by Anna Stone
“The Yangs let me go after I picked the kids up from school. There’s a reason they’ve been paying me late. It turns out they can’t afford a nanny anymore.”
“I’m sorry, Faith.”
Faith shrugged. “They said they’d give me a good reference. Maybe I’ll find some other rich family to nanny for. On the plus side, it means I’ll be around to keep you company.” She sighed. “I really liked that job, though.”
“I guess we can be miserable together,” Lindsey said.
“Should I make some punch?”
“God, no.” Still, Lindsey couldn’t help but smile.
“You see?” Faith said. “Things aren’t all doom and gloom. It’ll be okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lindsey lay on Faith’s couch, staring at the ceiling. An old sitcom was playing on the TV, but Lindsey wasn’t paying attention to it. How was she supposed to do something as mundane as watch TV when she felt like her heart had been torn right out of her chest?
Ever since the accident, Lindsey had been struggling to feel anything at all. It was why she’d agreed to do something this crazy in the first place. She’d wanted adventure, romance, to capture that feeling of being happy and carefree.
She had gotten so much more than that. She’d stopped living in the past, stopped looking backward, and started looking forward to the future that she was supposed to share with Camilla. She’d fallen in love for the first time.
And now she felt the crushing pain of heartbreak.
There was a knock on the door. Lindsey groaned. She didn’t want to get up. She’d barely left the couch for the past few days, with the exception of this morning. Faith had forced her to take a shower, because, in Faith’s words, Lindsey was ‘getting stinky.’ But Faith was out running errands, leaving Lindsey all alone in the house again.
There was another knock on the door, more insistent this time. Lindsey sighed and got up. Her muscles protested, but whoever this was wasn’t going away.
Lindsey reached the front door and opened it wide. She froze.
It was Camilla.
Lindsey stared at her. She looked so different. This wasn’t the warm, bright-eyed Camilla who had told Lindsey she loved her. It was the Camilla who had looked at her, stone-faced, that night Lindsey had sneaked into her rooms so long ago.
But this was so much worse.
Seconds passed, and neither of them said a word. Lindsey smoothed down her hair, self-conscious under Camilla’s sharp gaze. Barefoot and in her sweats, Lindsey was sure she looked like a mess. Suddenly, she was grateful that Faith had made her take a shower.
Finally, Camilla held out an envelope. “Take it.”
Lindsey stared at the envelope. It had already been opened, and it looked familiar. It was the check. The check that June had given her.
The check that Lindsey had left behind, sitting on the dresser in her old room, along with all the clothes and fancy things Camilla had bought her.
Camilla thrust the envelope at Lindsey. “Take it.”
“I’m not taking it,” Lindsey said.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want it.”
“This was the agreement.” Camilla’s voice was hard. “I’m just holding up my end of it.”
“Our agreement?” Lindsey shook her head. “What are you talking about?”
“This is what you wanted, wasn’t it? The money? That was the whole point of this.”
“Well, yes, at first. But that obviously changed when I fell in love with you.”
“Don’t say that. Don’t lie to me.”
“It’s not a lie,” Lindsey said. “I love you, Mistress.”
“Lindsey, stop. I know the truth. I heard you talking on the phone. You were never interested in women. You’ve been lying to me from the start. Why would you pretend you were in love with me if not for the money?”
Lindsey flinched. “All this time, that’s what you thought? That I lied about being in love with you?” She thought back to her conversation with Faith. It would have been easy for Camilla to come to that conclusion if she’d overheard only part of it from the other side of a door. “That’s why you kicked me out?”
“It’s the truth,” Camilla said.
“No, it’s not. You need to let me explain. Just come in, so we can talk about this.”
Camilla pressed her lips together. “There’s nothing to talk about. Just take the damn check.”
“You know what? Fine. I’ll take it.” Lindsey took the envelope from Camilla’s hand. She pulled out the check and tore it in half.
Camilla gaped at her. “What are you doing?”
Lindsey tore the check in half again, and again, over and over until it was in a billion tiny pieces which she sprinkled on the floor at Camilla’s feet.
“Why did you do that?”
“Why do you think?” Lindsey said. “I told you I don’t care about the money. It’s you that I want. Just hear me out. Give me five minutes to explain myself.”
“Fine,” Camilla said sharply. “Five minutes.”
Lindsey opened the door and let Camilla in. Camilla followed her to the living room. Lindsey swept aside the candy bar wrappers and chip packets on the couch and gestured for her to sit down.
“Camilla. Mistress, I-” Lindsey took a breath, gathering her thoughts. “You’re right. I lied to you. When we met, I pretended I was bisexual. That I liked women. That was a lie. I’d never been with a woman, never been attracted to one. Not until I met you.”
Camilla said nothing. Her expression remained unchanged.
“From the moment I met you, I felt this incredible connection to you. I didn’t understand what it was at the time because it was like nothing else I’d ever felt. I just wanted so badly to be near you, to be a part of your life, even though I couldn’t explain it. That’s why I agreed to your proposal. Sure, the money was part of it. But what I really wanted was to get to know you.
“And over those months we spent together, I got to know what an incredible woman you are,” Lindsey said. “I got to know how strong you are. How kind and generous you are. How loyal and loving you are toward the people you care about. And in just a couple of short months, I fell in love with you. And even before I did, I stopped caring about the money. The moment you kissed me in the playroom that first night, I was yours.”
Something flickered behind Camilla’s eyes. A tiny spark of affection, a hint of longing. Camilla felt it too. Lindsey knew it.
“So yes, this started with a lie,” she said. “But that was the only lie I ever told you. Every time I said I was yours, I meant it. Every time I said I miss you, I meant it. Every time I said I love you, I meant it. And I still do. That’s the truth.”
Lindsey folded her hands in her lap and waited for Camilla to do or say something. For what seemed like an eternity, all she did was stare back at Lindsey, an unreadable expression on her face.
“You really mean that,” Camilla said.
“Of course I do, or I wouldn’t have said it. I love you,” Lindsey said. “I love you. I love you. I love-”
Camilla held up her hands. “Lindsey, stop.”
Lindsey fell silent. There was nothing more for her to say. If Camilla wasn’t convinced now, then all was lost.
“I love you too, Lindsey.”
Relief flooded Lindsey’s body. She threw her arms around Camilla’s neck and kissed her as hard as she could. Camilla’s hungry lips were as sweet and soft as ever, and her Mistress’s strong embrace filled her with warmth.
Camilla drew back. “Come home, Lindsey.”
Home. Lindsey looked around Faith’s small apartment, at the couch littered with tissues and her suitcase in the corner. Although this place had been good to Lindsey, it was never going to be home.
But the manor? That was home. And it always would be, as long as Camilla was there.
“Yes, Mistress. I’ll come home.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
That afternoon
, Lindsey and Camilla returned to Robinson Estate. As soon as they passed through those wide gates, Lindsey was transported back to that little slice of paradise that belonged to Lindsey and her Mistress, and no one else.
When they reached the manor, Camilla went about making Lindsey’s homecoming as perfect as their first night together. She called in a chef and gave Lindsey a new dress, a knee-length number made of delicate black chiffon which Camilla had bought to surprise Lindsey the night she’d returned early. They had dinner in the garden, complete with a dessert decadent enough to satisfy Camilla’s sweet tooth. Then they relaxed in the courtyard under the soft lights and the stars.
Lindsey would have been happy to end the night simply falling asleep next to Camilla. But Camilla had bigger plans.
“I have one final gift to give you,” Camilla said. “It’s inside.”
Lindsey followed Camilla back into the house and through the white double doors that led to Camilla’s rooms. Camilla stopped at the playroom door and led Lindsey inside.
Despite the fact that last time Lindsey had been in here, she’d had a bad experience, the playroom still felt cozy and welcoming. As usual, the wooden chest was sitting on top of the table. Camilla opened it up, pulled out the cuffs, and fastened them around Lindsey’s wrists and ankles.
“Now for the final piece.” Camilla placed her hand on Lindsey’s shoulder. “Kneel.”
Lindsey kneeled down on the fluffy rug. Her Mistress’s serious tone sent a thrill through her.
Camilla reached into the box again and produced a leather collar. It was made of the same embossed midnight blue leather as the cuffs around Lindsey’s ankles and wrists. Hanging from a ring at the front was a little gold tag with Camilla’s initials on it.
Camilla leaned down and swept Lindsey’s hair to the side. Then, holding the collar as gingerly as if it were a precious diamond necklace, she fastened it around Lindsey’s neck, securing it at the back with the gold buckle.
“Rise,” Camilla said.
Lindsey stood up. The soft collar fit snugly around her neck, and the weight of the leather and gold was just hefty enough to remind her that it was there.
Camilla tipped Lindsey’s chin up to inspect the collar. “You look radiant.”
She hooked a finger into the ring at the front of the collar and pulled Lindsey toward her, kissing her feverishly. It took all Lindsey’s strength not to crumble to pieces.
Still holding the collar, Camilla tugged her toward the bed. “Stand in front of the cross.”
Lindsey did as she was told, anticipation welling inside her. Last time Camilla had tied her to the cross, the experience had been divine.
“Not that way,” Camilla said. “Face it.”
Lindsey turned around. Camilla fastened Lindsey to the cross by her wrists and ankles, leaving her spread-eagled, her back exposed. Lindsey’s heart raced.
Camilla brushed her fingers down the back of Lindsey’s upstretched arm. “I’m not going to blindfold you. This time, you’re going to keep your eyes closed. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, Mistress.” Lindsey shut her eyes.
Camilla planted a kiss on Lindsey’s cheek. Her hands glided down Lindsey’s sides, caressing her helpless body. “Let’s get this dress out of the way.”
Camilla’s footsteps receded behind Lindsey. What was she doing? It was going to be impossible for Camilla to remove Lindsey’s dress with her limbs bound as they were.
Her Mistress returned to her side. Suddenly, there was a metallic swish behind Lindsey’s ear, then the bite of cold metal between her shoulder blades. Scissors? Lindsey’s eyes tried to fly open, but she resisted the impulse. Then, she heard a sharp snip as the blade slid down the bare skin of her back.
Camilla was cutting off Lindsey’s dress.
Heat suffused Lindsey’s body. If she wasn’t so turned on, she would have laughed at how outrageous it was. Her Mistress had gifted her this beautiful dress, just to ruin it a few hours later.
Camilla snipped all the way down to the hem at the bottom, cutting the dress in half completely, then snipped the straps at her shoulders. She yanked the dress out from between Lindsey’s body and the cross, then cut away her bra and panties, piece by piece. The back of the scissors scraped Lindsey’s skin, sending shivers down her neck.
Soon, Lindsey was left wearing nothing but the collar and cuffs.
“That’s much better,” Camilla said. “Now I can admire all of you.”
Camilla turned Lindsey’s head to one side and brought her lips to Lindsey’s. Camilla’s deep, yearning kiss flooded Lindsey with lust. And the way Camilla’s body pressed against her back made Lindsey realize that Camilla was no longer wearing anything.
Suddenly, keeping her eyes closed was a much more difficult prospect.
“You’re turned on already, aren’t you?” Camilla said. “If I stuck my hand between your thighs, would I find you soaking wet?”
“Yes, Mistress,” Lindsey replied.
“But I’m not going to do that yet. Not when I have you stretched out on display for me like this.” Camilla spanked Lindsey across the ass cheek. “I’m going to have some fun with you instead.”
Lindsey let out a shallow breath. She had a few guesses as to what Camilla had in mind. Lindsey was immobilized and naked, her bare ass right in the center of the X. It was the perfect target.
Lindsey felt something long and hard sweep along the back of her thigh. She stiffened.
“Remember this?” Camilla asked.
“Yes, Mistress.” How could Lindsey forget the cane that Camilla had used on her that first night?
Camilla traced the cane up Lindsey’s ass cheek. “This time, you’re going to thank me for every strike. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
Camilla stepped back. There were a few loud whooshes as Camilla swung the cane through the air. Lindsey waited for the impact, but none came. She wriggled impatiently.
“You’re not trying to tempt me, are you?” Camilla asked.
“No, Mistress,” Lindsey said.
“I think you are. Maybe some discipline will stop you being such a naughty little submissive.”
There was a loud whoosh, then the white-hot strike of the cane against Lindsey’s ass cheeks. She hissed.
“What do you say?” Camilla asked.
“Thank you, Mistress,” Lindsey said.
Camilla swatted her again.
“Thank you, Mistress.”
Again. This time, the searing sensation radiated through her whole body, to the tips of her fingers and toes, and into her core.
Thank you, Mistress. Thank you, Mistress. Over and over until every part of Lindsey ached with need. She moaned, her mind and body falling into a blissful trance. Thank you, Mistress. Thank you, Mistress.
Camilla ran a hand down the center of Lindsey’s back. “Are you still with me?”
“Yes, Mistress,” Lindsey said softly.
Camilla skimmed her hand downward, between Lindsey’s ass cheeks and into her slit. Lindsey let out a hard breath.
“Do not come without asking for permission,” Camilla said.
“Yes-” Lindsey gasped as Camilla’s finger grazed the base of her clit. “Yes, Mistress.”
Without hesitation, Camilla slipped her fingers inside Lindsey, plunging deep. Lindsey whimpered. She was so delightfully on edge that it was only seconds before she was ready.
“Please, Mistress. Can I come?”
“Not yet.” Camilla slowed down slightly.
Lindsey’s head fell back. There was no way she could last any longer. “I can’t…”
“You can. For me.” Camilla pushed Lindsey’s hair aside and kissed and sucked behind her ear and down to the collar around her neck. Her free hand crept between Lindsey’s body and the cross, all the way up to her chest.
Lindsey strained against her bonds, flexing her muscles. Somehow, despite Camilla’s fingers thrusting inside her, and her lips on her skin, Lindsey
held herself back from the edge. Somehow, despite being tormented with ecstasy, she kept her word to her Mistress. Lindsey was hers so completely that both her mind and body understood that it couldn’t have true release without her Mistress’s permission.
“Now.” Camilla began moving her hand faster. “You may come.”
Lindsey let out a primal cry as pleasure burst from within her, spreading through her like wildfire. Camilla kept her body pressed against Lindsey’s as she worked her fingers inside, until Lindsey’s body calmed.
“You can open your eyes now,” Camilla said.
Lindsey opened her eyes, turning to watch her Mistress as she unfastened the restraints from the cross. Once Lindsey was free, her Mistress drew her to the bed and climbed onto it, lying back against the pillows.
Taking Lindsey by the ring of the collar again, she pulled Lindsey down to her. Wordlessly, their lips locked together, and their arms intertwined. Camilla’s thigh brushed between Lindsey’s legs. She rocked her hips on top of Camilla, burning with desire.
Camilla shifted out from under her, pulling Lindsey down so that they were side by side. She drew her hand up to the peak of Lindsey’s thighs and strummed her aching bud. Lindsey pressed back against her Mistress. At the same time, she pushed her own fingers down to where Camilla’s thighs met and slipped them gently up her folds. Camilla moaned and grabbed onto Lindsey’s hand, guiding it to her entrance.
Lindsey got the message loud and clear. She eased a finger inside Camilla, delving it in and out slowly. A ripple went through Camilla’s body. She arched toward Lindsey, a wordless command. More. Lindsey slid in another finger, eliciting a murmur of satisfaction from Camilla. Her walls seemed to swallow Lindsey’s fingers. She pumped in and out again, getting into a rhythm, sinking into her Mistress’s heat.
Camilla grabbed Lindsey’s face and kissed her like a woman starved. Her other hand was still between Lindsey’s lower lips, circling and stroking. Lindsey bucked against her. She was so close. She opened her mouth to beg for release.
But instead, it was her Mistress who was overcome. Camilla quaked against Lindsey, her head tipped back in a silent scream. Lindsey could feel every pulse that went through her Mistress’s core, every shudder that went through her Mistress’s body. It only made Lindsey ache even more.
