"Simon annoys me so much sometimes," she said angrily. "I just want to give him a good spanking."
He grinned. "He'd probably enjoy it if you did."
She laughed, but then looked more serious. "Simon is not into anything like that," she said sadly.
"Obviously it runs in the family," he told her. "Jane's not interested in that sort of thing either."
"She doesn't like being spanked?" Carol asked.
"No, I didn't mean that, although she probably doesn't. I meant that she won't play any of those sort of games, like being dominant or anything."
Carol nodded. "They're all the same, that family. None of them are into anything out of the ordinary. It's such a pity. There's so many things I'd like to do."
There was silence. He wondered whether the same thought had just gone through her head as went through his. He looked at her, trying to read her thoughts.
They both spoke at exactly the same moment. "I don't suppose..."
They both stopped, waiting for the other to finish.
"Finish what you were going to say," she said.
"It's OK," he told her, "You first."
"It was silly," she said, looking away from him and clearly embarrassed. "It wasn't important."
"I don't mind if it's silly," he encouraged her. "You can say whatever you like."
She looked straight into his eyes, as though trying to see into his mind.
"I was only joking," she said. "I was just going to say that if my husband doesn't like it and your wife doesn't like it..."
"Yes?" he said, knowing exactly what she was trying to say but wanting her to say it first.
"And if I like it and you like it..." she continued, tailing off without actually saying it.
"I do," he confirmed. "At least, I think I would if I tried it, but I've never tried it."
"Haven't you?" she said in surprise. "I have. A long time ago, long before I was married. I still have all the stuff, although there is some of it I haven't ever used. He likes me to wear some of the clothes, but he's not in the slightest interested in the rest of it."
"What sort of stuff?" he asked, fascinated.
"Oh, lots of things," she said vaguely. She looked away from him again. "Do you want to see it?"
"It would be interesting." He tried to keep the excitement out of his voice.
"It's all in the loft except for my clothes," she said. "I don't think I can get it all out now."
His disappointment was obvious, but she did not comment. "I don't suppose you would really like it if someone dominated you properly," she said. "If you haven't actually done it then you really don't know."
"It's an exciting idea," he confessed. She looked downwards briefly. He was not entirely sure what she looked at. He thought for a moment that she had looked at the front of his trousers to see if he was 'excited', but then he thought it was only his imagination. 'Wishful thinking,' he told himself.
"So you think you would like a woman causing you pain?" she asked. "You'd like to be tied up and helpless while some woman whips you and hurts you?"
"Is that what you used to do?" he asked in awe, without answering her question.
"I had one boyfriend who let me do that to him," she admitted. "And a lot more."
"Really? What else?"
She had turned a rosy pink. "I'm not telling you," she said firmly. "I'd be too embarrassed. Let's just say he was tied to the bed for a lot of the time we were together."
He laughed, a little nervously, and hoping she did not glance down again.
"You didn't answer my question," she said a little sharply. "Is that what you like?"
He now felt himself blushing. "I find it an exciting thought," he admitted. "I'm not too sure about being whipped or hurt too much."
"You'd just like a woman tying you up and controlling you?" she asked. "A bit of pain goes with that, you know. And if you are tied up, you don't have a lot of choice."
"Anyway," she continued briskly, "There's no time now. I have work to do. If you want to see the things I have in the loft then you'll need to come round when I have more time."
"OK," he said, suddenly feeling intensely disappointed. He prepared to leave.
"Tomorrow," she said suddenly. "Make it about ten o'clock. I'll have plenty of time then."
"All right," he agreed. "I'll be here.
*
He was more than a little nervous when he rang the front door bell at exactly ten o'clock.
For a moment he thought she was out, then the door opened and he was surprised to see that she was wearing her coat.
"Sorry," he said apologetically. "I didn't realise you were going out. I should have phoned to confirm I was coming round."
"Don't be silly," she said. "Come in. Don't hang about on the doorstep."
She ushered him inside, and dropped her own coat on the floor just inside the door.
"I thought it better that no one else could see what I was wearing," she explained.
He gaped. She wore a tight one-piece outfit made from shiny black material. She had a wide leather belt around her waist, and knee-length black boots with high heels. The effect was startling, and immediately he felt his arousal growing. Hastily he turned away and adjusted his trousers, pretending there was something about to fall out of his pocket.
She laughed aloud. "There's no need to pretend," she said. "I know the effect this outfit has on most men, whether or not they like the dominant implications of it. Simon just loves it, although I wear it without the insert for him."
She indicated the area between her legs. He could see the rows of studs holding a removable patch in place. Like the rest of the outfit, it fitted her very tightly and clung to her body as though it was a part of her. The contours and even the details of every part of her were clearly visible, and the removable patch seemed to disappear right into her. He could not help staring.
"Behave yourself," she told him with mock severity. She picked up a riding crop from the little table in the hallway and waved it in his direction. "Or I'll have to whip you."
She laughed again as she said it, but there was something just a little threatening in her laughter.
"Sorry," he said apologetically. "It's a very nice outfit. I didn't expect you to be wearing anything like that. It's just a bit of a shock, that's all."
She took no notice of his apology. "So, do you want to see all my stuff? I got it all down from the loft this morning. There was more than I thought. It's been a long time since I used any of it. I put it all in the bedroom. I haven't had time to sort it out properly."
"Yes, I'd like to see it," he said, trying to keep his voice normal.
"Come on then." She turned and started up the stairs. He followed, looking up at her and unable to keep his eyes off the tight, black material covering her rear and showing every movement of her muscles and her flesh as she walked.
She had not turned round or looked at him, and she had nearly reached the top of the stairs when she spoke. "I'll have to give you a spanking if you keep looking at me like that."
"I wasn't," he protested.
She whirled round, so suddenly that he almost lost his balance and fell backward down the stairs.
"How weren't you looking at me?" she demanded.
He stuttered. "I... I..." There was no sensible answer he could think of.
"There's nothing you'd like better," she said, staring down at him, "Than to put your face right up between my legs right now, is there?"
"You're very exciting," he admitted. "I mean, your outfit is very exciting."
"Careful what you say," she warned him. "You could get yourself into serious trouble saying things like that to your sister-in-law."
"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean..."
"Yes you did," she interrupted. "All men are the same. You see a woman wearing something unusual and you can't wait to try and get her to bed."
"Never mind," she went on. "We're here to have a look at some of my things from the loft, aren't we? Come on. Don't hang about on the stairs."
She turned and strode towards the bedroom. He followed rather sheepishly.
"Here we are," she said, waving her hand in a regal sweep that took in the whole room. "It's all here."
He gazed at her collection. "I thought you said you didn't have time to sort it properly?" he said.
It was all laid out. The bed had broad straps right around the mattress near the top and the bottom, and to these there were leather cuffs attached. In the corner of the room was a large frame with tie points all the way up its two crossing slats. Whips and paddles lay ready for use.
"I haven't sorted half of it yet," she said, kicking a large cardboard box. She bent down and removed a device from the box.
"I had forgotten I had this," she said thoughtfully. "I don't think I have ever used it."
"What is it?" he asked curiously.
"It's a ball crusher," she told him, waving it at him. "It goes round your balls and then I tighten it until you scream. Then I tighten it some more. Shall we try it?"
"No thanks," he said, backing away. "That's far too painful. I don't want my balls crushed!"
"I'm not at all sure you want to be dominated at all," she said. "It's all about pain and torture, isn't it? If you don't want the pain then you stay away from dominant women."
"No," he argued, "It's not like that. You can dominate without doing damage, and without causing absolute agony. You can tie your man to the bed so he can't move and then make love to him or whatever. You don't have to hurt him like that."
"I can't tie my man to the bed at all," she reminded him. "He won't do anything like that."
"Yes," he agreed, "You said."
"So..." she walked towards him waving the riding crop. "I'll tie you to the bed instead. That's what excites you and why you came here, isn't it? You had this fantasy that I might tie you up and dominate you."