The Velvet Ribbon

by Christie Adams

  “I don’t know…exactly what I’m supposed to do,” she admitted hesitantly, “but this feels right…Sir.”

  Alex looked down at Beth. She was a truly remarkable woman. What she’d just done showed courage and character. There was no way he was going to reject that bravery.

  “First of all, call me by my name for now, no matter where we are. It’s taken me three years to get you to use it and I kind of like the way you say it. For future reference, though, there will come a point where I’m ‘Sir’ in here—unless, of course,” he added, his eyes full of teasing humour, “you give me a reason in here to have you call me ‘Sir’ out there.”

  He looked at the woman kneeling before him. Eyes downcast, she only needed a little guidance regarding her posture. Pride in her gave him a warm feeling around his heart. He tried to think of the last time he’d felt anything vaguely similar and the simple answer was…he hadn’t. Not even with the woman he’d married.

  “Widen your knees, Beth. More…that’s better. Just lower your eyes, not your head—you’re not a slave. That’s right, it shows respect. Rest your hands on your thighs, palms up. Good. Now, how does that feel? Could you hold that position for a few minutes without pain?”

  “Yes, Alex.”

  He sensed that she was a little confused by the question. “D/s isn’t about inflicting pain to the point of agony, Beth,” he explained patiently. “I’m not a sadist, and I don’t expect you to be a masochist. Yes, you will be subject to discomfort, and there will be brief—I stress, brief—spells of pain which you will come to love because of what happens after the pain, but it’s not in my interest or yours to force you to assume a pose that leaves you hurting.”

  She visibly relaxed a little at that. While she’d clearly researched D/s for her writing, there was still a lot she had to learn. How he relished the prospect of being the one to teach her.

  “From now on, that is your first position. You will assume it when told, and you will also learn when to assume it without being told explicitly. And should this, or anything else, ever cause you real pain, you will tell me immediately. Understood?”

  “Yes, Alex.”

  “I also want you to understand this: you will come to me, as your Dom, if you have any problems or issues of any kind. You will tell me about anything and everything that bothers you, or makes you happy, no matter how small or insignificant you think it might be. Inside the bedroom and out of it, I’m the one you lean on now. I’ll always protect you and support you. No arguments.”

  “Yes, Alex.”

  He nodded, trying not to be distracted by how good those two words sounded when spoken by his Beth. He scrutinised her appearance in fine detail. For a beginner, she was doing very well. Not perfectly, but for a beginner she showed plenty of promise. “And before we go any further, your safe words will be red to stop immediately, yellow to slow things down and discuss them, and green if I need positive confirmation from you that you wish to continue. Got that?”

  She nodded and gave him one of her beautiful smiles. Why was he only realising now just how beautiful those smiles were?

  “Yes, Alex. Red to stop, yellow to slow down and green for go. Just like traffic lights.”

  “Just like traffic lights,” he agreed. “I know I said that I didn’t expect you to need to use a safe word, but don’t ever let that stop you if you feel you need to.”

  He could sit here and watch her all day, except for three things: her hair was wet, her ankle hadn’t yet healed fully, and he needed a shave and a shower.

  “Okay then. I’d like you to stand up now. Take your time, love; remember, everything you do now is to please me, and it pleases me to watch you move with poise and grace.” He offered her his hand.

  All things considered, again, she managed fairly well. Her balance was a little off, but that was hardly surprising with the problem with her ankle—he noted that the bruising was showing visible signs of healing already, judging by the way the colour was changing. “Stand up straight, hands behind your head, eyes lowered, feet shoulder-width apart. That will be your second position. Does your ankle hurt?”

  “A little, Alex.”

  Probably more than she was willing to admit. That was a habit he was going to have to break. “I’m going to get cleaned up now, Beth. While I’m attending to that, I want you to sit here and dry your hair. If your hair isn’t dry by the time I’m done, I’ll finish it off for you.

  “And don’t get dressed,” he added, having decided that he quite liked to have Beth as nature intended. He wanted to enjoy her a little longer. “Not yet, anyway. I thought that later, we’d go for a stroll in the park—not far, just for some fresh air, and while we’re out, we’ll get some lunch.”

  7

  The bathroom door closed behind him; at that point, Beth drew in great lungfuls of air to feed her oxygen-starved body. So far, so good.

  Actually…more than good. Involuntary warmth flooded through her at the memory of the way he’d touched her before heading for the bathroom, his hands gentle, his touch tender as he’d caressed her arms, almost as if she were the most precious thing in his life. His eyes had roamed over her face and body before he’d lowered his head and claimed her mouth with a kiss that promised heaven.

  She went to the drawer where Alex kept the hairdryer. He’d promised to finish off drying her hair for her if she hadn’t completed the task by the time he’d showered, so she’d better get a move on. She remembered all too well the fireworks he’d set off when he’d done that for her yesterday.

  Just concentrate on drying your hair. Don’t go off into a daydream.

  She didn’t know why, but it seemed like nothing—not her hair, not the dryer itself—was going to cooperate. In next to no time the shower stopped, and moments later the bathroom door opened.

  Alex sat behind her again, his legs framing hers. The brush and hairdryer were taken from her and that delicious feeling tore through her again as he began to dry her hair.

  Oh God. Oh God, oh God, oh God! He was barely touching her and she was still turning into a wreck.

  “Sit up straight, Beth. That’s it. Perfect.”

  His voice was silk and cream and honey, all mixed together in a way that made Beth melt from the inside out. She couldn’t get enough of it—she was addicted. Whatever Alex wanted from her, she’d gladly give. He was communicating directly with a place inside her that was so secret, she’d merely skimmed the surface of its existence—the part of her that craved the surrender of all control, and craved it with an intensity she’d never before experienced.

  A few minutes later the hairdryer was switched off. Beth sensed Alex’s movements as he put it to one side. She was expecting him to tell her to stand up, but no, he said nothing. All she could feel, when he swept her hair to one side, was the gentle caress of his breath at the nape of her neck.

  “That’s it, sweetheart,” she heard him murmur eventually, and then his hands exerted a gentle pressure on her shoulders. “When we’re alone together, you’ll accept my touch whenever and wherever I choose. To arouse you, to discipline you…or to guide you. Now, keep your back straight and look straight ahead. I want you to remain absolutely silent.”

  The sensation of his hands stroking down her back was exquisite, as was the moment when his arms came around her and pulled her back against his chest. His right arm pinned her to him, while his left hand began a sensual exploration of her breasts and nipples. A fierce, pulsating ache started up between her legs almost immediately and a soft moan escaped her lips. All of a sudden, simply breathing required a huge effort.

  “Hush, Beth,” he remonstrated, his voice both stern and sensual. “Did I give you permission to make any sound?”

  She was about to answer, but shook her head instead. His words, the control they implied, were making her melt with need.

  “Excellent. You’re learning. Now, I want you to lift your legs up and hook them over mine if you can—that’s
it.”

  The shift in position tilted her pelvis up, opening her wide for him, while her weight rested fully on his broad chest. The heat of him flooded her body. The arm that had been around her waist moved, and then she felt his hand between her legs. God, she so wanted to close her legs against the invasion—it was too, too much—but she could do nothing. In this room, she was his possession.

  He was massaging her pussy with deep, slow, sensual strokes. Before he even came out of the bathroom she’d been wet from just thinking about what might happen, but now—and he hadn’t even touched her clit yet—she was soaked with arousal. Her hips writhed as she hungered for more of what he was doing to her. The mere act of thinking was impossible as feeling consumed her entire being.

  A stroke went deeper, separating her labia, allowing his middle finger to dip inside her, and on the upward stroke, he pressed that finger to her swollen clit. She couldn’t help but cry out as her back arched in reaction. She tried to push his hand away, but he would have none of it.

  “Beth, in here, you will deny me nothing, unless you use your safe words,” he reminded her, his touch picking up pace and pressure. “You may speak now. What do you want? Do you want to call red?”

  “Please, Alex!” She writhed in his embrace, desperate for a release from the mounting need in every atom of her being.

  “What, Beth?” he asked, his voice calm and controlled. “Tell me exactly what you want.”

  If she could tell him she would…except the words were tumbling around in her mind and refused to organise themselves into an even vaguely coherent sentence. His name was all she could manage to articulate.

  “Not good enough, Beth. Tell me.”

  She couldn’t—but if she didn’t, she wouldn’t get what she wanted and she wanted it so damn much. “Please…please let me come, Alex!” Overwhelmed by need and now desperately embarrassed, it was the best she could manage.

  “Not yet, my love. I know you need to come, but you’re not ready. You need to learn self-control, and I am going to teach you.”

  Beth could have screamed. She was ready…oh, she was so ready, but not for the hand between her thighs. The finger dipping into her pussy was like being in the path of a sensual tsunami—the tidal wave was rushing towards her and she could do nothing to save herself from it. She couldn’t pull herself away from that hand, she couldn’t push it away, she felt as if she were going to explode. “Please, Alex—please!” she whimpered.

  “Self-control, Beth.” His voice was intractable, compelling, almost totally devoid of emotion. “Remember: you’re stronger than this. Tell me what you need.”

  She was crying now, the pleasure becoming unbearable as it boiled through her veins. She wanted it to stop, she needed it to stop, but it was just going on relentlessly, endlessly, that hand ceaselessly working her clit to drive her out of her mind, the fingers dipping inside her instead of his cock filling her, the torment going on and on…

  “Please!” she sobbed. “Please, Alex, I need to come—may I come?”

  Silently she begged for release, pleading with Alex in her mind, to let her give in to the sensations he was creating in her treacherous body. All that happened was that he increased the pressure and the rhythm yet again—she felt her body pulse and contract around his fingers, dazzling white light exploded in her mind and then finally he allowed her what she craved.

  “You may. Come for me now, sweetheart.”

  Alex wrapped his arms around his sub as her body writhed under the force of her orgasm. His hand remained between her legs, drenched from the sexual ecstasy that was crashing through her body. Like this, Beth was pure, carnal woman, made for a man’s pleasure—the cool exterior was gone, banished by the torrent of passion he’d always suspected might lie beneath. His frustrated erection was hard as granite and giving him hell, but she was worth it.

  Dropping his voice to a low murmur, he began to calm her, stroked her soft skin and dropped light kisses on her shoulder and the nape of her neck. Finally her breathing settled as her senses returned—and so did her embarrassment. It was in every line of her suddenly tense body, the way her teeth clamped down on her lower lip—he was really starting to hate that habit now, it had to go—and when her head drooped to one side, it was in the scalding tear he felt drip onto his forearm.

  “Beth, listen to me. What just happened…it was beautiful. Don’t be ashamed. I wanted you to find out how holding off could let you lose yourself in pleasure, just like that. Do you understand?”

  He looked across at the mirror through which he’d watched her as he pleasured her; she was limp in his arms, her head still bowed, her glossy hair a cascade of shining waves. With an effort she sat up straight, and it was then that he saw her face—her mortified expression faded, became something softer and more feminine than he’d ever seen before.

  He wanted nothing more than to bury himself forever in her glorious gentleness, but now wasn’t the time. The second lesson he had for her was that her pleasure at his hand was a gift that came without expectation.

  “Beth?”

  “Yes, Alex?”

  “Go and clean yourself up. Leave the bathroom door open. When you’re done, come back here, and get dressed. I’ll get some clothes ready for you. No arguments,” he added, when she opened her mouth to protest. She hesitated for a moment, and then he watched her walk to the bathroom, unaware that he was holding his breath, waiting to see if she would look around at him. Just as he was resigned to losing the bet, Beth paused and turned. He nodded, acknowledging how well she’d done, and let his breath out on a long, silent sigh.

  Alex continued to watch her for a few moments as she washed the copious moisture from her pussy. With each passing second his patience faded more and more, until he had no choice but to join her in the spacious shower.

  “Give that to me.” He took the handheld showerhead from her and began to play the warm water on her pussy. “Spread your legs. Hold on to me if you need help with your balance.”

  He crouched so that he could ensure that she was clean. His fingers flirted with the curls at the top of her thighs, and he made a mental note to do something about that. Beth would look even more gorgeous with a smooth mons—when she was ready, he would introduce her to the delights of waxing. The result would be delightful, at any rate, even if the procedure wasn’t. He would have to ensure that he spoiled her rotten afterwards.

  He felt her hand rest tentatively on his shoulder.

  “Alex?”

  “Yes, love?”

  “Was it really…all right?”

  She sounded so uncertain. Alex resolved to make her certain. “More than I could have hoped for, Beth,” he confirmed, his tone warm and reassuring. It wasn’t a lie; for someone so new to the scene, she’d done phenomenally well. “I’m proud of you. Very proud.”

  “But what about you?”

  “What about me?”

  He heard her take a deep breath.

  “You didn’t come.”

  Good one, Beth. Alex silently congratulated her on having the nerve to make the statement so plainly. “Not necessary.” Now that was a lie, but a white one he could live with in the circumstances. He straightened up. “You gave me everything I needed. All done now. Dry off and then we’ll get dressed.”

  He made her wait while he dressed; he enjoyed looking at her nude body. Her shoulders were set with the same quiet determination with which she’d taken on everything that he’d thrown at her in the office over the last three years. Her dedication had not gone unnoticed then; it did not go unnoticed now.

  Once attired in faded jeans and a navy rugby shirt, he gave Beth the clothes he wanted her to wear: smart black trousers, and a violet-coloured roll-neck sweater. When she looked up at him, he saw the question in her eyes.

  “No underwear, remember?” His tone wasn’t unkind.

  Her beautiful eyes widened, and then she smiled—in that smile there wasn’t just acceptance of h
is instruction, but enjoyment of it as well. He wasn’t fooled, not for one minute—he wasn’t going to have an easy time of it with his Beth, not at all. Thank God.

  The unseasonal sunshine had brought a lot of people to the park. As Alex strolled along with Beth at his side, it felt entirely natural to take her hand in his. So far, she appeared to be coping reasonably well with the changing dynamic of their relationship, although he could still detect a trace of tension in the way she gripped his hand.

  At the first available park bench, he had her sit down and then made himself comfortable beside her. “How’s your ankle holding up? I haven’t dragged you too far, have I?”

  She shook her head. “It just needs a rest for a few minutes.”

  Alex looked at her for a few moments. “Beth, tell me what you’re thinking about right now.”

  She pressed her lips together for a second or two. “I feel like the way I fit into the world is different now, Alex—that I’m not the person I always thought I was.”

  “And how do you feel about that?”

  A slight frown creased her brow. “I don’t really know. It’s not what I expected. Actually, I’m not sure what I expected.”

  Alex took a deep breath as he clasped her hand in his. Twining his fingers with hers gave him an extra few seconds to think. “Beth, don’t be afraid. This is a huge change, but you’re not alone anymore. And don’t forget,” he lifted her hand to kiss her fingers, “you have a Dom who adores you.”

  She blushed delightfully. The hint of colour went perfectly with the slightly hesitant, self-conscious smile.

  Transferring her right hand to his right hand, he put his free arm around her, drawing her into his side, so that he could kiss her temple.

  “Beth, you’re not doing this by yourself. I’m here for you, don’t ever forget that. I’m with you every step of the way, and I’ve been around the scene for years. And I trained in the US with the best –”

  “You trained?” Her surprised expression spoke volumes.