They walked together to the basement, James and Adam leading the way, Amy and Carly following behind. As they walked, Amy slipped her hand into Carly’s and squeezed. Carly glanced at her, smiling, and Amy smiled back, her eyes twinkling.
Adam led them through the basement to the water chamber beyond, where he and Carly had spent many hours working through Carly’s fears and exploring her secret desires. Tonight they would go further than they had before. She was ready, she had assured him that morning as they snuggled in bed, her trust in him, and more importantly in herself, absolute.
James and Amy took their seats on folding chairs Adam had brought into the chamber earlier that afternoon. The top was off the water tank, the water inside heated to a comfortable, soothing temperature. Adam touched the thin strap of Carly’s shift, pushing it gently from her shoulder. Following his lead, she pushed the other strap, letting the dress puddle at her feet.
Gently Adam tugged at the golden hoops in her nipples, both of which stiffened at his touch. She stood straight and proud, meeting his gaze with a smile, melting at the warmth and love she saw in his eyes.
The nipple piercing had been an early Christmas gift to her. Instead of responding with fear and white-knuckling her way through it, Adam had helped her to embrace the experience, to accept the sudden, sharp pain of the needle’s tip as the price of wearing his rings. Her nipples had healed beautifully, and she couldn’t help but admire the rosy gold rings every time she showered or glanced down at her breasts while they lay naked together in bed. She knew she would get used to them in time, but she would always regard them as shiny gold talismans that signified the sparkling joy of her new life with Adam Wise.
Adam unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall from his shoulders. He slipped out of his jeans, revealing black silk bikini underwear, his sexy bulge straining beneath the fabric. He retrieved two coils of soft nylon rope from the supply cabinet and went to the water tank, climbing the sturdy stairs that led to the platforms on either side of the tank. Kneeling, he reached down his hand, which Carly took as she mounted the stairs.
Her heart quickened as she climbed, but none of the old paralyzing, blinding fear she’d once experienced at the thought of being confined in a small space resurfaced, even though she knew what they were about to do. She glanced toward James and Amy, aware of the concern in Amy’s eyes, smiling when James took Amy’s hand in his and pulled her close, as if to say, Don’t worry. It’s all okay.
And it was all okay. Better than okay. The willing exchange of power between Adam and Carly was more powerful than anything she’d experienced with other dominant men in the past, men who knew what it was to take, but had little concept of what it was to give, truly give, of one’s heart and soul. Adam had taught her that it was possible to be both equal and submissive; that strength and submission were not opposites, but blended together to create something powerful and enduring. He showed her daily how much he valued the gift of her submission, and she in turn treasured his dominance.
Carly knelt on the wide platform beside the tank, lifting her arms so Adam could slip the padded canvas harness over her head. Heavy iron weights had been sewn inside the pads along the front of the harness to assure she sank beneath the water. The weights tugged Carly forward and she shifted on her knees to maintain her balance as Adam adjusted the harness over her torso.
Carly had worn the harness during other sessions in the water tank, but she’d never been bound at the same time. Tonight would be different. Silently Carly prayed for the grace and courage to do what came next. She brought her arms behind her back while Adam crouched behind her.
He wound the rope around her arms, starting at the top and working his way toward her wrists. As the rope snugged around her, Carly felt a sensuous calm settling over her as she moved into the submissive headspace where nothing existed except Adam and herself, and whatever task he had set before her.
When she was thoroughly bound, he reached for the fat metal clips that dangled from the winch embedded in the ceiling beam. Carefully he attached the clips to the D rings sewn at intervals along the sides of the harness. Finally he placed thick, soft leather cuffs around Carly’s ankles and thighs, attaching additional winch clips to the O rings on each cuff.
When Carly was properly secured, Adam nodded towards James, who now stood beside the wall ratchet that controlled the winch. James began to turn the winch wheel, lifting Carly into the air until she hung parallel to the water shimmering a few feet below her.
Pulling off his underwear, Adam eased himself into the water. “I love you, Carly,” he said softly, reaching up to cup her face in his hands.
“I love you, Sir.”
“Are you ready for the submersion, slave girl?” he asked in a louder voice.
“Yes, Sir.” A tremor moved through Carly’s frame and she swayed gently in the weighted harness, cuffs and rope. Yes, she was afraid, but at the same time she was determined to go through with this ultimate exercise in submission.
“When I count to three, take a deep breath and hold it. You will stay calm and still beneath the water. You will not struggle. I will decide when you breathe again. Are we clear on this?”
“Yes, Sir,” Carly breathed, her heart beating a rapid tattoo against her bones.
Adam reached up, stroking her cheek. He spoke again in a soft voice, meant for her ears alone. “Easy. Slow. Remember our work. Remember your grace.”
Carly nodded, closing her eyes, focusing on her love for this man, drawing on the courage she knew was inside her. “Tell me what your safe cue is,” Adam said.
Carly’s voice, when she spoke, seemed to her to be disembodied, but at least it didn’t quiver. “If I feel scared or about to panic, I’m to nod my head up and down, like this.” Carly demonstrated, feeling slightly silly, though at the same time aware how important this was.
Adam nodded in approval. “Good. Remember, I will be right beside you in the water. I will be watching and paying attention.” He touched her cheek again. “Ready?”
Carly nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak again.
“One,” Adam said.
James began to turn the winch, lowering Carly toward the water.
“Two.”
She hovered just above the tank. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath, filling her lungs, emptying her mind.
“Three.”
Carly descended into the warm silence of the water, the weights pulling her down. Though she sensed Adam near her, she didn’t open her eyes. The fear that had assailed her as she swayed above the tank had evaporated, leaving only the rush of adrenaline it had left in its aftermath. She realized she was counting. One thousand, two thousand, three thousand…
Her chest felt tight, a burning sensation moving through her lungs.
Twenty-one, twenty-two…
Her heart pounded. All she had to do was nod her head and he’d pull her to safety.
She didn’t do it.
A curious, peaceful calm moved over her and she let her body go limp, her muscles and bones sliding from her skin, flowing into the water, becoming one with it.
I love Adam. I trust him with my love, with my heart, with my life…
All at once the air hit Carly and her eyes flew open. She hung suspended for a few seconds, and then was lowered onto the platform, Adam’s hands guiding her down. As her mind switched back on, she realized Amy was beside Adam, both of them moving quickly to release the clips, unwind the rope, pull the heavy harness from her body.
A thick, warm towel was wrapped around her and she felt herself being lifted and then cradled in strong arms. “Carly? You okay, darling?”
She smiled up into Adam’s face, a sense of utter joy radiating through her like the purest, sweetest sunlight, warming her from the inside out. “Yes,” she breathed. “I’m perfect.”
~*~
Later that evening Carly sat snuggled in her bathrobe beside Adam, her cheeks rosy, her eyes sparkling. Adam reached for her hand, lifti
ng it to his lips and kissing her palm. James and Amy sat across from them, their shared, secret looks no longer a mystery to Adam Wise. He understood now what it meant to have a heart so full it felt like it might burst. He realized that, despite what he’d thought all these years, he’d never really been in love. Not the kind of love that you would die for, but would rather live for—the kind of love story that never has an ending.
James had added several logs to the fire. The flames leaped and curled against the wood. Amy set the crystal champagne flutes on the glass table between the two sofas while Adam lifted the bottle from the ice bucket and twisted at the wire holding the cork in place.
The grandfather clock in the corner of the living room began to chime and they all turned to listen. At the twelfth stroke, Adam popped the cork, filled their glasses and handed them around.
He lifted his glass and the others lifted theirs as well. “To friends,” he said first, smiling and nodding toward James and Amy. In the months since Carly had returned to him, Adam had found the shields he hadn't realized he’d erected around himself falling away, no longer needed. He’d been able to hear and accept James’ gentle coaching and advice as he learned how to be a real Dom for Carly, instead of just for himself.
“To a new year,” he continued, caressing Carly with his gaze. “To new life, new beginnings and most of all, to love.”
Also Available at Romance Unbound Publishing
(http://romanceunbound.com)
The Story of Owen: One Man’s Submissive Journey
Sold into Slavery
Caught: Punished by Her Boss
Slave Academy
Tough Boy
Enslaved
Princess
Heart Thief
Slave Island
Alternative Treatment
Switch
Dream Master
The Cowboy Poet
Safe in His Arms
Heart of Submission
The Solitary Knights of Pelham Bay – The Series
Texas Surrender
Unleashed Magic
Sarah’s Awakening
Wicked Hearts
Submission Times Two
Confessions of a Submissive
A Princely Gift
Accidental Slave
Slave Girl
Lara’s Submission
Slave Jade
Obsession: Girl Abducted
Golden Angel: Unwilling Sex Slave
The Toy
Frog: A Tale of Sexual Torture
Connect with Claire
Website: http://clairethompson.net
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