Page 17 of Slave

Going slow was a given, but where to start? I wasn’t sure if telling her she was free to come and go as she pleased was a good idea at this point. If she left, where would she go? There was no guarantee she wouldn’t end up back in the hands of Ian or someone just like him.

These thoughts plagued me as I considered and tossed away several options including just collaring her already to at least give her familiarity, and deal with specifics later. That didn’t sit well with me though. She needed to know she had a choice and that I wouldn’t harm her.

It was a long while before I finally fell asleep, still undecided as to what I was going to do.

Tuesday morning I noticed Brianna watching me more than she had been. It was still covert. She never openly stared or looked directly at me. Her glances were always concealed under heavy lashes.

I did try to talk with her once on Wednesday over dinner, but that didn’t end well. All it seemed to do was increase her anxiety, so I ended the questioning entirely.

By Thursday, I still didn’t have any answers.

After my frustrating attempt at conversation with her, I decided that maybe it was time to stop avoiding my best friend. He’d called twice this week, and each time I’d refused to answer my phone. Logan and I had been through a lot together, but I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about me buying someone. Lily was obviously okay with it now that she’d met Brianna, and although that helped my case with Logan, it didn’t mean he’d be so accepting.

Logan waited for me to fully explain before he began questioning me. He wanted to know everything about her. I could tell he was concerned. The potential backlash from something like this could destroy me.

We were on the phone for nearly two hours before he finally let me go. I knew he still wasn’t happy with the situation, but he would support me as he always had. Logan had been by my side for some of my stupidest mistakes. He wouldn’t back out now, even if this turned out to be my biggest one yet.

Thursday night I contemplated some of the things Logan had told me about Ian, things I hadn’t known. He liked to share. He was also a voyeur. It put Brianna’s reaction to Richard’s exam in a whole new light. My desire to care for her was increasing. Falling asleep that night, I knew that I needed to figure out what I was going to do with her, and fast.

As my mind drifted into the first threads of consciousness, I was lost in a wonderful dream. Warm lips enveloped me. From between my legs, wide blue eyes looked up at me, full of passion instead of fear; her brown hair cascaded around her shoulders as she licked and teased. Every muscle in my body was screaming for the thing that would satisfy. The pull toward my release was impossible to resist with so great a temptation. Reaching down to finish the job my dream had started, my hand was met instead with silky hair.

It took me a moment to register what was going on, but it was a moment too late. As my eyes flew open, my body released with a force unknown to me directly into her mouth.

As I started to regain my senses, I felt her tongue still licking my now very sensitive flesh. This had to stop! Why was she doing this?

Maybe if I hadn’t still been in a sex-induced haze I’d have handled the situation better. At the moment, however, all I could think was to get her out of here as quickly as possible before I did something I’d regret. She wasn’t ready for us to have sex, and that was exactly what was going to happen if she stayed.

I spoke before I could stop myself. “Leave my room.” Her mouth released me but she was still on my bed and that just couldn’t be. “Now!” I ordered.

Never before had I seen a person move so fast. She was out the door in less than five seconds.

Bringing my hands up to rub across my face, I sat up to look down at my naked self still at half-mast and groaned. This changed things. We needed to talk. Today.

Reaching for the phone beside my bed I dialed Jamie, letting her know I would not be in today before heading to the bathroom for a very cold shower.

Brianna

Huddled in the corner of my room I couldn’t stop the mantra playing in my head. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

I thought it would make him happy. Why hadn’t it made him happy? It didn’t matter. Look what I’d done!

What would he do? He was obviously upset with me. How would he punish me?

No, that didn’t matter either. I’d messed up. Brought this on myself. Whatever it was I’d deal with it, try not to cry no matter how painful.

But what if he wanted me to cry? Ian hated crying. He’d always add ten lashes if I cried during my punishments. Stephan wasn’t like Ian though. What would he want? Why did this have to be so confusing?

I felt the tears streaking down my cheeks and tried to wipe them quickly away when I heard the door opening. He didn’t come in, just stood there looking at me. “Get dressed and come to the living room, please.”

And then he was gone. I was more confused than ever. He wanted me to get dressed and come to the living room?

Then I got it. He was getting rid of me!

Traitor tears fell down my face as I did as he told me and got dressed. There was no way out of this. I knew that. Racking my brain, I tried to find some way to convince him to keep me.

As I pulled my shirt over my head to complete my outfit, I was determined to beg if I had to. It was much better here than at Ian’s, and I wanted to stay. I wanted to be here with him, my new Master. I would do anything. This was what I wanted. He was what I wanted, the one I wanted to serve.

Walking out of the room, I kept my head down. He was sitting on the couch facing away from me. Using the opportunity and learning from my previous mistake, I knelt down before him, head bowed. I waited for him to say something, anything, but he didn’t. Finally I spoke. “I’m sorry, Master. Please punish me as you see fit.”

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