Author's note:
Greetings, and welcome to the fourth chapter in a story about two adult women engaged in a consensual D/s relationship. I'd originally planned this to be the final chapter but as the word count crept upwards I realized there would be one more, so chapter 5 should be along in a week or so. I'd like to again express my sincere gratitude for the votes, comments and emails. I'm still new at this and your feedback is really helping me grow and learn. Thank you very much for reading!
*
Ashley woke at six in the morning. It was a habit - her body did it automatically. The consequences for being late with Chad's morning blowjob were severe, and her even her unconscious mind knew better than to sleep too late or too deeply.
But it wasn't HIS scent in the sheets, not HIS warm, naked body pressed against her backside, not HIS slender arms pulling her into a safe, loving hug from behind. It was all Mistress Kara. Chad was history, except for the painful memories he'd left in Ashley's mind and the ugly tattoos he'd had inked into her pale skin.
She allowed herself a contented sigh. Her Mistress had brought her to bed each of the past three nights, and sleeping with the other woman was comforting and secure. It was a new and blissful feeling to spend the night with someone you truly loved.
She wiggled out of her Mistress' embrace and slid out of bed, careful not to make any noise or jostle the sleeping woman too much. Her owner was kind and forgiving, but Ashley knew that was no excuse for slacking off and not giving her best service at all times. Just the opposite - having an awesome Mistress made it even more important to work hard. Diligence was one of the Five Principles, after all.
She crept to her room and buckled her collar around her neck first thing. She dressed in a blue pair of bikini briefs, then wrapped a sheer, blue scarf over her boobs, knotting it behind her back. She did a slow turn in front of the mirror, admiring how the colour contrasted with her bare skin. She loved dressing in the sexy house uniform her Mistress had chosen for her.
She took extra time to look at her bum in the mirror, and was disappointed to see that after three days, her paddle marks had almost faded away. Maybe tomorrow when they went back to the workshop, she'd be able to tempt her owner into giving her another session in the hanging stocks!
Being paddled by Mistress Kara had been painful at first and then changed into an incredible dreamy, drunken feeling. Really calm and fearless - almost giddy. She'd never gone that deep before - it had been beyond amazing and she couldn't wait to get back there again. Her owner was taking her to new levels of submission. It was more than Ashley had ever dreamed of.
Well, she couldn't spend all morning in front of the mirror! She hurried to the kitchen and got the coffee brewing, making sure the measurements were exactly the way her Mistress preferred them; she liked her coffee strong and black in the morning and lighter in the afternoon, with a little cream and sugar.
As it was brewing, Ashley made a quick pass through the kitchen, living room and bathroom to make sure everything was tidy. She wanted Mistress Kara's first waking moments to be satisfying, and what was more satisfying than a clean apartment?
It was six thirty when she heard her Mistress rustling the sheets as she got out of bed. Ashley hurried to her owner's bedroom.
"Good morning, Mistress. Did you sleep well?"
Mistress Kara stretched her arms over her head. She looked glorious when she was naked - curvy and sexy and soft. Ashley couldn't tear her eyes away.
"Like a baby. How about you?"
"Me too. Thank you for bringing me to your bed again last night...and for letting me lick your beautiful pussy."
Her Mistress pulled her into a tight, warm hug. Ashley returned it and breathed in deeply, savouring the smell of the other woman's hair and skin.
"Mmm. That talented tongue of yours is becoming an addiction, I'm afraid."
"I'm happy to give you a fix any time."
Mistress Kara patted her bum affectionately, then headed for the washroom. Ashley took the opportunity to smooth down the bed sheets and arrange the comforter neatly on top. She checked the laundry hamper on the way out of the bedroom. Only half-full, not enough to run a load.
She went to the kitchen and put two slices of multi-grain bread into the toaster, then poured her owner a cup of black coffee and handed it to her as she entered the room. Mistress Kara had just settled into a chair when the toast popped, and Ashley gave each piece a light buttering of margarine, cut the slices in half, and slid the plate onto the table in front of the other woman.
"Is there anything else you need, Mistress?"
"You're perfect as always, Ash. Eat something - you're at the bakery today so I don't want you hungry."
Ashley nodded and quickly poured herself a bowl of cereal.
"May I be seated?" she asked. Breakfasts were usually low-protocol, but it made her feel better to ask anyway.
Her Mistress nodded, part-way through a sip of coffee.
The two of them sat in silence that felt relaxed and comfortable. Ashley was excited to start the day.
*
She was part-way through her shift at the bakery when she felt a tap on her shoulder.
"There's someone asking for you out front," Lenny said, gesturing in the direction of the store.
Ashley set aside the metal tray she was scrubbing, turned off the hot water and pulled off her rubber gloves.
"Must be Kara," she said, though Lenny was only half listening, darting not-too-subtle glances at the side exit to the bakery. They'd only been working together for a short time, but Ashley recognized when her co-worker was craving a smoke.
"Hey, can you watch the store?" he asked. "I just need to step out for a bit."
"Yeah, sure." Ashley untied her apron and pulled off her hair net as she walked down the short hallway to the store.
There was a small storefront near the main entrance to the bakery, where regular people could come in and pick up a dozen rolls or a loaf of artisanal bread. Most of their business was restaurants and bulk orders, but the retail side got some traffic, too. Ashley didn't know how to work the cash register yet, and in jeans and an old sweater she wasn't really dressed for dealing with the public, but she could keep an eye on things until Lenny finished his cigarette.
She pushed open the door and stepped into the store, behind the counter. The place was empty except for one person. It wasn't Kara after all, but a guy.
Chad.
It was Chad.
She froze, paralyzed by fear. Her skin went cold. Why was he here? How had he found her? What did he want?
The smirk on his face and the way he narrowed his eyes meant trouble for her. She recognized the look, having seen it often enough during her three years with him. He was here to deliver bad news, and was going to enjoy doing it.
It took her a few moments to recover from shock.
"What...what are you doing here?"
He leaned forward against the counter and she retreated a couple of steps. With the waist-high counter separating them she was probably safe from whatever awful stuff he had in mind, but it never hurt to be extra cautious.
"I've come to re-claim my property, of course," he said in a tone that was light on the surface but carried a threat underneath.
Ashley's heart beat faster even as she felt her chest constrict. She tried to take another step back but ran out of room; she was backed up against the wall. She drew a deep breath and tried to summon her courage.
"I'm not your property. I left you."
He chuckled joylessly, and the sound sent a shiver of terror down her spine.
"Oh, that's right. You belong to Miss Kara Meadows now. How is she doing?"
He knew about Mistress Kara? Somehow, that filled Ashley with even more dread.
"You need to go. I'm...I'm working now. I'm not getting back together with you," Ashley said, edging along the wall in the direction of the bakery door, careful not to take her eyes off him for even a moment. The bakery was full of people - if she screamed, surely someone would come to help her, right?
He didn't make any move to stop her. Instead, he unfolded a piece of paper, put it on the counter and slid it over to her. Even from a few steps away, she could see a long list of names printed on it, along with email addresses.
"Miss Kara has a lot of friends, doesn't she? Family, too. It's probably a good thing they don't know about her kinky lifestyle."
"What?"
He gestured at the paper. "Her mom and dad, her sister and two teen-aged nephews, for starters. I wonder what they'd think if they knew she was a closet lezzie who got off on beating little girls with a paddle?"
Ashley went white as she began to understand the reason for Chad's visit.
"Her dead husband had a lot of friends too - the guestbook for his online obituary probably has two hundred names on it, including his brother and sister. I bet they'd be pissed to know Kara was fucking someone half her age before his body was even cold."
"It wasn't like that..." Ashley whispered, but Chad wasn't listening.
He pulled out his cell phone and tapped the screen a few times, then turned it to face her. A video was playing, and the inside of the workshop was easily recognizable. There was no sound, but the picture was sharp and showed Ashley naked in the standing stocks as Mistress Kara, dressed in her bra and panties, smacked her ass with the medium paddle.
"It's amazing how clear the picture came out, even through the window," he continued in the same light-yet-threatening tone. "When she takes off her panties you can see every detail of her face and her cute, little, shaved cunt. I bet her nephews would LOVE to get a peek of their big-titted aunt and her bare muff. What do you think?"
"That was private..."
"You probably should have closed the curtains, then," he countered. "All the hours I spent filming really paid off in the end - that was a real show the two of you put on for me."
"How...how did you find me?"
He ignored her question. "Who else do we have here?" he said, pretending to read the names off the page, letting the video continue to play on his phone. "The principal of her nephews' school. Her sister's minister. A bunch of guys. Ex-boyfriends, maybe? Business contacts? Old high school buddies? Dozens and dozens of names. Probably everyone she knows. Everyone important to her."
"Chad, please don't-"
"And you look so tiny in this video! Hasn't Miss Kara been feeding you? I mean, if I didn't know you, I'd guess you were fifteen or sixteen - seventeen, tops. Definitely a minor. Who knows what would happen if the cops ended up with this video? They'd have to launch an investigation, right? And if the newspaper got a hold of it I'm sure some reporter would do a story on Miss Kara, you know, trying to make a name for himself. Even when the truth came out, she'd probably have to leave town."
