“Strip, I don’t like repeating myself.”
Sasha looked uncertain, but began unzipping her dress. “Are you mad at me? You didn’t tell me to stay in the house.”
Darien watched the dress fall and could see her beginning to tremble. As yet, he was unsure if it was desire or fear that she had disappointed him, not that it mattered. Standing only in the white lace thong, Sasha was watching him closely, and her eyes narrowed when she noticed the whip.
Darien silently stared at her crotch, and Sasha looked down, hooking her thumbs under the waistband. As she began to lower them, she looked up at him for a sign that it was what he wanted, but his expression was blank.
Sasha was sure she had done something wrong, and frantically searched her mind for what the problem could be. By the time she tossed her panties onto the dress, there were tears in her eyes. Her hands instinctively covered her bared mound.
“Hands behind you, Sasha. I would not have told you to strip if I didn’t want to look at you.”
“Yes, sir,” came her soft voice. Sasha gripped her hands together high on her bottom, and Darien began walking in a circle around her still staring at her. Sasha turned to follow him.
“Be still.” Darien continued walking until he was standing behind her.
“Darien, if I did something…”
“Be still. That’s two.”
Sasha jumped and realized he meant the number of times he had to repeat his orders to her. “I thought you didn’t want me to move when you said to be still,” she tried to explain.
“That’s three.”
Again she jumped, but kept her lips sealed. It did not seem fair to her, because she had misinterpreted his wishes. She had seen the whip and had no doubt it would be involved in correcting her three mistakes. There would not be a fourth.
“Spread your legs,” came the voice from behind her, and Sasha spread her legs about shoulder width apart, hoping it was right.
“Place your hands in front of you and bend forward. Touch the ground with your hands.” Darien looked at her closely, making sure her arms covered her face in case she moved when he struck. “You are to stand still and count, just like the other night.”
Through the shield of her arms, Sasha watched the whip unfurl. She realized her arms were to protect her face in the event she jerked. Surprisingly, it never occurred to her that he might miss, not unless it was because she moved the target. Her bottom flexed, anticipating the blow, and tears sprung to her eyes, though whether they were moister than her pussy at that point was hard to tell. She heard the whistle of the lash and a loud crack. A second later, the wasps stung across her bottom and she bit her lip and inhaled deep. “One, sir.”
“How many more marks have you earned?”
“Two, sir.”
Darien was sure he heard an edge of excitement, even though he could not see her face. The next welt crossed under the cheeks of her ass. It was white for a moment, and then began filling with the deep rose he loved.
“Two, sir,” she quivered.
The next lash crossed her shaking thighs, and she stumbled a step forward and stepped back. “Three, sir.”
Sasha remained in position, deciding it was best to wait until he gave her permission to stand up. Her legs and bottom were beginning to throb and she wanted to lie down, so she cautiously peered around her arm. She discovered her hands had gripped tightly to her ankles at some point. Darien had recoiled the whip and was approaching from the trees with wine and glasses, and Sasha breathed a sigh of relief.
Darien laid the beverage down and swiped two fingers along her wet folds to convince himself she was all right. He kissed the welt on her bottom. “You can lie down and rest.”
“Thank you, sir,” she groaned, and collapsed on her damaged back, holding her arms up to him. “I didn’t know you were going to be home so early.”
Lying down beside her, he kissed the corner of her mouth. “Edmond has everything under control at the club.”
“Good, now I get you all to myself everyday.” She sounded pleased.
Darien poured the chilled wine and they looked over the city. Leaning her head on his broad shoulder, Sasha remained naked beside him. He had not told her to dress again.
“You know this summer is a time for you to explore our lifestyle,” he began.
“Yes, Darien.”
“I want us to both be sure our interests are the same. For instance, by the end of the summer I need you to do as I say, immediately and without question.”
“I’ll do my best. I didn’t know that’s what was happening when you walked into the clearing.” Sasha twirled a wildflower in her free hand.
“We’ll be leaving to go to Nevada next week. When we get there we’ll be visiting a few private clubs I belong to, and there are things you need to learn before we travel.”
“All right. You know I’ll do anything you want me to.” She looked out over the city, and then back at her flower.
“I also want you to make sure your commitment will be to try to please me, and that you wouldn’t be more comfortable with a different Master.”
“Darien,” she gasped. “You know I want to be with you.”
“No, Sasha. What I think I know is that you are a natural submissive that needs a domineering relationship. Brian introduced you to a very, very light taste of this.” Darien thought of the journal entries. “I’ve told you there’s a whole world of different experiences waiting out there.”
Sasha’s impassioned voice pleaded, “It doesn’t matter what’s out there. I want to be with you. You’re the one who makes me want to explore these feelings, and it wouldn’t be the same if I wasn’t with you. I have to be with someone I can trust and knows what I need.”
“I agree with you on that, Sasha. If two people share the same desire, the intensity of the relationship can be almost unimaginable. I hope that by the time we finish your explorations, you still want me to be the one you’re committed to.”
“This is silly. Have I done something to make you think I want something else?”
“Sasha, that’s only because you don’t know ‘what else’ is available.” Darien took a sip of wine. “I’m sending you to Eric’s for two days. You will be leaving in the morning and you will do exactly as he says. He’ll be reporting to me if you misbehave.”
Sasha’s shoulders dropped, along with her mouth. “You’re sending me away?” Her voice trembled.
“Don’t look so stricken,” Darien chuckled. “You’re only going to train with him for two days, and Melinda will be there. Eric is into more of a fetish type relationship.” Darien had a smiling, quizzical expression on his face. “Actually, you’ll probably have fun. I can’t imagine he’s that hard a task master with the way Mel behaves.”
Sasha pouted, “I don’t want to go to Eric’s. You just finished at the club and now you’re sending me away. I don’t understand.”
“And this is exactly what I’m talking about. Suppose when we get to Nevada, I ask you to do something you don’t want to do. In our manner of living, you don’t argue or protest. You do as your Master says, immediately and without hesitation.”
She winced. Those were the exact words he used earlier when he explained what he expected by the end of the summer. “If this is what you want, I’ll go…and I won’t misbehave,” she added.
Clara watched the couple approach the house. Neither of them looked very happy, and they both looked like they were lost in their own thoughts. When they got to the door she said, “Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes.”
Sasha managed to say, “Thank you, Clara.” Her expression was so sad that Clara expected tears as the young woman dashed upstairs.
Clara followed Darien into the kitchen and noticed the scowling expression on his face as he put the wine and glasses on the counter. “Oh, oh. Where are you sending her?” Clara remembered when Kate and Veronica stayed with them.
“Eric, and then William. She doesn’t even know about Willi
am yet.” He leaned back against the counter. “Maybe it’s too soon.”
Clara busied herself by the stove. “I don’t think so. Secluded away up here, she’s getting exclusively attached to you. Have you talked to Kate?”
“Yes, and she agrees with what you’re saying…and what I know is right. She said that even though her time away from Edmond was horrible, it convinced her that he was the man she wanted to be with.” He looked up and grinned, “She did say I was a distant second.”
“Well, that’s because you’re the best. I think this possessive streak is because it took you so long to acquire Sasha in the first place. It still isn’t right to keep her from exploring other directions. It won’t matter, though. That little girl’s heart is set on you. Sasha is terrified you’re going to discover she can’t be who you want her to be.”
“That’s ridiculous. I just want her to be herself,” he muttered.
“I don’t think she knows who that is, and the deeper you bring her into the life, the more unsure she becomes about who she is. Send her to be with Eric and then William, and when she comes back she’ll adore you and do everything she can to please you, if it’s even possible for her to do more than what she’s doing now.” Clara’s eyes flashed onto the whip. “Do you want me to go up and get her for dinner?”
Darien understood Clara was offering to give Sasha a chance to vent her concerns without approaching him. “I’ll be in the study.”
Clara knocked softly on the bedroom door. Sasha was sitting on the bench at the end of the bed studying her toes as they moved the pile in the carpet. “Sasha, dinner’s almost ready.” She looked like she was still trying to control a flood of tears. “That’s an expression I’ve seen before.” Clara smiled warmly. “On Kate and Veronica’s faces when they were dropped off on Darien’s doorstep. Where is he sending you?”
The surprise widened her green eyes. “Katie and Ronnie were sent away too?”
“Of course. The partners’ lives are hectic and varied, and their relationships are so intense they feel it’s imperative to know they’ve made the right match.” Clara sat down next to her and took a small hand. “I know this sounds easier said then done, but try to learn what you can from the other Masters. If there’s something they do that you enjoy or that you do not care to investigate, Darien needs to know. It won’t change what you have with him, honey. Ultimately, he wants what makes both of you happy, and if all you’ve been exposed to are his methods, he feels like he’s cheating you.”
“You said Masters. Is he sending me to each of them?”
“No, you’ll only go to two.”
“He’s sending me to Eric and Mel’s. Who’s the other one?” Sasha hoped it would be Edmond. She was already familiar with him.
“That’s Darien’s decision. If he’s sending you to Eric, I’d bet on William. You seem to already have an attachment to Edmond, and let’s just say I think he’s a little too possessive to encourage it further,” Clara said.
Sasha looked unsure. “You don’t think he’s punishing me, then? Or regretting his decision to bring me here?”
Clara laughed. “Absolutely not. He wouldn’t waste their time or his. This is how you know you are pleasing him. Darien wants you to be sure you want to be with him, and he wants the chance to learn more about the direction he should train you. My advice, young lady, is to have fun with the quirky life of Eric and Mel, and pay close attention to the discipline with William and Veronica. Darien most definitely leans towards William’s approach, though not as extreme, from what I’ve seen when he’s trained for others.”
“I’m going to miss him so badly.”
“Darien’s counting on that. Remember while you’re away, you need to show these other Masters that you are worthy of him. Do the best you can at what they teach you. Though what the heck you’re supposed to learn from Eric, I can’t figure out,” Clara laughed.
Sasha was really smiling now, and in her mind she was preparing to do everything she was told to make Darien proud. She went down to dinner in a much lighter mood.
As usual, Sasha attacked her meal. Darien was fascinated by the slender girl’s appetite. She seemed to enjoy every bite as though it was her last, and constantly complimented whatever she was eating. When Clara came back in the morning, she would ask her what was in the dish they had for dinner or how to make it.
When she had finished the last bite of dessert, she looked up at Darien and his smile made her feel much more secure. “Is Eric the only one I’m being sent away to?”
“No, you’ll come home for a day and then go to William for two days, and then it’s two days at home before we leave for Nevada.” The lack of concern on her face surprised him. He realized Clara must have already told her to expect to be sent to someone besides Eric. There was no look of panic, so Clara must have done a good job explaining it to her.
“What should I pack?”
“I’ll lay a few things out for you,” Darien replied.
They went upstairs, took a bath and climbed into bed. Sasha put her head on his chest, enjoying his warmth and the way his fingers stroked her side. “I’m okay with this, Darien, if it’s what you want, and I’ll try to do my best at what they ask of me.”
“I know you will, Sasha.” He kissed the top of her head. Darien knew she wanted him to make love to her, which was why he decided not to, and when her fingers traveled towards his erection, he stopped her. “You need to get some rest. I imagine it will be challenging keeping up with Melinda,” he advised.
After a light breakfast, Sasha packed a small suitcase and followed him to the car. Clara smiled and waved goodbye, and Sasha grinned at the little thumbs up she gave her.
Eric’s home was only a few miles away, further up the mountain, and it made her feel better knowing Darien would still be close by. The home was a large A-frame with two wings out to the sides on the main floor, and there were balconies on the flat roofs with a lot of tinted glass windows.
Melinda came bouncing out of the house with a big smile and Eric sauntered after her. While Darien and Eric talked in the driveway, Melinda began pulling Sasha towards the house. Sasha gave a nervous look back to Darien, and he gave her a big smile and said, “Two days.”
Sasha smiled back and let Melinda pull her into the foyer. “Geeze, Sasha, I couldn’t believe Darien chose Eric. Nobody ever chooses him. We’re so excited.” Melinda was positively giddy as she prattled on. “When Darien called him and he told me, he started to get all strict on me, and he began talking about rules and stuff, so I told him that no one would fall for this sudden change in his approach. If Darien wanted you here, it was so Eric would show you how we do things.”
“That’s pretty much what Darien told me. He says he wants me to experience different things,” Sasha admitted.
“Well, we’re different, all right,” Melinda giggled. “Trust me, you’re going to have a blast.”
“Aren’t you at all upset that I’m here?”
“Heck no. We have a couple of sets that need three people and we’ve been dying to try them out.”
“Sets?” Melinda was opening the door to one of the strangest rooms Sasha had ever seen.
“You get to stay in the pussycat room with me.” Melinda dashed into the room and jumped onto a huge stuffed mouse.
On closer inspection of the oversized cat toys, Sasha stared in wonder as she realized they were all altered into bondage equipment. The mouse had bolts and straps hanging in strategic places and there was a huge cage ball with padding and clips. Sasha could not figure out how the heck that could be used. There were ramps, scratching posts and several more stuffed figures, and against one wall was a huge wooden dog with a goofy growling expression as he stood up with all four paws extended. If not for the paint, it looked just like the cross in Darien’s game room.
There was so much to take in that Sasha found herself laughing. “Melinda, this is the weirdest game room I could ever imagine. Of course, the only other one I’ve ever
seen is Darien’s.”
“Eric and I design the toys ourselves,” Melinda said proudly.
That bit of news did not surprise Sasha. “Who in the world makes them for you?”
“A guy out of Texas that we met at the club. He’s even asked if he could put some of them in his catalog. Isn’t that neat?” Melinda began rocking on the mouse. “You can put your suitcase over there.” She pointed to a corner by one of the two oversized cat beds. “The bathroom’s there.” Mel pointed to a door painted to look like a mouse hole.
Sasha was afraid to look. Thankfully, the bathroom was luxurious and normal, and Melinda watched her expression when she turned around, and saw her relief. “I knew it,” she exclaimed. “You expected a litter box, didn’t you?”
“Truthfully, I had no idea what to expect,” Sasha laughed. It was hard not to be happy around Mel. Her buoyant personality was infectious.
“Mel, it’s time to prowl,” Eric’s voice boomed from somewhere in the house. “Meet me in the study in fifteen minutes.”
“Yes, sir,” she called back. “We’ve got to hurry.” She dove off the mouse and opened a chest covered in different cat designs. “All this stuff is stretchy, so something should fit you.” Melinda began pulling out different garments, and looked back at Sasha and frowned. “You better start undressing. You can’t expect to prowl in a dress.”
Sasha had no idea what she was talking about, but immediately began to strip and place her clothes by her suitcase. “Panties too?”
“Duh,” was all Melinda answered, as she arranged outfits on the carpet. “Let me see your eyes again.”
Sasha knelt down beside her, looking at the strange outfits. Melinda held up two collars in different shades of green. “I wish I had green eyes like a cat,” she pouted, selecting the emerald collar.
By the time Mel finished dressing her, Sasha stood in front of the mirror and tried to hold back hysterical laughter. “I look like cat woman.” Melinda had dressed her in a black thong and black bandeau top. She sported little booties, mittens on her hands, and the emerald collar with the gold ring on the front had a tag dangling from it proclaiming her name was ‘Puss-puss’. A cap with a hole for her braid to hang out and pointed ears was pulled onto her head. Everything was made out of a thin, leather-like, stretchy material.
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