Emma's Journey Begins

Emma sighed as she watched the rain beat against her apartment window. Picking up her glass of wine, she took a sip as she looked out over the lights of the city spread out below. Even after ten years living here, she was still enthralled by the excitement of what lay below - although nights like these always left her saddened.

"I'm sorry the show was cancelled," she called through from her kitchen. "I know you were really looking forward to it."

"Don't be silly, it's not your fault!" Josh's voice rang through from the living room, in his warm, friendly tone. "Plus, this is even better."

Emma paced through and slumped down next to Josh on her couch. Pulling her favourite blanket back over the both of them, she raised an eyebrow and gave him a questioning look. "Being stuck here in my little apartment is better than seeing your favourite musical?"

Josh smiled. "Absolutely! It's been way too long since we saw each other. If we went to the show, we wouldn't be able to talk much. This is much better, it feels like old times."

Emma turned and leaned back against the couch, lifting her legs and placing them over Josh's lap. She smiled up at him again, and raised her glass to her lips once more. "Ahh, remember when we were at college? We'd sit all night just like this, watching those terrible shows until the sun came up."

"Like I said, good times! Plus, those shows weren't bad - we had to try and keep quiet from laughing so we didn't wake up your housemates, remember?"

"I don't know - it's so long ago now, I can hardly remember them," Emma admitted.

"Yeah yeah," Josh joked. "That's mostly because you spent your time texting your boyfriends!"

Emma playfully kicked her heel into Josh's leg, who mock winced in pain, before resting his hand back down on her. "I wasn't! I was just... sociable!"

Josh grinned. "Hmm... I don't think you realise how much I could see what you were saying when you were texting away. Those lucky guys - you certainly had a wild imagination." He raised an eyebrow as Emma pulled a pretend shocked expression.

"Hey! Well... yeah okay. But you were just as bad. Remember that time I caught you with those two girls from your course?"

"We were practicing for a play!" Josh protested, as Emma laughed out loud. Josh smiled widely, and picked up his bottle of beer. Emma sat and grinned up at her friend, as she noticed he had started absent-mindedly running his hand over her leg sitting across his lap. She let her mind wander - the two of them had always been fiercely close friends, but nothing had ever developed between them. Even so, Josh stroking her leg reminded her of him doing exactly the same thing all those years ago at college. She had learnt to think nothing of it, but it didn't detract from the fact it felt nice to feel so close to someone again.

"So, how is it going in that department?" Emma asked with a probing tone.

Josh sighed and thought for a moment. "It's... going... well, it's not going really. I thought Michelle from the finance team might have been interested in me, but it turns out she's married."

"Hmm, well, still, if she's interested?" Emma offered.

"No," Josh replied quickly, "absolutely not. I'm not up for screwing up someone else's marriage. So, yeah - right now, just getting on with life really. How about you, met anyone nice?"

Emma felt her heart sink at the question. She had been looking - there was no doubt about it - but she felt it was like an uphill struggle. "No, not really. If you don't count all the creepy dads at the school gates or parent's evenings."

"Ahh, what's creepy about that? Nothing wrong with them falling for the hot teacher?"

Emma blushed at the comment. She was by no means unattractive; her light brown hair fell over a slender, soft face, and framed her blue eyes perfectly. The rest of her was equally beautiful - her recent obsession with health foods and the local gym had left her slender and toned. She always unavoidably felt self-conscious though, whenever someone passed comment about her looks. "Well," she retorted, "some of them just take it too far. At parents evening last week, one of them dropped his pencil under the table to try and sneak a look up my skirt!"

Josh chuckled. "Maybe he really did just drop his pencil?"

"Four times?!"

The pair laughed at this comment, and sat quietly for a moment while they cradled their drinks. Before either of them could make another comment, Josh's phone broke the silence.

"Oh, crap - my battery. I've been in conference calls all day - it's nearly dead. Do you have a charger I can borrow?"

"Um - you're not on iPhone are you?" Emma asked. "Sorry, I've only got those ones."

"Ahh. Okay - um... hmm... do you have a Digital Camera, or printer or something? Sometimes those use the same cable as mine?"

Emma sighed and stretched as she sat up straight. As she did, she felt Josh reluctantly stop stroking her bare legs over his lap, as he too started to stand. "I don't know - maybe? I think I've got an old camera somewhere that uses that cable. If you can find it, you're welcome to it! I think it's in my junk drawer in the other room."

"Thank you, mind if I go look?"

"Of course - go for it, I'm going to go and top us up. Want another beer?"

"That would be great, thank you!" Josh called as he walked out the room, and through Emma's hall, into her bedroom.

Emma walked back into the kitchen, and poured herself another glass of wine. As she did, her mind hung on Josh's last question. Why couldn't she find someone for her? A vision of the books she had been reading flashed before her eyes - for months, she had been losing herself in crummy novels about helpless women being ravished by the stable-hand, or the mousy charity worker whisked away by a playboy billionaire. Yet no matter how hard she dreamed, or how aroused the stories left her, she couldn't help but feel she'd never find her match.

As she walked back into the living room, she stopped in front of her mirror to check herself over. She wore a beautiful, form-fitting dress - having prepared for the now cancelled musical - and admired how it showed off her body. The silver fabric wrapped straplessly around her chest, cradling her small but firm breasts, as the rest of the dress fell over her slender curves and pert, round ass - stopping just above her thighs. Turning slightly, she tugged at the fabric to let it cling smoothly over the one part of her body she was most comfortable and proud of - letting her hands run over her ass, she felt herself flush a little, before shaking off the feeling, and sitting gently back down on the couch.

It wasn't long before she heard Josh returning. "Did you find it?"

"No... but..." Josh replied, in a strange tone. Her heart skipped a little; having known him for this long, that tone of voice could only mean one thing - he was up to something.

Sitting forward, Emma replied inquiringly. "But what?"

Josh appeared in the doorway to the living room, with a cheeky smile wiped across his face. "But I think I looked in the wrong drawer. I couldn't find a charger, but... I did find these..."

As he spoke, he moved his hand from behind him, and held in his fingers a very heavy looking pair of handcuffs. Emma felt her face immediately flush red with blush, as she practically threw her wine glass on the side table, darting up from the sofa. "Oh you bastard!" she shouted playfully. "Put those away!"

"Well now, Miss Emma, I must say, I never pictured you to have something like this!", he retorted, holding the handcuffs up in the air as Emma reached him, grasping for them, but her lower height leaving them just out of reach.

"Hey! They were a joke present! I've never even used.... oh screw you! Haha, give them back!"

Josh wrapped his arm around Emma's waist, playfully wrestling with her as he inspected the handcuffs further. Jangling them in his hand, he continued. "Wow, these are serious hardware! Not even any padding or a release catch or anything... you dirty girl!"

Emma felt a mix of embarrassment, frustration, and... something else. What was it? Excitement? Arousal? Surely not - Josh was one of her oldest and closest friends. Even so, she felt herself flush slightly as the pair playfully wrestled for control - feeling Josh's hands firmly pin her away, feeling his arms wrap around her torso and arms, her leg sliding around his suit pants.

"Seriously, give them back! They were just a silly present, I've never... argh!"

"Oh come on? You've never even used them? No way - I bet they've seen some interesting sights - is this how you control all those unruly parents at school?" Josh laughed at his own joke. "Or... is it the other way round? They look like they fit you perfectly!"

Emma grimaced and fought harder - now fully grappling with her friend, as the pair found themselves making their way around the living room. Feeling herself bump into the couch behind them, Josh caught her off guard for a moment, and in a brief second of playfulness, in one swift movement he snapped one of the cuffs around Emma's wrist.

Emma gasped. "Oh my god... what! Oh screw you, you've asked for it now! Don't you DARE!"

Josh raised an eyebrow at Emma's protest - her voice was forceful, but still playful. Now laughing freely, the pair continued to struggle. "See, it fits you great! Now, where does this one go?"

Emma rolled her eyes and pushed at Josh's chest, but felt that strange feeling rising in her again. Now her mind was spinning - was she really getting turned on by this? She shook her head - no, they were just playing, like they always had. Twisting a little, she tried to dart around to grab the other handcuff, but in the struggle, noticed her dress had ridden up, dangerously close to exposing her underwear to her friend. Quickly moving her hand down, she tugged at the hem of the skirt of her dress - but in doing so, left herself open for Josh to act. She gasped as he tugged at her shoulder, spinning her around to face away from him, and in the quickest of motions, he managed to swing the other cuff and snap it around her free wrist, behind her back.

As the cuffs let out a firm click from the ratchet, the pair suddenly froze. The playful wrestling had completely stopped, and the room fell silent except for their heavy breathing. Emma pulled at her arms, feeling them completely secure behind her, as she rested the backs of her hands on top of her ass. Her heart pounded - she could feel it in her throat, as she realised her dress had ridden up again - now just barely covering over her ass cheeks and underwear.

After a brief pause which felt like an hour, Josh spoke to break the silence. "See, they fit you perfectly." Emma felt his hands still around her wrists; she was sure she could feel his fingers very tenuously stroking the skin of her hands and arms, like he did with her legs on the couch earlier.

Emma gulped. "Damn you," she teased. Waiting for a reply, she was surprised when none came. She felt the the room change - a tension had descended over the pair, and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. Trembling slightly, she closed her eyes and felt herself revel in the feeling of being restrained. She'd never experienced this before; the cold steel of the cuffs against her wrists felt firm and scary, yet somehow... comforting. Her whole body tingled, as her mind focused on Josh's fingertips now more overtly grazing over the soft skin of her arms, hidden behind her back.

Josh breathed deeply, as if he was about to say something, then seemed to hesitate. Emma listened intensely, hearing just her heartbeat pounding in her ears, and trying to make sense of the situation. This was her friend, she mused - surely this was just a game that got out of hand? Wasn't it? The more the moment lasted, the more the electricity between the two seemed to grow. It wasn't helped by Josh now conspicuously continuing to gently hold and stroke her arms, every now and then letting his fingertips probe around the cuffs on her wrist, and very occasionally graze against her lower back. Eventually, he broke the silence. "You okay?"

"Mmmm..." Emma let out a gentle moan, unsure what to say. She gulped deep, breathing hard, and felt a rush of emotion wash over her. She no longer felt nervous or confused - she just yearned to see what was coming next. More than that - she surprised herself to realise she was hoping this moment was going to become something more.

Josh spoke again, this time very softly, as if he were testing the water before jumping in. "You... you look good."

"Thank you. I... I mean..." Emma still struggled and stumbled over her words, feeling unable to cross the line by herself. Something kept stopping her - that even with the enormous tension and attraction between them in the moment, this was still someone she had been friends with for longer than she cared to remember.

Suddenly, she felt Josh take a slight step forward. She felt his shirt press against her from behind, pressing into her upper arms, as his hands moved forward and ever so gently moved to her hips. Emma turned her head slightly, and at that exact moment, she felt Josh lean forward and kiss her very lightly on the side of her neck. Her skin felt like an eruption of fireworks, and her body seemed to melt at that moment. This was it - the line had been crossed, the band-aid had been torn off. Feeling her react, though, Josh froze. "I... ah, sorry." He spoke sheepishly, as if he had made a mistake.

Emma's heart leaped into her throat; realising that this was the moment to push ahead, she turned her head more, pressing herself back into him, and whispered. "Don't say that. Don't stop."

Josh looked into her eyes for a beat, and then leant forward, gripping more firmly on her waist, as he locked lips with her. Closing her eyes, she felt her mouth open, as his tongue probed forward. Emma let out a deep sigh, and kissed him back passionately, letting her soft lips explore his, and feeling her body pressed against his own. Instinctively, she went to raise her hand, but remembered the cuffs right as they stopped her hands in their tracks. In doing so, she felt her fingers brush against the front of Josh's pants, who jumped a little, before letting out a tiny sigh.

"Hmmm..." Emma groaned back, as Josh pulled away from her kiss, returning his lips to her neck, more actively and forcefully this time. She leant her head to the side, and felt as his hands started sliding over her hips and side, running his fingers forward, over her toned stomach, exploring her body through the thin fabric of her dress. As he did this, Emma found herself leaning back into his body, feeling her arms press deeper against him, and her hands start to feel a noticeable bulge develop in the front of his pants. As she flexed her fingers, she felt the undeniable shape of his cock twitch back at her.

Josh let out a subtle chuckle, and took Emma's touch as a sign for him to continue. Moving his hands slowly upwards, Emma soon felt his fingers cupping underneath her breasts. Carefully and tenuously, he slid them further up and round, first cupping around the outside of her chest, before lightly stroking his fingertips around, closer and closer to the front of her breasts. Every so often, between each stroke, he would return his hands to wander across her stomach, down over her sides, exploring across her hips and even slightly back round to her back - but every time, he would return and explore more of her breasts each time. As he did this, Emma groaned and squirmed more and more - until on one of the next strokes, Emma pushed her hand back, and fully grabbed at Josh's cock through his pants. Josh let out a deep and gentle moan, as his hands too moved and fully cupped her breasts, squeezing firmly but slowly, as he returned to kissing her neck and shoulders.

Emma closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment for a while. She found herself intuitively grasping and slowly rubbing Josh's still growing cock through his pants; he felt average sized, with a good girth - beyond anything else, it still felt strange to be feeling the cock, even through clothes, of a man she had held as a close friend for so many years, until just moments ago. That feeling grew in her stomach, but started to become overwhelmed with a deep want - a lust for more.

As if he read her mind, Josh pulled back from her, and turned her around on the spot. Now stood in front of her, Josh moved in for another kiss, deep on her lips, his tongue entering and probing her mouth expertly, as she melted into his embrace. His hands continued to explore her breasts for a moment, until he let them fall to her sides, and pull her hips into him. She now felt his rock-hard cock press against her through their clothes, and she whimpered at the thought of what was to come. As he pulled her close, Josh let his hands slide backwards, around Emma, to cup her perfect ass. Emma jumped a little - her dress having ridden up, Josh's fingertips were just about able to touch the bare skin of her ass peeking out the bottom of her garment. Her mind flashed to her choice to wear a pretty, small black thong to avoid any panty lines showing through her dress - and now she was particularly pleased with the choice. Grinding her hips forward into him, she signalled with her body for him to continue exploring her. Taking his cue, Josh gently slid the material of her dress up, and cupped her bare ass cheeks with his hands, making her tremble with excitement.

Finishing their kiss, Emma looked Josh in the eyes and smiled. "Fuck. Are we really doing this?"

"It certainly looks like it, doesn't it."

"Mmm hmm...", Emma giggled, giddy with excitement. Wanting to stroke Josh's face, she went to raise her hands to her front, and pulled again against her restraints. "Maybe you could take these off now?"

Josh paused for a moment, then slid his hands over and up to wrap around the cuffs on her wrists. Leaning forward, he moved his face next to hers, and whispered quietly in her ear "I think I might leave them on you, for now."

Emma felt her heart skip - she'd never done this with anyone before, and somehow, the sensation was incredible. Josh's words combined with the heavy steel on her hands made a fire burn between her legs, and her nipples throbbed hard against the fabric of her clothes. Gulping hard, she replied in what she hoped didn't reveal her nervousness. "Oh you will, will you?"

Josh kissed her cheek, and returned his hands to her ass. "Well," he replied, "... it's not like you have much choice is it. Looks like I'm the one in control here."

Emma wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan with ecstacy, and somehow mixed the two, letting out a low giggle mixed with a moan. Diving in to the moment, she turned her head and whispered back in his ear "Yes, sir."

Josh chuckled, and then did something Emma wasn't expecting at all. Lifting one hand away, he swiftly landed a firm but gentle smack on one of her exposed ass cheeks. "Good girl", he growled, as Emma couldn't help but let out a slight squeal of joy and surprise.

"So, what are you going to do with me?" Emma asked, coquettishly.

Josh took half a step back, letting his hands rest on her hips, and tilted his head. "I think, first... I need to take care of this." He ran his hands up, and tugged slightly on the fabric of her top. Pacing around behind her, Josh paused behind Emma, and let his hands rest at her neckline, finding the tiny zip hidden in the seam of her dress. Leaning forward, he kissed the base of Emma's neck, as his hands very slowly started to unzip her.

Emma felt her face flush as she felt the fabric fall away from her skin. Josh undid her zip all the way to the middle of her back, kissing down her spine as he went. As the dress fell open, he let it slowly slide down over her body, and on to the floor. Emma blushed deeply as she was now stood in a strapless bra and thong in front of her friend; as much as they had already started to explore one another, it still felt strange to be so disrobed in front of someone she had known for all this time. She shivered with excitement as she felt Josh move his hands up to her bra, and with a slightly clumsy movement, unclasped it from behind her back, again letting it fall to the floor. His hands slid around her, around the outside of her still bound arms, and found their way to her breasts. He lingered there for quite some time, squeezing and exploring her breasts, and feeling her twinge and whine as he gently squeezed her hard nipples between his fingers.