It took Monica about forty minutes to drive across the bridge and return to her place on Capitol Hill. Her apartment was one of three that had been created by subdividing a lovely old home. The rent was steep, but the location close to downtown saved her nearly two hours commuting time each day compared to her previous apartment in Auburn.
After placing a load of clothing in the washing machine, she went on to give the place a thorough cleaning. She actually liked housecleaning. It gave her time to think. Mostly she thought about Cole. She couldn't decide if she should think of him as Howard or Master. She did know that she was starting to fall in love. Her study of D/S relationships had warned her that strong emotions were the rule between D/S couples. I'm not going to make any hasty decisions, she promised herself.
She played back the previous evening in her mind to see if there were any danger signs. If Cole had intended to hurt her, he would have done it by now, she concluded. Breakfast this morning had been a big surprise. She couldn't remember any of her previous lovers or boyfriends making breakfast for her. This guy just might have the makings of a good husband. That thought produced a big smile. For some reason, she always felt better dating a man who was potential husband material. It kept her from feeling that she was wasting her time.
When she had been in his study, she had noticed some diplomas and various certificates on the wall. Apparently Howard was an attorney. She had never really liked lawyers. Perhaps it required a big ego to work in the courtroom. Her only lawyer friend had always referred to her colleagues as "asshole attorneys", but Howard was unlike any attorney she had ever met.
Later that night, they met downtown to see a French film with subtitles. Monica alternately cried and squeezed his hand with a grip that would have done credit to a gorilla. Afterwards, they found a quiet restaurant where they had coffee and dessert. They decided that she would arrive at his house next Saturday at five PM for a much anticipated play session.
Their horniness gradually built up to a fever pitch during the week. Cole told her to masturbate as much as she wanted, since he didn't think it would detract from her enjoyment of their play. On Saturday, Monica went shopping with her friend Jennifer at a local lingerie store. She wanted to find just the right item to please her master.
Cole spent much of Saturday afternoon preparing the basement dungeon. He wanted to provide her with a more intense scene tonight. Heavier impact play on her sexy ass and something to excite those amazing tits, he thought. He was getting pretty excited just thinking about it. Time to take a deep breath and cool off, he told himself.
First, he vacuumed the hardwood floor, since the cleaning woman was not allowed in the basement. The next priority was to arrange the play furniture to permit the type of play he had in mind. He preferred not to move his partner during a scene, so he tried to use one piece of equipment that would allow for multiple positions. He decided to use a small spanking horse that only supported the hips and a wooden bar that would hang from the ceiling.
The heavily padded top of the horse was only about four inches wide and twenty inches long. It was solidly supported by a pair of four by four posts set in a heavy platform. There were attachment points in the base for securing wrists and ankles. The ankles could be widely separated and there was an eyebolt in the base a few inches in front of the horse for attaching a waist belt to enforce a bending position.
The height of the horse was not adjustable. When someone was bending over it, they could be penetrated from behind by someone who was the correct height. Since Cole had built it himself, he made certain that the height corresponded to his own.
From the corner of the room, he selected a thick, five foot wooden dowel rod with multiple attachment points. Using a pair of black adjustable nylon cargo straps, he attached it to two points on the ceiling. Then he pushed the spanking horse into the center of the room under the suspended bar.
After a final cleanup of the dungeon, he left the house to run some errands. He stopped by his favorite trendy market for groceries and returned home to relax for the rest of the afternoon. His thoughts naturally turned to Monica. Their relationship was certainly unusual. I've never heard of a couple who meshed together so quickly and easily, he thought. No doubt there would be problems of some sort ahead, but he had a distinctly optimistic feeling that they would be able to work out every difficulty that came up.
He knew from his observations in the Seattle SM scene that kinky couples did not have a very long half-life. About six months, he estimated. Like highly radioactive elements, they seemed to dissipate their energy rapidly. Except for a few stable couples, people in the scene moved from partner to partner trying to find some elusive qualities that they felt they needed to be happy.
One of the biggest reasons for breakups was the custom of playing with others. At play parties and in private, people would often try to play with as many others as possible. This allowed them to sample the erotic wares of many people. Being human and vulnerable to temptation, many a bottom left their Top in search of a better SM experience. Tops left their bottoms to pair off with a sexier looking new partner or one who could take more pain. Sometimes a bottom would suddenly get tired of bottoming and become a Top, usually just in time to hook up with a bottom they found attractive.
Another problem he was aware of occurred when someone selected their long term partner simply because they were sexually compatible. After they had lived together for a while, the ordinary differences would become apparent and the couple would dissolve. Some couples tried to avoid this by not living together. Being single and having a kinky lover was quite popular in the scene. Cole thought this might be a possibility for him and Monica, but somehow it didn't feel very satisfying.
In late afternoon, he started to think about dinner. They had neglected to make plans. Would she eat before she came over? Just then, the phone rang. It was Monica. "Hi Howard, I was wondering if I could cook dinner for you tonight at your house?"
"Of course, Monica. Should I pick up anything at the store?"
"Nope, I've got it covered. See you at seven?"
"Sounds great, I'll see you then. By the way, the dungeon is ready," he said to press her buttons a little.
"Oh Howard, I'm going to be really ready. Is it OK if I'm in role while I cook dinner?"
"Sure it is Little One, just don't spill any hot liquid on yourself, that would be non-consensual," he said with a grin.
"I'll be very careful Master."
After hanging up the phone, he reflected on the coincidence that she had called just as he was thinking about her. They certainly seemed to be on the same wavelength. He busied himself with some routine work in his office, then shortly before he expected Monica, he showered and dressed in black jeans and a black T-shirt.
Monica arrived right on time. She was wearing a long coat that was appropriate for the damp, cool weather outside. After placing her grocery bag on the kitchen counter, she turned to Cole and said "Master, will this be all right to wear while I fix dinner?"
She removed the coat to reveal only a sexy red bra and panties. She was already stepping out of her white running shoes. He raised one eyebrow and said, "How could I object to such a beautiful Chef? I'll just watch from the bar stool over there so I can tell you where to find things in the kitchen."
They approached each other in the center of the kitchen and after a slight hesitation, gave each other a long hug. This certainly feels right, they both thought. He sat at the small breakfast bar so that he could watch her every move. She proceeded to fix a quick, healthy dinner while he watched the nicely toned muscles in her legs as she danced around the kitchen.
Just before she was ready to serve the meal at the dining table, he ordered her to remove her bra. The sight of her full, pouting breasts hanging delicately over the table while they ate was most pleasing.
The menu consisted of shrimp cocktails, a Thai chicken salad and a bottle of Washington State Semillon-Blanc. Cole explained that he would have only one glass. "I don't like to drink and play," he said. It was hard to keep his eyes off her breasts. The nipples were getting hard again and he knew she was thinking about what he might do to her shortly. The fact that she was wearing only a pair of bright red panties seemed out of place, yet deliciously appropriate.
Once again, Monica started breathing heavily. She had a hard time raising her eyes to look at her master. Displaying her breasts at the table for her master's pleasure had elicited that delicious feeling of embarrassment and loss of control. She was barely able to finish her meal as she felt his eyes devouring her body.
When they were both finished, Cole announced what they would do next. "That was an excellent dinner, Little One. I'm very pleased. Before I show you the dungeon, I'd like to relax for a while. Come with me into the other room."
She followed into a comfortably furnished room with a sofa, television and several well filled bookshelves. He had her sit on the thick carpet beside a large overstuffed leather chair and handed her a soft pink blanket with satin trim that reminded her of her childhood. She wrapped herself in the blanket and put her head against his knee while he picked up the Seattle Times and began to read. She noticed a slight odor of sweet tobacco in the room. Perhaps Master occasionally smoked a pipe?
Monica felt an unusual sense of security, a feeling of things being right. Sitting at her master's knee while he read the newspaper seemed like the most natural thing in the world. She allowed her thoughts to drift and images of her childhood came into her mind. Her father had been away on business during much of her childhood, she recalled. She remembered a long forgotten scene that included herself at age twelve, waiting patiently for her father to return, then being told that he had been delayed indefinitely. In a flash of understanding, she realized that Cole was providing a strong male presence that she had been missing. She wrapped her arms around his leg and held on, simply enjoying the feeling of being safe and protected.
Twenty minutes later, she asked for permission to use the bathroom and her master said "Of course. Please put on a little more of that perfume, if you have it with you. What's the name of it?"
"It's called Anais-Anais, Master."
