ever could.
Feeling the last of my defenses begin to shut down, I withdrew, laid down on my back, and pulled her on top of me.
As she fumbled around in search of my penis, our lips locked together once more.
I crushed her body with my strength, and pulled her further and further into me so that she would know that she was loved and desired.
Once my penis was inside her again, two quick thrusts had me cumming a bucket-load up her, both of us crying out at the same time.
It was at that point I did something even more crazy.
I grabbed my shirt from the nearby floor and wrapped it around the bottom half of my face.
Then I pulled back her blindfold so she could see my eyes.
My eyes and nothing more.
More importantly, I could see hers.
10 Vera
Mr. Redthorn has purple eyes.
Purple. I mean, come on.
They had to be contacts. For sure. Yes, I’d heard about some people having purple eyes but maybe they have a birth defect or something? Purple is not a color for eyes.
Except when it comes to Mr. Redthorn.
After the sex, everything accelerates. We say our goodbyes and agree to meet up again tomorrow night. My heart’s racing. My head’s swimming. Outside the office I leave him in the dark and I’m walking on air. The models are still at the front desk, the big letters spelling REDTHORN overhead. They look at me, almost, but not quite stupefied. I don’t care. They’re nothing now. I’ve won this game. I own him.
By the time I get home I’m exhausted. There’s no time for phone calls or messages. No time for dinner. I go to bed and it’s the best sleep I’ve had in years.
His eyes – his eyes are following me. I can feel them on my back. When I turn, it’s like looking at the sun he burns so bright. But this time I can see. I can see what he looks like.
And yes, my dreaming imagination is still working overtime, but the pieces of reality are beginning to come together. I know how tall he is. I know how broad his shoulders are. I know what his chest feels like and I know how big his cock is.
He showed me his eyes and they’re eyes I’ve never seen before.
Eyes that will stab me to death.
Oh my God.
I’m besotted.
When I wake, I’m an hour early. I don’t have to get up right away. I
can lie in bed, and think about him. He’s larger than life. He’s a Goddamn super hero to me. Maybe I’d sound silly if I were to say these thoughts out loud, but shit this is what I’m thinking. I can’t get away from it. He’s all over me and I’m all over him.
However, as plain and ordinary as the skyline looks for me and my lazy breakfast, today has conflicts instore that I’m not quite ready for.
Conflicts I couldn’t possibly predict.
It’s not until I get to work that I even turn on my phone. I think to myself I must be saving it. Whatever he’s going to say to me now is going to be amazing. And maybe if he says nothing that’s going to be even better.
I stared down at the phone as the notifications poured in.
Zoe tried to ring me last night. There was no message left.
James tried calling twice. There’s a text from him as well saying that he will be stopping by my work.
“Eww,” I murmured. “Get a life, James.”
Last but not least is a miscall from Lucy’s mobile twenty minutes ago. I have no idea why she’s tried to call me, but I guess I’ll be dealing with whatever it is face to face.
I stepped outside the car.
As I walked up to the underground entrance, carrying my things, the fire escape door opened and Dylan Sheppard stepped outside. He had a joint in his hand that was already lit.
“Yo,” he said with an unenthusiastic wave.
“What is that?” I said, coughing. “You smoking weed out here?”
“Well, I can’t smoke it inside.”
“Jesus, you could be a bit more discreet. People work here.”
He shrugged.
“You can’t go to your car or something?”
“Yeah, maybe,” he mumbled.
I shook my head. “Is Zoe in yet?”
Dylan stared at me blankly. “No.”
“Okay. I was just asking.”
He stepped out of the way so I could access the door.
“You two have fun last night?” I pressed him.
“What?” he replied.
“You and Zoe.”
He shrugged. “I haven’t seen Zoe.”
“Yeah whatever,” I said rolling my eyes. “I’ll hear it all from her.”
I pushed open the door and stepped inside.
He followed me. “What are you talking about?”
