by Anna Stone
Vanessa drew a line of kisses down Mel’s stomach. Mel trembled. Slowly and gingerly, Vanessa untied the ribbons at the sides of Mel’s panties. Mel lifted her hips as Vanessa pulled them out from under her. She felt like a gift that Vanessa was unwrapping. Vanessa slid her hands all the way up the insides of Mel’s legs and dipped her head between Mel’s thighs. Vanessa’s hot breath on Mel’s mound sent a wave of warmth through her. Vanessa kissed the soft, sensitive skin of Mel’s inner thighs. Her kisses turned into nibbles, then gentle bites. Mel groaned and arched herself up toward Vanessa.
“So impatient,” Vanessa said. “You’re not trying to take charge, are you?”
Mel bit her lip. “No, Vanessa.”
“The only sounds I want to hear from you are cries of pleasure.”
Vanessa dragged her fingernails down Mel’s sides and grabbed the other woman’s ass cheeks, pulling Mel harder into her. Finally, she slid her tongue between Mel’s lips and drew it up Mel’s folds, eliciting soft gasps.
Mel twitched on the bed as Vanessa devoured her. Every sweep of Vanessa’s tongue, every brush of her lips sent a tremor through Mel’s body and murmurs spilling from her mouth. Vanessa had complete control over Mel’s pleasure, and she was determined to show it. Vanessa teased and toyed with Mel until she was close to peaking, then she held Mel there, at the precipice, never quite letting her tip over the edge.
Mel twisted and tugged, fighting her restraints. She wanted to scream. She wanted to plead with Vanessa for release. But she understood the rules of this game. She had to take whatever Vanessa gave her with nothing less than gratitude. And eventually, her submission would be rewarded.
Once again, Vanessa brought Mel to the edge. But this time, she kept going. Mel let out a cry, bucking and thrashing as her orgasm rolled through her. Vanessa’s mouth was unrelenting, licking and sucking away until Mel fell back down to the bed and her body calmed.
Vanessa kissed Mel, stealing the last of her breath. She could taste herself on the other woman’s lips. Vanessa pulled the blindfold from Mel’s eyes and untied her wrists and ankles. Mel blinked rapidly, her eyes readjusting to the light.
Vanessa lay down on her side next to Mel. As Mel recovered, she ran her eyes up Vanessa’s body, drinking her in. This was the first time she had seen Vanessa naked. Her curves seemed more pronounced, and her dark hair, both on her head and the small patch between her legs, stood out against her milky skin. Her areolas were a rosy pink on her pale breasts.
Vanessa watched Mel watch her. For whatever reason, it made Mel blush. Vanessa smiled and pulled Mel into an embrace. After being restrained, her senses muffled, having Vanessa’s arms around her felt heavenly.
“Did you mean what you said earlier? About belonging to me?” Vanessa asked.
“Yes, Vanessa.”
“Then we’ll have to talk about exactly what that means. But it can wait.”
They lay in silence. As Mel came down from her post-orgasm daze, familiar doubts crept into her thoughts.
“What’s the matter?” Vanessa asked.
“It’s nothing,” Mel mumbled.
“Tell me.” Vanessa’s usually inscrutable face wore a look of concern.
Mel’s resolve wavered, and she finally gave voice to the thing that had been bothering her since the first time she walked into Vanessa’s room. “It’s just that, I want this. I want to explore this side of me so much that it makes me ache. But I’m not a submissive person. I’m not passive, or helpless. But I can’t help but wonder. Does this mean I’m weak? For wanting to be submissive? For wanting an escape?”
“No, Melanie. You’re not weak at all.”
“Then why do I want this? Why do I crave this?”
“Being submissive in bed has nothing to do with who you are out in the world. And submission does not equal weakness. In fact, it takes a great deal of strength to do this.”
“It doesn’t feel like it takes strength. It’s easy for me. Effortless.”
“I’m sure it is. But it takes strength to embrace that side of you. And to act on it. I’ve tried it myself, you know. Only a few times. I wanted to get a better understanding of what it feels like to be on the other side. It was terrifying. I could never do it again.”
Mel was surprised. She couldn’t imagine Vanessa being subservient or vulnerable. She always seemed so fearless. Who was Vanessa behind her impenetrably cool façade?
“It does take strength to do this, Melanie. Putting yourself in someone else’s hands. Making yourself vulnerable to them. Trusting them with your everything. You are anything but weak.” Vanessa kissed Mel gently on the lips. “And you should never, ever be ashamed of your desires.”
“Yes, Vanessa.” Mel snuggled in closer to her.
“Now, about these desires of yours.” Vanessa reached out and ran her hands along Mel’s side, following the contours of her body. “I want to know more. All your secret fantasies? I want to hear about them. Tell me everything.”
Chapter Eight
Mel sat in class, eyelids drooping at her professor’s low monotone. She looked over at Jess. Her friend was having a hard time paying attention too. She was doodling in the margin of her notebook, a vacant look in her eyes.
Mel’s bag vibrated on the floor beneath her. Trying to be discreet, she pulled her phone out and peeked at the screen. She grinned.
“A message from your lover?” Jess asked.
A student sitting in front of them turned to glare at them. Mel shushed Jess.
“Is that a yes?” Jess asked, quieter this time.
“Maybe.” Mel unlocked her phone and read the message.
What time do you get out of class? V.
5 pm, Mel sent. She thought for a moment and typed. Why? Her finger hovered over the send button. She erased the message.
“So are you going to tell me who she is?” Jess asked.
“Just someone from work.”
“A coworker?”
Mel hesitated. “She’s a customer.” It wasn’t a lie. Although she trusted Jess, Mel didn’t feel right giving away Vanessa’s ‘secret.’
“Wow. Isn’t everyone who goes there a millionaire?” Jess asked. “I’m totally jealous. What’s it like dating someone like that?”
“We’re not dating.” At least, Mel didn’t think they were.
“Then what is it? Are you her sugar baby?”
“Definitely not. It’s purely physical.” Mel fiddled with her pen. “I doubt she’s interested in anything more.”
“Why not?”
By now they had both given up on the lecture. Luckily, their eighty-year-old professor had poor hearing.
“I can’t imagine someone like Vanessa being interested in someone like me,” Mel said. “She’s from a completely different world than me. She drinks whiskey that costs more than my month’s rent. And she’s so successful, and sophisticated, and elegant.”
“All of those things are superficial, Mel. Do you think she cares you don’t have money? When it comes to love, none of that stuff matters.”
“Love? Love isn’t even a possibility. I’m not interested in her that way. I’m not even looking for a relationship.”
“Come on, Mel. It’s been ages since everything with Kim. Are you going to spend the rest of your life alone because of one bad relationship?”
‘Bad’ was an understatement. Mel sighed. “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. I don’t need any distractions right now.”
“You can’t shut everyone out forever, Mel. Life is so much better when you have people to share it with.”
Mel shrugged. “I have plenty of people in my life. And I like my life the way it is.”
“If you say so.” Jess stretched out in her chair. “So, her name is Vanessa?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s she like?”
“She’s amazing. Gorgeous. A little older. And she’s so confident and magnetic. She turns heads when she walks into a room.”
“Look at you, all dre
amy-eyed. The sex must be something else if she’s making you act like this.”
Mel rolled her eyes. She looked down at her phone. Still nothing from Vanessa. Jess was right. She was obsessing. Even though Mel definitely didn’t have feelings for Vanessa, she would have to keep her guard up. The temptation was there.
Five o’clock rolled around and Mel and Jess made their way across campus.
“Finally,” Jess said. “I thought this day would never end.”
“Me too. I can’t wait to go home and go for a run.”
“Seriously? That’s what you want to do at the end of a long day? I will never understand you.”
They reached the main entrance. As they walked past the parking lot, Mel froze on the spot. “Vanessa?”
Vanessa stood in the parking lot leaning against the side of a sleek, black convertible. The top was down, showing off the white leather interior.
Vanessa took off her sunglasses and gave Mel a brief wave.
Jess’s eyes widened. “Is that her? Vanessa?”
Mel nodded. Her mind went back to high school when girls would get picked up by their older boyfriends in banged up wrecks that to their teenage eyes were luxury cars. Of course, Mel was never one of those girls. She’d known she was gay since she was five, and dating girls was not an option at her conservative high school.
“Wow, she’s gorgeous.” Jess stared at Vanessa, wide-eyed. “If I was into women, I’d be all over her too.”
Mel had to agree that Vanessa looked stunning. She was dressed a long tan coat that went down to her knees, and glossy black heels. Her dark, wavy hair was blowing in the wind, and she wore her signature red lipstick.
“Sorry, Jess, I gotta go. See you tomorrow.” Mel hurried over to Vanessa, leaving Jess to gawk from the sidewalk. Mel was torn between shrinking with embarrassment and running up to Vanessa and throwing her arms around her.
“Hello, Melanie.” Vanessa pulled Mel into an embrace and kissed her on the cheek.
“What are you doing here?”
“What do you think? Picking you up.”
Mel looked over her shoulder. There were a handful of students standing around waiting for rides. And they were all looking Mel’s way. Expensive sports cars weren’t uncommon at Mel’s prestigious school, but women like Vanessa were rare everywhere.
“Where are we going?” Mel asked.
“I thought I’d take you somewhere nice so we can talk.” Vanessa opened the passenger side door. “Hop in.”
Mel got into the car and buckled her seatbelt. She looked around. The interior was as luxurious as the outside of the car.
“Do you like it?” Vanessa got into the driver’s seat.
“It’s nice. But I don’t know much about cars.”
“My father was a mechanic,” Vanessa said. “He was always working on something in the garage. As soon as I was old enough to hold a wrench, I was his little helper.” Vanessa saw the look of surprise on Mel’s face. “What, did you think I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth?”
“I hadn’t really thought about it…” Mel found it hard to see the elegant, glamorous Vanessa as anything other than who she was now.
“I wasn’t born into this life. I grew up as an only child in a normal working-class family. I had to fight to get to where I am. Everything I have, I’ve earned through hard work.” Vanessa put her sunglasses on and turned the key in the ignition. The engine burst into life. “I’ve missed this sound. I don’t often get the chance to take my Maserati for a spin. It’s far more exciting than being chauffeured around everywhere.”
As soon as they left the parking lot, Vanessa slammed her heeled foot on the pedal, sending them flying down the road. Mel clutched the side of the seat as the wind whipped around them.
Vanessa glanced at Mel, a hint of amusement on her face. “You should see what it’s like on the track. It’s the most incredible feeling. It’s almost like flying.”
As they sped off from a red light, Mel began to relax. Although the sheer power and acceleration made Mel feel like she was on a roller coaster, Vanessa wasn’t driving recklessly. She was in complete control the entire time.
Still, Mel was relieved when Vanessa parked the car and announced that they had arrived.
A few minutes and an elevator ride later, Mel and Vanessa walked onto the roof of a small cocktail bar. There were only a handful of other people around. They took their seats at a long bar that ran around the edges of the rooftop. The glass walls allowed for a view of the city below.
“Wow.” Mel leaned forward and looked through the glass. The sun was setting, and the sky was a haze of orange, pink, and blue.
“This is one of my favorite spots in the entire city,” Vanessa said. “Especially at this time of the evening. I love catching that moment when the sun disappears behind the skyscrapers and the city comes alive with light. It’s spectacular.”
A waiter brought out their drinks. Whiskey for Vanessa, and a cocktail recommended by the bartender for Mel. They chatted about nothing of consequence as they watched the sun sink below the horizon.
“So, Melanie.” Vanessa ran her fingers through her hair. Not a curl was out of place, despite the windy drive. “It’s time we had a little talk.”
“What do you want to talk about?” Mel asked.
“About this. About what we’re doing.”
Mel pushed the ice around her drink with a straw, recalling the conversation she’d had with Jess earlier. Did Vanessa want their physical affair to be something more?
“I’m making you nervous?” Vanessa said. “Why?”
“I have been wondering. What exactly is it that you want? It’s just, I’m not looking for anything serious. Like a relationship. Not right now.”
Vanessa raised an eyebrow. “Last time we got together, I tied you to a bed. Do you really think I’m interested in romance?”
Relief flooded Mel’s body. “I guess not.”
“I assure you, I’m not looking for a relationship either. Well, not in the conventional sense. I want nothing more than what I’ve already told you. I want to show you all about the pleasures of submission. Do you still want that?”
“Yes. I do.”
“Are you sure? No more reservations?”
“I’m sure.” That voice at the back of Mel’s head telling her that her submissive desires made her weak? It had faded to nothing after that conversation with Vanessa.
“That’s what I want to talk about. It’s very clear from what you’ve told me that you want more than being tied to a bed. Am I right?”
“Yes.” Mel flushed. She had been far more open with Vanessa that night than she had intended. Vanessa seemed to have that effect on her.
“If we’re going to do this, there are quite a few things we need to discuss,” Vanessa said. “We need to be responsible. I’m not going to just tie you up and flog you without any prior discussion.”
Vanessa’s words planted a very sexy image in Mel’s mind. She couldn’t help but grin.
“Really, Melanie?” Vanessa shook her head with a smile. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
Mel shrugged sheepishly. She found it hard enough to keep her imagination in check even without Vanessa feeding it suggestions.
“In all seriousness, you need to know what we’re getting into. BDSM can be risky. Physically, mentally, emotionally. So it’s essential that we communicate. About boundaries, consent, limits, and a whole host of other things. You already have a safe word. That’s a start. But do you know what your hard limits are? The things that you won’t do under any circumstances?”
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Mel said. “But there are definitely things I never want to try.”
“You don’t have to tell me them now. I’ll give you some time to think about everything. And this is an ongoing conversation, not a one-time discussion. But what I need you to understand is that this kind of relationship is all about communication.”
“Okay.�
�� Mel tried to ignore Vanessa’s use of the word ‘relationship.’
Vanessa’s phone rang. “I should check this. It could be work.” She took her phone out of her bag and looked at it, an almost imperceptible frown on her face.
“Is everything okay?” Mel asked.
“Yes. It’s nothing important.” Vanessa silenced the phone and slid it back into her bag. “Now, where were we? Is there anything you’d like to ask me?”
Mel thought for a moment. “What do you get out of this? Out of having someone submit to you?”
Vanessa looked out through the glass. “I’ve said it before. We’re alike, you and I. Hard working, ambitious, obsessed with control and self-discipline. It can be consuming. We both want a temporary escape from all of that. It simply manifests in us in different ways.” Vanessa looked back at Mel. “You want to give up control, to lose yourself in a way that you would never allow yourself to out in the real world. Me? I want control in its purest, most absolute form. What I do gives me complete power over another person in the most intimate of ways. I become her Master, her whole world. Her everything.”
Mel felt a chill wash over her.
“There’s an immense satisfaction that comes from having the power to make someone fall apart with nothing more than a word. Or, a touch.” Without breaking her gaze, Vanessa placed her hand on Mel’s knee under the bar and slid it up the inside of Mel’s thigh.
Mel’s body stiffened as Vanessa’s hand crept higher. Mel looked around. Could anyone see them?
“All those fantasies you told me about? I’m going to grant them, and so much more. I’ll show you how good it feels to relinquish control. I’ll take you to heights of pleasure that you’ve only dreamed of. I’ll show you the sweet oblivion that comes with total submission.”
Vanessa’s fingertips brushed against Mel’s panties. Heat rippled through her.
