The astonished look in his ex-wife Kristen's eyes said it all. Extreme surprise, embarrassment and humiliation.
Yet she knew it was entirely her fault that she was in the situation she was in. One where it was physically impossible for her to shout 'No!' Or to hide her face in her hands. Or to get up and run away.
Meanwhile Terrance, her ex-husband, just looked on with a bemused grin.
Terrance and Kristen's tempestuous five-year relationship had ended three years before. He paid her a modest divorce settlement as they'd been married less than a year before splitting up. Then he continued on with his successful business and soon began dating again.
Life wasn't as easy for Kristen. She went to cosmetology school, and a year later opened a small salon. She was successful enough to pay her bills and get a much wanted boob job that she didn't need. But she didn't like being a stylist or see a future in it.
So when a close male friend of a decade before, who had moved to New Zealand, asked her to marry him, she accepted. This even though it had been 10 years since she'd seen him. She was that desperate for love and security.
It proved to be a mistake. The friend had developed some substance issues and was no longer the attractive young man she'd once known. So she was back in California less than a month later.
The problem Kristen faced upon her return was that she'd foolishly spent all of her settlement money, now had debts, and had no source of income. Even more desperate than before, she couch surfed with some girlfriends, who nonetheless made it clear that a week was going to be the limit.
Although looking a little tired and drawn from her unpleasant circumstances, Kristen was still young and very attractive. She had a swimmer's taut body, tight ass and long legs. She added to her natural appeal by dressing provocatively, accentuating her thin frame and now augmented boobs with tight dresses.
Kristen was hit on constantly, but was humiliated because she felt forced to agree to dinners and overnights with guys she normally would have rejected. Both she and her girlfriends began to think she was slipping down to the slutty side just to get by.
Kristen needed money, and she needed it fast.
Her ex Terrance had always been a bit of a kinky guy. An alpha male, since his late teens he'd thought it was fun to top women. Put a leash on them and make them crawl around, tie them up, spank them. But he was more fun-loving than cruel.
What made him different, and popular with sexually adventurous women, is that he also thought it was fun to sometimes let women do the same to him. He was a good-looking and buff guy, so they couldn't believe it.
But rather than get kinky with the women he dated, Terrance preferred professionals. So he visited various houses of domination, most frequently one in San Francisco. He quickly became a popular client for his easy-going nature, willingness to switch, and unusual generosity.
Terrance and Kristen had had the normal sexual feeling out process in their early days together. And when they married, she happily announced that she would be 'a lady on the streets but a whore between the sheets'.
But what a 'whore between the sheets' meant was subject to interpretation. For when Terrance tied her up, put clothespins on her nipples, or spanked her, it was clear that she accepted it rather than being turned on by it.
During their time together Terrance confessed to Kristen that he had visited kinky establishments in the past. While Kristen wasn't too thrilled about it, and suspected he wouldn't stop, she decided to not forbid it. He was such a good catch that she was willing to put up with a little outside kink on his part.
In fact, at his request she even visited the San Francisco establishment once. She stayed long enough to observe Sinthia, the young and dynamic dominatrix owner, do her thing on several grateful clients.
Kristen thought it was interesting, but more weird than stimulating. Just like it had been the few times she'd let her husband tie her up.
The thing Kristen remembered most from the visit to the house was that Mistress Sinthia, who couldn't have been more welcoming, said that she, Kristen, would make a fabulous submissive or dominatrix. And that the money, always cash on the spot, was terrific. So that if Kristen ever needed money quick, or if anything ever came between she and her husband, she should call.
Well, something had come between Kristen and her husband, hadn't it? And Kristen needed money quick.
Although four years had passed since Kristen's visit to the establishment, Mistress Sinthia had no trouble remembering the beautiful Kristen when she called. Sinthia explained that she'd moved her establishment to the Napa Valley and gone upscale. But she still encouraged Kristen to apply for a position.
The two women hit it off during the in-person interview, and the Kristen was hired -- on the usual conditions. The most troubling to her was that she, like all the other women who aspired to become doms, had to intern as a bottom for three months.
Kristen wasn't happy about the requirement, but Mistress Sinthia justified it with an axiom of the kink world: "You can't be a good top until you've been a bottom."
Mistress Sinthia cared about the safety of her girls, so during her three-month internship as a sub, Kristen would always be paired with a veteran dominatrix to oversee her submission, and sub only with the most trusted clients.
Given the quality of The Riding Academy clients, Kristen didn't mind her work as a sub as much as she thought she would. At this point in her life she was kind of drifting, so there was a degree of order and security in being tied up and told what to do. And when she was whipped, it was never very hard, and felt oddly similar to what life was doing to her.
True, being a submissive was a job when she worked with older and out-of-shape clients. But there were some handsome young clients, too. Guys that in other circumstances she would be eager to date.
Yes, they would tie her up, put clothespins on her nipples, lead her around on a leash, and whip her. But in many cases she found her submission to these strangers sexually stimulating. It was different than with her ex-husband.
As per the strict rules of the Academy, and most dominatrixes, there was never any penetrative sex.
As time passed Kristen more frequently found herself enjoying being a sub. There were even a couple of times when being properly dominated by a handsome young stud resulted in her having an orgasm. This was a shock to her, but bodies don't lie.
And as Mistress Sinthia had promised, the money was excellent.
If Kristen sometimes liked her work, her clients loved dominating her. First, because she was gorgeous. Tall with naturally wild dark hair, she had a great figure and a perfectly executed boob job.
But Kristen's popularity was based on more than just her great looks. Unlike some subs who accepted their submission in silence and with little emotion, Kristen responded vocally and physically. She was spent at the end of each session. As such, she quickly became the most popular sub at the Academy.
After three months of being trained as a sub, Sinthia began training Kristen as a dominatrix. A natural actress with a dynamic personality, Kristen quickly became an expert in giving her clients exactly what they wanted.
