Authors: Avery Gale
Sally stepped right in front of Rissa, and putting her hands on the smaller woman’s shoulders, spoke clearly enough for everyone in the room to hear. “You go out there and you show everybody exactly how much strength it takes to submit. You show them that you are a kick-ass chick, you hear me? Your fear is your only enemy in that room, and don’t you forget it. And when this is done, we’re gonna have ourselves a margarita movie night and hack up Hagatha with word hatchets all night long!” Sally gave Rissa a blinding grin and then pulled her in to a crushing hug before stepping back and leaving the room.
Rissa looked up at the four men in the room and took a deep breath and waited for their instruction. All four men were speechless for a few minutes, bowled over by Sally’s words and Rissa’s bravery in the face of her obvious fear. Bryant finally recovered and held out his hand to Rissa, and she immediately moved to him. “Love, we are waiting for Master Trace to finish talking with Mistress Rachel. We aren’t expecting him to be long, but he has asked that we not start without him, as he told you last evening, he wanted to make sure he was in the room to provide you with moral support.”
Mitch waited for a sign that Rissa was tracking the conversation and not slipping off in to fear, and when she nodded and said, “I understand, thank you for explaining, Sir,” he nearly burst with pride at her response.
“Now, perhaps while we’re waiting you might have something to say to Masters Alex and Zach?” He knew she had felt terrible for letting down the men who had given her a job and a chance when she had first returned to Climax. She’d been drowning in her recovery, sitting all day and night alone in her little studio apartment above a bar downtown and had almost given up finding a job when they’d stepped up and offered her a job and provided her with a custom-built spa right inside The Club itself. Bryant watched her eyes go bright with unshed tears, and her nod was all the answer he needed.
Stepping forward, Rissa kept her eyes downcast but spoke clearly. “I want to apologize to you both.” And nodding to each of them, “Master Alex and Master Zach, you have both been so kind and generous to me, and my horrible display of disrespect for not only you both but each and every one of The Club’s Dungeon Monitors shames me more than I can begin to tell you. I’ve earned this punishment, and I’ll try to accept it with quiet grace and dignity so you will know the depth of my desire to begin building your trust and faith in me again.” She let out a shuddering breath and small wonder, hell there wasn’t a one of the men in the room that had taken a breath the entire time she had been speaking. Alex and Zach were stunned speechless at the sincerity and humble spirit of her apology.
Alex stepped forward and took her hand in his and tilted her chin up so she met his gaze. “You are amazing. I am sure neither of us has ever had to punish someone when we wanted it any less than we do at this moment. While the rules demand a public punishment, they do not specify what that punishment must be.”
Zach stepped forward and took her other hand and continued. “Our sweet wife and our not-as-sweet sister”—they both laughed— “pored over the rules and assured us that while it says we both must be present, we do not have to mete out the punishment.” Zach looked up and saw it was starting to dawn on Mitch and Bryant exactly what they were saying. “We had decided how this was handled was dependent on how you handled your private apology to us. And, sweetie, that was the most honest and sincere apology I’ve ever heard, and you make us proud to be your friends and bosses.”
They both stepped back and pulled her by the hands over to her two Masters and placed her hands in theirs. Alex looked at them and grinned from ear to ear. “You are welcome to use any punishment you see fit, but I personally have found delayed gratification to be quite effective with Katarina.”
Zach’s laugh echoed around the room before he added, “Oh yeah, that seems to wire her up like an eight-day clock. As soon as Trace gets here—” And before he could finish, Trace knocked and then walked into the room smiling like the cat that had swallowed the canary. “Well, speak of the devil…”
“The devil, am I? Well, I’ll have you know there is a woman storming out to her car at this very moment that would be in full agreement with that assessment.” He looked like he was about ready to burst for wanting to share what had happened, but he was also relishing the moment. “Oh and before I forget, here is her membership card.” He dropped a handful of torn pieces of paper on to the desk. “Seems she isn’t planning to use it any longer, but here it is just the same.”
Rissa’s eyes had gotten wider with each thing Trace had said, but when she saw the shredded card she looked up at Trace, and big tears filled her eyes.
I have the best friends in the whole world. God above, I don’t know what I did to deserve these people in my life, but I’m going to thank you each and every day from here on out, I swear it.
Mitch smiled down at his sweet sub and said, “I think Master Trace has earned a hug. He has gone to bat for you today, baby, and he came out swinging like the loyal friend he is.”
Rissa’s quick nod was followed by her short sprint toward Trace, and when she launched herself the last few feet, he easily caught her in a tight hug. She spoke in between her soft sobs. “You are the best, Master Trace. I am blessed to have you as a friend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Trace laughed and ran his hands over her now very much exposed bare ass and said, “Oh I’m really enjoying this, thank you, and the feel of your bare bottom, little one.” Rissa gasped and started trying to pull the super short dress down over her ass even as her face was lit up by a deep crimson blush.
God, how had she forgotten the crazy thing Mitch and Bryant had left for her to wear was little more than wide strips of very short fabric sewn to a ribbon band that was held just barely over her nipples by thin ribbons over her shoulders. When she’d first seen it she was sure it had at one time been a very short sundress that someone had cut in to strips, but Sally has assured her it was made like this for a good reason…total access.
Mitch had known exactly what would happen when she went to hug Trace and had thought this would break the ice a bit and help get things moving in the right direction. Alex and Zach’s news and suggestion for a punishment had changed what everyone had been dreading like death into something they would all be able to remember fondly and laugh about over drinks for many years to come.
Bryant stepped forward and grabbed her elbow. “Come along, love. I believe we have a punishment to deliver and an audience waiting for us in the Main Lounge.” Rissa took a deep breath and was suddenly filled with anticipation instead of dread. Oh they were still going to punish her, and she was sure they were going to push her to her last thread of control, but now she was looking forward to showing everyone just how devoted she was to both of her Masters and how much she trusted them to give her just exactly what she needed. She was ready to take that first step out over the edge, knowing in her heart they would be right there to catch her.
Chapter Sixteen
Rissa stretched and rolled over, feeling the smooth texture of silk sheet caressing her naked body. In her half-awake state she was dreaming of water softly flowing over her and the sun warming up the water around her as she lay back basking in the afterglow of amazing sex. Just thinking the word “sex” brought her more fully awake as the memories of last night’s “punishment” came more in to her mind’s focus. How could anything that was supposed to be painful feel so amazingly good? That was a mystery she planned to bask in and wonder about…later. Yes, she’d think about that later, right now all she cared about was stretching her tight muscles and enjoying the slide show of pictures from last night that was playing through her mind.
Mitch and Bryant had tied her to the St. Andrew’s cross that had been set up on the small stage at the center of the Main Lounge at The ShadowDance Club. They’d used a butterfly over her clit to wind her up to the point that she’d begged for release within five minutes. The soft leather strips of the pussy flogger had brought the blood to the surface so that her labia had literally throbbed with each beat of her heart. Her Masters had worked together to bring her to the edge of orgasm so many times she’d lost count. The other Dungeon Masters had watched with rapt attention until they’d know her Masters were finally going to bring her to completion and they’d quietly slipped out and given them privacy while she screamed her Masters’ names as they fucked her together for the first time. They had promised her it was going to give her an orgasm like none other, and they had been right. Rissa had been afraid she was going to shatter in a million pieces and evaporate in to a mist from the heat of their fucking. It had been beyond anything she had ever imagined could even exist.
Coming back to the present, she rolled over to gaze out the window looking down into what was known as the gardens that lay between ShadowDance and the mansion. She marveled at the Winter Wonderland that was spread out before her. Sunshine made the snow sparkle as if a million diamonds had been scattered atop the trees and shrubs. Jenna’s wedding was planned for just a few weeks from now, and construction crews were hard at work fulfilling every wish and command of the Lamont family matriarch, Catherine Lamont.
Rissa admired everything about Alex, Zach, and Jenna’s mother—she was gorgeous, brilliant, kind, and could orchestrate workers like a five-star general. Smiling to herself she thought how she had watched in awe as Catherine had single-handedly made sure the bridge and gazebo that graced it had been completed in time for her sons’ wedding to Katarina McKay. Everyone had sworn it couldn’t be done, but she and Bryant had designed it, and no one was willing to tell Catherine Lamont that her plan was impossible to complete. Rissa loved that she not only always looked like she’d stepped out of a fashion magazine, owing to her career as a model before her marriage, but also that she was no stranger to hard work and practiced her motto of “Don’t ask anyone to do work you are not willing to do also” by showing up at the bridge site on several occasions in boots and jeans and did whatever the job the foreman asked of her. She’d had every man on that crew eating out of the palm of her hand in less than an hour.
Rissa watched as Catherine made her way down the snow-covered pathway to what was affectionately known as “The Garage.” The staff had gone together and purchased a large neon sign with those words in bright blue because the lead mechanic was a fan of all things 1960s. The entire garage crew had spent most of Christmas afternoon installing their gift in a workshop that was every bit as sophisticated as the shop of any big city car dealership. The female staff loved the benefits of having on-site mechanical help that kept their cars in tip-top shape as a “benefit” of their employment with the Lamonts. Rissa had no doubt Catherine was planning to make a trip into town undeterred by the dangers of driving on the slick mountain switchbacks. Chuckling as she saw Catherine’s husband Daniel sauntering along behind his wife, she laughed out loud when she saw Daniel stop his love with a word. Watching from above, Rissa could see their discussion playing out below and knew that while Daniel didn’t exert his dominance over his sweet wife very often, it was always just below the surface. When it didn’t appear she was being convinced, he’d leaned over, placed his shoulder in her midsection and simply picked her up and was making his way toward The Club’s back entrance. Rissa could see Catherine’s laughing face, her eyes fairly dancing with joy as they disappeared in to The Club. Only then did Rissa become aware of Bryant standing alongside the bed watching her intently.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? They have been married for almost forty years, and they still love to play. I’m not sure I have ever known a love story quite like theirs. Someday, ask Alex or Zach to share it with you, their story really quite remarkable.” He’d sat down on the bed and was gently drawing his fingers through her tangled curls. He let the silence stretch out, seemingly lost in the moment. Rissa loved these moments of quiet connection, she craved the intimacy as much as any other aspect of her relationship with Mitch and Bryant. The feeling of belonging to them and the ShadowDance family was humbling and a blessing she’d never expected to find. “What are you thinking, love? You look sad all the sudden.” Bryant’s voice was pitched with concern as he watched the emotions flit across her beautiful face.
“No, I’m not sad really. I just understand how lucky they are to have each other, you know? I have always envied that in couples I’d see together, no matter their ages. Sex is amazing…I mean you and Mitch have shown me just how incredible it can be.” She ducked her head with a shy smile when his eyes flashed with barely leashed passion. “But it’s the intimacy that is even more important to me, that feeling of belonging. When you grow up being moved around by a mother who just kind of floated between jobs and men before being left with your grandmother in the middle of the night, you understand the value of that level of commitment. And it humbles and awes me to watch it.”
Bryant was stunned by her words and for just a moment couldn’t even speak around the lump that had formed in his throat. “Oh, love, you are so perfect. Your heart is open and huge, and your body responds to Mitch and me in ways that are so far above anything we’d ever even hoped to find, it is still almost more than we can believe, and your soul is pure light. Mitch and I will spend the rest of our lives trying to give you exactly what you just watched out that window.”