by Jan Bowles
Goddamn it, why did life have to be such a bitch? In Zack, she’d found a man that she loved and adored just as much as Joe, and if he loved her right back, as much as she loved him, and if this health scare wasn’t part of the equation, then life would be just perfect—her and Zack, blissfully in love without a single dark cloud on the horizon. Only, real life wasn’t always like a fairy tale, was it?
Zack gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “Something is making you unhappy, princess, and it’s my job as your Master to find out exactly what it is.”
She forced a smile, knowing that it didn’t convince Zack for a single moment. He was far too perceptive to be fooled so easily. “I’m fine. Really I am.”
“No.” He shook his head. “No you’re not. There’s something worrying you, Andrea. You should be on a high after your shopping trip, but your head’s in a bad place right now, and I demand to know why.”
For some unknown reason his words irritated her, and she rounded on him then. “And why should it matter so much to you, because you obviously don’t love me. I love you, but I know you don’t love me back.”
Andrea knew she put Zack in a difficult position, but more than anything else in the world, more than the pretty dresses and the fancy shoes, she longed to hear the man she loved with all her heart say, “I love you, princess, you mean the world to me.” However, that didn’t happen. Instead, he just stared at her, his mouth opening and closing several times, but no words coming out.
Feeling almost resentful now, she seethed. “See. I was right. You just can’t say it, can you, Zack? No matter how hard you try. You don’t love me, and you never will. In fact, apart from the sex, I really can’t see where this one-sided relationship is going.”
Her words obviously enraged him, because without warning, he grabbed hold of her chin and squeezed, his strong fingers digging painfully into her flesh.
“Now you listen, and you listen good. I may not be the best at expressing my feelings, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel deeply for you.”
In a fit of pique, she dragged his hand from her face. “Then say the words, Zack. Go on, I dare you. Tell me you love me. Tell me you love me more than anything else in the world, including that fucking company of yours, Marshall Aeronautical, because you seem to spend far more time at work than you do with me.”
Why do we always hurt the ones we love? Right now, she was acting out of character, and she hated herself for it. Andrea consoled herself with the thought that she wasn’t responsible for her actions.
He grabbed hold of her face again, his fingers squeezing even more tightly into her flesh this time. “Understand this, lady, I’m the dominant, and you’re my submissive. I make the rules around here, not you, so don’t ever make the mistake of confusing concern with weakness.”
His obvious show of authority seemed to break through the veil of unreality that surrounded her, and Andrea instinctively realized she’d made the mistake of pushing him too far. A man like Zack was never going to tolerate a challenge from his sub.
With all the worry and stress she was under, she felt herself start to crumble, both physically and mentally. “I’m sorry, Sir. I’m so very sorry. It–It’s just that I feel so frightened, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
He stared intently at her, the look in those steely gray eyes letting her know he meant business. “Confide in me, princess. That’s what you do. That’s what I demand from you.”
Clumsily wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, she said, “But if I…but if I tell you, Sir. I’m frightened you won’t want me at all.”
He shook his head, his mouth firming into a thin line of disapproval. “Don’t you dare judge me that way. Don’t presume you have the power to read your Master’s mind, because you don’t.” He took hold of her shoulders and shook her. “Tell me what’s worrying you, my sub, and I guarantee I can make everything right.”
Fully aware it was a promise he couldn’t keep, she broke down completely then, sobbing inconsolably. “You can’t. You can’t. No one can.”
“You underestimate me at your peril, Andrea, because I can move mountains if I have to.”
“I know, Sir, and despite the fact that you haven’t told me you love me. I love you more than anything else in the world, but I’m afraid, Sir. I’m afraid I’ll lose you if I tell you the truth.”
“Tell me.” His eyes flashed with a combination of anger and genuine concern.
“No I won’t. I can’t.”
“Can’t? Won’t? You don’t ever use those words to me.”
In pure frustration, she repeatedly banged the palms of her hands against her forehead. “I can’t. I can’t. I can’t. Don’t you understand that?”
As though instinctively sensing the enormity of the situation that faced her, Zack wrapped his arms around her, and she melted into his warm, comforting embrace.
He gently kissed her forehead. “Shhh. Shhh. Shhh. It’s all right, princess. I’m right here.” As he held her in his arms, she reveled in the feel of his warm, masculine breath as it fanned against her ear. “I’m not going to push you anymore, for now, but you will tell me. Believe me when I say that you will.”
When he spoke, his voice was incredibly low and deep. “I’m giving you until this time tomorrow to get your mind right. I sincerely hope you come to me before that time is up, and confide to your Master what is worrying you so deeply.”
Despite the turmoil raging in her mind, she felt safe cocooned in Zack’s arms.
“And if I can’t tell you, Sir, what then?” She shuddered involuntarily, already knowing the answer to her question.
He pressed his lips to her ear, his voice laced with a whispered menace that made her heart beat faster. “Then it is my duty as the dominant partner to extract the truth from you.”
Immediately he spoke, she heard a clock start ticking in her brain.
Twenty-four hours.
Twenty-three fifty-nine.
Twenty-three fifty-eight.
Twenty-three fifty-seven.
Twenty-three fifty-six…
Chapter Nine
Zack repeatedly checked his watch as he paced up and down the purpose built playroom, located in a private wing of his opulent new mansion.
Three minutes to nine.
He’d thought that Andrea would have approached him by now, and confided in him as to what was worrying her, but that hadn’t happened. In irritation, he checked his watch again.
Two minutes to nine.
They’d been together for over three months, and apart from this last week, things had been great between them. Even though he was too much of a dumbass to tell Andrea how much he loved her, deep down he knew he did. Truth be known, he loved that girl with all his heart.
One minute to nine.
This clock watching was becoming an obsession, and he figured that Andrea would take it right down to the wire. That’s if she even turned up at all as he’d ordered her to do. He dragged a hand through his hair, concerned for her emotional well-being. Something was eating at his beautiful submissive, gnawing away at everything that made her so perfect. As her dominant, he was determined to find out what ailed her if it was the last thing he did.
Before he could check his watch again, he heard a cautious, tentative rap at the door, and he knew Andrea had summoned up the courage to face him. Zack instinctively realized that he needed to tread carefully. Too much domination could make her clam up completely, while not enough could be counterproductive, meaning that she might refuse to open up at all.
He took a deep breath, and opened the door to the playroom. Andrea stood there with her head bowed, looking as stunning as ever. He noted with some satisfaction that she trembled, her anxiety clearly visible.
“Enter, my slave.”
Without raising her eyes to his, she walked slowly and defeatedly into the center of the playroom before muttering, “Thank you, Sir.”
He closed the door and stood observi
ng her for a good thirty seconds, maybe more. Not once did she raise her head. Finally, he lifted her chin with his index finger, forcing her to look at him. Those beautiful hazel eyes were large and glassy, and he knew her emotions were raw. “Have you come to your senses, my sub? By that I mean, are you willing to confide in your Master? As is your duty.”
She didn’t speak, slowly shaking her head instead, while silent teardrops trickled down her cheeks.
What the fuck was she hiding? He’d never seen her like this before, and it broke his heart to see Andrea so defeated and unhappy. Well, he was Zack Marshall, a man who could move mountains. He’d make the old Andrea reemerge from her protective shell, by bringing her back to life, and making her happy once again.
“You disappoint me, my sub.”
“I know, Sir. I really can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“Clearly not sorry enough, or you would have confided in me already.”
She shook her head again. “I know, but I can’t. I just can’t. I need your love, Sir. I need it like the air that I breathe, but if I tell you what’s weighing me down, I just know you won’t want me anymore.”
Her head started to drop again, so he raised it once more with the pad of his thumb. “You must understand that there is no room for compromise on my part in this matter. I am your Master, and you are my submissive. There are no gray areas. There is only black and white.”
She wiped away her tears. “You make it sound so simple, Sir, and for a man it probably is, but for a woman it’s much harder.”
“When you agreed to become my submissive, you knew exactly what that entailed, didn’t you?”
“Yes, Sir. I knew.”
“You knew that once you agreed, not only did I own your body, but I owned your mind, too, a mind that includes your deepest and darkest thoughts. There is nothing off limits to me.”
“Yes, Sir,” she sniffled. “But…but…”
He needed to be firm. “There are no buts. There are no exclusions.”
She covered her nose and mouth with her hands, blinking back the tears. “Oh, God. Oh, God.”
Andrea then dropped to her knees, and wrapped her arms around his legs before burying her head in his groin. “Please don’t make me tell you, Sir. I’m begging you.”
Christ Almighty. Despite her being a natural submissive, he’d never seen her so frightened and vulnerable. Whatever Andrea’s secret was, it appeared insurmountable to her. However, he felt that once she finally confided in him, the weight would be lifted from those beautiful, elegant shoulders.
He curled his hands into her hair, and pulled her from her knees. “Get up. Have you no pride? I’m fresh out of pity and benevolence, my sub.” He wasn’t, but he needed her to think that he was.
“Aghh, Aghh.” She clasped his hands with her own. “You’re hurting me, Sir. You’re hurting me.”
“Too bad, because if that’s what it takes to make you open up, then that’s how it’s going to be.”
“Don’t you understand, I just can’t tell you, Sir. I need your love, and my confession will only make you take it away from me.”
Zack twisted his hands into her perfumed, golden locks again, harder this time. “I’ll take it away if you don’t.”
He roughly spun her around, and then forced her arm up her back, making her cry out with the pain again. “You see the door to the playroom, my sub.”
“Yes, Sir,” she sobbed.
“Well, there’s nothing stopping you from using your safeword and walking straight out of that very door. What’s more, once through, there’s nothing stopping you from walking out of this beautiful house. In fact, there’s nothing stopping you walking out of my life forever.”
He applied more pressure to her wrist, making her sob uncontrollably with the emotional and physical pain. Feeling he was wearing her down, and winning the psychological battle, Zack ominously thrust his head close to hers, his lips brushing against her ear. “Is that what you really want, princess? Our wonderful relationship to end right here, right now, because you don’t love your Master enough to tell him what’s worrying you?”
“But I do love you, Sir. That’s the problem. I love you too much, and you’ve put me in an impossible position. If I don’t tell you what’s making me sick with worry, you’ll end our relationship and banish me from the house. But if I do tell you, you’ll be so disgusted with what you find that you simply won’t want me anymore. You’ll find me too unattractive, ugly even.” She finally held his gaze. “You like perfection, Sir. You like beauty. You’re not a man who can tolerate imperfection in any form.”
Had he just witnessed the first chink in her armor? “Are you speaking of physical imperfection, my sub?”
She winced. “Yes, Sir.”
“Tell me more. Tell me everything.”
She shook her head, violently this time. “No I can’t.”
“In that case the time for talking is over. Take off your clothes.”
“But, Sir—”
He wagged a finger at her. “Now! Right this moment. Don’t even think of disobeying your Master.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Still sobbing, she started to undress, her overt vulnerability giving him a hard-on as she revealed a skimpy lace bra and panties. Once completely naked, she did her best to cover her breasts and pussy. “You don’t have to do this, Sir.”
“Oh, but I do, my sub. If I’m to get to the root cause of what’s troubling you, this is exactly the course of action I need to take.”
He pulled Andrea’s hands away from her body as she tried to cover her modesty and embarrassment. “You hide nothing from your Master. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir. I’m sorry.” Their eyes met again. “What are you going to do with me?”
“This.” He took hold of her arm and dragged her unceremoniously across to the corner of the playroom.
“No, Sir, please.”
“I say yes, and in this house my word is law.” He needed to show he was pissed with her for holding out on him, but deep down his heart overflowed with compassion for Andrea. She was totally lost, and it was his job to bring this lovely lady back to the world.
A sturdy metal frame that formed part of the purpose-built equipment he used for correcting wayward submissives hung from the ceiling, and he roughly handcuffed her to it. Then, by means of a sophisticated pulley system, he raised the chromed apparatus until the tips of her perfect little toes hung about six inches from the floor. This rendered her completely helpless.
“Sir, the metal cuffs are digging into my wrists.”
“Silence. Only speak if you wish to use your safeword. In which case our relationship is over, alternatively, you can finally come to your senses, and tell your Master exactly what is troubling you. This is something you should have done long before we reached this point.”
“But I can’t. Don’t you understand, I just can’t.”
He strode right up to her so their noses almost touched. “I said silence.” His brutal intimidation made her sob uncontrollably, but Zack knew he had to break her will.
When he strode to the far side of the room, she shouted, “No, Sir. Not that. Please, I’m begging you, anything but that.”
“Silence. I said silence. Will you never learn?”
A significant length of thin nylon cord was already attached to the wall of the playroom. The other end lay coiled in a loop on the floor. This would make her talk. He picked up the loose end, and with a face that showed he meant business, strode across to her.
“No, not that, Sir. I’m begging you, anything but that.”
“Still you speak when I’ve expressly forbidden you not to, yet not the words I demand to hear. The words that tell me what is troubling my sub.”
He threaded the cord between her legs, at a level about one inch below her silky smooth pussy. Zack then attached the end of the nylon cord to a hook on the opposite wall of the playroom.
After making sure it was good and taut, he strode mena
cingly up to her again and stared deep into her frightened eyes. “You know what happens next, my sub, don’t you?”
“Yes, Sir,” she whimpered. “And I know it’s going to hurt.”
“Yes it will. With that in mind, your Master is benevolent enough to give you one final opportunity to unburden yourself.”
Her eyes were sad, and the tears dripped unashamedly down her porcelain cheeks. “I so want to tell you, Master. I so want to tell you everything, but you won’t want me anymore if I do.”
“So, it’s a case of damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“In which case you may as well tell me.”
For the briefest of moments he thought she saw reason and that she was about to confide in him. However, any hope was soon dashed when she continued to defy him.
“Right then, the time for talking is over.” Using the pulley system, he lowered her helpless body, until the length of her perfect feminine slit encased the thin nylon cord between her legs. The pleasure pain combination, causing her awesome naked body to twist and writhe as she cried out.
He knew his torture also pleasured her, the pressure of the cord rubbing seductively against her exposed engorged clit.
“Please, Sir, I’m begging you.”
“Tell me. All the great times and wonderful sex we’ve shared will mean nothing if you don’t.” Utilizing the pulley system again, he repeatedly raised and lowered her naked body, causing her exposed genitals to rub painfully yet erotically against the thin nylon cord.
“Tell me.”
“I–I–I.” Her lovely mouth hung open, and her breathing became so fast and erratic, he thought she might pass out.
“Tell me. You will tell me.”
“I–I.” As he observed her, he saw that delicious combination of pleasure and pain slowly altering the way she thought. “I want…”
He lowered the expensive handcrafted apparatus again. This time allowing more of her body weight to push against the unforgiving cord that ran between her legs.
