Voyage To Submission

by Mlyn Hurn

  “How long ago was that?” Jack asked softly.

  “Katrina passed away about five years ago. It’s been a long road back for Margrit, grief-wise. She still felt a lot of guilt. She doesn’t have a single reason to be, but sometimes there is just no talking logically to a woman.”

  “Tell me about it!” Jack muttered under his breath, all the while scanning the partygoers for Andy or Margrit.

  A moment later, Ethan grinned. “Wow!”

  Jack turned his head and immediately saw the reason for the older man’s surprise. Walking towards them were two of the sexiest women he’d ever seen, both scantily clad. It shocked him to realize it was Margrit, whose breasts were barely concealed, and then it dawned on him that the other woman had to be Andy.

  Andy!

  His eyes registered the white dress, or rather what was left of it. Her legs were gorgeous, he decided, especially when he noted the lacy garter on one thigh. He was glad that Andy’s breasts weren’t naked, like so many of the other women in the room. He’d have a hell of a time concentrating then!

  “It’s a good thing you kept this little outfit of yours a secret, my sweet,” Ethan murmured as he leaned forward and kissed his wife’s cheek.

  “I know, my love. Now, don’t you think Andy looks lovely?”

  Ethan nodded. “Yes, Andy, you look gorgeous.”

  Jack watched as Andy’s gaze turned in his direction. He smiled when their eyes met. “I agree. She looks amazing.”

  Andy wouldn’t have thought she could flush any hotter but she did. The look in Jack’s eyes was hot, and undeniable. He wanted her, and it thrilled her clean through to her toes. This was exactly what she’d always wanted—knowing Jack desired her, physically. One part of her brain was telling her that her mission was now accomplished and she could back off—

  She was breathless as she considered taking him back to the suite and making love. Suddenly she wondered what Jack would look like dressed up in those breakaway leather pants Pierre in the play had worn. What had been her plans and what she wanted now were two distinctly different things. There could be no denying she desired Jack. Hell! She downright had the “hots” for him.

  Ethan’s voice drew her attention back a few seconds later. She only hoped she’d not been caught staring at Jack the whole time.

  “Would either of you lovely ladies like something to drink?”

  Andy looked at Margrit, not completely sure if they were supposed to act in character, or just what. Margrit smiled back and nodded.

  “Yes, I think that would be lovely. Why don’t we have Cosmopolitans just like the four women in the television show?”

  Andy laughed and nodded. “The ones who have more sex in any city I’ve ever heard of?”

  Ethan spoke. “I’ll leave you here, Jack, to protect our beautiful ladies from intruders and marauders.” With a wink, he was gone.

  “Margrit?” Andy asked a moment later.

  “Yes, Andy. Did you have a question?”

  “Are we, or really I guess it is just me…am I expected to act a particular way?”

  Margrit shook her head. “Not tonight. If we attend a role-playing party, then yes, people are expected to stay in character. Unless, of course, a safe word is used. There is another private party tomorrow night, and Ethan and I were going to ask if you two wished to join us.”

  “Another party like this?” Jack asked, sipping his drink.

  “This one will be more traditional, so you will see many people behaving as they would back in their own world. There will undoubtedly be a number of Masters and slaves here, along with Mistresses.”

  “Sounds interesting, doesn’t it, Andy?” Jack spoke, looking directly at her, grinning.

  She swallowed hard, and then turned to look at her new friend. “It does sound intriguing. If Jack and I came, would we be expected to be a couple?”

  Margrit laughed. “No, you can come as our friends and not participate.”

  Jack leaned over and pressed a kiss to Andy’s temple. “Not participate? Won’t that take some of the fun out of it?”

  Andy suddenly decided to get back a little bit at Jack. “I wondered about getting you a pair of those breakaway leather pants, like we saw in the play. I’ll be Mistress Danica.”

  Ethan returned just in time to hear Andy, and he laughed loudly. “I see you two saw the play then. We must attend the Dungeon tomorrow night, for act two.” He passed the women their glasses and then sipped from his own. “I don’t know, Jack. Would you let Andy crack the whip over you?”

  Andy held her breath, wishing Ethan had not been quite so bold about the question.

  It didn’t get better when Jack looked towards her as he spoke. “If her heart were involved, I would.”

  Andy buried her face in the glass, sipping the drink and hoping the flush would fade quickly.

  * * * * *

  Andy was feeling even more dazed and confused the next afternoon. She was enjoying the massage, even with the masseuse making a wide path around her newly tattooed area, but it was almost impossible to calm her thoughts. Last night, Jack had surprised her by kissing her cheek at the door and bid her good night.

  This morning she had slept in. She was meeting Margrit at the spa for one o’clock appointments. After a light breakfast, she made herself work on her book. She turned off her beeper and hunkered down to work until twelve-thirty, when Henderson brought her a salad to chow down just in time to leave and meet Margrit.

  The surprising thing was even though her emotions were churning and going crazy, her mind was clear once her fingers touched the keys of her laptop computer. The story began slowly just a word or two, and then it flowed. In fact, she hadn’t moved until Henderson arrived. Her stiff back was finally responding to the clever hands of the masseuse.

  Margrit’s voice caught her attention. “Are we going shopping for an outfit for you to wear tonight?”

  “I’d like to, if you have the time.”

  “We should be fine. While I’m getting my body scrub and wrap, you are set for the piercing, if you still want to proceed.”

  Andy took a deep breath. The idea had been something she couldn’t shake and at three this morning, she had decided. “I am going ahead with it.”

  “Super. Then we have our hair appointments. I thought I might surprise Ethan and get it cut short and spiky.”

  Andy looked over at the other woman. “Does Ethan like short hair?”

  “Well, one time I let the stylist use the clippers on the back of my head, from the nape up about three inches. Ethan touched it and I felt him freeze, and then he started rubbing his fingers back and forth, across the super-short ends. With the right kind of encouragement, I bet he would have come right then and there.”

  Margrit smiled when Andy gasped. “You should try it. I have to admit it feels really terrific when they do it, and everything that brushes against the hair kind of touches some nerve endings, deep down inside of you.”

  Andy continued to lie there, thinking about it. Finally, it was time for the piercing. Following the earlier perusal, Andy had narrowed her choices down to two rings. Wearing a white terrycloth robe, she approached this and wanted to run. But once the two women who did the procedure came in, it all seemed to flow forward. Each woman had a soft, soothing and calming voice. Before she knew it, one woman tugged on her right nipple elongating it and then, whoosh!

  She resisted lifting her head to look until she was done. The other nipple was done almost as quickly. Andy surprised herself by asking about multiple ear piercings. By the time she joined Margrit in the hair salon, she had three new holes in each ear besides gold nipple rings. The stylist talked with her about possible new styles and finally Andy mentioned the part about the clipper cutting her nape. The stylist smiled and agreed she could do that.

  Excited almost beyond belief, Andy waited for Jack to arrive. Her new haircut had been artfully disguised by the stylist with a fall of hair dyed the same color as her own, and none of h
er friends had noticed her additional earrings by the way the hair was arranged and pinned into place. She had returned to her suite to dress for the Dungeon party, and more importantly, for the private party to follow.

  After returning from shopping with Margrit later in the afternoon, Andy had beeped Jack, hoping he’d respond. When the suite phone rang, she picked it up after the first ring. “Hello?”

  “Andy? This is Jack. Did you need something?”

  Andy curled up on her bed, holding the phone to her ear gingerly. “Are you in the middle of something? Am I interrupting?”

  “No, it’s cool. We had just finished playing tennis and we’re having a drink before heading down to dress for dinner.”

  “Ah, okay. I wondered if you wanted to go the Dungeon and then the other party, with Ethan and Margrit?”

  “I thought it would be fun to go again. Did you want to go?”

  “Well, yes…that’s why I called. I know we’re having dinner with the group, but I thought you might want to call for me here. We could go together to the Dungeon.” She waited. Deliberately she’d not said as a “couple” even though it was what she meant. Silently, she hoped Jack would make the suggestion.

  “You mean like a role-playing couple?” Jack asked her a few seconds later.

  “Well, uh, yes. I wondered if you would care to go as my Master.” Andy held her breath, waiting tensely for Jack’s answer. It had taken her an hour to build her courage up to ask.

  Jack slowly turned away so his friends would no longer be able to see his face. He was stunned at how vulnerable and yet aroused Andy’s question made him feel. All day long, lurking in the back of his mind had been this very question, in one form or another. It had been harder than hell to leave Andy alone at the front door last evening. He had gone back to toss and turn most of the long, lonely night. Ray had gotten lucky and was sharing the room with Gayle. Tony had jumped at the opportunity to share the room with Jack, instead of the other two guys.

  Today, he had been distant and his friends had all noted something was wrong, but he had just laughed off their comments. Ethan joined the five of them and they had gone from one sport to another all afternoon. Again, he and his buddies had all remarked on Ethan’s stamina. And just as he got beeped, they had been bemoaning the fact they needed a nap before an evening of partying.

  Hearing Andy’s voice, something was different. It felt new…and he didn’t know why, but he liked the heightened feelings he was experiencing with Andy Bond. The last few years, his life had been pretty boring. His dealings with Andy were like a shot in the arm of pure energy and zest. He had found himself looking forward to the cruise. Even though he told himself it was because of the chance for them all to be together once more, he knew it was the opportunity to see Andy again that pleased him. And so far, so good—

  “All right, Andy. We can set a time when I see you at dinner.”

  Hanging up the phone, he stood for a moment, just thinking. He had to wonder what had prompted this invitation. In the back of his mind, he had been sure she wanted to switch places and play the dominant role. Perhaps she was doing this to pique his interest. She certainly had accomplished that. He turned and started back to join the others when another possibility occurred. What if she was hoping to catch the eye of a certain duke, which she knew was in search of a new submissive? He almost growled in anger when he returned to the table.

  Tony grinned. “So, who was that? Did you find a lady fair to keep you company after we lost touch last night?”

  Jack ignored their comments and leaned back in his chair, speaking in a low voice to Ethan, who he was seated next to. “What kind of outfit will you be wearing tonight, Ethan? To the private party, that is?”

  Jack watched as the older man set down his beer on the table before crossing his arms across his chest. He knew the older couple had to wonder about his and Andy’s relationship, but so far Ethan had not asked any questions.

  “As Margrit’s Master, I shall wear a tuxedo to both parties. If we were to attend a smaller affair, then I’d probably do a role-playing getup. I’ll be honest with you, though. Margrit tends to take care of that for me.” Ethan shrugged, looking a little guilty.

  Jack laughed. “That helps, anyway. At least, it will get me through tonight!”

  Ray interrupted with a question and soon after the group broke up until later.

  * * * * *

  Finally, she heard the knock at the front door. She had sent Henderson away before she started dressing because she didn’t want an audience. Breathless, she walked over and opened the door.

  Jack looked as handsome and debonair as he usually did in his tuxedo. Staying still as his eyes traveled over her, she knew exactly what he saw. After staring at herself in the mirror, arguing over her decisions, she could close her eyes and describe her outfit, or at least what Jack could see so far.

  A long cape, with hood, covered her quite nicely, including her hair. Once she deposited her cape in the cloakroom for the ladies, then she’d be able to see his face as he got the full effect. She just hoped she didn’t shock him too much with her unexpected touch of boldness.

  “Don’t I get an advance preview?” Jack asked, once his gaze returned to hers.

  Andy shook her head carefully. “You’ll have to wait. I’m ready, if you are.”

  They walked slowly to the Dungeon Party due to her high heels. Inside the cloakroom, she quickly turned her cape over to the attendant and accepted the small slip to get it back later. Shaking her head, she watched her new, bouncy bob fall automatically into place. With a deep breath, she walked out to meet Jack.

  Jack stood alone, having told Tony, Danny and Ruthie to go in and they’d join them in a few minutes. He happened to turn around just as Andy began walking towards him. The words “struck dumb” and “frozen in time” suddenly seemed quite appropriate to describe how he felt.

  The first thing he noticed was that Andy seemed to be dressed predominantly in leather. It covered her from neck to crotch, which consisted of a pair of very short shorts. Her thighs were bare down to where the over-the-knee boots ended. He was glad she was covered. Ever since last night, he’d been worried she might show up at one of these parties with her breasts exposed. At this point, he wasn’t sure he wanted anyone else looking at her body.

  Only when she stopped in front of him did he realize she’d cut her hair. It was smooth and curved in towards her lips. There was a fringe cut a little above her eyebrows.

  God! Andy looked sexier than he would have imagined possible, considering what he knew about her. He shook his head and realized he had a lot to learn about this new Andrea Bond. “Wow!” he muttered, taking a step closer.

  Andy felt her stomach settle a little when Jack finally spoke. She’d been worried the leather and her radical haircut might turn him off. Then Jack started to walk around her and she couldn’t shake the thrill that went through her. She felt as if she’d dressed to please him and now she was waiting for his acceptance and approval.

  When he stopped behind her, she knew without doubt he was looking at the back of her head. The stylist had given her an inverted bob, with the cut angled up in the back several inches, which exposed the buzzed nape, extending upwards about three inches. She was proven correct a moment later when she felt his fingers lift and ever so lightly rub up and down the crisp, super-short hairs.

  Andy couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her throat, the catch in her chest, or clenching of her pussy muscles. Immediately followed by the wetness across her lips, and the slight buckling of her knees. “Oh, God!” she murmured in surprise.

  Luckily, Jack had been watching her reaction. He stepped close and his arm encircled her waist. Holding her securely, he spoke quietly. “Sorry if I startled you, but I couldn’t resist feeling it. Not only does it look as soft as velvet, it feels like it, too.”

  Andy closed her eyes as she felt Jack’s warm breath across her newly exposed and extremely sensitive nape. At this moment, th
e only thing she wanted was to curl into Jack’s heat. But they couldn’t as they both heard their friends’ voices calling.

  “Hey, you two!”

  “Good! I’m glad we caught up with you. Andy, I want to go with you and watch the next act in the play we saw yesterday.” Gayle grinned as she spoke.

  Andy smiled at Gayle and Ray as they approached. She wished for a moment they had not interrupted, but she pushed away the thought.

  “Yeah,” Ray added. “I want to see what happens to the busty maid.”

  Jack grinned and slowly released Andy. He reached out and tapped his friend’s upper chest. “Ray, Ray, Ray. How many times do I have to tell you…don’t speak the thought out loud until you sound it out in your head first?” Jack lightly tapped the side of Ray’s head. They all laughed and then headed into the party.

  At first, Andy noted many things were similar. But then she noticed many of the attendees were not in formal attire as they had been the previous evening. Instead, many were dressed in different styles that ranged from completely covered in leather, or PVC, to just straps of it here and there. But also, according to the rules, no breasts or sex organs were exposed.

  Still, as they moved through the crowd, Andy became uncomfortably aware over the amount of skin visible tonight than last. As they entered the Dungeon Party, Gayle commented, leaning over to whisper in Andy’s ear. “I wish I had the courage to wear something like that!”

  Andy smiled back, shaking her head. “I was scared, but after I’d spent the money on it, I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste it.”

  Gayle laughed, shrugging. “You’ll have to tell me, when it’s quieter, where you got it. I might drag Liz and Ruthie there as well.”

  Her words reminded Andy she had not spent much time with her gal pals from college, which had been the whole reason for the cruise. “I’m sorry I haven’t been hanging out with you guys. I didn’t realize how much not sharing a cabin would make a difference.”