I reached down to feel for my bag as the car came to a stop near the glass entrance of the hotel. The driver turned toward me. "I'll let you out here. It's not too crowded, so you shouldn't have any problem getting a room."
The lights from the hotel lobby were bright in the surrounding darkness, but they didn't quite light up the interior of the car enough for me to clearly see his face. I was tempted to tell him to go ahead and park, so we'd have to walk in to the lighted area together, but one foolish move per day was my limit. I'd already accepted a ride from him. I wasn't going to push my luck.
I slid out of the car and bent to look back inside. "Thanks for the ride."
"No problem. I was happy to help. Have a good night."
I wished him the same, said goodbye, then shut the door and headed into the hotel.
The driver was correct about there being plenty of room available, and it wasn't long before I was making my way to the elevator. I hadn't seen anyone else come in to the hotel, so I figured that I'd be able to get to my room and get settled in no time. I turned the corner and stopped short. My driver and another man were standing at the elevator landing and seemed to be engaged in quiet conversation. Neither man had noticed me, so I took a minute to weigh my options. Should I hang back and let them go first? I'd most likely have the next car to myself, which would eliminate the possibility of one of those awkward moments that always seem to occur in elevators. It would also keep me from getting to my room within the next few minutes. Perhaps it would be better to just join them and share the ride.
I took another look at the two men. The plump stranger looked like a typical tourist in his over-sized t-shirt, camouflage shorts and sandals complete with camera and sunburn. He looked tired and rumpled and not at all threatening. The driver was a different matter.
The odd thought popped into my head that I should stop thinking of him as "The Driver". I knew his name. He'd introduced himself as Gabriel, but using his name, even just to myself, seemed a little too intimate. It's hard to get to know someone during a ten minute car ride, so he was essentially still a stranger to me.
He was a good-looking stranger, though. He wasn't really tall, maybe a little less than six foot, but he looked neat and stylish in his khaki pants, blue button-down shirt and loafers. A leather messenger bag slung across his chest completed the look. He had a full head of dark hair with what could either be a smattering of gray or the shine from the overhead lights. He was sporting a slight five o'clock shadow, but it enhanced, rather than detracted from, his appearance. The only thing that I couldn't figure out from this distance was the color of his eyes - eyes that were currently fixed on me and full of curiosity. I wondered just how long I'd been staring. I could feel my face heat, so I quickly lowered my head and pretended to look for something in my bag to help cover my blunder.
"Are you going up, or are you on your way out?" the tourist asked.
I looked back up and felt my cheeks flame even more. I hadn't even noticed that the elevator had arrived. Both men were now inside the car and waiting for me.
"Sorry. I'm going up," I said, and hurried inside.
My embarrassment kept me looking straight ahead during the short ride. We came to a stop and I hastened to exit only to feel a light touch against my right elbow. That and the very loud voice of the tourist made me jump.
"Well, this is where I say goodbye. It was great meeting you, Gabe!"
He didn't seem like a "Gabe" to me. There was potency about him that only "Gabriel" seemed to fit.
"It was nice to meet you, too, Glenn."
Just like that, Glenn the tourist was gone. My nerves seemed to go into overdrive.
"I'm sorry I startled you when I touched your elbow, but I thought you were getting ready to exit on the wrong floor."
I gave a short laugh. "Fortunately for me, you thought correctly. I didn't even check to see which floor it was. I guess tonight is your night to rescue me. Thanks...again. "
We both laughed as the elevator stopped. This time I made sure it was the third floor, then tossed out a "See you later" as I exited. I heard footsteps and turned slightly to see Gabriel walking behind me. I didn't expect to see him walking my way. I just assumed that he was on another floor. I was almost to my room, but some previously unused caution made me unsure of whether I wanted him to know exactly which one it was, so I slowed. He must have picked up my nervous vibe because he went ahead of me without stopping, and then turned to walk backwards.
"I'm headed farther down," he said with a gesture. "Maybe I'll see you around."
"Maybe, but my car should be ready tomorrow, so I doubt I'll be around for long. Thanks again for that ride."
"You're more than welcome. Goodnight." With those final words, he turned and continued to walk down the hallway. I'm not even sure he heard me echo the goodbye.
I walked over to my door and slid the key card into the lock. The light flashed red, so I tried it once more. All the while, I was mentally kicking myself for being an idiot. He seemed like a very nice man, and I acted like he was a stalker. I should have at least offered to buy him a drink or a cup of coffee as a thank you for his help.
The light on the lock finally flashed green. I turned the handle to open the door, when suddenly, a body pushed into me from behind. Arms banded around me and pinned mine to my side as our momentum propelled us through the door and into the hotel room. My bag was quickly pulled from my shoulder and dropped to the floor. I was picked up and pushed face down on the bed as the door to the hotel room clicked shut.
My hands were held behind my back, and a hand clamped over my mouth before I could even try to scream or struggle. I could hear soft pants and feel moist breath on my ear.
"Be still. I'm not going to hurt you. I'll remove my hand from your mouth, but you have to stay quiet."
My mind was numb. I couldn't process that this was actually happening to me. I needed to clear my head and figure out what to do.
I came back into the moment, and realized that he was asking me something. I muttered a muffled, "What did you say?" through his fingers, then gave a startled yelp when he nipped my ear with his teeth.
"Pay attention, Clare. I won't repeat myself a second time. I'm not going to hurt you. Nod if you understand what I'm telling you." I nodded. "Good. I will explain all this in a minute, but I need to do something first. I'm going to remove my hand from your mouth, and I expect you to stay quiet." The hand loosened.
"This is crazy! Let me...mmmphhh!" My words were cut off mid-sentence as the hand tightened back against my mouth and part of my nose.
"I can see we're going to have to do this the hard way," he sighed. The hand was quickly removed, and he began to dig around in his messenger bag.
Air! I took a couple of deep breaths, and then opened my mouth to resume my protest, but I was too late. The second I opened my mouth to speak, a ball gag was pushed into my mouth and secured at the back of my head. The ball was then inflated enough to engage my mouth, but not enough to obstruct my breathing. My startled surprise at this development was so strong that I didn't even realize my hands were free until he was buckling a pair of soft cuffs around my wrists. My window of opportunity to escape had passed. It stunned me to realize that deep down; a dark, secret part of me wasn't upset with what was happening.
Once he had me quiet and immobile, I was lifted and turned so that I sat on the side of the bed. He pulled the desk chair around so that he could sit in front of me. He just sat and looked at me.
Blue. His eyes were a dark, sexy, blue.
"Now that I have your undivided attention," he paused and quirked an eyebrow, then continued once I gave a nod of agreement. "I'll explain to you what's happening. My arrival a moment after your car broke down wasn't a coincidence. This entire endeavor got its start three weeks ago when you and your friend visited a certain club. You know exactly which man and what club I mean, don't you?" I gave another nod. "Even though you didn't participate that night, your friend noticed your interest. That's where the idea started, and how I got involved. I'm here to teach you obedience and to mold your submissiveness. Before we go any farther, though," he leaned forward and grasped my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look directly into his eyes. "This is your choice. You can say no if you don't want this, and I will release you, pack my things and leave. You can go on as you were, but you will no longer be allowed to visit the club. That retreat is only available to those who are seriously interested in the BDSM lifestyle. If however, you agree to continue, then you will belong to me and will obey me. We will start tonight, and you will continue to submit to me whenever we're together; even if you're at the club. Do you understand everything I've told you?" I tried to say "yes" around the gag, but gave up and just nodded.
He reached up and removed the gag. "I want you to be able to fully speak your answer so that there aren't any misunderstandings later. What is your answer, yes or no?"
I looked away as I wiggled my jaw to ease the stiffness. My lips and mouth were dry, but it was only partially caused by the gag. Nerves took care of the rest. Could I do this? Would I really be able to give up my control, not just in private, but also in front of the patrons of the club? Maybe it'd be easier to say no, and forget about the whole matter. My friend didn't misinterpret my interest during our visit to the club. I felt the pull to submit the entire time we were there. The need to obey was inside me, and that frightened me. It also excited me. I wanted to experience what the subs at the club had experienced. I had felt a little tug inside with every ass that was paddled, every dildo that was inserted and every cock that was sucked. Either decision that I made at this point would be scary, and would change my life.
I ran my tongue over my lips, looked up into Gabriel's eyes, and sealed my fate. "My answer is yes. "