Ménage à Tess (The Tess Series)

by Tessa Wanton

  She had never ever done anything like that before—she daren’t try and control anything He did to her, but now she was compelled to see the look in His eyes; she had to know why He was giving her to another woman, at least try to understand. Something troubled her about the whole situation, as it wasn’t anything He had said before. He had always asserted that He wouldn’t share her with anyone. The sense of unease grew stronger as she thought she saw annoyance flicker across His face for a fleeting moment, and then His hand quickly shot to cover hers, squeezing hard until she yelped with pain and finally released her grip.

  “You dare to resist me, girl?” He growled, swatting her hand away and pulled sharply down on her hair. She yelped again as He harshly yanked at her scalp. But she saw something in His eyes that looked almost like panic. She had no idea why her actions would cause that response from Him, and she felt fear too.

  “Master, please!” She whimpered haltingly as both her hands flew to His, tangled painfully in her hair. “I’m not resisting you!” Tessa’s voice rose in parallel with the hysteria shrieking through her—things were spiraling uncomfortably out of control. Tears pricked her eyes as the searing pain became too much for her to handle, and as she saw the muscles in His jaw flex, He finally released her. He regarded her with a look of disgust.

  “Master, forgive me.” She hadn’t any idea what she was apologizing for, but it was clear she had done something to upset Him and that thought caused her more pain than what she had just endured.

  “You have no idea, do you, girl? You’re just trying to appease my anger in any way you can to save yourself more pain. I give you pain because it helps you, and yet you stop me? You gave yourself to me; you gave away your safeword, your right to any say you have in your treatment; you cannot just take that back when you feel like it. You deign to lay your hands on me when I am using you, then beg like a whore when things don’t go your way? I set this new test for you with careful planning; you think women like Isabella come along every day? Intelligence, grace, breeding, compassion? Don’t you even think about what lengths I have gone to in order to expand your training—to benefit you—even the training of your hen-pecked boyfriend? The care and love I feel for you with every breath I take?”

  He tore His disturbing stare from her and turned to face the house. He was making fists as He stepped back from her car. Tessa felt a huge lump lodge in her throat as each of His scathing remarks had sliced deep into her heart. And at the end…had He said love? That He gave her love? No, He can’t have meant that, it was purely something He had said in the heat of the moment. Yes, that must be it.

  She cowered in her seat, wrapping her arms tightly around her for comfort. The silence weighed heavily on her. Even the happy chirping of the birds in the surrounding hedgerows did nothing to lift the pall of dread that hung over her. She couldn’t tear her eyes from His silhouette, still staring at the house, trying to calm Himself for a reason she was never going to understand. Tears spilled freely over her cheeks. True, she should never question Him, but when she had done things wrong before, He would patiently correct her, never fly off the handle like this. He seemed to blame her in some way that she couldn’t fathom.

  When He finally turned back to her, she hardly recognized the man she saw staring back. The rage was gone now, and instead there was deep pain. It was clearly etched into the lines of His face, and she knew every inch of His expressions intimately. Her mouth dry, she tried to speak, her voice cracking uselessly as words failed to form. He walked toward her once more and spoke so quietly she had to strain to hear.

  “I think it’s time for you to re-evaluate what you want from this relationship, and yes, this is a relationship. Do you wish for me to still be your Master? Have I just been wasting my time training you for another? Are you really committed to your Master, or do you have more pressing appointments on your mind with your boy? I told you when we first commenced your training, unless you are one hundred percent with me when we are together, then I am not interested in wasting my effort on you. I expect your complete trust, your complete attention and complete respect; anything less…then I do not wish to have you as my possession.”

  He paused, scrutinizing her features as each word fell like lead on her heart. She hadn’t done anything that deserved this, but she could feel how perilously close they were to the break of their relationship. It couldn’t happen. She would be nothing without him. They hadn’t struggled through so much already for it to end now. She tried to speak, but nothing she thought of saying seemed enough to express how she felt. It was as if He had reached into her chest and ripped her heart out and held it dripping in front of her. Could she continue with a man who treated her like this? Did she trust Him like she once did? Her bottom lip trembled. Fresh tears stained her cheeks once more as He uttered His last words before leaving her.

  “Think carefully, Tessa. I mean every word of what I say. I expect you to think hard over the next few days, and I will only contact you to obtain your answer when I think you should be ready. Do you wish to continue to be mine? If you decide not, then I will release you; you will never see me again.”

  Turning from her, He got into His car and drove away without looking back. Tessa finally let out all the pent up emotions she had been trying to keep hidden and sobbed so hard she thought she would choke. She couldn’t deny it, she did love Him—so deeply that everything she did in her world revolved around Him. Consciously and subconsciously.

  She sat for quite some time longer, the tears blurring her vision as she stared at the house that she must enter, and service this well-bred woman if her world were to remain complete. Finally grasping some sense of control, she switched the engine on and pulled away. As she left their rendezvous point, all she could think of was the question He had asked before He left.

  Do you wish to continue to be mine?

  That was something she had to think about at length over the next few days. Did she truly want to be with a Man who had treated her so callously without cause, and who had lied to her so many times before?

  Two Heads Are Better Than One

  Chapter One

  It had been a long time coming, and now it was make or break. The last time he had seen her had been one of such pain. He shuddered as he recalled her grief. He had caused her that pain. He didn’t realize he had the capacity to push her so far, but he had to know whether she still felt anything for him or if she was just using him as some sort of kinky release. Did they even have a connection anymore? Her placing her hands on him had terrified him; she had never questioned or resisted anything he had chosen to do before, and he shook his head at the memory of his overreaction. But he had been scared. The one thing he was confident about and thought he knew was her demeanor. He had spent all of their time together studying her reactions, ensuring she was happy then pushing the boundaries a little more. That was why he had set up this new situation, positive she would find it stimulating, considering all of their previous discussions. That little shove she gave him reinforced his worry that he was losing her.

  Months of fear and worry and deep emotional pain flowed out of him, spilling his wrath on the woman he loved so dearly, meting out a punishment he knew would cut her to the core. Today would be the measure of his Tess. Would she pledge herself to him once more? Would she turn up and allow herself to be used by her Master and another woman? Leaning back in the comfortable armchair, he sucked deeply on the Cuban cigar Isabella had given him and stared out the huge Edwardian casement window along the drive of the big house. Would she come to him?

  He glanced over at Isabella, who was busying herself at the antique rosewood sideboard, arranging glasses and decanting a deep, blood-red Rioja into a crystal carafe. Such attention to detail, he thought with satisfaction. He half smiled as he watched the petite woman moving lithely around the room; he had chosen well when he had recognized the fire within her. Charles thought back to the previous December when a friend of his had met a client who would need immacul
ate attention for her particular requirements; naturally, he had recommended Charles. Not one for turning down such an interesting prospect, and of course, the chance to meet a deliciously alluring woman of good breeding, he had embarked upon representing her in finding and purchasing the perfect property for her desires. Isabella’s story was an emotive one, losing her husband to a heart attack at the age of fifty-two. But at thirty-nine, she was wealthy, attractive, and focused on carrying out the dream they had been planning and saving for years to bring to reality—that of owning a stud farm. They had met through their mutual love of riding and all the different events surrounding horses, and although at first they had considered running horses, in the end it seemed natural for them to breed them instead. They intended to make their stables the place that all other horse owners came to breed top class steeds in all areas of the equine world. But this was not a cheap path to follow. Although he had obtained a stellar deal with the house, complete with attached stables, it had nearly wiped out her inheritance and everything they had saved. Thankfully they had already purchased their prize studs a number of years ago, so at least that was no longer a concern, but now she had to get the place up and running as soon as possible.

  Over the months he had represented her, they had become close friends and he had discovered many interesting things about her. Dear Isabella was a bisexual Dominatrix, and since her husband’s death had been unable to form any meaningful sexual relationships with other men. To her it felt like she was cheating on her husband to even contemplate it. Instead she amused herself with pretty young women, all looking to be schooled by the delectable lady. She was a similar Dominant to him in that she liked to train by mental and sensual means, only using pain and other more brutal stimuli if the particular playmate required it to obtain their subspace. After doing some further digging around, it appeared she was renowned in lifestyle circles, and she was highly regarded with gently introducing the curious and allowing them to bloom under her care.

  It was then that Charles had started to formulate Tessa’s ongoing training, and what better way to further her interests than with a woman such as Isabella? The idea also aroused him, as he knew that as much of a Dominatrix as Isabella was, he was in control of Tessa still, and he could guide the scene however he wanted. He liked power, and this situation could offer him a considerable deal of it. When he had explained to her about Tessa, he had noted a certain sparkle in her eye, and he knew she was interested before she even heard out his proposition. When she finally came back to him a few days later, she suggested they all meet for a drink at her new home and see where it would go from there. From that point he had planned a number of scenarios for each possible eventuality…but last week everything had changed. Her questioning, his anger, her distress—it could have ruined all he had built between them, and it would be all his own fault. He knew she was stronger than she thought herself, but had he pushed her too far this time? Had he broken her spirit for good?

  “Penny for your thoughts? You look troubled, darling.” Isabella’s quiet, resonant voice drifted into his reverie as her bright blue eyes questioned his musings.

  “Oh, it’s nothing, Izzy, just contemplating the sordid little details of what we will enjoy this afternoon. You will love my rubenesque redhead, you know; she’s quite the vixen when she gets going, and such a good girl.” Taking another drag from the cigar, he drew his brow, narrowing his eyes in thought as he held the smoke, letting the flavored wisps melt on his taste buds. He hadn’t told Isabella of the previous argument, and as the time of her supposed arrival loomed, he became more nervous that she would fail him. Before, he would have been confident; he would have known what she would do. But now? He seemed to have lost touch with her mind, and it was anyone’s guess whether this was the beginning of the end. Looking up, he found Isabella studying him intently. He blew the smoke out in rings and flashed her his charming smile.

  “Well, don’t just stand there, give me a drink so I can prepare for the entertainment.” Glancing expectantly at her with raised eyebrows, he saw her tilt her head in amusement and turn to the sideboard, picking a huge, fine stemmed lead-crystal glass and filling it half full. Hoping she was now distracted enough from his brooding thoughts, he risked turning to view the driveway once more.

  Would she come to him?

  Chapter Two

  Tessa sat at the gate to the house, the idling engine reminding her she could quite easily just turn around and leave, but she didn’t want to. More than anything she was desperate to see her Master again—to make amends for whatever it was that had upset Him—to prove to Him that she didn’t want to throw away what they had.

  The week intervening had been heart wrenching. She had shared a little of what had happened with Johnny, but he always seemed to become distant when she talked about her Master, and she felt it was perhaps cruel to push the point with him. She suspected he wasn’t being entirely truthful when he stated he was happy with the arrangement and content for it to carry on. Tessa knew he would say and do anything to make her happy, and it troubled her to think he would sacrifice his feelings for her happiness. The fact remained that she wasn’t ready to sever ties with her Master yet. She needed the release He gave her; she needed Him. So here she was, trembling with fear and anticipation, wondering what was going to happen when she met “The Lady Isabella.”

  Master had not contacted her for four days after their argument, and Tessa had almost reached the breaking point by the time she had received His text message. It simply directed her to her email where she read detailed instructions of what He expected her to wear for Him, what time to be at the house. He had deigned to give her another chance. Turning up and following His instructions to the letter would prove her acceptance of this, and then things would return to normal. He had contacted her no further after this message. The things He asked of her weren’t difficult—she could easily fulfill them, and she so longed for things to be as they were before. She wanted her old Master back; she wanted to feel the security in His care, to see the look in His eyes He gave her when they first started out on their journey together. One look used to make her feel like she should fall to her knees on the spot—so commanding, so powerful, so irresistible. Although she still couldn’t deny anything He commanded of her, the look of pride and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on had disappeared entirely. He said He was proud of her, but she no longer felt the same confidence in His words as she had before. Did He not mean it now? Or was it the knowledge He had lied to her that had destroyed any faith in Him she had had before? A lot had changed between them, but she still loved Him, as her Master. And more. The main issue here was that she knew she felt strongly for Master, but with all of the turmoil of the past week, she had reluctantly admitted to herself it wasn’t just a Dominant/submissive relationship they shared; it ran much deeper than BDSM. She was wholeheartedly in love with Him.

  She had struggled with the notion when it had first hit her. How could she be in love with two people? But the facts were undeniable. She loved Johnny for his soft heart, his giving personality, his caring and sensitive thoughtfulness; he was the perfect companion for her in every way. He would make a wonderful father, husband, partner for life. But then there was Master. She loved Him for how effortlessly He knew exactly what she wanted and needed before she even thought of it herself. His intellect, His determined strength, His unwavering protection of her. She loved every last bit of both of them. They were yin and yang, each complementing the other. They were both perfect for her. She was glad in a way that Master had made the decision for her to find another man, because at least now she didn’t have to make a decision about which one she wanted to be with. There was only one option.

  Lifting her chin and staring at the driveway stretching out in front of her, she drove forward, decision made, her resolve to please Him in any way, to make Him happy like she used to.

  Parking up on the gravel driveway in front of the house, she hooked her handbag over he
r shoulder, hugged it to her body and walked cautiously to the front door. She was sporting some very high strappy stiletto sandals and the gravel of the driveway made walking quite challenging. Every so often a stone would find its way underneath the ball of her foot, sticking painfully into a tender part of her sole, or her heel would sink through the shifting shale and cause her to stumble. Finally reaching the door she gratefully stood on the solid paving slab, rang the doorbell, and while she was waiting, attempted to shake out the remaining stones trapped under her toes. As she stood on one leg and shook her foot for all it was worth, she nearly jumped out of her skin when she looked up, having not heard the front door open.

  Standing there was a petite blonde, calmly watching her with a look of bemused interest, hands neatly folded in front of her, standing almost like a statue, radiating a similar strength to that of her Master. This was quite clearly Lady Isabella. Tessa blushed deep red as she tried to straighten herself, pulling her tiny black tube dress down as far as the stretchy material would allow, but only serving to make it ride up higher when she let go, revealing the lace tops of her stockings. Feeling she was only embarrassing herself further, she looked down, flustered, no idea what to say or do. A moment later, her head shot up in amazement when the exquisite woman finally spoke.