Part 5
Claire Devroux would never have called herself a morning person, though circumstances had certainly conspired to turn her into one, the seemingly endless demands that single motherhood had placed upon her leading to years spent rushing about the house in the hopes of getting dressed and out the door on time with her daughter in tow had more or less trained the instinct into her. It was simply habit now and no matter how tired she was, no matter how poorly she’d slept the night before, the woman always seemed to wake up at exactly the same time even without the intervention of an alarm clock. Oh, there had certainly been times when it had proven to be a useful skill, but there had also been days when things had finally calmed down and she’d wanted nothing more than to surrender to the seductive embrace of her pillow and drift back to sleep only to find herself unable to do so.
And yet for all of that, as the sun finally began to peer over the horizon this morning, its soft glow diffused by the thick curtains shrouding the window and casting patterns of light and shadow across her body, wakefulness came slowly. Perhaps it was because she’d slept more deeply and more peacefully than she had in years, or perhaps it was the warmth of a now familiar body curled up at her side, proof that after so long she was no longer sleeping alone. Whatever the case may be, as she slowly and incrementally opened her eyes, blinking a few times to clear her vision from the fog of half remembered dreams, Claire found herself letting out a quietly contented moan as she instinctively arched her back and curled her toes, muscles stiffening as she tried to stretch only to be halted almost instantly by the straitjacket still imprisoning her arms and the belts binding her legs together.
Jolted fully awake by that realization, and the rapidly returning memory of just what she and her mistress had been up to the night before, the redhead found herself smiling beneath her gag as she took stock of her body. Despite her growing familiarity with sleeping in bondage, and her love of being harshly restrained, her shoulders were still a bit stiff from the snug self-embrace she had been trapped within for hours and she could feel the first stirring of cramps forming along her jawline, although given the comparative gentleness of the butterfly gag she was currently wearing it was absolutely nothing compared to some of the absolutely mouth stretching gags she’d endured in the past. More than that though she was suddenly and acutely aware of just how clammy her skin felt beneath the tight latex sheathing practically every inch of her while a sudden shift of her hips made the presence of the butt plug still filling her keenly felt. A sensation only amplified by the strange and yet familiar feeling of the catheter winding its way deep into her body, the effect of having her urethra stretched for an extended period of time leaving her, paradoxically, with a sudden and overwhelming urge to relieve herself.
And yet, as she took in all of these sensations Claire found that she did not mind all that much. All of it, even the lingering aches and pains, were familiar at this point and strangely pleasant in their own ways. The truth was she felt wonderful, more rested and more at peace with herself than she’d felt in years. Bondage had always helped her relax of course, to get out of her own head and just float, but it was more than that. A feeling of serenity seemed to envelop her in a gentle embrace, as if some great burden had been thrown from her shoulders and in her heart of hearts the redhead knew she owed it all to her mistress. As if roused by that thought the slender figure coiled at her side shifted suddenly and yet languidly, a tiny noise escaping the younger woman’s throat as she seemed to stretch in her sleep, slender limbs splaying wildly as she twisted her shoulders and hips in opposite directions before settling into a position that could not possibly have been comfortable. And yet the pale brunette’s features were content, relaxed even as she settled back onto the pillow and idly embraced her companion’s tightly bound body.
Smiling softly behind her gag once again as she watched the sight unfold, Claire could not help but marvel at how beautiful her mistress looked. Oh, objectively speaking Elise was a mess. Her inky black hair was matted into a tangled and chaotic mess from tossing and turning in her sleep as it fanned out from her skull like some sort of dark halo while those same struggles had caused the hem of her nightgown to ride up almost dangerous high and freed one of her breasts from its captivity, though that was perhaps not much of a change given the thinness of the material sheathing her body. And yet, a smile seemed to tug at the young woman’s pierced lips as she snuggled up against the warmth of her lover’s body, her face positively radiant as the gentle morning light practically caressed her pale skin and highlighted a natural beauty that shone through despite her wild sleeping position and lack of makeup.
Of course she knew it was more that just that, and as she twisted her own shoulders to lay her head against the younger woman’s, the closest thing she could manage to an embrace while confined within the inescapable grasp of her straitjacket, Claire let out a quietly muffled sigh of her own. Seeing her mistress like this, so open and honest and almost vulnerable as the mask of control she tended to wear when playing the dominatrix fell away to reveal the almost shockingly sweet and romantic girl underneath was always a delight. A gift of trust that the older woman had come to treasure, for she had also come to understand just how few people were allowed to see this particular sight. Not that it was the first time that Elise had allowed herself to be so open of course, but even so the redhead felt a pleasant spark of warmth settle into her chest nonetheless.
And yet, while some part of Claire could have happily spent the entire day like this watching her mistress sleep, eyes etching every line of that slender form and pale face even deeper into her memory, the reality was that they really did need to get up. After all, if the younger woman really was going to start living with her then there were a great many things that needed done, and a great many conversations that still needed to be had. Besides that she could practically feel the layer of sweat that had formed underneath her catsuit and it was honestly starting to itch. And so, after what felt like an eternity of indecision, and with a great deal of reluctance, the tightly bound redhead let out a breath through her nose and twisted her shoulders again, just enough this time to give Elise a gentle nudge, “Mnhhrmhh?”
Elise stirred but did not wake, furrowing her brow ever so softly as a frown marred her visage and a tiny yet clearly unhappy noise echoed deep in her throat before she moved to bury her face in her companion’s hair and curl up even tighter at the other woman’s side. Breath tickling her neck now, and long fingers somehow finding one of her breasts and squeezing instinctively as the brunette continued to shift in her sleep, Claire felt a chuckle rise up in her chest followed by a quiet moan though, thankfully, her gag muffled both. Even so as the ghost of a smile seemed to tug at her mistress’s lips the bound woman could not help but be amused. She’d heard of sleep walking before, but sleep groping was a new experience, though certainly not one that she minded in the slightest, especially when her mistress’s fingers seemed to settle onto a particularly sensitive spot and another, much deeper, moan followed.
And yet, even as she let herself enjoy the younger girl’s touch, a familiar thread of arousal that had gone unsated the night before awakening in her loins, the redhead still forced herself to continue on, shifting her entire body this time to bump Elise’s hip, much more firmly this time, “Mnhhrmhh!”
That seemed to do the trick and like a switch being flipped the pale brunette’s eyes shot upon, stormy depths distant and unfocused for the briefest instant before the morning light forced her to clench them shut again. Grimacing in a way that was oddly cute, and grumbling quietly under her breath, Elise blinked a few times until her vision managed to adjust before lifting herself up off the pillow with one hand while the other moved to rub sleep from still tired eyes. And yet despite all of that, once the younger woman was fully awake, or at least more fully awake, an honest smile seemed to brighten her features when she glanced down and Claire felt her heart leap into her throat at the look of pure adoration mixed with a health glow of lust she could see reflected in her mistress’s gaze.
Reaching out to run the back of a finger along the redhead’s cheek, tracing the curve of her jaw and just barely teasing the underside of her chin, Elise’s smile sharpened ever so slightly before finally speaking, “I was having the most wonderful dream, my dear.” Voice just a bit rough from sleep though still as soft as silk, the pale woman leaned in close, “I was rather cross at first to have it interrupted, but then I woke up to find it had come true.”
Claire felt herself blush fiercely even as she basked in her mistress’s praise and tilted her head to both lean into the young woman’s touch and grant better access, “Mnhhrmhh, N…”
“Shh.” Elise interrupted, gently, as she shifted her hips to sit up properly, body coiled like a spring as she folded slender legs beneath herself and reached out with both hands to slowly, gently remove the bound woman’s gag, “For now, let me say good morning properly.”
Claire could not help but let out a quiet moan as she felt the straps cutting into her cheek loosen before the soft leather panel covering her lips was practically peeled from her skin and the slender plug filling her mouth slipped free without resistance, the slight yet familiar pressure the gag placed upon her jaw easing at last. However, before she could even think of reacting, much less closing her mouth to ease the faint cramps that had begun to prickle at her jaw, a pair of pierced lips found her own before an equally pierced tongue thrust itself deep into her mouth and a very different kind of moan filled the morning air. And yet, even as she eagerly gave herself over to her mistress’s passion, that surprisingly gentle and yet still soul searing kiss washing over her like a wave, the redhead could not help but whimper deep in her throat when the younger woman finally pulled away, lips pursed in a silent plea for more even as she arched her back in a familiar gesture of want.
Elise just chuckled though, her voice much clearer now though still soft as she idly carded her fingers through her companion’s rich red hair, “What time is it?”
Caught off guard by the sudden shift in tone, Claire blinked in confusion before tentatively wetting swollen lips and shaking her head, “I… I’m not sure, mistress.”
“Not sure?” Elise echoed, a tiny grin that spoke of mischievous amusement tugging at the corners of her lips as she allowed her hands to glide down over her plaything’s chest to once more cup her breasts, that delicate touch drawing a quiet moan from her bound woman’s throat, “Oh how cruel my pet is to interrupt her mistress’s beauty sleep. Perhaps a punishment is in order?”
The arousal that had been simmering in her core surged to life then, pulsing through her veins like liquid fire as Claire found herself whimpering softly, breath caught in her throat when those clever hands tightened ever so slightly and her tits, always sensitive at the best of times, seemed to throb as her nipples hardened almost painfully. Biting her lip to suppress a cry, visage flushed with desire despite her own bedraggled appearance, the bound redhead once again threw her shoulders back within the confined of her straitjacket to arch her spine and thrust her bosom even more thoroughly into the younger woman’s blissfully talented grasp. Voice shaky and thick with want, the older woman barely dared to breath as she practically moaned out a response, “Yes, mistress. Punish me. Please, punish me!”
Hardly one to turn down an invitation, Elise’s smile turned positively devilish for a heartbeat or two as those stormy eyes of hers flashed in the half light. Twisting her wrists ever so slightly to give that impressive bust once last squeeze, the pale dominatrix quickly took her plaything’s already hard and eager nipples between thumbs and forefingers and pinched sharply, the edges of her well polished nails digging into sensitive flesh deeply enough that Claire found herself crying out in a heady mixture of pleasure and pain. Not content to let her drift away just yet, however, Elise tightened her grip yet again, twisting her fingers just enough to stretch those delicate nubs and sharpen the redhead’s cries, “Like this?”
Trembling beneath a sting that was almost orgasmic in its intensity as her body clenched tight around the intruders filling her, Claire practically shrieked as she fought down the urge to squirm in the younger woman’s grasp and struggled to find her voice, “Yes, mistress! More, please more!”
Elise leaned in close then, so close in fact a few strands of her dark hair tumbled down past her ears to brush against Claire’s face as hot breath began to tickle sensitive skin, but just as the bound woman found herself pursing her lips again in anticipation of another kiss the pale brunette surprised her by letting go completely, “No, I think you’ve had enough for now. Besides, I need a shower and a cup of coffee before I’m prepared to declare myself alive again.”
Gasping like a fish as the sharp sensation on her nipples faded in an instant, Claire found that she could do little but look up into her mistress’s face, surprise painted on her features at the unexpected turn of events. And yet, as she took in the tiny smirk curling the younger woman’s pierced lips she also could not help but feel laughter bubble up in her throat. It was ironic, but perhaps appropriate when dealing with a masochist, to turn a lack of punishment into a punishment. Still the redhead felt compelled to protest at least a little, tugging at the sleeves of her straitjacket and squirming atop the mattress in mock struggle before finally dropping back down onto her pillow in a far more sincere gesture of surrender, a smile threatening to break out on her own face at the brunette’s little joke, “Yes, mistress.”
It was only then that Elise closed the last of the distance between them to offer one last kiss, an almost chaste brush of the lips rather than the raging fire she had offered earlier, but Claire still surrendered to it eagerly, the velvety softness of her mistress’s touch punctuated by the blunt points of her piercing as always driving the older woman to distraction. Clearly aware of the effect she was having, the pale brunette nipped at her plaything’s lower lip for good measure, tugging at that delicate flesh with ivory teeth just enough to elicit a quiet moan before pulling away and once more cupping a flushed cheek with her palm, “Good girl.”
Without waiting for a reply, and an oh so familiar smirk practically etched onto her features, the young dominatrix finally straightened up and scooted back to perch on the edge of the mattress before sparing a moment to casually pull the dangling strap back up over her shoulder and fix her nightgown. Although, with her eyes drawn to the younger woman’s chest, Claire could not help but feel that it was a waste of effort. Given how thin and gauzy the material sheathing her mistress’s body was, and how proudly her nipples and the slender rings pierced through them stood out in the soft morning light, covered or uncovered made little difference in truth.
Still, she held her tongue and simply enjoyed the show as the pale brunette twisted in place and began to remove the belts binding her legs once by one. They had not been overly tight to begin with, but even so it was still a relief to be able to stretch the muscles in her calves and thighs again, as well as bend her knees more than a little. Not that she had much time to explore her newfound freedom before soft hands trailed up her sides in a way that sent a shiver down her spine before taking hold of the straps binding her arms and guiding her up into a sitting position.
Despite her best efforts the redhead could not help but wince ever so slightly as the sudden shift in position pulled the muscles in her back and put pressure on the base of her butt plug, thrusting the intruder even deeper into her body and making her shiver in a mixture of discomfort and delight. It was a familiar enough sensation of course, but it still took a moment before she could adapt, just in time to watch her mistress slide back off the bed and onto her feet, the pale woman rolling her shoulder to stretch and once again making the light play over her slender body in a way that was positively stunning despite everything else. Smiling softly at the way her plaything’s blue-gray eyes seemed fixed upon her, Elise reached out again and gently pulled the older woman across the bed and back onto her own feet as well, careful all the while to make sure her catheter did not tangle and the now very full reservoir attached to it did not spill.
Craning her neck to work the kinks out of her own shoulders, and very much enjoying the sensation of the thick carpeting between her latex-sheathed toes, Claire could not help but smile softly now that she was standing face to face with her mistress and was once against struck by the juxtaposition of just how much taller she was than Elise even without the assistance of a pair of stiletto heels. Speaking of which, as her mistress finally took hold of her hips and began to guide her out into the hallway, the redhead also could not help but feel grateful for that last fact. As much as she adored the way high heels complimented her legs and turned her walk into a devastatingly sexy strut it was still a great relief that she did not have to make the trip in ballet boots as she had done the night before. Not that she’d mind wearing those incredibly sexy, if tortuously uncomfortable, shoes again but a little bit of time to recover was certainly appreciated.
Still, whatever the case it was a short trip and, before she even realized it, Claire found herself led into the bathroom proper, the shock of the cold tile floor beneath her feet dragging her out of her thoughts despite the warmth of the latex sheathing her skin. Elise let go then, to turn on the lights, and all else was forgotten as the sudden glare reflected from the smoothly polished white tiles that seemed to cover every surface was practically blinding in its intensity. Unable to help herself the redhead flinched but her mistress seemed to pay it no mind as she looped an arm around the older woman’s waist and headed straight for the sink without hesitation. She offered no resistance of course obediently obeying the young dominatrix’s unspoken command, but even so the bound woman could not help but stumble ever so slightly when that hand dropped down to cup her ass in a familiar gesture and give her a playful squeeze. She instantly shot the younger woman a glance, but the brunette’s expression remained placid for a moment or two until she finally flashed a smile and Claire could not help but grin in turn and give her hips a little shake. Of all her lovers Elise had always been the boldest when it came to physical affection, offering all but the most intimate touches even in public. It had shocked her at first, and even after months together it still brought a blush to her cheeks every time those clever hands brushed against the curve of a hip or caressed the swell of a breast. Then again, for all of her protests, the redhead had never asked her mistress to stop either.
Blushing in truth now at the memory, the phantom sensation of ghostly fingers brushing against her skin almost making her shiver, the bound woman instinctively glanced up into the mirror as she was guided toward the counter and could not help but gasp softly in surprise at bedraggled creatures that stared back at her. She had thought her mistress looked a mess, as the younger woman so often did first thing in the morning, but now that she could see herself clearly the redhead was forced to admit that in comparison she was an absolute disaster. Her brilliantly red hair had lost its luster for lack of a better term, in parts both matted with sweat and plastered to her scalp while also standing up in places like a chaotic rat’s nest perched atop her head. She’d known that the latex hood would play merry hell with coiffure, it always did, but it seemed that she must have spent at least part of the night tossing and turning in her sleep as well to have created this mess. More than that her eyes were ever so slightly bloodshot despite the fact that she did not feel tired in the slightest and her cheeks looked almost pale, her freckles standing out sharply and contrasted with the harsh red lines left behind where the straps of her gag had cut into her skin. It was temporary of course, even the worst of it would fade after a nice hot shower and perhaps a bit of lotion, but even so Claire could not help but marvel at herself and wonder how her mistress, who even in her own sleep worn state looked so beautiful, could even look at her like this with such desirous eyes.
As if she could sense the older woman’s turmoil, Elise smiled, warmth in her gaze as she tightened her grip just enough to pull the bound woman into a loose embrace, “Quite the pair we make.”
Unbidden, a blush rose on Claire’s cheeks as she instinctively leaned into her mistress’s body, though more from the way the younger woman’s clever fingers seemed to trail along the curve of her ass and slip between her legs than anything else. Still, as much as she wanted to protest, as much as she wanted to question, in the end she just nodded and tentatively returned that smile, “Yes, mistress.”
Lifting herself up onto her tiptoes to brush her lips against her plaything’s cheeks, the pale brunette allowed her voice to drop into a familiar, throaty whisper, “Now, take a deep breath and relax.”
Confusion blossomed on the bound woman’s face for a split second before her eyes widened with understanding and she did her best to force her body to obey before she felt those same fingers that had been caressing the delicate skin of her inner thighs suddenly grip the base of her butt plug and give it a sharp pull. Despite its somewhat impressive size the toy came free with remarkably little resistance, though Claire did gasp softly at its passage before breathing an equally soft sight of relief. As much as she had come to enjoy plugs, especially the way they filled her and forced her body to adapt to their presence, wearing one for more than twelve hours was pushing even her limits.
She supposed she was just lucky that her mistress had been kind enough to remove the vibrator before bed or else she probably wouldn’t have been able to walk. That brought a tiny smile to her face but the sudden clink of metal against ceramic as the device that had been filling her ass until a moment ago was unceremoniously tossed into the sink drew the redhead out of her thoughts and prompted her to glance down, eyes briefly catching the sight of smoothly polished stainless steel glinting in the light even as her gaze was drawn to what looked like a large, faceted red gem set into the thing’s flared based. It was just glass of course, but even so another tiny smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Upon gifting her this particular toy Elise had coyly suggested that the color suited her fiery hair, and equally fiery appetites. It was a comparison that had made her blush at the time, still did when she thought about it, but even so that compliment (such as it was) still warmed her heart and brought a pleasant feeling to her chest. Passionate she may have been, but for so long it had seemed as if those fires were about to gutter and die only to be awakened again and she owed that entirely to the pale young woman standing at her side.
However, for a second time her musings were cut short, this time by the palm of a hand laid flat against her stomach before gliding down the curve of her pubic arch to brush against the delicately sensitive skin of her still very much exposed pussy. Biting her lip to suppress a moan, Claire instinctively glanced to her side to meet her mistress’s gaze, the tiny smirk that had been curling her lips replaced with a gentle and almost comforting smile. Turning her body to slip between the older woman’s lush frame and the counter top, half leaning and half sitting upon the faux marble surface, Elise worried her own lower lip ever so slightly, the tip of her tongue flicking at the slender ring pierced through it in an achingly familiar gesture before finally continuing on. With a velvety tone that would have seemed at odds with her rather dominant nature once upon a time, the younger woman leaned in close, “Very good, my lovely. Just keep breathing, it’s almost over.”
Catching the message easily enough this time, and granting a tiny nod of understanding, Claire forced her muscles to go slack for a second time and tried to focus on the beating of her heart as a distraction while breathing slowly yet deeply through her nose. At the same time she tried her best to ignore what her mistress was doing, especially the way the brunette’s sinfully soft fingers seemed to caress the lips of her labia and brush against the edges of her already hyper-sensitive clit. Thankfully, even though her breath seemed to hitch in her throat and a tremor rumbled in her core at each and every tiny movement of the bonds, she was able to keep herself mostly still as, with a much gentler tug this time, the catheter slid free of her body. Biting down on her lip so hard that she honestly would not have been surprised to find she’d drawn blood as a sound somewhere between a whimper and a moan escaped her throat the tension was finally broken. Honestly, no matter how many times she had experienced it Claire did not think she would ever be able to describe this particular sensation. Not painful, not exactly, but teetering on the edge of unpleasantness while somehow being strangely sensual at the same time. Almost like being caressed on the inside, though even that metaphor fell far short of the truth. Suffice it to say that even as she could not help but wince ever so slightly and then sag in relief as the odd pressure of having her most intimate places stretched finally abated, a tiny blush still managed to rise on her cheeks as a faint trill of pleasure raced up her spine.
Her work done, and pausing only to dump the coil of tubing she was holding into the sink to join the butt plug, Elise braced both hands on the counter top and pushed herself up as far as she could to offer her lover a quick kiss, briefly capturing those soft lips and very much catching the older woman off guard. Flashing what she hoped was a reassuring smile the brunette shifted her weight onto her right hand and reached up with the left to brush a few strands of hair back over the redhead’s ear, “There we are. Not so bad, no?”
The faintly teasing tone in the other woman's voice only deepened Claire’s blush, well aware of the fact that her mistress knew her cries had not been from pain. Still, the bound woman decided to seize the initiative, leaning down to snatch a kiss of her own and relishing the look of surprise that momentarily overtook her brunette’s pale face, “No, mistress. Not bad at all.”
Elise had the good nature to chuckle softly at that unexpected but most welcome turn of events, though the glint in her eyes suggested that she had every intention of evening the score eventually. Still, her smile did not fade as she shifted her hips again and allowed both hands to trail down the older woman’s chest, just teasing the edge of her breasts before toying with the various buckles and straps that kept her imprisoned with the straitjacket’s inescapable embrace, “Well then, if you’re so eager perhaps we should see about getting you undressed properly.”
Lips twitching just a bit, Claire bowed her head in agreement, the finest shift of her shoulder making the leather binding her creak, “Thank you, mistress.”
“It’s no trouble, my dear.” Elise assured as she began to loosen the straps one by one, slowly freeing the older woman’s body from its confinement and releasing her arms from their captivity, “No trouble at all.”
Claire said nothing in response, just smiled softly in thanks as she let her arms drop to her sides and rolled her shoulders to work out the kinks that had begun to form there while experimentally flexing her fingers as if to assure herself that she really was free again. Not that wearing the straitjacket had been unpleasant, far from it in fact, and truth be told she knew from personal experience that she could have endured its embrace for days, perhaps even longer, but being trapped and unable to move was maddening in its own way.
Besides, after an extended session in elbow bondage and a strappado on top of that, even a good night’s rest in her own bed was nowhere near enough to recover from her mistress’s little anniversary gift. Speaking of the devil, almost unbidden the redhead felt herself moan in relief when the pale young woman practically molded against her front slipped behind her back before slender hands gripped her shoulders tight and surprisingly strong fingers began to knead away the aches and pains that had begun to settle there.
Soon enough her eyes slid closed again and a much deeper moan echoed in her chest as she eagerly gave herself over to her lover’s touch and allowed herself to drift away on that blissful sensation. Learning that Elise was a masseuse as well as a dominatrix had been one of the more pleasant discoveries made during their times together, though in the end the older woman supposed she should not have been that surprised. The bondage was fun, and the sex was incredible, but whatever else could be said of her, her mistress was a professional and as such she took aftercare very seriously. Not that Claire minded of course, indeed there were moments like this when she could only wonder all over again how she had been so incredibly lucky. Besides, being pampered was always nice especially when said pampering was often a prelude to more… intimate things. Case in point, almost as soon as she felt herself begin to relax fully her hair was brushed to the side and an intimately familiar pair of pierced lips pressed against the back of her neck.
Gasping softly at that unexpected contact, and biting her own lip to suppress a moan, Claire still said nothing as she felt the same slender fingers that had been massaging her shoulders drift down to unzip her catsuit inch by agonizing inch, the skintight latex parting to allow a rush of cool air to caress her skin. At the same time she could feel Elise’s lips begin to work their way down as well, kissing along the length of her spine as a pierced tongue traced the ridges of her vertebrae one at a time. Shuddering beneath that blissfully pleasant assault, for a brief moment as she felt her mistress move lower and lower the redhead could not help but wonder if the other woman might actually kiss her ass. In the end it was not to be, the young dominatrix content to cup her plaything’s generous curves and knead her cheeks with the same vigor with which she had massaged the older woman’s shoulder before finally offering a playful smack. Grinning at the way Claire seemed to start sharply beneath her touch, the slender brunette rose to her full height and wrapped her arms around her lover’s waist, “I trust you can finish the rest yourself, pet?”
Torn between disappointment that her mistress had gone no further, and bliss at the way the younger woman’s body seemed to practically sculpt itself against her back, Claire pouted but eventually nodded, “Yes, mistress.”
“Good girl.” Elise practically breathed as she spared a moment to run her fingers in nonsense patterns along the redhead’s stomach and craned her neck just enough to playfully nip at a delicate earlobe, “Such a good girl. Now, wait here for a moment. I’ll go get the shower started.”
And with that, just as the redhead thought she might burst with anticipation, every fiber of her being clenched as tight as spun steel, Elise pulled away. Taken off guard despite the warning, Claire could not help but whimper softly at the loss of contact, the ghost of the younger woman’s touch lingering on her skin like fire as a sudden chill seemed to rush in and embrace her. Letting out a breath that she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding, her heart still hammering in her chest, the redhead finally opened her eyes and glanced into the mirror once again. Watching herself almost curiously, the woman crossed her arms over her chest and reached up to place her hands on her shoulders before sparing a moment to stretch. Rolling her head from side to side and moaning softly in delight as she felt her spine pop, the tension fleeing her body in an instant, the redhead let out an honest sigh of relief as an almost ecstatic sensation washed over her like a physical weight being lifted. In the same motion she twisted her body to flex her shoulders and slipped her fingers beneath the seams of the catsuit with a bit of work, tugging at the latex awkwardly.
Thankfully, much as she had expected, taking the thing off proved to be a far simpler task than putting it on though even then the skintight rubber had to be practically peeled from her skin bit by bit, the material clinging to her with stubborn intensity. Worst of it seemed as if her entire body, having been unable to breath within its tight rubber prison, was slick with sweat and soon enough the suit was so slippery that it was fight jut to hold on to the edges. Even though she had known what it would be like, some part of Claire was honestly shocked by just how much she had sweated within its confines, every inch of her practically drenched from head to toe to the point where it almost looked as if she had just climbed out of the tub, or taken a quick swim. Then again she supposed that was simply the price that she had to pay to indulge in one of her favorite hobbies. Whatever the case she pressed on regardless and with a bit more struggling and a few soft grunts of effort she finally managed to free herself from the latex’s tight grasp and threw the sodden garment aside, a thin puddle of water forming around her feet as the crumpled remnants of the suit hit the floor with a wet thud.
Standing as naked as the day she was born now, goosebumps covering her still damp skin, Claire instinctively ran a hand through her limp hair but still found herself smiling just a bit as she studied her own reflection, turning back and forth at the waist to get a better look. In addition to the rapidly drying sheen of sweat that seemed to make her glisten in the almost harsh light, her skin was crisscrossed by slender red lines where the seams of the catsuit and the straps that had been binding her had dug as she’d struggled during the night along with a collection broader and paler pink marks where crop and cane and even her mistress’s hands had marked her with faint welts and fainter bruises. Nothing serious, nothing that would show, but still proof positive that she had been marked, been claimed, been taken. Biting her lip the redhead began to idly run the tips of her fingers along those lines, studying the tracery upon her skin and shivering softly at her own touch. It was funny in a way. She knew they would fade soon enough, much like the marks on her cheeks, but there were times she wished they wouldn’t. That her mistress would mark her truly and leave her body branded with signs of ownership writ in stinging red and fading purple, to make her squirm every time she sat down and gasp in anticipation at even the slightest caress. Unbidden a soft blush arose on her cheeks as an almost coy smile curled her lips, but before she could lose herself overly much in idle fantasies a sudden flash of movement caught her eye and the woman’s gaze instantly shot back to the mirror only to find herself freezing in place at what she saw reflected there.
Standing behind her, back turned, was Elise. That by itself was not surprising of course, but watching as the young woman slowly bent down in a clearly and deliberately provocative pose as she adjusted the shower and checked the water temperature certainly was. Especially the way the motion made her nightgown rise high enough to fully expose that deliciously tight ass of hers and highlight how the impossibly slender g-string she was wearing accentuated her curves. Clearly aware that she was being watched for all that she was looking away, the pale brunette began to rock her hips side to side in a slow but playfully seductive way before finally straightening up and, still looking away, casually brushing the lacy straps from her shoulders one at a time to allow the slender garment sheathing her equally slender frame to fall away from her body and pool at her feet.
Casually kicking it aside, the pale dominatrix glanced over her shoulder and offered an impishly satisfied grin as she tugged the thong down over her hips with considerably less fanfare and blew her lover a kiss before stepping into the shower and closing the door behind her, pale form just barely visible through the hammered glass. It was an invitation so obvious it may as well have been engraved. Only a fool wouldn’t have recognized it for what it was and whatever else could be said of her Claire Devroux was no fool.
Licking her lips with the tip of her tongue, a gesture of nerves as much as one of anticipation, the redhead turned on heel and quickly crossed the room, eyes still locked on her mistress’s silhouette as she threw open the door herself and stepped into the billowing steam beyond. Compared to the chill that had begun to settle under her skin the wave of heat that suddenly enveloped her was almost tangible, a physical force coiling about her body like great swaths of silken cloth. However, before she could do much more than simply bask in that blissfully pleasant sensation Elise was upon her like a storm of limbs, strong but slender arms thrown over her shoulders to lace behind her neck while equally powerful legs clamped around her waist with almost bruising force, the weight of the of the younger woman and the force of their bodies colliding pushing her under the shower head and forcing her back against the wall. The sudden rush of hot water sluicing over their bodies prompted Claire to gasp, but her mistress seized the opportunity almost instantly. Tightening her grip on slick flesh the brunette clung to the older woman’s lush form like a barnacle, the redhead’s ample breasts practically crushed between them as she captured soft lips in a fierce and hungry kiss, her tongue snaking its way deep into that sweet and willing mouth like a woman dying of thirst who had finally found an oasis in the desert.
Although her head was spinning from that sudden but very pleasurable assault, Claire managed to rally with remarkable speed, having grown more than a little accustomed to Elise’s rather aggressive nature. Leaning back against the tile to brace herself, the redhead instinctively wrapped her own arms around her mistress’s slim frame and ran her hands down the curves of the younger woman’s back, fingers tracing the ridges of her spine before taking hold of that delightfully firm ass. At the same time she felt her eyes slide closed as she gave herself over to that kiss, willingly and eagerly surrendering herself to her lover’s passions while reveling in the feeling of what felt like miles of silky smooth skin sliding against her own, the sensation sending a trill of pleasure up her own spine and prompting an almost desperate moan to catch in her throat. Eventually however her mistress’s strength gave out, or perhaps it was her patience, and as her arms began to tremble beneath the strain ever so slightly Elise broke the kiss and uncoiled her legs, her body sliding back down as her feet hit the tiled basin with a wet thud.
Fingers still laced together behind the older woman’s neck in a loose embrace, the pale brunette flashed a brief smile, “You are so beautifully, frustratingly tall.”
Her own lips twisting at the affectionate warmth underlining that complaint, Claire suppressed the urge to chuckle as she adjusted her own grip to hold the slender girl close, “But worth the climb, I hope.”
“Always.” Elise promised, a twinkle in her eyes as she pushed herself up onto her tip toes to steal another kiss, this one far gentler but no less passionate than the first, “Then again, I always preferred repelling.”
The redhead was given no time to puzzle out that statement before Elise’s smile turned lascivious and she lowered herself down just enough to press a kiss to her lover’s throat, pierced tongue trailing over her pulse in nonsense patterns before teeth nipped at sensitive skin. Barely more than a moment earlier Claire had been daydreaming about her mistress marking her, but as she felt lips press tight again her skin as the younger girl began to suck with enough force to leave a bruise she found herself moaning deep in her chest, eyes sliding closed as a familiar heat bloomed in her core and her pussy clenched in sympathy. Not that the pale dominatrix was finished with her yet, not by a long shot.
Satisfied that her plaything had been properly claimed, Elise flashed another brief smile before continuing her descent, those lips trailing to the hollow of her lover’s throat and down the curve of her sternum. At the same time slender fingers caressed shapely shoulders and teased the edges of the older woman’s rib cage before finally cupping the redhead’s lusciously full breasts. Moaning again, far more desperately this time as she felt her mistress’s tongue mark a trail of fire along her freckled skin before those velvety soft lips enveloped an almost painfully hard nipple, Claire lost her grip on the younger woman’s body and practically fell back against the wall, the slick tile almost shockingly cold against her heated skin but even that was not enough to fully distract from the utterly blissful sensations of having her chest worshiped. Of course the redhead had always enjoyed having her boobs played with, relished it in fact, but as her lover kissed and squeezed and kneaded and sucked on her tits with an intensity that was almost shocking some part of her could not help but wonder if that was a blessing or a curse. Especially since Elise had very much proven herself to be a breast woman.
Almost as if she could read her plaything’s mind, the slender young woman stepped up her game, squeezing so tight that the redhead actually gasped in surprise before sucking so hard on the captive nipple between her lips that a deep, desperate and almost wanton moan escaped the older woman’s throat. A moan that quickly turned into a cry when ivory teeth nipped at that delicate nub with almost shocking force. As if waiting for that moment, the pale brunette began to work her way down again, tongue tracing a line of fire along the faint ridges of Claire’s abdominal muscles before skirting around her navel.
Having almost lost herself in sensation as those blossoms of heat approached her aching core, Claire cried out in a mix of frustration and disappointment when she felt her mistress’s lips pause just above her throbbing clit but before she could give proper voice to her protests Elise surprised her yet again. Suddenly taking hold of the redhead’s hips, she pushed with surprising strength and shoved her lover’s ass against the wall and pinned her in place before capturing sensitive nether lips in a kiss as deep and as searing as any other she’d offered.
For a brief moment Claire did not register the contact, too shocked by her mistress’s sudden turn of aggression, but soon enough instinct kicked in and the older woman found herself moaning like a bitch in heat, her hands shooting out to tangle in the pale brunette’s inky dark hair as that cruelly skillful tongue forced its way inside of her, the stud pierced through it gliding against her most sensitive places in a maddeningly pleasurable fashion.
It was hardly the first time her mistress had gone down on her of course, indeed the younger woman seemed to love both giving and receiving oral sex, but to see Elise kneeling before her like, to watch as the pale dominatrix serviced her in what almost looked like a submissive pose for all that she was still very much in charge, was such an incredibly turn on that the redhead very nearly came right then and there from the sheer intensity of the moment. Or perhaps that was more an effect of just how pent up she actually was after a night spent in tight bondage, her lover’s teasing touch lingering on her skin as the brunette lay curled up beside her and the knowledge that she could not so much as touch the woman she loved in turn burned in her veins. Worse still it seemed as if her mistress was in no mood to take prisoners today either. Instead of the light touches and teasing caresses that she normally preferred when giving pleasure Elise had gone straight for the kill, eschewing that slow and familiar dance of lips and tongue for an intense and almost frantic assault against the older woman’s most delicate flesh until her clit throbbed almost painfully and her velvety inner walls clenched tight against the almost painfully skilled intruder lapped at already frazzled nerve.
To her further shock it could not have been more than a minute, perhaps two, before Claire felt herself come undone beneath that most intimate of kisses, her hips bucking sharply as her grip instinctively tightened to pin that captive mouth against her trembling sex and a shriek of rapturous ecstasy escaped her throat, her toes curling sharply against the sudden surge of pleasure enveloping her being as she screamed. And yet, as was so often the case in moments like this, Elise did not let up. Instead the pale brunette continued to lap at the trembling flesh beneath her, tongue swirling about her plaything’s already hyper-sensitive clit and forcing the redhead to cum a second time, that orgasm colliding with the still cresting wave of the first and shattering her completely.
For a brief moment the shriek that escaped the redhead then was almost deafening in its intensity, her entire body rigid as every single muscle in her buxom frame seemed to clench tight at the exact same moment, but in the midst of that storm of perfectly painful pleasure Claire felt her legs give out all of a sudden. Eyes wide, a surge of panic blossomed in the older woman’s chest as her hands shot out to try and steady herself but the slick tile offered no purchase and soon enough she found herself crying out for a very different reason as she came crashing down. And yet, just as she tried to brace herself for a very painful collision with the floor Elise caught her somehow, the slender girl uncoiling like a spring as she surged upwards into a low crouch to wrap her arms around her lover’s waist and halt her momentum. Still it was an awkward position at best and despite her best efforts the brunette could not completely arrest the older woman’s fall. Instead she simply settled for easing her down onto the floor safely.
Unfortunately the younger woman had miscalculated ever so slightly, and as she tried to support her companion’s effectively dead weight her own feet slipped out from under her despite that earlier display of agility. Eyes widening in turn, the pale brunette barely had a second to register what was happening before she found herself flat on her back, the breath driven from her lungs by the rather jarring impact and the weight of a very curvy redhead sprawled out on top of her.
Head still spinning from her fall, and breathing heavily from the lingering shards of orgasm still swirling in her still twitching core, Claire eventually managed to brace her hands against the floor and lift herself up just enough to meet her mistress’s gaze, hot water cascading down over them like heavy rain. Part of her felt like she should say something, or perhaps laugh at the sheer absurdity situation they had suddenly found themselves in, but as she took in the sight of her Elise’s face, eyes especially drawn to the faint blush coloring the younger woman’s pale cheeks and the way her pierced lips were parted ever so slightly in surprise, the redhead found her words dying in her throat. Instead the older woman found herself inexorably drawn in, leaning down closer and closer until she claimed those lips for her own, a thrill racing up her spine as she tasted herself there.
The kiss was soft at first, almost tentative in fact, as if the both of them were afraid the moment might shatter if they dared for more, but soon enough a quiet moan echoed deep in the pale brunette’s throat as she arched her back and freed her hands in order to tangle her own fingers in her companion's hair, holding tight as the kiss grew deeper and hungrier and far more intense, tongues twining together in an ancient but no less wondrous dance. Emboldened by her mistress’s response, Claire shifted to run a hand down the girl’s side, tracing the outlines of her ribs and reveling in the shudder that seemed to wrack that slender frame as she worked her way lower to caress the curve of hip and the turn of a pale thigh.
A brief moment of hesitation followed, but as she felt the grip on her hair tighten the older woman deepened the kiss even further and plunged a pair of fingers deep into her lover’s body. Elise’s hips seemed to jerk hard in response to that sudden and intimate contact, her body clenching tight as a sound somewhere between a moan and a growl seemed to rumble deep in her chest.
At the same time the brunette tightened her grip like a woman possessed, pulling the older woman down atop her and wrapping her legs around the redhead’s waist to lock her in place with an almost desperate strength. Although the position made it more than a little awkward Claire felt a fresh wave of excitement coil about her heart, and pool in her loins, as she began to thrust into the slender girl’s delightfully warm and wonderfully tight body, the tip of her thumb teasing a pierced clit and playing with the slender ring transfixing that delicate flesh. Whimpering and panting and yet never once breaking that kiss, the younger woman practically writhed against her lover’s body then, thighs trembling and fingers raking their way down the redhead’s back as if struggling to find purchase.
And yet, even as she reveled in the moment, and especially in the way her mistress’s tongue seemed to thrust its way deep into her mouth, Claire could tell that the younger woman was barely holding on, her vaginal walls trembling with every thrust and her breath catching in her throat as she struggled to maintain the kiss linking their mouths together. It was a rare thing indeed to be given a chance like this, to be allowed to take control so blatantly, but the redhead could not say she didn’t enjoy it. Especially when her fingers hit a particularly sensitive spot and the slender dominatrix lain out beneath her seemed to spasm involuntarily in response before moaning with an almost overwhelming desperation. Besides, as she twisted her fingers to copy a technique that Elise herself had used to devastating effect on numerous occasions and allowed the pad of her thumb to rub against the girl’s hard and eager clit with a faintly circular motion, the older woman could not help but smile ever so slightly. She had always enjoyed a challenge after all and it would be interesting to see just how much longer the pale brunette could last.
Perhaps her technique was better than she’d realized, perhaps her mistress had been just as pent up herself, or perhaps neither one of them was in the mood to hold back, but whatever the case it was no more than a dozen heartbeats later when Elise completely surrendered to the tide rising within her, her spine arching sharply as she thrashed like a wild animal in the throes of ecstasy, screaming her pleasure to the world as she drug her fingernail’s down her lover’s back so fiercely that even those carefully blunted tips left deep scratches in their wake. Biting her lip against the sting, the pain only making the moment even more intense, Claire did not let up, pressing down with all of her weight and capturing her mistress’s lips again to swallow her cries even as she continued to thrust into the woman’s quaking body. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, time itself ceased to have any meaning as the pair allowed themselves to be carried away in the moment, but soon enough the redhead felt the slender young woman begin to still and go limp in her grasp before collapsing in a heap of tangled limbs, panting and twisting and flushed bright red as aftershocks assaulted her body.
Carefully drawing her fingers from her mistress’s body, the tiny sound that escaped the younger woman’s throat in response making her smile, Claire carefully propped herself up to watch as Elise slowly came back to herself, eyes once again drinking in the pale brunette’s utterly stunning appearance. However, she was honestly taken by surprise when a hand suddenly shot up to cup her cheek, slender fingers caressing the curve of her jaw and ghosting over delicate skin. Instinctively looking up, the redhead was surprised to find that Elise had apparently recovered enough to open her eyes, a tiny smile tugging at pierced lips and voice more than a little rough from screaming but still thick with pleasure, “You’ve gotten better.”
“Thank you, mistress.” Claire almost whispered in response as she leaned into that touch, “I had a wonderful teacher.”
Elise laughed in quiet delight before coughing softly, her voice briefly giving out. Before her plaything could react however the slender girl shifted into a more comfortable position and allowed her hand to cup the back of the older woman’s neck to lift herself up just enough to steal a soft but lingering kiss, “We really should get up before the hot water runs out though.”
“We really should.” Claire agreed despite making no real attempt to move, “May I wash your back when we do?”
“Only if I can wash your front.” Elise shot back, eyes flashing with amusement while her grin shifted into something almost mischievous.
It was hard to say whose composure broke first, but a heartbeat later the both of them were laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of their situation, giggling like a pair of schoolgirls as they lay twined together on the shower floor, clinging to each other and reveling in the warmth of the water pouring over their bare bodies and the gentle afterglow of good sex. Eventually though the pair managed to disentangle themselves and, despite the distraction of so much naked skin pressed together, Claire shakily climbed to her feet and extended a hand to help her mistress follow. There were no words spoken, none were needed as Elise accepted the aid and flashed a brief but grateful smile as she sprung to her own feet before stepping back under the shower head.
Sighing softly in relief as the water began to massage her pale skin, the younger woman turned to present her back to Claire while reaching out to grab a bottle of coconut scented shampoo to begin washing her inky locks and gently work out the kinks that had formed there. Taking that as her invitation, the redhead slipped behind her lover then, eyes raking over the younger girl’s form as she idly groped for the bottle of body wash sitting in the corner. Intentionally or not there was a certain reverence in her touch then as she washed the younger woman’s body, her hands practically sculpting that pale form as she massaged slender shoulders and explored the lines of a well defined back, the brunette practically purring beneath the older woman’s ministrations as fingers delicately traced the ridges of her spine one vertebrae at a time before caressing the swell of her hips and the curve of her ass.
It was something that Claire had noticed since their very first time together, even if she had admittedly been distracted by other things, but no matter how many times she saw it some part of her could not help but be a little awed by Elise’s body. Slender without being scrawny and toned without being overly muscular, the slender young woman seemed almost impossibly graceful at times, almost wiry even for all that she still possessed impressively feminine curves. Nothing compared to the redhead’s own buxom frame perhaps, but still an absolute delight to touch with breasts perfectly sized to hold and an ass that the older woman would still swear was one of the most perfect things she had ever seen. Better still the younger girl clearly loved to be touched as well, especially considering the way she continued to moan quietly beneath her lover’s touch and rock her hips in a quiet but unmistakable invitation.
However, as pleasant memories and even more pleasant fantasies danced in her mind’s eye, Claire was suddenly shocked back into the moment when a pair of hands gripped her own, halting her explorations. Barely a heartbeat later the redhead found herself spun around with surprising force and pulled beneath the shower head in turn, the sudden spray of water making her gasp and close her eyes only to then moan deep in her throat as Elise kept her own promise. Despite the familiar thrill of having her tits played with as her mistress lathered her chest and took special care to make certain her breasts were thoroughly and completely clean before working her way down with gentle vigor, the older woman still managed to rouse herself enough to begin washing her own hair, challenging though that was. Especially when she felt long, clever fingers slip between her thighs and brush against her pussy with a maddeningly soft touch.
Still, as much as some part of her hoped this was a prelude to more sex, the blissfully torturous ordeal was over soon enough, though by the time her mistress had finished and turned the water off her legs were positively shaking with desire. And yet even then Claire said nothing as she followed the younger woman out of the shower and back into the bathroom proper, the sudden rush of cool air striking her like a physical force as it raised goosebumps all along her bare skin until Elise wrapped a decadently fluffy towel around her shoulders and offered a tiny smile before taking her hand and leading her to the sink.
Despite some lingering frustration, the redhead returned that smile and allowed herself to be led. It was a strange thing to think about, but as she dried off and began the process of fixing her hair back into some semblance of order, the older woman could not help but think that there was an odd comfort in routines like this, especially when she glanced at her mistress out of the corner of her eye and watched as the younger woman slowly dried her own hair before brushing that inky mane into a positively luxurious wave. Naked as the day she was born and yet obviously unbothered by that fact, as Elise set the brush aside and leaned in to start applying her makeup there was just something so utterly relaxed about the younger girl’s posture that it only seemed to add to the sheer domesticity of the scene. Despite herself Claire felt a familiar warmth blossom in her chest. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but the thought that soon enough every morning might begin like this one was so incredible that the curvy redhead could not help but smile.
Of course eventually Elise noticed her plaything’s far from subtle observations and, still bent over the edge of the counter ever so slightly as she applied liquid eye liner with a fine brush, glanced at the older woman’s reflection in the mirror, “Something the matter, my dear?”
“Not at all, mistress.” Claire replied, the warmth in her smile somehow growing until her eyes practically shone with joy, “I’m just happy. Happy to be able to spend time with you, like this.”
That prompted the pale girl to smile in turn as she continued to line her eyes with kohl, “Me too. Honestly I sometimes wonder if the last year has been nothing but a pleasant dream.”
“I promise you it's real, mistress.” Claire assured, a trace of maternal concern creeping into her voice as she wrapped the younger woman’s slender, naked form into a loose embrace and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, “In fact, to celebrate why don’t I go and make us some breakfast?”
“That sounds wonderful.” Elise agreed, a contented smile escaping her throat as she leaned into her lover’s equally naked, and invitingly lush, form, “I’ll clean things up here and be down in a bit.”
Tightening her embrace ever so slightly, and stealing another kiss after a brief moment of hesitation, Claire nodded in agreement and opened her mouth to reply before thinking better of it and stepping away from the sink. Lingering for a brief moment to watch as her mistress reached for a container of eye shadow and turned her attention back to the task at hand, the redhead eventually turned and walked toward the door. And yet even then she could see the younger woman’s reflected gaze following her as she walked, those stormy eyes practically locked onto the sway of her ass with every step.
Biting her lip to suppress a very different kind of smile, and shivering ever so softly at the familiar feeling of excitement that always seemed to follow in moments like this, the older woman shifted into a deliberate strut as she walked, rolling her hips in a way that had never failed to drive the pale dominatrix wild. Slipping out into the hallway she allowed her stride to even out again, but still could not help but smile as she drifted toward the staircase.
For a brief moment she contemplated stopping by the bedroom again to get dressed properly, or at least fetch her robe, but in the end Claire decided not to bother. Not yet anyway. After all she wanted to make certain that breakfast was ready when her mistress reemerged and she hardly knew how long that would take. Besides, she had grown rather fond of the unexpectedly pleasant, and strangely exciting, experience of walking about the house naked. It was funny in a way. Before meeting Elise the redhead would never have thought of herself as an exhibitionist. She was proud of her body of course, she had worked hard on it after all, but while she had never thought anything of wearing low necklines or spicing up an outfit with skimpy lingerie, much less donning tight workout clothes or laying by the pool in a bikini, she had always felt the need to cover up otherwise. She knew of people who vacuumed in their underwear or took off their shirts during the hottest parts of the season, but it was not something she had ever even considered for herself.
Now though, as she padded down the steps and across the living room to make a beeline for the kitchen, the redhead could not keep an almost impish smile from her now. Now she felt completely comfortable doing housework in nothing but a thong, or lounging about the house while wrapped up in bondage gear. Indeed, while she kept the thought very private, some part of her had even contemplated answering the door in the nude sometime just to see what would happen. Not that she had ever dared of course, and probably never would except maybe to surprise her mistress, but if she were being honest with herself Claire could admit that the idea turned her on so much it was actually a little scary.
The familiar feeling of cool tile beneath her bare feet drew the older woman out of her thoughts and for a moment of two Claire did nothing but glance about the room before flitting between the various cabinets to retrieve the tool she would need. Quickly putting a pot of coffee on to brew as she prepared, the redhead eventually slipped some slices of dark rye bread into the toaster and pulled a carton of eggs from the refrigerator as she made her way over to the stove. For a moment she contemplated grabbing an apron out of the pantry, hot oil and bare flesh being a poor combination, but in the end she decided that this was far more exciting and that the risk was worth it.
Soon enough the tantalizing aroma of freshly ground coffee beans filled the air followed by the sizzle of grease as she began to scramble a few eggs. A simple enough meal truth be told, but she had always liked to keep breakfast simple, a habit ingrained from long years of rushed mornings. And besides, Elise was a rather light eater for the most part. Still, as she worked the older woman found her thoughts wandering back to her young lover once again. She had expected things to feel different, to be more after inviting her mistress into her home and into her life, but somehow it wasn’t different at all. Exciting to be certain, but less like taking the plunge into some new and incredibly thrilling adventure and more like a natural extension of all they had already built together. It was a curious truth to be certain but the more she turned it over in her mind the more Claire realized that she really shouldn’t have been so surprised. Being with Elise had always been easy, natural even, as if she had always been meant to stand at the younger woman’s side. Not that she believed in destiny, but even in those early days when things had still been tentative and awkward and a little uncertain it was undeniable that the pair of them simply fit in some indefinable way. And yet, even as her heart wanted to sing with joy at having found love again, at being able to be with someone who really, truly understood her, one last challenge still lingered in the back of her mind. Frowning softly as she scooped the eggs onto a pair of plates and moved them to the kitchen table before fetching the toast, the older woman felt her thoughts begin to drift toward her daughter. Talia. Her little Talia, no longer a child but a woman-grown. A woman with her father’s looks and her mother’s heart, a woman now tentatively taking her own first steps into the wider world, and most importantly a woman who deserved to know the truth of all that had been happening in her mother’s life.
Claire prided herself on being open and honest with her daughter. Growing up she had always answered the girl’s questions as best she could, even if they had been difficult or embarrassing, and had always vowed to never condescend or talk down to her. And as a result they had always been close, a fact that had been a great comfort to the redhead since for so long they had only had each other. Talia had kept her going through even the darkest of days, kept her fighting even when she wanted nothing more than to lay down and cry. Moreover the older woman had always been fiercely proud of the fact that her daughter trusted her enough to confide in her. Problems at school, uncertainties about the future, struggles with her sexuality, at times it felt as if they could talk about anything which only fueled the knot of guilt eating away at Claire’s chest. She had never intended to deceive her daughter and had always planned to tell her about Elise at some point, but there had always been something holding her back. At first, when their connection had been less of a relationship and more of a transaction it hadn’t seemed necessary, but even when they had started dating properly and the pale brunette had become her mistress in truth it had all felt so tentative, so fragile that she hadn’t wanted to risk it. Logical perhaps, but looking back now the redhead could see the excuses for what they were. She had been afraid. Afraid of being rejected, afraid of Talia recoiling from her mother’s “perversions” in disgust, afraid of losing the one person who meant more to her than life itself. Melodramatic perhaps but no less real for all of that. Still, even if she had wanted to, at this point keeping things secret was simply no longer an option. It hasn’t exactly been spur of the moment, she’d been contemplating asking Elise to move in for some time now, to make their relationship “official” for lack of a better word, but when she had envisioned the moment she had always planned to clear the air with her daughter first. And yet last night she had been too caught up in the moment, too addled with the fading endorphin rush of tight bondage and good sex, too deeply touched by her mistress’s little gesture at dinner, and simply blurted it out. Not that she regretted it of course, the younger woman’s enthusiastic repose alone ensured that, but it also meant that there was no more time to spare. She just hoped that Talia would understand.
Taking a breath, and realizing that she was still stalling, Claire finished plating breakfast and resolutely marched back across the kitchen, pausing only to drop the skillet in the sink before snatching up her cell phone from where it lay charging on the counter. It was too early to call, but even so the redhead resolutely unlocked the screen with a swipe of her thumb and quickly typed out a text message. Nothing complicated, just a simple request to meet up as soon as they could, that there were some things they needed to talk about. Nothing bad, but important nonetheless. Heart hammering in her chest, and palms honestly sweaty with nerves, the older woman tapped send before she could think better of it and clutched the device to her chest, the faint vibration that followed a successful transmission sending a potent mixture of relief and trepidation shooting through her veins. The die had been well and truly cast now, there was no turning back.
“Well now, if I’d known this was a ‘clothing is optional’ table I wouldn’t have gotten dressed up.”
The unexpected but sweetly familiar sound of her mistress’s voice startled Claire out of her introspection and very nearly made her drop her phone as she practically jumped out of her skin. Blushing in embarrassment this time, especially at the softly amused look that the younger woman was giving her, the redhead carefully set the device down on the table and tried to salvage as much dignity as she could, “Mistress! I didn’t hear you come in.”
“Clearly not.” Elise returned, those pierced lips of hers quirked into a grin as she padded across the room with almost frighteningly casual grace to retrieve a mug from one of the cabinets and pour herself a cup of coffee. Leaning the edge of her hip up against the counter top, the pale brunette spent what felt like a long moment just standing there silently, breathing in the rich aroma of the bitter nectar she was holding before taking a sip and letting out a quiet sigh as she savored the experience, “Oh pet, you have no idea how much I needed that.”
The tension in the air very much broken now, even if her mistress probably didn’t realize the source, Claire found herself smiling as well as she crossed to the woman’s side to pour a cup for herself, though unlike the brunette she took the time to add sugar and cream rather than drinking it as black as the night sky. Still, as she worked she spared a moment to study the younger woman more carefully. Elise’s hair hung long and loose and parted on the right as it often did while her makeup was a bit more subdued than usual, modest eye shadow complimenting the eyeliner with the lightest dusting of blush to highlight pale cheeks and contrast with much more vividly red lips. She was also dressed fairly casually with a black skirt decorated with slender silver chains hanging to mid thigh while a snug, sleeveless vest of similarly dark material hugged her torso to show off the lacy red bra underneath and draw the eye to a generous amount of cleavage. Beyond that a familiar studded belt circled her waist, cocked low to hand down off of her right hip, while matching bracelets adorning her wrists and a tight choker emphasized her elegantly slender throat. Compared to the sometimes outlandish, if always sexy, outfits she liked to wear when the dominatrix stepped to the fore it was a simple enough ensemble, but like everything else she wore it managed to suit her perfectly. Besides it was in moments like this, when she was just Elise, that Claire had always believed her lover was at her most beautiful.
Eventually though the redhead took a sip of her own coffee and offered the younger woman a smile, “I’m glad you like it, mistress. It was getting a bit late so I decided to make something light for breakfast.”
Although there was a glint in her eyes as her gaze very obviously shifted to roam over her plaything’s breasts, especially when the older woman noticed and arched her back just enough to thrust her chest out, Elise’s smile was still genuine and her voice warm as she replied, “Sounds wonderful.”
“Thank you very much, mistress.” Claire returned, before biting her lip almost shyly to suppress a smile of her own, “Will you join me?”
Taking the redhead’s free hand in her own and raising it to her lips, Elise’s smile was positively radiant, “It would be my pleasure.”
Blushing fiercely once again, Claire allowed herself to be pulled away from the counter and led back to the table, her grin returning as she watched her mistress actually pull out a chair for her and help her sit down before circling around to take a seat of her own. It was as touching as it was silly and as she set her coffee down and watched the younger woman dig into her eggs with obvious relish the redhead felt a pleasant and familiar warmth coil about her heart. And yet, as time wore on and the comfortable silence from earlier returned, the older woman found that she could do little more than pick at her own food, a touch of the same anxiety that had dogged her earlier returning. Unable to help herself, Claire found her eyes drawn to her phone again and again, the butterflies in her stomach positively swarming now as the seconds ticked by into minutes. Of course there was no guarantee that Talia had even seen her message yet, much less had time to answer it, but despite that knowledge the almost dreadful anticipation of waiting gnawed at her. Thankfully before those worries could latch too deeply into her soul her mistress rode to her rescue yet again and for the second time in what felt like as many minutes the redhead was startled out of her introspective rut.
Gasping involuntarily when something silky soft brushed against the top of her foot, Claire glanced up from her plate to see Elise looking at her, concern obvious in those dark eyes of hers, “Is something wrong?”
The honest care in the other woman’s voice brought an honest smile to Claire’s face and loosened the knot of worry in her chest, but even so she could not help but hesitate ever so slightly, unsure of how to even begin explaining what she was feeling, “Not wrong exactly, mistress. It’s just… I’m just worried.”
Twisting her foot to twine their toes together and squeezing softly in an odd parody of holding hands, Elise reached across the table to gently grip her lover’s fingers, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, but I’ll always listen.”
Touched by the gesture, and feeling the corners of her lips twitch ever so slightly, Claire shifted to take her mistress’s hands properly. Before she could speak however her phone let out a sharp, electronic buzz and the redhead felt her heart leap into her throat. Everything else forgotten in that moment she scooped the device up and unlocked the screen with shaking fingers. It was somehow both a relief and yet not to find that Talia had indeed replied, a feeling that was not at all helped as she read through the text. Her daughter’s response was brief and to the point, if underlined by a tangible confusion at this sudden contact on a Saturday morning, but even so she had accepted the invitation nonetheless and proposed they meet up at a little cafe not far from her campus. It was a venue that Claire knew well and, biting her lip, she shot back an agreement before her nerves could get the better of her. No sooner had she finished the older woman looked up to see her mistress still watching her, that same concern reflected in her eyes, and yet she had said nothing. While it was certainly comforting to know that the brunette wouldn’t pry, as she had promised, at the same time she knew that she owed her girlfriend an explanation. And so the older woman set the phone back down and took a deep breath to try and steady her racing thoughts, though in the end she could only think of one thing to say, “I’m sorry, mistress.”
Snatching up the redhead’s hands properly this time, and sparing a moment to gently caress slender knuckles with the pads of her thumbs, Elise just shook her head ever so slightly, “It’s okay.”
“Mistress, I…” Claire began before stopping herself and drawing another breath as she looked her lover in the eye and decided to cut straight to the heart of it, “Elise, you’ve made me happier than I ever thought possible. I meant every word I said last night. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but there’s something that I have to do first.”
Nodding solemnly at the use of her name, the weight of her companion’s words filling the air between them, Elise tightened her grip, “What do you need to do?”
“It’s Talia.” Claire admitted, the words flowing out of her now like a confession, “She and I need to have a long talk about… about everything.”
Understanding dawned in the pale brunette’s gaze, the tip of her tongue unconsciously flicking at her lip ring before she nodded and tilted her head just enough to motion toward the older woman’s phone, “That was her.”
It was not a question, but Claire still found herself nodding back, “She says she’s free for lunch.”
Elise mulled that over for a moment or two before squeezing fingers and toes both this time, a familiar half smile curling her lips and making her piercings flash with an equally familiar glint, “Then we don’t have any time to waste.”
It was such an unexpected response that it took a moment for Claire to wrap her mind around it, but when she did the redhead could not help but gape at the younger woman, “You want to go with me?”
“You’re so nervous your hands are still shaking.” Elise pointed out, not unkindly, “What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t support you in your time of need? Just like you comforted me when I was breaking down, not so long ago.”
Eyes watery, Claire swallowed past the lump in her throat, her voice little more than a strained whisper, “Thank you, mistress.”
“None of that, pet.” Elise chided gently, playfully, “Now, finish your breakfast and go get dressed, I’ll wash the dishes.” A tiny smirk suddenly blossomed on the pale brunette’s lips, “Unless you plan to go out naked, which I definitely approve of.”
The tension very much broken, and a faint blush coloring her cheekbones as a very… vivid mental image of herself walking hand in hand with her mistress while naked as the day she was born flashed in her mind’s eye, only to be replaced a moment later by an even more intense vision of herself bound and gagged and led on a leash, Claire bit her lip and looked down, “Yes, mistress.”
Giving her plaything’s hands one last squeeze before pulling away, Elise paused to take another sip of coffee before adding, “Though I suppose I have been cleaning up after you a lot lately. Remind me to punish you for that later.”
Her blush only intensifying, and not at all displeased by that prospect, Claire bit her lip to suppress a grin before nodding, “Yes, mistress.”
At that point the rest of the meal passed in a blur and Claire was honestly surprised a few moments later when she looked down to find her plate empty. Although a bit embarrassed by her seemingly ravenous appetite all of a sudden, and pointedly ignoring her mistress’s knowing smile, the redhead gathered up her dishes and rose from the table with as much grace as she could muster. A feat made all the more impressive, or at least more enticing, by her complete nudity. Carrying her burden to the sink and setting it down carefully, the older woman was caught off guard when a pair of slender arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, but allowed herself a brief smile as she instinctively leaned back against Elise’s body, the feeling of smooth yet still softy calloused hands trailing across the delicate skin of her stomach sending a familiar thrill up her spine. Twisting within the younger woman’s grasp, Claire dipped her head down to accept a kiss, grinning just a bit when she felt her mistress’s hands trail down the small of her back to give her ass a familiar, playful squeeze. Still, the pale brunette said nothing and just returned her lover’s smile before giving her backside an equally playful swat, a silent command to get moving. Nodding her understanding, the redhead gently, if somewhat reluctantly, broke free of the young dominatrix’s embrace before turning on heel and making the familiar trek back up the stairs and toward her room. Although even then she did make sure to inject a familiar strut into her gait and roll her hips just enough to shake her derriere in a similarly inviting gesture.
Truth be told, as she stepped into the upstairs hallways and walked back into the master bedroom, Claire could admit that a trace of her earlier nervousness still remained. The knowledge that she would not face the coming challenges alone was certainly comforting, but even then as she stepped up to her dresser to begin assembling an outfit the familiar feeling of butterflies swirling in her stomach reasserted itself. For so long it felt as if she’d needed to be the strong one, the anchor, the shoulder to cry on and while she hardly resented that fact and was indeed proud of the way she had proven equal to those challenges it was nice to be able to let go for once. To be the weak one, to be cared for, to fall and know that someone would be there to catch her. Perhaps that explained her interest in bondage now that she thought about it. Not just a desire to push herself, not just a need to be punished and controlled, but an unspoken craving for the serenity that came from giving herself over to another, of unshouldering her burdens for just a little while and letting the ropes have them. A silly idea perhaps, and indeed the older woman could not help but smile ruefully at her own introspection, but it felt true nonetheless. Shaking her head again, to clear it this time, the redhead turned her attention back to the open dresser in front of her and began to pick through the bundles of neatly folded cloth inside. For a moment she considered wearing something simple, but in the end decided against it. Perhaps it was frivolous of her but, as she ran her fingers against the piles of smooth silk laid out before her, Claire could not help but be gripped by a desire to dress up. And so, after a few heartbeats of consideration, the curvy redhead slipped into her favorite lingerie, the lacy black set that had always made her feel sexy and had always seemed to awaken something in Elise’s gaze, before wandering over to the closet to peruse the selection on display. Without hesitation the older woman pulled out a long, but comfortable dress that left her arms bare but didn’t show off too much cleavage while having a hemline that fell just below the knee and a well tailored waistline that clung to her hips and revealed to the practiced eye that she was wearing a thong beneath that.
Stepping into the garment and pulling it over her shoulders before zipping up the back and selecting a pair of sandals to go with it, Claire spared a moment to smooth the black and white patterned cloth into place before glancing at her reflection in the mirror and twisted around to get a better look at herself. It was a simple enough look, but the dress outlined her curvy figure perfectly and as it swirled about her legs the redhead could not help smiling in satisfaction. Still she did not want to waste time and so, eventually, the older woman tore her gaze away from the mirror and crossed the room again to sit down at her vanity and finish up. Her hair was pretty much how she liked it, a wave of fiery red curls that fell over her shoulders like an auburn waterfall, and though she briefly contemplated braiding it or pulling it into a ponytail for convenience in the end she decided against it. Instead she went straight for her makeup, deftly wielding a soft brush in one hand and leaning closer to the mirror in order to dust her lightly tanned and freckled skin with a faint layer of foundation enhanced with just a touch of blush along her cheekbones before finishing off the look by highlighting her eyes with soft lines of shadow. Not too much of course, she generally preferred subtlety when it came to these things, but still just enough to make her distinctively blue-gray eyes pop. Lip gloss followed and by the time she finished Claire found herself smiling at her reflection again. And yet, as she inspected her visage more closely she could not deny that there was still one thing missing. Setting the various makeup brushes aside the redhead felt her gaze drawn to the edge of the table where the familiar form of her collar sat perched upon the well polished wood, exactly where it had been left when Elise had stripped her down the night before.
For half a heartbeat Claire pondered not putting it on, of greeting her daughter not as her mistress’s slave but simply as herself, but as soon as she considered it her heart seemed to recoil from the notion. It felt wrong to deny the connection she and Elise shared even if most would not even be able to tell the difference, and besides wasn’t that the point? To be honest and open about who she was and who she loved before taking the next step in her life with her girlfriend at her side? Resolved now, the older woman carefully drew her hair back out of the way and buckled the slender strip of tooled red leather around her neck, adjusting the pleasantly soft material until it fit snugly against her skin and the small brass ring set into the front sat perfectly aligned with the hollow of her throat. Tracing the edges of the device with the tip of her finger, as if to confirm for herself that it was actually real, Claire felt herself smile again. She had never worn a collar before meeting Elise, at least not outside of the bedroom, but what had once simply been a toy to enhance the games they played together had grown into so much more. A symbol of her submission yes, but also an unspoken promise to her mistress, a vow that at times seemed to bind them together as thoroughly as any marriage. And indeed there were days when the older woman felt as if the collar at her throat held much the same weight as the ring she had once worn on her left hand. So much so that she honestly felt incomplete without it.
Looping a finger through the ring sitting at her throat and tugging gently, the symbolism of the gesture not lost on her as the collar’s presence seemed to give her strength, Claire’s eyes returned to the mirror and she spent what felt like an eternity studying her reflection, gaze roaming over her face and hair as if seeking out even the tiniest of imperfections. Some trace of the nervousness she had felt earlier still drifted through her veins, and the butterflies in her stomach had certainly not gone away, but despite all of that she felt an odd sort of calm wash over her as well. Part of her still dreaded what was about to come, a thousand and one scenarios racing through her mind as she pondered how she could even begin to explain things to her daughter, but a fierce determination shone in her eyes nonetheless. She would get through this, they would get through this, she just had to remember to take things one step at a time.
Resolved, the older woman took a few deep breaths to steady herself and eventually nodded at her reflection before grabbing her purse and pushing away from the vanity with both hands. Rising to her full height in one smooth motion, the redhead strode back out into the hallway and down the stairs with a confidence that she still did not completely feel. By luck, or more likely by design, by the time she had descended the stairs again Claire found her mistress waiting for her, the young woman having donned a pair of black leather ankle boots, the wide but sharply arched heels bringing the two of them to nearly the same height, while a familiar black hoodie lay draped over her shoulders and a pair of sunglasses sat perched on top of her head.
Unable to help herself, especially given how warm she knew it was outside, the redhead lifted a curious brow at her mistress’s choice of accessories but Elise just shrugged, grinning a bit as she slid the glasses down into place and pulled the hood up over her head, stormy gray eyes disappearing behind darkened glass, “You know sunlight is my natural enemy. Now, where are we going?”
Lips twitching ever so slightly in amusement, and immensely grateful for her girlfriend’s ability to break the tension so easily, Claire finished her descent and crossed the living room to join the younger woman, “There’s a little cafe across from University Park called the Daily Grind. Talia and I went there once after I helped her move into the dorms last year.”
Elise pretended to scoff, “The Daily Grind? How dreadfully cliché.”
Of course Claire didn’t exactly disagree, but even so she just shrugged in turn, “Maybe, mistress, but I remember the cappuccinos being very good.”
“If I want warm milk, I’ll drink warm milk.” Elise replied, very much giving the impression that she was rolling her eyes behind her glasses, though her voice retained the teasingly playful tone that told the older woman she was joking while the slightest of smiles tugged at the corners of her lips, “Still I suppose we should probably get moving. It’s a long drive across town, especially in Saturday traffic.”
“Of course, mistress.” Claire agreed before, seized by a sudden whim, she grabbed the brunette’s hand and intertwined their fingers together, “If you would allow me to escort you?”
Grinning at that rather old fashioned gesture, Elise squeezed gently, “It would be my pleasure, pet. After all, you would make a most lovely escort.”
Unable to keep herself from blushing ever so slightly at the not so subtle innuendo woven into those words, her mind instantly flashing to the other offers her mistress had made the night before, Claire lifted the younger woman’s hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles gently, her voice little more than a whisper but still thick with promise, “Maybe someday.”
With those equally charged words hanging in the air between them, Claire tightened her grip and carefully led her mistress across the room and out the front door. As soon as she set foot on the porch, the first thing the older woman noticed was just how beautiful the day was. The sun was shining brightly while a breeze cut through the heat of the day like a gentle caress, the clear sky overhead unmarred save for a handful of puffy white clouds against that endlessly azure expanse. At any other time it would have been the perfect weather for a bit of window shopping, or better yet an afternoon spent lounging by the pool or at the beach, but as she took her first steps down the walk and toward the driveway, the sleek black form of her car sitting there waiting for them, the older woman felt a trace of apprehension mixed with just a touch of excitement swirl in her chest.
Partly it was the subtle and almost exhibitionist thrill that came from being out in the open like this with her girlfriend for what felt like the first time and partly it was the lingering fear of Talia’s reaction when she learned the truth, but in the end Claire allowed none of that to show on her face. Instead she calmly walked Elise to the car and, seized by a sudden whim, gave the younger woman a soft but unmistakably intimate kiss before helping her into the passenger’s seat, unmistakably but almost embarrassingly aroused by the thought that anyone watching could have seen them. Closing the door and circling around to the driver’s side, the redhead spared a moment to fish her keys out of her purse before slipping behind the wheel and buckling herself in. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her mistress watching her with a certain detached curiosity, though the tiny smile tugging at her lips gave lie to that impression. Part of her very much wanted to say something, but in the end Claire just shook her head ever so slightly, not certain what she even could say before biting the corner of her lip and starting the engine.
Contrary to her mistress’s concerns the traffic wasn’t actually that heavy, though truth be told it usually wasn’t unless you were heading to one of the city’s major shopping districts or happened to be traveling in the evening when the real crowds came out to play. However, even then it was still a rather long drive and as they slowly wound their was out of the suburbs and toward the city’s built-up core, cookie cutter houses slowly giving way to the grander remnants of a more elegant age before finally yielding to an ever increasing supply of apartment complexes, office buildings, storefronts and strip malls while the true giants of downtown loomed ever larger in the distance. Visible symbols of the distance traveled, but also an honestly fascinating cross section of the city itself on display as it shifted and changed block by block, the crowds thickening slowly but surely. She had seen it all before of course and part of Claire knew that she was just distracting herself but even so as the minutes stretched on, the comfortable silence surrounding her broken only by the soft sound of the radio playing, Elise having turned it on at some point before contenting herself with watching the scenery go by, the older woman was grateful for that distraction.
It had to come to an end eventually though and soon enough she found herself pulling off the main drag and onto a side road that ran parallel to a vast expanse of greenery dotted with trees and other carefully cultivated patches of shrubbery one one side and a row of specialized shops, boutiques and shops catering to the nearby university’s student population on the other. Unconsciously drawing a breath, as if seeking to steady herself one last time, Claire felt her body tense and her grip in the gear shift tighten only to find the tension fleeing her body almost instantly when a familiar hand laid itself upon her own with a gentle and comforting touch. Glancing to her right to see Elise looking at her with an almost tender gaze and a soothing smile, the redhead felt herself relax, a smile gracing her own features before she nodded in thanks at the unasked question she could see reflected there on the pale brunette’s face.
Turning her attention back to the road, and adjusting her grip on the steering wheel, Claire spied a parking place up ahead and carefully pulled out of the main flow of traffic to claim the space for herself. Throwing the car into park once it had fully rolled to a stop, the redhead let out a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding and turned off the engine, more out of habit than conscious action, before spending what felt like an eternity gathering her thoughts. The nervous energy that had been roiling beneath the surface was still there, and she could feel her heart racing even as she struggled to keep her breathing calm, but the warm comfort of her mistress’s hand still gripping her own was remarkably calming and as if sensing the turmoil coiled about her lover’s heart Elise squeezed ever so slightly, a silent reminder that she was still there. Glancing to her side Claire caught sight of the younger woman’s still smiling face and found herself returning that smile almost shyly. As if in response the brunette reached out with her free hand to gently cup her companion’s face and rub the pad of her thumb along the curve of a delicate cheekbone, a familiar gesture that had never failed to make the older woman purr in delight. And indeed the redhead seemed to calm almost instantly as she leaned into that touch like an overly large cat.
“You can do this, Claire.” Elise practically whispered as she leaned in close, so close in fact that their lips almost brushed together.
Involuntarily shivering as she felt hot breath caress her skin, the warmth of the younger woman’s touch and the quiet confidence in her words enveloping her like a particularly comfortable blanket, Claire let out a shaky breath and managed a tiny nod, “Thank you, mistress.”
Lips twitching into an almost devilishly grin, Elise darted in for a quick kiss and allowed her voice to take on a much more playfully seductive tone, “You can thank me later, with lips or with fingers. I’m not picky.”
Biting her lip as a blush colored her cheeks, Claire still flashed a rather impish grin of her own as she met her mistress’s gaze and let her voice drop into a low and husky whisper of her own, “Anything you like, mistress. Anything.”
A tiny chuckle escaped Elise’s throat, but rather than answer she just pulled away and twisted around to quickly unbuckle her seat belt before climbing out of the car without further comment, almost slamming the door behind her. Taken a bit by surprise by that sudden turn of events, Claire scrambled to follow, rushing to unfasten her own seat belt and practically racing out the door to find that her mistress was already walking down the street rather nonchalantly.
Thankfully the younger woman was not moving very quickly, she probably couldn’t in those heels of her truth be told, and the redhead was able to catch up quickly enough. Falling into pace at the pale girl’s side, and seized by a sudden whim, Claire wrapped an arm around her lover’s waist and unconsciously leaned in to rest her head on a slender shoulder. Although she did not react visibly, Elise responded in kind and the older woman felt a tiny and rather contented smile curl her lips when a hand caressed her side before settling on the curve of her hip. For better or for worse, foot traffic was light this morning and the pair had little trouble weaving their way through the crowds as they walked down the sidewalk together. A few glanced in their direction, one or two even stared, though the redhead liked to think that was more an effect of how mismatched they looked when standing side by side rather than anything else.
Whatever the case though most seemed content to ignore yet another couple out for a walk and Claire found herself oddly comforted by that fact. Maybe she had never spoken of it, and had certainly never let it stop her, but in the back of her mind she had always harbored doubts about what she was doing and who she was doing it with. While it was true that the observers did not know the whole story, did not know the history that bound her and Elise together both figuratively and literally at times, the fact that so many people seemed completely nonplussed to see her wrapped up in an obviously intimate embrace with a much younger woman was almost invigorating. Or at the very least a great relief. However, just as her thoughts began to wander Claire saw the looming form of their destination begin to come into view, a simple but nonetheless eye catching sign looming overhead announcing the presence of the Daily Grind to passers by.
In truth the cafe was not that big, a squat but oblong shape made of glass and faux wood panel set back away from the street, its modest interior spaces augmented by a cluster of outdoor tables shielded from the elements by an overhead canopy of tightly stretched canvas. The place was busy, though not yet packed, with more and more people arriving by the minute but as she instinctively scanned the crowd none of that even registered. Rather the redhead felt herself freeze in place, her feet practically rooted to the concrete as she spied an achingly familiar figure sitting alone and nursing a cup of coffee.
Talia may have had her mother’s height, but in looks she was very much her father’s daughter with a lean and athletic build and skin somewhere between a rich Mediterranean olive and a creamy mocha. Her hair, a deep mahogany so dark that it almost looked black in this light, was swept back in a series of loose dreadlocks pinned at the sides to flow over her shoulders with a pair of strands left free to frame her face and highlight eyes so blue that they looked like pale chips of ice peering out from beneath dark brows. She was dressed simply enough in a pair of yoga pants that clung to her still noticeable feminine frame and a midriff baring tank top beneath a loose fitting jacket, almost as if she had come straight from the gym, but what truly stood out were the numerous piercings adorning her body. Like many other girls her age Talia had begun to express an interest in body modification in high school, but beyond a few rings in the shells of her ears and a navel stud she had not dabbled overly much. That had changed in the last year however and now modest sized gauges stretched the girl’s earlobes, joined by a small collection of studs and bars, while each of her eyebrows was transfixed by a slender and slightly curved barbell and her lower lip was studded with a pair of blunted spikes in a remarkably similar style to Elise’s own piercings, minus the addition of a lip ring to go with them.
It was a minor thing perhaps, but seeing that collection of shiny chrome that stood in stark contrast to the young woman’s deeply tanned skin and yet somehow perfectly highlighted the slender curves of her face drove home for Claire just how much her daughter had grown up, and just how much she had changed. She could not say she had always understood the athletic girl’s choices, even if she had always tried to be supportive, but the older woman could not help but feel a touch of pride at just how confident Talia looked sitting there, and just how comfortable she appeared to be in her own skin. She also could not help but feel a touch of sorrow to realize just how much time had passed and that her little girl was very much not her little girl anymore.
Sensing the shift in mood, Elise disentangled herself from the older woman’s grasp and spared a moment to ponder the situation before nodding, “It looks like the guest of honor beat us to the punch, pet. Ah well, why don’t you go and introduce us while I get an espresso.”
The sudden command, even if it was not truly an order, shocked Claire out of her increasingly melancholic introspection, with a blush following a moment later as it registered exactly what her mistress had called her. They had always avoided such teasing in public, but it seemed that today the brunette had decided to throw caution to the wind. Or perhaps she was simply hoping to distract her lover from whatever it was that was bothering her. Whatever the case the redhead could not say that she didn’t appreciate the gesture and bowed her head in a vaguely submissive fashion as she responded in kind, “Yes, mistress.”
Elise smirked ever so slightly, but her eyes were still gently as she gave her lover’s hand a comforting squeeze and for the briefest moment the redhead was tempted to ask the younger woman to stay, but in the end she said nothing and simply watched as her mistress slipped away into the crowd in her seemingly endless quest for more caffeine. Instead she drew a deep breath and spared a brief moment to fix her dress again before squaring her shoulders and striding forward herself. She still wasn’t entirely certain what she was going to say, how she was going to even begin to explain all the things that had happened in the last year, but the time for hesitation was past and as she wove her way toward her destination the older woman decided then and there the direct approach was probably best.
And so, as she approached the table where her daughter was sitting, the girl apparently lost in her own thoughts and completely unaware of her mother’s advance, the redhead simply slid into view and offered what she hoped was a disarming smile, “Sorry I’m a little late. I hope you didn’t have to wait too long.”
“Mom!” Talia called out, clearly startled by the sudden motion and actually fumbling with the iced coffee she was holding as she jerked upright in her seat and very nearly spilled said drink on what looked like a very nice, and very white, shirt, “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
Although she knew it was a little mean, Claire felt her lips twitch ever so slightly but was thankfully able to keep herself from smiling as she pulled out a chair and slid into the seat. Still she could help but tease a little, “Sorry again, but you looked so deep in thought I didn’t want to interrupt.”
Frowning softly, Talia set her drink down and regarded the redhead with a flat, but ever so slightly curious look, “It’s fine I guess, but what was so important that you couldn’t tell me over the phone? This was awfully last minute and I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“Sorry.” Claire replied, instinctively, before shaking her head, “I seem to be apologizing a lot, don’t I? I really do appreciate your patience, but this just felt big enough that I owed it to you to talk face to face.” Pausing briefly to take a breath, well aware of the fact that she was rambling, the redhead resolved to simply pull the bandage off, “I’ve been seeing someone, and lately it’s gotten serious.”
Although she tried very hard to hide her reaction, from the way her eyes widened ever so slightly it was obvious that of all the things Talia had been expecting to hear, that was not one of them. Taking a quick sip of her coffee to try and cover for herself, and buy time, the pale-eyed girl eventually found her voice, though her tone remained tentative and almost unsure, “Oh, wow, I uh… I don’t know what to say. I mean, you never really dated before.”
“I guess I wasn’t ready.” Claire admitted, biting her own lip as she struggled to find the words and offering the best answer she could.
“What changed?” Talia almost whispered, as if afraid she might shatter the moment if she spoke too loudly, and yet honestly curiosity was reflected in those pale eyes of hers nonetheless.
Claire mulled that over for a moment. There really was no one answer to that particular question and at times even she grappled with all of the things that had led her to this moment, each little step adding up into something far greater than the sum of its parts. Still, if she had to put a name to it the older woman supposed there really was only one answer, “The house was starting to get a bit lonely, that opened me to the possibility I think, but the truth? Sometimes you just meet the right person.”
“I think I understand.” Talia replied, nodding slowly as she mulled that answer over and took another sip of coffee before meeting her mother’s eyes over the rim of the cup, “So what’s this lucky guy’s name?”
At that Claire felt her face heat up with a fierce blush, voice little more than a whisper as she unconsciously averted her gaze, “Her name, actually.”
It was Talia’s turn to blush at that revelation, though even then the girl’s face reflected curiosity rather than surprise. She had already known that her mother’s preferences were rather broad for lack of a better term, it was one of the many things they had talked about when the pale-eyed girl had come out of the closet herself, but it was still unexpected to hear. However, as she watched the dusky girl mull over that answer Elise chose that moment to reappear. Her hood pulled down and hoodie unzipped just enough to reveal a pale throat and a hint of the cleavage her vest left exposed, the slender young woman walked up as if she were out for a casual stroll and flashed Talia a familiar smile, almost as if the previous two years of absence had not even happened, “Long time no see old friend, you’re looking good. College life agrees with you I see and I love the piercings. Very fierce.”
Very much on the back foot now, completely caught off guard, Talia blinked a few times and practically stared at the other girl as if she was seeing things, “Elise? What are you doing here?”
“Offering moral support.” the pale brunette quipped as she slid into a chair with sinuous grace, pausing only to take a sip from the almost comically small cup she was holding before smirking, “And the promise of good coffee, of course.”
In that moment, part of Claire wanted to strangle her mistress for plowing through the conversation like a bulldozer, but most of her was happy that the younger woman had finally joined them. It might not make things any less awkward but having her lover here was comforting and it wasn’t like it was a surprise really. Although she could be subtle, even devious when necessary, Elise usually preferred the direct approach. However, as she regarded her old friend with a curious eye, Talia’s expressions seemed to darken, eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she took in the way the tension seemed to flee her mother’s shoulders and how the pale brunette sitting next to her seemed to unconsciously lean in.
“It’s you.” the pale-eyed girl almost whispered, voice harsh as the pieces began to click into place, “You’re the new girlfriend.”
Wincing just a bit at the anger, subtle though it was, she could practically feel smoldering in her daughter’s tone, Claire tried to disarm the situation as best she could, “Sweetheart, I know it’s a bit of a shock…”
“Just a bit, yeah!” Talia interrupted, her voice a low but almost dangerous growl, loud enough to cut through the noise but thankfully still soft enough not to be overheard, “I get a call out of the blue saying you want to ‘talk’ but you’re all cagey and I’m twisting myself into knots thinking you’re sick or something only to find out you’re fucking a girl my age! Yeah I’m shocked, what the hell mom?!”
A clump of ice seemed to settle in her chest and for a moment Claire felt herself actually tremble but a hand instinctively grabbing her own in a gentle grip seemed to steady her and the older woman took a breath, “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner, really I am, but I was afraid…”
“What, that I wouldn’t approve?” Talia shot back, almost slumping in her seat as if some of the fire in her gut had gone out, a look closer to anguish suddenly coloring her features as she speared Elise with that icy gaze of hers, “And you. Was it all a lie? Was this the only reason you were my friend? Is that why we haven’t spoken since you graduated?”
Squeezing her lover’s hand ever so slightly, Elise calmly met Talia’s gaze, a gentleness in her voice as she faced the other girl’s anger with the same calming tone she so often used when carrying for her subs after a particularly intense session, “I was your friend, I am your friend, because I liked spending time with you. I’m sorry that we grew apart, I really am, but there was no plan. This? This took everyone by surprise.”
For better or for worse Talia seemed to deflate ever so slightly, some emotion that Claire could not yet name lingering in the girl’s eyes as she leaned back and took a long drink of coffee before letting out a sigh, “How? I mean, just how?”
It was a fair question and in truth Claire wasn’t certain she knew how to answer, at least not simply. Still she knew her daughter deserved something and so tried her best to put those strange, confusing and yet oh so exciting first days into words, “I suppose you could say we happened to cross paths at work.”
Elise actually chuckled at that and offered her companion an almost teasing smile, “It’s hard to say which one of us was more shocked by the encounter.”
Talia regarded the pair curiously, frowning softly as she tried and puzzle out how they could have possibly met at work before her eyes went wide and she jerked upright in her chair, “Are you kidding me? You two met in a sex club!?”
“It’s not…” Claire almost stuttered, cheeks blossoming bright red only to find herself cut off when Elise cocked her head ever so slightly and lifted an inquisitive brow, “How do you know where I work?”
It was difficult to tell given her tanned complexion, but Talia’s own cheeks seemed to heat up at that question. And yet even as she struggled to put her thoughts into words, the girl’s voice was still thick with emotion simmering beneath the surface, “I… that’s not, I mean…”
Her own mortification overtaken by concern, Claire leaned over the table and instinctively reached out with her free hand, “Talia? Are you al…”
Something seemed to snap and Talia shot up out of her chair without enough force to throw it to the ground and slammed her fist down on the table with a resounding thud, pale eyes blazing and voice heavy with anger and grief and something else the redhead could not even begin to name as she practically roared, “It should have been me, damn it!”
There were moments in which silence could be deafening. Moments in which even the wind seemed to hold its breath as if afraid to make even the slightest sound. This was one such moment and as Claire gaped at her daughter, the echo of that outburst washing over her like a wave, it felt like every eye was on them, like the entire world had paused to see how this would play out. The feeling lasted no more than an instant however as Talia instinctively slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide as if she could not believe what she had just said, before practically bolting from the table like a frightened rabbit.
Almost instantly the redhead was on her feet as well, Elise’s voice ringing in her ears as her mistress called out, but caught in the grip of her own panic Claire paid the younger woman’s words no mind as she gave chase, or at least tried to. Talia’s long legs, honed by years spent running up and down soccer fields, ate up the distance at a prodigious rate and try though she might the older woman could not keep pace with that youthful energy, especially when hampered by the sandals strapped to her feet.
Still, determination counted for a lot and Claire was incredibly determined as she practically chased her daughter across the street and into the park, mind whirling as asphalt gave way to greenery. It was only now, looking back, that she could connect the dots, realizing all too late that beneath the shock and anger and hurt in Talia’s voice had been jealousy. She honestly did not know what to do with that knowledge. They had spoken about relationships before but usually in the abstract, the theoretical, to the point where she had almost been convinced that her daughter was either very shy or at the very least uninterested in romance. It was one of the reasons she had been so proud to see the girl’s growing confidence in herself, but she had never dared to imagine it was something like this. To find that Talia was not uninterested, but rather pining for someone she had thought lost, only to discover that the object of her desires was literally in bed with her mother…
Claire had thought she’d envisioned all the ways this conversation could have gone, from the hopelessly optimistic to the disastrously terrible, but never in a million years had she considered this particular twist. Guilt gnawed at her, especially as she had no idea how to even begin fixing this. In fact it was a question that the redhead was still grappling with when her daughter finally stopped running and collapsed onto a little wooden bench overlooking one of several small ponds before hugging her knees to her chest and staring out at the water with an almost forlorn expression. Leaning against a nearby tree just out of sight, the redhead spared a moment to catch her breath even as it felt like a hand was constricting her chest painfully. She still had no idea what she was going to do, what she was going to say or if she should say anything at all, but while a part of her was deathly afraid that she would only make things even worse the rest of her knew that she could not simply leave things be. And so, worrying her lip, and finally getting her breathing back under control, the older woman resolved to step forward when a hand suddenly gripped her arm and restrained her movement, if gently.
Jumping a bit in surprise, having not noticed anyone approaching, the redhead turned to find Elise standing at her side, the brunette’s hood still down and her sunglasses nowhere to be seen. A serious but not unkind expression painted on the younger woman’s features, she shook her head ever so slightly, “Let me.”
In truth it felt like cowardice, but some part of Claire was honestly relieved by that offer and glancing back at her daughter, that phantom hand clenching her heart yet again, she could do little more than nod, “Okay.”
Elise offered a tiny smile, and gave her companion’s arm an equally tiny squeeze, before slowly making her way across the clearing. She took no pains to hide her approach but Talia did not react, not even when the brunette sat down next to her. For a long moment the pair just stayed like that, side by side in a silence that was not quite uncomfortable before the slender girl finally spoke, “I’m sorry.”
That prompted Talia to look up from where she had buried her face in her knees, pale eyes bloodshot from crying while the remnants of tears ran down her cheeks. And yet she did not speak, either unsure of what to say or content to let her old friend finish her thoughts first.
Whatever it was Elise accepted the invitation, continuing on undaunted, “I’m sorry I never noticed your feelings. I’m sorry I made things awkward and I’m sorry that I hurt you. Most of all I’m sorry that I left you behind. I didn’t mean to, but it felt more and more like we were living in different worlds as time went on and I…”
Talia let out a quiet, mirthless laugh before leaning back against the bench, her body practically uncoiling as she did so, “I think I had a crush on you before I even knew what that meant. You were so different. You didn’t care that I was such a tomboy, you didn’t gossip or play with dolls and best of all you never minded when I wanted to climb to the top of the jungle gym or splash in mud puddles.”
The ghost of a smile tugged at Elise's lips, “Good times.”
“Simple times.” Talia countered before letting out a sigh, “You’re right though, we were moving in different worlds. Some part of me thought things would go back to the way they used to be when I finally joined you in high school, but by that point you were already an upperclassman with studs in your belt and a face full of metal.” an almost wistful expression overtook the pale-eyed girl’s features then, her voice strained as a heartbroken smile graced her lips, “You were so beautiful.”
The sheer sadness in her tone made Claire’s heart clench and she very much wanted to rush forward, her mistress’s request be damned, but the pale brunette reacted faster, reaching out to draw the younger girl into an embrace. What was left of Talia’s composure seemed to shatter in that moment as she instinctively clung to her friend’s body and buried her face on a slender shoulder all while Elise stroked her back gently and repeated her apology, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Talia half whispered, half sobbed, as she tightened her already impressive grip, “You were always friendly when we spoke, but I never could bring myself to say all the things I wanted. And then one day you were gone and all I had left was regret.”
Elise was silent for a long moment as she mulled that information, that confession, over in her mind even as she continued to offer what comfort she could, “And then I barged back into your life without a care.”
“I found you on social media,” Talia added as if she were whispering some great and terrible secret, “I wasn’t looking, it was one of those ‘people you might know in the area’ recommendations, but I was enough of a masochist to accept.”
Elise just barely managed to turn a snort of amusement into a polite cough, “Find anything interesting?”
Dusky cheeks darkening with a blush, Talia bit her lip and looked away, “Well, uh, when I saw those pictures you posted of yourself in a dominatrix getup? I um, I definitely learned some things about myself.”
Even the normally unflappable Elise blushed ever so slightly at that revelation, but at the same time her stormy gray eyes lit up with an almost amused understanding, “That’s how you knew about Velvet Chains!”
Much calmer now that she’d had a chance to vent, and a chance to get some things off her chest, Talia disentangled herself from the other girl’s embrace and, still blushing, leaned back against the bench again, running a hand through her hair before nodding just a bit, “It’s so stupid, but I had fantasies about it you know? About going there, about finding you, imagining how you’d react. Some nights I’d even tie myself up thinking about all the things you’d do to me.”
Elise was kind enough not to point out that the girl’s fantasy was basically how she had Claire had actually met, some things were best kept private after all, though from where she stood the redhead herself blushed fiercely as the similarities very much occurred to her. Instead the slender brunette reached out to gently take her friend’s hand, “That wouldn’t have been an unpleasant surprise I don’t think.”
“Maybe.” Talia allowed, dejection creeping into her voice as she cast her gaze back out over the water, “Too late now, I guess.”
“Not necessarily.” Elise countered.
Head whipping around so fast that her hair went flying about her shoulders like a curtain of braids, Talia stared at the brunette with a mixture of open curiosity and honest disbelief, “What do you mean?”
Taking both of the girl’s hands in her own and turning to face her fully, Elise spoke in soft but clear tones, “I won’t lie to you, I love your mother, but I’m a little selfish too and I’d like to think my heart is big enough for the both of you.”
A moment of absolute, stunned silence followed as Talia’s pale eyes widened almost comically, “I…”
“It will be hard,” Elise continued while almost looking past the other girl, “and awkward and it might blow up in all our faces, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. It’ll take work, but anything worth having does.”
It was only then, as she found herself listening along in equally stunned silence, that Claire realized there was a second conversation buried beneath the first. A question, unspoken but no less real directed right at her just like her mistress’s gaze was. At first the redhead wanted to recoil, rejecting the very notion on instinct, but as the initial shock of Elise’s words passed she found herself pausing to consider, really consider, the proposal hanging in the air between them. Strangely enough the idea of sharing her mistress did not bother her once she actually thought about it.
Maybe it was because she knew that the younger woman had other clients in her role as a dominatrix, even if she was not intimate with any of them as a rule, or maybe it was simply an effect of the odd nature of their relationship in general, but whatever the case that was not the issue. No, what gave her pause was the idea of sharing her girlfriend with Talia of all people. And yet… and yet she could not ignore how utterly, impossibly hopeful her daughter looked in that moment, as if something she had wanted for so long but had never dared to dream might be hers had just been offered.
In truth Claire’s heart went out to the girl, more than understanding the regrets she carried and what it meant to finally be able to let them go. It was then that she realized that none of it mattered, that the decision had already been made even if she had only realized it now. The truth was that at the end of the day she would do anything for her daughter and so the older woman nodded once to Elise’s unasked question, offering her blessing for whatever it was worth before striding forward to take the two people who meant the world to her into her arms. Most people wouldn’t understand, probably wouldn’t even try, but as she held her girls close, the three of them sinking into a group embrace that somehow felt like home, she found that she did not care one bit what anyone thought. It wasn’t like any of her relationships had been exactly normal to begin with anyway.
Perhaps this would blow up in all of their faces, but strangely enough the redhead did not think so. It would be a struggle, but her mistress had been right. Anything worth having in this life took work and if nothing else could ever be said of her, Claire Devroux was not afraid of hard work.