by Avery Gale
“Tell me about the family that you moved in with.” He wanted to give her a chance to regroup a bit and spending time recalling that time was obviously filled with happy memories and a great way for her to relax.
As she related stories about her time with a family that obviously treated her well, he listened as much to what she didn’t say as to what she did. Not once did she mention a visit from her mother or sister. She did mention that she’d talked to her father on the phone weekly, but she’d been fairly sure that had been her aunt’s doing.
When he’d asked Callie if she had been contacted by either of the perpetrators or a representative for either of them, her anxiety level went straight through the roof. She said that she hadn’t, and Mitch knew she was telling the truth, but he also knew she feared that it was inevitable. He also noticed that she hadn’t mentioned the accident that had claimed Charlie Ives’s life or the obvious implications that held for her. As an intelligent woman, she would make the connection quickly. But that was news for Ian to share. Mitch’s job was to listen.
Chapter 10
It had been several days since Callie had spoken with Mitch Grayson, and she had seemed to relax more after their conversation. He was glad they had been able to remove the sutures from her hand because he had outdoor plans for his little sub. Ian was grateful for the time Mitch had spent with Callie. She had disclosed more than either of them had expected and then had agreed to let Mitch share all of the information with both Ian and Jace. And while Ian would have liked to have heard it directly from her, Mitch had made it abundantly clear that it was more common than not for disclosure to a disinterested third party to be much easier. Mitch had said, “Loved ones react—even when they don’t intend to—and victims are very sensitive to those reactions.” It actually made perfect sense once Mitch had explained it, but there was still a small piece of him that was a Dom to the core and that Dom demanded her unconditional surrender.
Jace had reminded him that surrender involves trust and trust has to be earned. Damned if he didn’t hate it when someone else was right. He didn’t remember how many times he’d told the Doms he was training at Club Isola that very same thing—probably hundreds—but that didn’t make it any easier to hear.
Ian had been particularly relieved when Mitch assured him that Callie was not lying about anything that he could determine. Mitch had promised to forward all his information immediately, and he’d smiled at Ian before asking, “Weren’t you looking for a manager for a resort you were planning to build if the right person came along?”
“Smart-ass. Yes, you know I have been looking, and yes, I am interested in talking to her about the position if things work out to that end.” When he looked at Mitch’s smiling face, he just shook his head. Christ, is everybody a fucking matchmaker all the sudden. My friends start getting married, and all of the sudden they paint a target on me as well.
Ian had sent Callie up to the bedroom with instructions to take a short nap and then dress in the swimsuit he’d laid out for her. He and Jace had both laughed when she’d looked baffled and then said, “But I didn’t pack a swimsuit. I don’t even own one anymore because in my neighborhood that wouldn’t even be something I’d want anyone to know I had, let alone I’d actually wear anywhere.”
* * * *
Walking toward the beach, Ian kept a hand on Callie at all times. It was a standard training technique, but it was also something he enjoyed doing with the submissives he’d trained because he found it kept them grounded to him and made his commands easier for them to follow. But today there was something different. He didn’t feel like he had with other subs. It wasn’t the same when he had known that he was training them with the intent to hand them over to another Dom. The thought of any Dom other than Jace commanding Callie made each and every muscle in his body become tense and something akin to jealousy surge through his blood.
As he led her down the stone steps to the sandy beach, he’d been talking to her about the importance of honesty and full disclosure in D/s relationships. “I want you to understand that the dynamics of a Dominant and submissive’s relationship is significantly more intense than that of two people who are just dating for several reasons. The level of trust required is exponentially higher because there are levels of play that can result in severe injury if certain safety measures aren’t followed strictly. Knowing exactly what a scene is going to entail through negotiation is an important element, particularly in the beginning.” He chuckled and drew her into his arms for a swift hug before adding, “Now, your situation is unique, my lovely pet, because you aren’t at liberty to pick and choose which Dom you get to play with like an uncollared sub at a club ordinarily would. Oh no, my little Carlin, you belong only to me.”
Ian couldn’t resist her for another minute, he leaned down and pressed his lips against hers and kissed her. What started as a sweet kiss quickly turned into pure lustful desire. When he pulled back, he looked thoughtfully into her eyes and said, “I would like nothing more than to sink into your silken heat right now, but I have a plan and I’m going to follow it.” And then more to himself than to her, he added, “Even if it fucking kills me.”
Callie giggled as they continued walking toward the water’s edge, and Ian simply smiled. “You laugh now, pet, but you’ll see soon enough that I’m not very patient when comes to fucking you when the notion strikes me. And you’ll always be at my command, and you’ll always make sure I have unfettered access to what is now mine.” When they reached a large blanket laid out on the sand, he motioned for her to join him.
“I mentioned the importance of complete honesty, and I want you to know that works both ways—at least as it relates to life events, etc. I will reserve the right to withhold information I feel may cause you harm or something I’m keeping secret for a surprise, but I won’t ever lie to you, and I’ll tell you things I know that are of importance to you, even if I’d rather spare you the emotional upset I’m sure they are going to cause.” He could see her eyes go wide with concern, and he hated the fact that he was going to have to tell her things he knew were going to be devastating to the tiny angel in front of him.
As he proceeded to explain what her sister had recently revealed to friends about the money their mother had demanded from the Westmore and Ives families, he saw her emotions swing from disbelief to horror and then to rage. “I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am to tell you these things about your family, but I can’t very well demand your honesty if I’m not willing to give you the same.” Stroking his fingers lightly over her cheek, he wiped away her tears.
“How could she do something so horrible? She all but told them I was pregnant and going to need the money to raise the child. Oh my God, what if people thought I was going to get an abortion? How could she be so callous? I mean, I knew she blamed me for everything that happened, but this? This is so much worse. And Chrissy knew this and didn’t tell me?”
Sighing deeply, Ian pulled Callie on to his lap. “About your sister—it appears that she is not, nor has she ever been a college student. She is in fact working as an exotic dancer in Miami and making an obscene amount of money, I might add. After some investigation we know exactly how much money you have given her over the years, and I promise you, pet, she is going to be made accountable for each and every cent.” His heart was nearly torn in two as her tiny body was racked by great gulping sobs. There wasn’t anything he could say, he just held her and let her purge the emotion from her soul.
When she finally began to quiet down, he pulled her back so that he was looking into her face again, and as if sensing he had more to say, she started crying again. “Please, oh please don’t tell me there is more. I can’t take any more, I swear to you, I just can’t.”
“The rest is not so bad, pet, I promise you. And I want all of this garbage out on the table so we can start with each other with a clean slate.” When he saw acceptance in her eyes, he continued. “Now, the tabloid you work for is wholly owned by McGregor Hol
dings, Inc.” He smiled when her eyes went wide. “Oh yes, I can see it in your eyes, you understand exactly what that means don’t you, pet?” Laughing at her slow nod, he went on, “Well, not only does it mean you are, for the indeterminate future, assigned to this project, it also means that your boss is no longer employed by the paper I had been considering dismantling anyway. His days of bullying you are over, and he was none too happy with how it all went down, I can assure you. Quite frankly, Mitch, Jace, and I all feel it’s likely he was already working for Senator Westmore and that his efforts to get you hurt were actually orchestrated attempts to tie up loose ends to ease his son’s political progress.”
Ian would have given anything at that moment to have been able to wipe away the utter defeat he saw in her expression. “I hope you don’t dismantle the paper entirely. There are a lot of good people working there, and without Bob assigning ridiculous stories, I think they can do some good things for the community. Some of those people have been working there a long time, and it would difficult for them to find other jobs in this economy.”
Wrapping his arms around her, he gave her a tight squeeze. “Do your friends realize how lucky they are to have you? You never cease to amaze me. Your concern for others warms my heart. Considering all of the various types of people that I deal with, you are a very welcome change. But, we need to get back to our training or things aren’t going to go well for you tonight. Up you go.”
After Ian had gotten up, he reached into the small box sitting at the edge of the blanket and pulled out a bottle of water. “Drink this, you’re going to need to stay hydrated, I have a lot planned for you in the hours to come.” Once she’d downed most of the bottle, he set it aside and turned to her and simply said, “Strip.”
* * * *
When they had left the house earlier, Callie had searched his eyes for any sort of clue as to what Ian was thinking. As they approached a beautiful expanse of glistening white sand, Callie worried about the tension that seemed to be radiating off him. No doubt, Mitch Grayson had already shared everything she’d told him. Likely he was just leading her out here in order to let her know he was no longer interested. After all, her mom had told her time and again that if any man found out what had happened he would consider her tainted goods and wouldn’t want her. So her only questions now were, how do I keep him at a safe distance? If I take myself out it hurts less than being rejected. And now how do I get the story?
As Ian had continued what he kept referring to as a lesson in trust, she’d become more and more depressed. How could her family have betrayed her on so many levels? Truthfully, the information about her mother wasn’t all that surprising since Callie had always known her mother had only cared about herself, but her sister’s betrayal was devastating. She didn’t have any idea how to even begin to deal with that situation. Do I confront her? Do I demand she return the money? Damn, I lived in that hellhole so I could help her. Why would she do this to me? She suddenly realized she’d been speaking out loud, and when she looked up into Ian’s eyes, they were blazing with frustration.
“We have a problem, Carlin. You aren’t ‘present,’ and I need you to be here with me or we can’t do this, do you understand?” She could only manage to nod her head, and then he continued speaking. “Nods and shakes of the head are not good enough, pet. You must always speak your answers so that we maintain clear lines of communication and there is no doubt that you understood the question. So, try again, and the proper answer is always ‘Yes, Sir’ or ‘Yes, Master Ian.’”
Callie wasn’t surprised by the instruction, she had done enough research that she knew some of the rules and protocol. She hadn’t needed to learn it for the story, but she’d gotten so caught up in it as she was reading that she hadn’t been able to stop at the bare minimum that might have been needed. Looking directly at him, she spoke softly, but clearly. “Yes, Master, I understand.” She could tell her answer pleased him by the smile that went over his face, and suddenly pleasing him became her sole objective for the rest of this scene.
When he stepped back from her and told her once again to strip, she didn’t even think about the fact that they were outside. She quickly removed the string bikini she’d been wearing, and when she handed it to Ian, she noticed he was holding a blindfold. “I’m going to cover your eyes because I want you to concentrate on my voice and the words I’m speaking to you. I don’t want you distracted by what you see. You need to focus on what you are feeling.” He paused for long seconds before continuing. “And for the record, your sister is going to make this up to you. I promise you that. Jace will be traveling to Miami later to deal with her. Mitch Grayson, along with a few more of our friends in Colorado, weren’t at all happy that they were left out of what they had set up as a lottery to see who got to go. Seems you make loyal friends pretty quickly, my beautiful pet.” He’d been running his fingers through her hair, beginning with soft massaging strokes to her scalp, and she’d quickly found herself almost hypnotized by his voice.
After securing the blindfold, he’d run his fingers through folds of her pussy, and she knew exactly what he’d found. She’d felt herself creaming from the time they’d stood up and she’d known the scene was officially starting.
“Oh, pet, you are so wonderfully wet for me. That pleases me more than I can tell you. Now, I’m going to show you two more poses. The first is what I will refer to as the slave pose.” He’d helped her to her knees and shown her how he wanted her forehead to touch the ground with her arms stretched out in front of her and her ass displayed high in the air. She didn’t even want to think about how that had to look from the house. Geez, Callie, nothing like flashing your who-ha for all to see.
“Carlin, the only person you need to worry about is me. Remember, your job is to place yourself into my care…it’s all about trust, don’t forget that.” He chuckled just a bit and then added, “And yes, you did indeed say that out loud.” He had kept a hand on her at all times, and that was all that kept her from being frightened, but his touch and his words kept her tethered to the reality of placing herself into his care, and it was oddly liberating.
As if he’d read her thoughts, he’d leaned down and whispered, “It’s freeing isn’t it, pet? You don’t have to worry about anything except doing as I command you. You don’t have to be concerned with any of the details that usually plague women. No need to wonder if you’re doing too much or too little—if you should initiate a kiss or take my hand.” She felt a shiver snake up her spine as his fingers moved from her ass to the nape of her neck.
“Not all Doms use the same names for this pose, but it is one of the poses I’ll use with you quite a bit so I want you to memorize exactly how it feels.” He left her like that for several minutes, but never stopped touching her. When she felt her muscles start to relax into the position, he leaned close to her ear and she felt his warm breath brush over her skin like a soft breeze. His voice was pure seduction when he said, “Good girl. Now, up you go.” After she’d gotten back up on her feet, he smiled at her when she weaved slightly as blood rushed from her head. “Easy, pet. This is one of the reasons a good Dom keeps his hands on his sub at all times. There are a lot of times when you may be unsteady for a variety of reasons, but it is also important for you to know I am always close. One of the cardinal rules of D/s play is that a sub is never left alone during a scene, particularly if the sub is bound in any way. I am a fan of the Japanese art of rope bondage known as Kinbaku. I enjoy both Shinju, or breast bondage, and Karada, which encompasses the entire body, and suspension that offers erotic stimulation with the slightest movement is something I look forward to introducing you to when the time is right. But we’ll be working on trust for a long while before I will take you to the erotic plane that the people of the Orient were enjoying for centuries before the rest of us had a clue.”
Callie could hear his respect for the art clearly in his voice, and she’d seen a few pictures of rope play but hadn’t understood the attraction until sh
e heard the reverence in Ian’s voice. She found herself leaning in to his touch, and when he gripped her arms, she realized she had been close to collapsing on to him. His words warmed her and assured her that she wasn’t in trouble for her lapse in attention. “You are so fucking beautiful and more responsive than I could ever have hoped.” He continued stroking up and down her arms for several seconds. His touch allowed her to focus on how his hands felt against her skin as the sun warmed her. She could smell the water of the bay and hear the waves as they slowly lapped at the beach’s edge. The mournful sound of a boat’s horn in the distance and the breeze as it cooled her warm skin all added to the ambiance of the moment. She could hear the soft sounds of a waterfall somewhere in the distance, and it soothed her. “Good girl. You finally let yourself just float in the moment, and it felt wonderful to know that I was caring for you in all ways, didn’t it?”
“Yes, Master. It did.” She felt Ian go still at her answer, and she was afraid she’d said something wrong. “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” She started to reach for the blindfold, she needed to be able to see his face, but he grabbed her wrists and stopped her.
“No, quite the opposite actually, but you surprised me, and that doesn’t happen very often, I assure you. Your words were a huge gift that you will understand later. But right now I want to teach you the punishment pose. You aren’t being punished, I just want you to understand how to assume this position should you be instructed to do so. And I will caution you, if Jace or I instruct you to do this, it had better be immediate, because your punishment will be increased significantly for any hesitation or delay.”
