“Ma’am?  You can go in now.”
“About time,” Annie thought, rising and collecting her things.  “This meeting was supposed to start an hour ago.”  With a nod for the cute young receptionist, Annie moved into the inner sanctum.
“Hello there,” said the young man inside, rising and stepping around his desk.  “Let me help you with that.”  Annie nodded gratefully, and soon the things she’d brought with her were piled on a table beside the desk.
“I’m Bob,” said the young man, holding out his hand, “head of the design team here.  I understand you have something to show me, miss.......?”
“Call me Annie.”  With a smile, she shook his hand.  “I detest formality.”
Bob grinned.  “Me too.  Now what is it you have for me?”
“It’s a new twist on an old design.  I hope you’ll find it interesting.”

Bob gestured Annie to a seat, then moved behind his desk.  “A new design?  I’m always interested in something new, but I feel I should warn you.  We are one of the top companies in our field, partially because we only produce the best.”
“Understood,” Annie replied.  “And I’ve no doubt you see a lot of ideas pass through here.  But I do think this one will interest you.”
“Good enough.  Let’s see what you have.”
Annie reached into her case and produced a pair of cuffs.  Made from sturdy leather, each cuff featured a buckle closure.  Other than that, the cuffs were plain and unadorned, except for a sturdy ring mounted in the center of each.
“Leather cuffs?”  Bob sounded disappointed.  “We have several good varieties of those in stock.  I thought you said this was something new.”
“And it is.”  With a smile, Annie raised the cuffs, then pushed them together.  There was a barely audible click, and the cuffs had become joined.
“How did you do that?” Bob asked in surprise.  Still smiling, Annie handed over the cuffs.
“If you’ll look closely, you’ll see the only one of the rings is solid.  The outer curve of the second ring is actually mounted on a spring-loaded pivot.  When you push them together, the solid ring pushes the pivot open and slips inside, and then the spring draws the second ring closed again to prevent them from coming apart.  There’s a small flange on the second ring so you can open it and separate the cuffs.”
“Now I’m interested,” Bob said with a smile, finding and testing the release.  “Please, go on.”

Annie responded by reaching into her case again, producing several other pairs of cuffs, in assorted sizes.  She carefully arranged them on the desk, then began speaking.
“One of the problems with many types of leather cuffs,” she began, “is that a suitably nimble person can undo whatever you use to connect them.  Unless, of course, you use a padlock.  But padlocks can be clumsy, not to mention bulky and uncomfortable if you happen to be laying on them.  There’s also the risk of losing a key.  These cuffs eliminate those problems, and at the same time, open up some interesting possibilities.”

Annie pointed to the cuffs arranged in front of her.  “Here I have a complete set of cuffs.  These cuffs will fit ankles, knees, thighs, and upper arms, respectively.  You have the wrist cuffs in your hand.  Each pair is fitted with a set of those rings, one male and one female.”
“Hold on,” Bob raised his hand.  “Male and female?”
Annie smiled.  “Just a way to tell them apart.  We call the solid ring the male ring because it enters the other, female ring.”
Bob nodded.  “Understood.”
“Ok, then.  Used as a set, these cuffs can be joined together in any combination of male and female.  For example, place the male thigh cuff on the right thigh, and the female wrist cuff on the right wrist.  Push them together, and you have an instant wrist-thigh restraint.  Or any other combination you prefer.  Wrist-ankle, wrist-knee, or bend the legs and go for ankle-thigh.  The possibilities are limited only by the flexibility of the person wearing them, and the imagination of the person applying them.”
“I see what you mean.  Depending on how you match up the cuffs, you can put someone in almost any position.”
“And as long as their hands can’t reach the clips on the other cuffs, they can’t get out.  Also, they are faster to apply then any other type I’ve seen.  Buckle them on, and then click them together.  I’ve also considered making an all-female set for static restraint.  Apply the cuffs, clip them to rings placed on a wall or a piece of furniture, and you’ve eliminated the need for chains or locks.”

“This is beautiful,” Bob exclaimed.  “A simple, self-contained bondage set.  Easy to use, and not hard to produce.  All we’d have to do is add the rings to any style of cuff we now make.”
“Or anything else,” Annie pointed out.  “Harnesses, gags, collars.  Just add a male or female ring, and it becomes part of the set.”
Bob nodded, suddenly all business.  “I’m sold.  Now what exactly did you have in mind?”
Annie lifted her briefcase from the table, and from it, withdrew a sheaf of papers.  “I applied for a patent on this design as soon as I knew it was workable.  Here is the patent information, along with a written proposal.  What I propose is that your company produce these items under license.”
“And as holder of the patent, you of course are entitled to a share of the profits.”
Annie nodded.  “My partner and I, yes.  That is only fair, since we designed it.  We do understand, however, that your company will be taking the greater share of the risks in producing and marketing this set.  I’m sure we can reach an agreement that is fair to all concerned.”
Bob was smiling as he rose and extended his hand.  “Of that I’ve no doubt.  I need to run this all past our board, but I see no reason why we can’t do business.  As soon as I know something, I’ll be in touch.”

Annie was smiling as she neared her house.  The meeting had kept her out later than she’d planned, but it was worth it.  There would be several formalities to observe, but if Bob’s reaction were any indication, the cuffs were as good as sold.  Just wait till Lori found out!
At the thought of Lori, Annie’s smile softened.  It had been almost six months since the day Lori had surprised her with the “gift” of her submission.  Since then, the feelings sparked by that gift had deepened and strengthened almost more than Annie could believe, and now they shared everything a Mistress and her sub could share.
Annie thought about the day she had returned Lori’s gift in equal measure.  She could picture the look on Lori’s face when she opened the box and saw the collar within.  And the expression of pure joy when she learned that the collar came with an invitation to become Annie’s live-in submissive.  Lori had moved in the next day, and neither of them had looked back since.  Together, they had explored all that a Mistress and her sub could share, and together, they had designed the cuffs that Annie had maybe just sold.

Annie’s smile became a grin as she imagined Lori’s reaction to her news.  She would, Annie knew, be very surprised.  Annie had arranged all of this without Lori knowing anything about it.  True, Lori’s signature had been on the patent application, along with hers, but Lori had signed the papers without even realizing what they were.  Annie had told her they needed signed, and she signed without a question.

As Annie approached the house, her grin faded at the sight of the dark windows.  The only light was the one burning over the front door.  Where was Lori, she wondered, parking her car and heading for the house. When she entered, she found that all was dark and silent.  More than a little worried, she called out, but received no answer.  Then she saw the note attached to the mirror by the door.
Mistress,
Please accept my apologies for not greeting you on your arrival home.  I am not feeling well this evening, so I’ve taken some pills and gone to bed.  Your dinner is in the microwave, and I’ve laid out your nightgown on your bed.  I’ve no desire to trouble you with my illness, so I am sleeping in the small bedroom.  I hope I’ll be feeling more myself in the morning, so that I may properly serve you.  I’m sorry to disappoint you this way, Mistress, please forgive me.
All my love,
Your obedient slave,
lori

Annie clucked her tongue in dismay.  The poor dear.  She hoped it wasn’t anything serious.  Still, she couldn’t help a twinge of disappointment.  Her contacts with Lori had been few and fleeting during the past weeks, as she’d worked to get this deal set up.  There had been no play, and very little of anything else, and she’d been hoping to change that tonight.  But not if Lori wasn’t feeling well. Shaking her head, Annie moved into the kitchen, suddenly realizing how hungry she was.  She would eat, she decided, and then she would look in on Lori.  If Lori had taken pills, she was probably dead to the world. Turning on the microwave to heat her dinner, Annie noticed a bottle of pills on the counter.  She picked it up, and recognized the sleeping pills she’d gotten from the doctor one time months before.  If this was what Lori had taken, she was out for the night.

Dinner was delicious, and Annie very quickly emptied her plate.  For a few moments, she simply sat and relaxed.  It had been rough, these past weeks, but it was almost over, and past time to catch up on all the quality time they’d been missing.  Annie promised herself that, as soon as Lori felt up to it, she was going to make up for all the attention she hadn’t been getting.
Annie rose, with the idea of checking on Lori, but quickly dropped back into her chair, her head suddenly feeling very light.  Her eyes, on the other hand, were growing heavier by the minute, and it was an effort to keep them open.  As she struggled to stay awake, her eyes fell on the bottle of sleeping pills on the counter.
“No,” she mumbled, “she couldn’t have.  Why would she?”  Annie was still puzzling the answer to that when her world went dark.

Annie woke from troubling dreams to a reality that was at least as bad.  She was, she found, lying naked on her bed.  Black silk scarves circled her wrists and ankles, binding her to the bedposts in a strict spread-eagle.  A penis gag filled her mouth, rendering her effectively silent except for muffled moaning sounds.  Angry, and more than a little frightened, she pulled at her bonds, but whoever had applied them had done a good job, and she quickly realized there was no way she was getting loose on her own. Suddenly, a terrible thought filled her mind.  Lori!  She’d been out cold!  Where was she?  Was she bound and helpless as well?

Even as these thoughts raced through Annie’s head, the door opened and in walked Lori.  The early morning light gently stroked her naked body, and, even in her current situation, Annie felt a rush of love and desire at the sight. Lori stopped beside the bed and reached down to brush back Annie’s hair.  “Did you sleep well, Mistress?” she asked with a smile.  “I do hope so.  I have plans for you today, and they don’t include sleep.”
Annie shook her head and tried to speak, but the gag in her mouth rendered her words into muffled moans.  Helpless, she could only wait for whatever was to come. Lori settled herself onto the bed, and one hand drifted up to cup Annie’s breast.  “You’ve been a naughty Mistress.  You haven’t touched me in weeks.  I’ve tried everything I could to make you want me, but you’re always too tired or too busy to pay attention to me.” With a soft laugh, Lori began pinching Annie’s nipples.  “But you know what, now you have to pay attention to me.  You can’t ignore me now.”  With that, Lori began softly caressing Annie’s helpless body.

Her fright now replace by anger, Annie fought against her bonds, but they wouldn’t budge.  Helpless, she could only lie quietly as Lori’s hands roamed her body aimlessly. Slowly, gradually, Lori began focusing her attention on Annie’s breasts, stroking them softly, then leaning down and taking a nipple between her lips, sucking it and flicking it with the tip of her tongue.  When the nipple responded, growing hard and taut, Lori smiled and turned her attention to it’s twin, slowly bringing it to the same state.  Then she began to work her way down.

Again, Annie fought her bonds, and again they held her helpless as Lori began to gently stroke and tease her pussy, running her fingers feather light along the lips.  Her touch was almost too light to feel, but Annie could feel herself slowly begin to grow moist.
“No!” she cried to herself.  “I will not accept this!”  Annie wanted nothing more, at this point, than to get her hands free so she could get them on her rebellious sub.  She tried to twist herself away from those fingers, but her bondage was too strict to allow much movement, and slowly, Lori’s fingers went from teasing to probing, parting Annie’s lips and testing the wetness that was growing there.
“You like this, don’t you Mistress?”  Annie shook her head violently, but Lori ignored her denial, slowly slipping a finger within the helpless woman’s pussy and finding her clit.  As she gently stroked the hard little but, Lori leaned down and again captured a nipple between her lips, this time nibbling lightly on it, and, in spite of herself, Annie couldn’t ignore her growing feelings of arousal.

The past six months had taught Lori well.  She knew all of the places where Annie loved to be touched, and all the ways to touch them.  Slowly, carefully, she stoked the fires building within the helpless woman.  Her fingers, her lips and tongue, skillfully added fuel to the flame, their light, caressing touch driving her higher.  Slowly, carefully, Lori guided Annie right to the brink of orgasm. And stopped.  In spite of herself, Annie moaned her frustration into her gag as Lori sat back and smiled down at her.  So close, so very close, a single touch could put her over the edge.  But that touch was denied her, as Lori simply smiled and watched. Slowly, Annie slipped back down from the edge.  Her quick, panting breaths slowed, became more regular.  And then Lori leaned in again.

Again and again, she drove Annie right to the brink of orgasm.  Again and again, she denied her that final touch, letting Annie slip back down, before driving her back again.  Over and over, and with each denial, the need grew stronger, until Annie was sure she would go mad. Suddenly, Lori stood.  Once more at the brink of orgasm, Annie strained against her bonds, pushing her hips upward in a silent plea.  Smiling, Lori turned and walked out of the room, leaving Annie to moan and writhe in helpless need.

How long she lay there, Annie had no idea, but it seemed like forever before Lori entered the room once more.  At the sight of the helplessly aroused woman, Lori smiled, then reached down and slipped a blindfold over Annie’s eyes, plunging her into darkness.  No longer poised on the edge, still she moaned and writhed in her bonds.
“You don’t like that, do you?” she heard Lori ask.  “Wanting to be touched, needing to be touched, but nobody’s touching you.  You want to be loved right now, don’t you?  You want me to love you, and give you what you need, don’t you?”
Suddenly, Lori’s voice turned bitter.  “Don’t you?  Just like I’ve wanted to love you all along, but you won’t let me.  You’re always too busy with your little project, or too tired.  You don’t have time for me any more.”
Now Annie could hear a catch in Lori’s voice.  “Don’t you understand?  I love you.  I need to love you.  And I can’t stand thinking maybe you don’t want me any more.”
Annie shook her head.  “No!” she screamed.  “No, that’s not it!  I do want you!”  But the gag turned her cries into meaningless, muffled sounds.
“Well, I’m going to love you, and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”  The bed shifted under a moving weight, and then Annie could feel a warm breath touch her thighs.  “Maybe I’ll lose you for this.  Maybe I’ve already lost you.  But I’ll love you one more time before I do.”

Under the blindfold, tears were streaming from Annie’s eyes as she felt Lori’s lips brush her pussy.  “I love you, Mistress,” she whispered, and then her tongue speared deep, igniting all those denied orgasms into one all-encompassing explosion.
Annie awoke to find herself free.  And alone.  With a soft cry, she surged from the bed and moved swiftly toward the door.  As she was turning the knob, she spied the envelope taped at eye level.  Taking it down, she opened it and read the note inside.
Mistress,
I know you are very angry with me for what I’ve done, and you have every right.  I have behaved in a way that can never be forgiven.  I won’t blame you if you never want to see me again.  And I know I don’t have the right, but I make a final request of you.  Come to the basement, and you’ll understand.
I love you,
lori

Suddenly terrified, Annie tore open the door and raced through the house, barely slowing when she hit the basement stairs.  But when she got to the bottom, she froze. The basement, normally used only for storage, was a dark, gloomy place.  A single window, high on one wall, admitted a feeble light, barely enough to allow her to glimpse something that dangled from the ceiling, swaying slowly.

“Lori, NO!!!”  Annie’s hand streaked to the light switch, and the sudden flare of light blinded her.  She blinked her eyes back into focus, then turned again toward what she feared she would see.  But the sight that met her eyes brought her up short.
It was indeed Lori who dangled from the ceiling, but not in the way Annie had feared.  For a long moment, Annie simply stood and stared, but then she stepped closer, her eyes never leaving the sight before her.

From a sturdy hook in the ceiling, two chains stretched down.  The lower ends of these chains were attached to a leather harness buckled around Lori’s body, one between her shoulder blades, one at the small of her back, evenly and safely supporting her weight.  On her head was the leather discipline helmet, eye and mouth openings zipped shut. And she was bound, strictly and securely, with a second set of their new cuffs.  Bent into a ball, her knee cuffs were clipped to the pair on her upper arms.  The ankle and thigh cuffs were connected, pressing her heels into the swell of her ass.  Her arms were stretched down her back, past the lower supporting chain, and clipped together.  Clamps were attached to her nipples, their weights drawing down on her breasts.  A butt plug parted the cheeks of her ass, and to the outer end of this was taped a second note.  Annie stepped closer, careful not to touch, and read.
Mistress,
This is my request.  Punish me.  Punish me for what I did to you.  By my own hand, and of my own will, I have placed myself at your mercy.  Do with me as you will.  I know I deserve it.  You will find what you need on the table.
lori

Glancing over to the table, Annie saw a long, braided whip.  Her fear gone, her anger swelled within her, and, stepping to the table, she took up the whip.  Turning, she let the supple length uncoil, then moved to stand behind Lori.  Her arm drew back, muscles tensing for the first swing.  But it never landed. As she drew back her arm, Annie’s eyes were on the bare ass before her.  And as she gazed on that soft flesh, her grip loosened, allowing the ship to slip from her hand.  Then, dropping to her knees, Annie began to cry, long, wracking sobs that shook her naked body.  For long moments, she knelt there, and then, gradually, her tears slowed, and she rose once more to her feet.

Ignoring the discarded whip, Annie reached up and slowly removed the plug from the bound girl’s ass.  At her first touch, Lori whimpered from behind the hood, and her whole body tensed. Moving slowly, Annie reached again and gently removed the clamps from Lori’s nipples.  She could hear the harsh breath as the blood rushed back into the tormented buds.  For a long moment, she gently stroked Lori’s breasts, then she reached for the bound girl’s head.

Lori blinked when the hood was removed, then turned her eyes to the floor.  “I understand,” she said softly.  “You want to hear me scream when you whip me.”
Annie shook her head.  “Why, Lori?  Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because you were always busy, or tired.  I tried to be patient, but finally, I couldn’t stand it any more.  It’s like you don’t want me any more, and I can’t stand that.  I had to touch you, I had to love you.”
“So you drugged me, then tied me up and teased me?”
“I was wrong, I know that.  But I couldn’t bear the thought of you saying no.  And I wanted you to know how I felt.  I’ve needed you so bad, and you won’t even touch me.”  There were tears flowing now, from two sets of eyes.
“Do you,” Annie asked slowly, “have any idea what I’ve been so busy with lately?”  Lori shook her head silently, and Annie then told her of the deal she’d been working on.  Lori’s eyes slowly widened as she listened.  Then, when she’d finished speaking, Annie’s head dropped.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.  “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.  I was trying so hard to get all of this done, I guess I got lost in it.  I wanted to surprise you.”
“Mistress, don’t,” Lori pleaded.  “I should have trusted you.  I should have said something.  But I didn’t, and now you hate me.”

Annie’s head jerked up, and her hand with it.  The force of the swat set Lori’s bound form swinging, and brought a gasp from her lips. “Don’t you ever, EVER, say that word again, do you hear me?”
Lori shuddered.  “Yes Mistress, I hear you.”
“I do NOT hate you.  How could I possibly hate you, when I love you so damn much?”
“But Mistress, what I did......”
“What you did was wrong, very wrong.  And have no doubts, I have every intention of punishing you for your actions.  But not for your reasons.  I can’t and won’t punish you for loving me.”
“Yes Mistress.  Thank you Mistress.”
Annie stepped back.  “I hope you know I had a wonderful weekend planned for us, and now it’s half gone.”
“Yes Mistress.  I’m sorry.”

“However,” Annie continued, and now there was an entirely different look in her eyes, “that leaves half of the weekend still to come.”  She reached up, softly stroking Lori’s exposed and vulnerable pussy.  “And since you were thoughtful enough to place yourself in such an accessible position, I think it’s time I paid you back for all those orgasms you didn’t let me enjoy this morning.”
“Yes Mistress.” 
Annie turned and left the basement, returning shortly with the penis gag.  But as she reached up to place it in Lori’s mouth, the bound girl twisted her head to one side.  Surprised, Annie lowered her hands, and Lori smiled at her.
“I love you, Mistress.”
“And I love you, you little imp.  Now hush up and take your medicine.”  There was a smile on Annie’s lips, a smile that was mirrored on the lips now parting to accept the gag being placed there by loving hands.