by J. A. Kerr
Her mother came out one morning to find her tyres had been viciously slashed. The police were called, a crime report filed, but no one was caught. Toby’s name hung in the air. Clarisse was heard arguing on the phone with her husband, her raised voice and loss of control shocking. CCTV was installed along with an alarm and security lighting. They all waited and held their breath, gradually relaxing when nothing further occurred until Niven’s mother’s screams brought her and Maria rushing into the hallway. She had just received a parcel, which she’d opened and dropped to the floor, the red contents falling and splashing onto the immaculate pale wood. The police were called again as well as a doctor, as her mother shook from head to toe.
Her father had no choice but to cut his trip short and arrived home the next day to utter chaos. The police wanted to interview Niven’s mother as quickly as possible but she was completely out of it, having taken a concoction of pills to calm herself. The contents of the box had been photographed and removed for analysis. Toby’s name was still unspoken until Maria broke her silence.
Niven’s father had been enraged that his son was under suspicion. “He’s only 14,” he protested. The police noted everything down and said they would need to speak with Toby in order to rule him out of the investigation and this seemed to calm him.
He left to see Toby shortly afterwards, and everyone sighed in relief, even Clarisse. Niven went to bed, exhausted by the drama. Her mother had screamed at Maria to get Niven out of the hall but she had already seen the blood and guts on the floor, her stomach rolling at the sight. When Niven closed her eyes the image was there behind her lids, making it hard to breathe, making it hard to sleep, but at last it claimed her. She woke up certain that she was not alone, some instinct making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. She lay in her bed frightened and alert until she drifted off, only to be awakened by his hand over her mouth.
Toby climbed on top of her, the knife he held in his hand glittering in the dark. Niven struggled, absolutely terrified, but couldn’t shift his weight. He had her pinned beneath him, his eyes hungry and mean as his fingers stroked her face. She recoiled, turning her head in a desperate attempt to get away from him and then he brought the knife to her throat.
“If you move or scream, I’ll cut you,” he hissed.
Niven believed him and stopped moving, a tiny whimper escaping from her lips as he took his hand away. He licked his lips, and she felt the knife against her neck. Tears sprang to her eyes as he tugged the duvet from her body. As she shook, Niven felt the knife bite into her skin and moaned. Then there was movement outside her room. Maria burst through the door and lunged towards her bed. Toby turned around, knife in hand.
Niven saw everything like she was watching from a distance. The flash of the blade, Maria’s gasp of surprise, and she would never forget the sound of soft flesh being brutally punctured. With no thought to her own safety, Maria’s struggle was short-lived as she collapsed onto the bed. Toby and Niven were both trapped beneath her weight. Maria didn’t move as tears poured down Niven’s face, her mind reeling until at last she found her voice. Her screams filled the room, ripping through the silence as her horror mounted. Toby’s hate-filled eyes bored into hers as his words chilled her to the bone.
“I should have killed the others first, Niven…big mistake. As soon as I get that bitch off me, I will finish the job.”
Niven screamed as loud as she could while Toby continued to fight and wriggle as he tried to free himself from Maria’s body.
“He’s stabbed Maria!” Her voice was hysterical.
“I’m going to enjoy cutting out your tongue, Niven,” Toby whispered. “You’ve got a dirty mouth.”
“He’s got a knife!” she screamed.
“Then I will take my knife and cut you in other places too,” he hissed.
Niven screamed again, closing her eyes to block the sight of Maria’s unmoving body and Toby’s hate-filled face. When the cavalry arrived, aka her parents, they stood frozen to the spot. Clarisse had the sense to call the police as they rushed to Niven’s room, the bedroom phone in her hand. She quickly dialled 999 again to request an ambulance. Niven’s father seemed to wake up at that moment and moved towards them. Maria was slumped over the bed, unmoving. His shaking fingers felt along her arm.
“Don’t touch her, wait for the ambulance,” her mother cautioned as she stood in the room.
“I’m checking to see if she has a pulse,” her father snapped.
“Don’t touch her,” she repeated. “She’s keeping that monster from attacking us,” she pointed out coldly.
There was a loud bang on the door and Clarisse turned and rushed to answer it. Niven’s father had dropped his arm and stepped back as police filled the room. Toby had stopped talking as soon as his father had entered the room. When they cuffed Toby there were tears of rage on his handsome face, his clean-cut wholesome image at odds with the scene in front of him.
There was so much blood—Niven was drenched in it and still she couldn’t stop screaming.
Chapter 27
The Braille Club, London, One Year On: There had been several requests by numerous members to introduce an element of punishment to the zone proceedings. The punishment could be in several forms delivered to the assignee, the patron, or both. The Braille Club zones had always been about endurance. This added a new dimension.
London 2014
Guy
Anna walked slowly across the room unbuttoning her blouse, just enough for him to see the lace of her underwear. Her face was flushed and he tensed as she approached, realising too late she had the looped ribbon in her hand. She slipped it over his left wrist, tugging his arm back before securing his right. Their gaze locked as she straddled him, lifting up her skirt as she sat down. The air left his lungs as her thighs gripped him and at last she spoke.
“Were you watching?” she enquired.
Guy wondered how she knew. His gaze intensified as she continued to unbutton her blouse. His erection throbbed under her as she slowly ground herself against him. He groaned, desperate to touch her. She pulled the lace of the bra cup down and her breast sprang free.
“Do you like this show better?”
Guy panted and squirmed as she rolled her hardened nipple between her fingers and thumb before placing her fingers in his mouth and making them both gasp. She stood, and the loss of contact was intense. Inch by inch she pulled up her skirt, revealing those delicious slim thighs, and moved back onto his desk. He watched her lift her shoe and place it against his knee. The heel rested lightly against his shin as she reached down and released her other breast. Her fingers glistened from his mouth and he surged forward, the pain from her shoe digging into his flesh forgotten as she caressed her breasts. He was mesmerised. She smiled at him, her little gasps of pleasure exciting him.
Pulling her skirt up until it bunched under her, she dragged her shoe up and onto his chest. Guy grunted as the heel pressed against his skin. Anna lifted her other foot and a second heel dug exquisitely into his flesh. Watching her face, she pushed him back as her fingers continued to caress her breasts before moving them between her legs. Guy shifted forward instinctively, the bells and pain ignored when she leant back and her legs fell open. He gaped at her, struck dumb. Anna had no underwear on and her sex was already wet and swollen as her fingers slipped inside. Guy felt all restraint leave him as he pressed forward again, the pain in his chest nothing to the pressure in his groin. Her hands worked faster and faster as her body arched. His own desire was building, his emotions completely out of control. He exploded as he watched her climax. Her legs suddenly went slack and the delicious pain stopped.
Guy hung his head, his body heaving as he fought to regain his breath. Anna placed her feet on the floor, pulled down her skirt, and flipped up the cups of her bra. She was already buttoning her blouse and moving to release his hands before he fully lifted his head. Her eyes clouded as she paused at his desk.
“I assume you will not be m
eeting Robert? That would not be advisable.” She smiled tightly.
Guy blinked at her, not understanding, when the niggling feeling he had earlier suddenly returned. He reached for the forms, flicking through them until he found what he was looking for and understood. Benedict’s footnote regarding the confidentiality agreements had bothered him and now he knew why. This was not Anna’s area of legal expertise, but her husband’s, and that’s when he saw another of Benedict’s footnotes:
Robert Dunbar’s form to follow.
He felt a crashing in his heart and the room swam for a moment. He didn’t look up as he heard his door unlock and Anna leave.
***
Anna
She sagged as she stepped into the corridor, her legs like jelly. There was no question in her mind; she wanted Guy Walker badly. Why had fate been so cruel? It had taken real steel not to crumble and succumb to him. She wanted Guy but couldn’t have him because of Robert. She made Robert a promise…but could only think of Guy. She wanted him inside her, slamming into her until she climaxed over and over. Dazed, she stumbled out of the club, hailing the first taxi she saw to take her to the train station. The journey home was excruciating. She’d been completely honest with Robert when she told him about the Braille Club. She painted it as an adventure they could enjoy together. He’d been unsure until Anna had kissed him.
Finally the past seemed to slip away as they both responded, the kiss deepening quickly. She realised she wanted him as his hands travelled over her body. They clung together, and totally out of character, Robert tugged at her clothes. She grabbed his belt as he dragged down her knickers. Pushing her down on the sofa, his knee parted her legs, and he’d thrust into her. She gasped in surprise, loving every moment, and losing herself, urged him to thrust harder. He pounded into her, watching her face as she succumbed before letting himself go.
“Is that the way you like it, Anna?” he’d whispered in her ear.
It took all her courage to say, “Yes.” His eyes looked troubled. “Robert, you must trust me. We need this club.” He was still inside her. “I want you to do things to me, Robert, but we’ll take it slow,” she breathed as she felt him hardening. “I want you to touch me, Robert.” She gasped as he moved inside her. His hands grabbed her breasts, making her cry out with pleasure. “Harder,” she breathed. Robert groaned as he increased his pace. She pushed him until he was almost there before whispering, “Turn me around, Robert. Take me from behind.”
He jerked out of her, flipping her around before plunging into her and climaxing.
She had been excited by this new development and his agreement to join the Braille Club but then she’d met Guy and everything was different. Their little encounter had blown her away, but she hadn’t cheated. The sex with Robert now seemed tame by comparison. She needed to change that. By the time she put her key in her front door she’d made a decision; hungry for satisfaction, she hoped Robert was a fast learner. Shrugging off her coat, she went straight to his study.
Chapter 28
The Braille Club, London, One Year On: The Stoicum Zone gave assignees and patrons the same grace period as before, fifteen minutes before movement would register, fifteen minutes of pleasure…means fifteen minutes of pain.
London 2014
Siena
Siena broke free from the kiss breathless, her body alive but her mind in free-fall. She wanted him, God she wanted him, but marriage…
Still furious that he had ended the session, she worried about his possessiveness, his need for control; they were all the bad things she associated with Nick. She thought about the installation of a temporary safe room in their rental home. She had objected to not only the expense, but the fact it felt over the top. He would not listen to her. If they didn’t have parity in their relationship, what did that mean?
He had been unmoving and stoic about her security and that of their children. However, she felt like she lived in a prison with the ever-present cameras tracking her movements and the locking windows and doors. They had a panic button in the safe room and a back-up generator should their power be compromised; she wondered where it would all end. She needed a drink and told Benedict to pour one for them both. His eyes were smouldering as he looked at her. She knew he wanted an answer, but it wasn’t going to be that easy. It was complicated, she was complicated, and he was impossible.
Guy re-entered Caligo and his slight nod told her what she needed to know. She moved closer to Benedict, her hands trailing down his back. She took her glass from him, their fingers touching. Siena sipped her drink, her body electrified when his arm snaked around her waist and drew her to him. They drained their drinks, impatient to be together, and turned to leave. Benedict employed a full-time driver for the club. Security vetted by Guy, he was the only person Benedict trusted to drive them home. The journey was excruciating; Benedict’s hand felt like a hot brand on her thigh as his thumb caressed her bare skin. Yearning ran through her, making her shift closer to him, until at last, they were home.
Both her parents had gone to bed and Siena nipped to the toilet as Benedict locked up before they quietly went upstairs. Siena stopped outside their bedroom and whispered, “I’ve got a surprise for you. Close your eyes.”
Benedict’s face made her laugh, and she signed that he should wait. She left the bedroom lights off, a nightlight enough to see by as she clicked on the baby monitor. Gazing at the sleeping twins, her heart swelled. Guiding Benedict backwards into the room she saw his face crease in puzzlement.
“You can open your eyes now but you mustn’t turn round,” she whispered.
The dim glow of the nightlight illuminated his face, his intent clear as she reached up and their lips met. Their kiss was raw and powerful, setting her alight as her hands removed his jacket before loosening his tie. Still locked together, she edged him backwards, her lust threatening to take over as she struggled to keep in control, and her legs weakened.
“Take off your trousers and boxers,” she whispered and he happily obliged. She could feel his need for her as he pressed against her but her hands remained firm on his chest. It took a herculean effort to push him away, and caught by surprise, he stumbled backwards, the chair breaking his fall. Stunned, Benedict took a moment to react.
“Siena…?” he gasped.
“Shhh, you know the rules,” she replied, putting a finger to his lips.
Those opaque blue eyes burned hotly but he did not speak. He could not move now, and this was their parity. To take control wherever, and whenever she could, otherwise they would implode. She reached to the side of the chair and removed the prototype cuffs, gasping as his hands ran up her thighs. She wanted those hands on her flesh, her core molten with longing, but good things come to those who wait, so she pulled sharply away.
Standing in front of him, the cuffs dangling from her hand, she loosened the knot of her halter neck dress. It slipped down her body to pool at her feet, revealing her naked body.
Benedict drew in his breath sharply, his mouth a startled “O.” Siena smiled; she had removed her underwear earlier in the bathroom. She walked behind him, running her fingers down his arms before clipping first one cuff, and then the other. His body trembled in response. She pressed the chair on and reached for the silken hood. Benedict shook his head, his eyes devouring her, his body taut, but she ignored him, leaning in as close as she dared to slip it over his head. She understood now they would never participate in another zone session, he simply would not share, but this was better.
Placing her hand on his shoulders, she felt the soft vibrations of the chair. She nuzzled his ear with her lips, the air suddenly charged. Thrilling sensations ran through her as her hands snaked around his shoulders and pulled off his tie, careful not to nudge his arms. Benedict was breathing heavily, his skin hot to the touch. Her lips touched his neck and he stiffened. She was still angry with him but had never wanted him more. Everything that Benedict had experienced with the chair, she now found just as frustrating. It was t
oo low, and she had to kneel to run her hands over his chest; he twitched, his breathing loud in the silence of the room. She undid the first button on his shirt and increased the vibrations of the chair. His sharp intake of breath was audible as she moved to the next button. The vibrations became stronger and stronger as her hands moved lower and lower. She increased the intensity of the pulse every time she undid a new button.
Knowing he was close—they both were—she needed this lesson to be successful. Everything hinged on its outcome, their life together, the club…their future. She walked around to face him, every muscle straining on his body, and liked what she saw. There was only one button left to undo as she knelt in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. He groaned, biting his lip as she moved her body between his legs, their flesh connecting as he gripped her with his thighs. Her hands parted his shirt and moved over his flesh, feeling the tautness of his chest before moving her head down to kiss first one nipple and then the other. Their breathing was laboured as their bodies and minds absorbed each new sensation. Her hands reached the last button as the bells rang.
She stood up and straddled him as she pulled the hood from his face. The cuffs unlocked automatically. Their gaze locked and his hands grabbed her hips. Pulling her down, he thrust deep inside her core. Legs buckling, she gave herself to him completely. Their orgasm was fast and powerful. As they sat panting, catching their breath, the vibrations coming from the chair had their bodies tingling again. Benedict ran his hands down her back, caressing her as she leant into him. She gasped as he cupped her buttocks and pulled her in closer. Her fingers reached down the chair, searching for the button until she found it and pushed hard. The central pulse rose up in the seat, shocking them both as Benedict gasped in surprise. He hardened inside her immediately, rocking her back and forth as she felt her climax building.
