Page 62 of Reclaimed

The more my trust in Ray was rebuilt, the more he seemed able to trust me too. That first walk he’d taken me on had felt like such a huge step I hadn’t dared to ask when we’d get to go again, but I didn’t have to wait long.

“You remember the rules?”

“Yes, Master.”

The woods around the house were so deserted they almost felt like they were our own, just an extension of the house, but about half an hour into our walk, I noticed a figure moving towards us further along the path – a woman walking her dog. It was the first time I’d seen another person, apart from Mark, since the night I’d been taken, and I found that it made me feel uncomfortable. What if they recognised me? Ray spotted them too and squeezed my hand in warning. The tension between us was palpable. We both knew that, in that moment, I could end this whole thing just by crying out to this woman. It would only take one phone call from her, and the police would be at Ray’s house, probably within minutes.

The dog started to bark loudly, making me jump, and came bounding over to us.

“Oh, sorry!” The woman called, laughing. “She’s very friendly! Rosie, come here!” The dog ignored her and started jumping up at Ray, wagging its tail enthusiastically. He let go of my hand and knelt down to fuss the dog, calm as anything, as if he wasn’t a criminal taking his captive out on a rare walk. The woman caught up to us and smiled apologetically.

“Sorry about that. Rosie!”

“It’s fine; she’s lovely.” Ray was all smiles, and I remembered why everyone who met him liked him so much. His charm was powerful. He stood back up and wrapped an arm around my waist. “Looks like it’s going to be a glorious day.”

“Yes, doesn’t it? You enjoy the rest of your walk.”

I was very conscious that my silence so far might seem unusual, so I smiled and managed a quick ‘bye’ before allowing Ray’s arm to guide me away. Once she was out of sight, Ray deviated slightly from the path and started meandering off into the trees, dragging me along with him. I didn’t dare speak. My heart was still thundering.

Suddenly he was pushing me roughly against the trunk of a large tree and I couldn’t help but cry out.

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” Ray pressed his body against mine.

“I know.”

“Then why—”

“Because I’m proud of you, and I think you deserve a reward.” Then his lips were on mine and his hands stroking my hips. I broke the kiss in shock.

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t you want to?” he whispered huskily, reaching his hand down to lift the hem of my skirt.

“What if someone sees?”

“They won’t.”

He grazed his hand over the lace of my underwear and my decision was made. No way could we stop now. The tension of encountering the dog-walker and the risk of someone else seeing us heightened every sensation. I resumed the kiss and guided his hand back between my legs. Ray’s fingers stroked expertly, making me writhe in pleasure, causing the rough bark of the tree to rub against the bare skin of my upper back, which only served to arouse me further. He alternated between circling my clit lightly with his fingertips and then thrusting two fingers inside me. The high I was riding meant that before long I was struggling to hold off my building climax.

“Master,” I whispered, breathless, “please can—”

“You cum when you’re ready, little one; this is your reward.”

The peak of my orgasm was more intense than any I’d had since I’d been back with Ray, and I couldn’t help but give a loud guttural moan. I thought Ray might be angry about me being loud, but instead, he looked satisfied, flushed with desire. I was still coming down from my high when he held his fingers up to my mouth. I licked them clean without hesitation – I loved the obedience, the degradation, the carnality of it.

“Such a good girl.”

I was surprised when he took my hand to lead me back to the path.

“Don’t you want—”

“Maybe next time. That was just for you.”

I couldn’t help but smile for the rest of the walk. I loved the naughtiness of it, and I could tell that Ray did too. Every now and then I’d grip his hand tighter and lean in close against his arm in silent thanks. It felt like peace between us might actually be possible.

*

In the weeks that followed, it started to feel like the last barriers between us were finally coming down. Or at least, everything that had been a barrier for me. Ray hadn’t mentioned my punishment again, but I knew he hadn’t let go of it either. We might have been managing to live in relative harmony, but I hadn’t committed wholly to being his, and every now and then, I got the sense that he wouldn’t be able to trust me fully until I did. It hurt, sometimes, when I was submitting to him, doing my utmost to show him how devoted I was, and he would give me a searching look, as if he were trying to assess whether or not I was faking it. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to give him that security, but I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt our newfound peace with something so tumultuous. Part of me didn’t want to believe that he would still be capable of really hurting me, punishing me again, when we’d worked so hard to rebuild our relationship after the caning incident. Maybe if I never mentioned it again, he’d eventually give up on the idea.

---