Silence Gathering

CHAPTER SIX—THE GATHERING, PART 1

Eileen was sorting through her mail. She could hear the steady THUMP THUMP of Silence pounding away on the treadmill. She smiled as she sorted. He kept himself in shape and she had discovered some time ago that she loved every inch of his massive body. A brief pang gripped her. She had not told him how she felt. She was his Mistress. With a capital M. His Domme. His owner. He obeyed her without question and some of his lessons had been difficult. He had come to her almost damaged beyond hope. And she found that she had truly come to love the warm, sensual man that had almost been destroyed. Eileen sighed and went back to her mail. Bills and junk. And a heavy cream colored envelope addressed in elegant script. An invitation?

She heard Silence come into the room. He purposely scuffed a foot against the door so she would know he was there. He moved so quietly that he had learned to make some noise to keep from startling her. She glanced at him with affection then returned to the envelope in her hands. She made a soft sound of surprise, then looked up at Silence.

"We have been invited to a Gathering," she said, her tone puzzled. For a brief instant, Silence froze. Then he cocked his head at her. She shrugged. "I've heard of them," she said, "but exactly what is a Gathering?"

Silence picked up a note pad and wrote quickly. He handed her the pad.

‘Gatherings are similar to the clubs,' she read, ‘only private. Doms show off their subs. Trades are made. Sales. And it is a big party.'

Eileen frowned slightly. She had not enjoyed the club. She looked at him again. "Trades? Sales?" she asked. "Are these requirements?" He shook his head. She tapped the heavy card against her desk, thinking. "Before I reply to this," she said suddenly, "there is something else I need to do." She picked up another paper that was laying on her desk. Silence recognized his contract. She heard the soft hiss of apprehension and almost smiled. "This document needs…amending," she said. She held it out for him to take.

Slowly he reached for it. Only a brief quiver of the paper betrayed his uncertainty. She watched as he skimmed through the paragraphs that had defined his life for so long. He read the added paragraphs. Then he read them again. He set the contract carefully on her desk. Then he picked up the pad and wrote. Without meeting her eyes, he handed her the pad.

Eileen read his question and sighed softly. This was going to be difficult. "Silence, I am…no longer young," she said slowly. "I have no desire to end our relationship. But I do not want you to ever again be without a safeguard." She hesitated. "I will keep you as long as you wish to stay. I know there is the possibility that you will fall in love with someone and I want you to have the choice and ability to leave."

He looked deep into her eyes. Then, reassured, he took the contract and signed below her signature. Then he leaned down and kissed her. Her hand caressed his cheek. Both sighed."

"So," she said softly. "What should we do about the invitation."

‘If you wish,' he wrote, ‘we will go.'

"We've really not participated in anything, have we?" she said. He shook his head. She studied the invitation again. The Gathering would last three days. "Have you been to a Gathering before?" she asked.

Yes, he nodded.

"Then you know what to expect." She pushed the pad toward him. "Write," she said with a smile. He settled in a chair by her desk and began writing while she went back to her other mail. By the time she finished, he had several pages of notes for her. She read them over and thought for a while. Then, looking at him, she said, "We'll go, I think, but I will not force you into anything." She smiled suddenly. "I'm selfish. I don't want to share you. With anyone." His answering smile showed his relief. She made a notation on the RSVP card and set it in the pile of envelopes to mail.

That evening after dinner, she was sitting on the sofa with him leaning against her legs. She was idly playing with his hair. "Silence," she said softly. He turned his head to look up at her. "Am I a good Mistress?" He looked startled at the question. She waved her hand. "I mean, do I…dominate…I guess…" She gestured again, unsure of how to express what she was trying to ask.

He rose up to his knees and put his hands on her hips. Then he took one of her hands in his, kissed her palm, and placed her hand on his collar, holding her hand against his throat. He leaned forward to lay his head in her lap, still holding her hand against his throat. Her free hand again stroked his silky hair. He felt her sigh.

"I can't inflict pain," she whispered. "Shouldn't I be able to do that? To mix pain and pleasure?"

He raised up off her lap. His hands cupped her face, bringing her eyes to his, and very deliberately shook his head. He touched one of the many scars on his body, his eyes locked on hers.

"Pain never merged with pleasure for you, did it?" she said softly.

No, said his gestures. He reached for one of the pads of paper she kept scattered around the house for him and wrote quickly. ‘You have been more dominant in your gentleness than any other has been by force. I am yours. First by right of purchase when you bought my contract. Now by other bonds. I can touch you without fear. I can please you. You have given me more than I have given you. I am yours.'

She smiled at him, her eyes very bright. "Thank you, Silence," she murmured, caressing his face.

He returned to his place, leaning against her leg as her hand caressed his head. They remained like that for awhile longer. When she moved to rise, he was up and lifting her in his strong arms to carry her to her bed. When he set her on her feet, she said, "If you keep doing that, I will forget how to walk."

Then I will carry you, said his gestures.

She laughed and made shooing gestures. He kissed her gently and went to his room. Eileen took a shower and curled in her bed. An occasional tear slipped down her cheek. She had not expected to fall in love with him and was not looking forward to the day when he would ask to be released. Eventually, she slept.

Silence lay on his bed, thinking, remembering. His parents were Dominants, each with their submissives. They had expected him to be Dom as well. When he found Michelle, it seemed perfect. She would be his Domme. She would…. He shuddered as he remembered. She had been everything to him. Until she went deeper into the area of pain as pleasure. He tried. He'd loved her. He had taken everything, done anything for her, until she nearly killed him. The nightmares were less now. SHE had done that for him. He never understood why Michelle needed to hurt him or how she managed to make sure each mistress he had was as sadistic as she was. Somehow, he had gotten free. Eileen was dominant, even if she was unsure. She had taken him through his memories and one by one changed them from horror to merely unpleasant. The amended contract had been a shock. At first he thought she was tiring of him. Then his brain heard what she was saying. A safeguard. She expected him to fall in love again. Suddenly he realized that he had fallen in love. With Eileen. He wondered how he could tell her so she would believe him. He was still considering the question when he fell asleep.

He woke early and went to start her coffee. When it was ready, he took a cup to her room. The door was open, so he entered without tapping on it first. She was still asleep, lying on her stomach, her face towards him. Her pillows were scattered and she lay on the mattress. He set the steaming cup on her bedside table and leaned over to kiss her awake. He saw the tear stains on her cheeks. Why had she been weeping? A little troubled, he gently kissed her eyelid.

She murmured softly. Another gentle kiss. The eyelid fluttered and opened. Eileen found herself barely awake and staring into a soft gray eye. Groaning softly, she turned over. She hated mornings. She allowed Silence to urge her into sitting up, then accepted the coffee. By the time she finished it, she was mostly awake. She set the cup back on the table. Silence was kneeling again, his hands on her knees. She looked at him in surprise. She rarely asked him to kneel and he usually did so when he wanted to express something important to him. She covered his hands with hers, caressing his strong fingers. She could feel that he wanted to know something yet wasn't sure how to express it.

"Silence?" she said softly. His eye met hers, searching. Then he sighed. He laid his head in her lap. That made her smile. A gesture of trust and affection that she appreciated. One more reason she loved him. She stroked his silky black hair. "Wash my back, please?" she said.

He immediately stood and pulled her to her feet. The warm water relaxed her. and his hands aroused her. She felt the strength as he cleaned her body. She quivered when he rubbed her breasts. She stood, eyes half closed, letting the pleasure of his touch flow through her. He pulled her close and placed her arms around his waist. Then he tipped her head back so he could wash her hair. He took sensual delight in his task, and when he finished, he wrapped his arms tight around her and kissed her long, lingering, fanning the flames of desire hotter. He leaned her against the wet tiles and then impaled her on his steel hard, rampant penis. She arched, her hips rocking as he penetrated. His movements were slow and deliberate as he took her higher and higher. Her orgasm burst, her body convulsing around him as wave after wave of fire poured through her, igniting his orgasm. His hips pressed hard against her as he pulsed his fiery ejaculate deep into her. He held her tight as their orgasm slowly faded. Then he slowly withdrew from her, cleaned her gently, and helped her from the shower. He wrapped her in a huge towel and slowly dried her.

Eileen's eyes were shining as she looked up at him. "I love the way you wash me, Silence," she said softly.

He saw, finally, what he had searched for in her eyes earlier. Love. Now, how did he let her know that he loved her as well. If only it weren't so hard for him to speak! He gathered her in his arms, towel and all, and hugged her tightly. He would find a way.