Ari and Brett

A Rose Called Miracle: Book #3, Pt. 2

Author's Note: This is the third book of 'A Rose Called Miracle'. This is fiction. All characters in intimate situations are over 18. Any resemblance to real people, organizations, or businesses is purely coincidence.

If you are uncomfortable with the subjects of control, restraint, discipline, and corporal punishment, please go no further. Likewise, this story is peopled with hetero, interracial, and LGBTQ+ characters and couples, and indirectly--incest; if you can't deal with that, leave now--you'll only be offended. Also, I apologize to BDSM aficionados--in this story I pretty much ignore proper BDSM safety measures as the characters develop their relationship. Please do not use these writings as a 'how to' guide. Lastly, if anyone reading 'A Rose Called Miracle' has enjoyed my characters, feel free to take them on new adventures--but please don't mess too much with the canon.

BRETT AND KARI (A Master/slave story of Love and Loss)

There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein

For those who are willing to make an effort, great miracles and wonderful treasures are in store. Isaac Bashevis Singer

CHAPTER 6

I pulled into the fast-food drive-thru, "Slave, what would you like?"

"Slave has no preference," She answered.

I sighed loudly as I pulled up to the order station, "A cheeseburger with onions and ketchup. No pickles. Small fries; bottle of water." I drove forward, paid, and gathered my order. I looked at Kari, "You had no preference, so I got you nothing. For breakfast in the morning, I strongly suggest you decide what you want--or you're going to get awfully hungry."

"Yes Master." She hung her head and sulked--sneaking occasional glances at my bag of food.

I didn't relent. When we got home I ordered her to strip and go to her rest corner. Then I sat in plain view of her and ate my dinner. Feeling mean spirited--I had some fries leftover--I handed them to Kari. She started to thank me, but I interrupted her, "Those are not for you. Take them to the kitchen and throw them away." She looked like she wanted to cry but complied.

She returned from the kitchen and moved to 'present' with her hand up.

"Speak."

"Master...Slave understands but is confused. Slave..."

"Stop." I ordered. "Go put on your dress. Join me on the sofa. We'll discuss this as adults--not as master and slave."

She took off and was back in less than five minutes dressed in her black dress, lipstick refreshed, and her hair carefully combed. "Sit." We turned sideways on the sofa so we could face each other. "Okay, Kari, let's get this straight."

"Yes Master." She looked a little scared.

"We both have to be adaptable. There are times I will give you commands and directives--that I expect you to obey without hesitation..."

"Yes Master."

"But...there are times...particularly when we're in public...when I will ask you what you think...or want. I expect you to give me an honest answer, and if required, make a choice. For example, tonight at the drive-thru, what did you really want?"

"Master, the menu was so big, Slave..."

"Kari, that's not what I asked. I asked what you wanted. Tell me, have you ever heard the acronym ATFQ?"

"No Master."

"It means 'Answer the Fucking Question'. It's a rather crude way to say 'Don't over think things.' So, I'll ask again, at the drive-thru, what did you really want?"

She sat silent, her head down. At last, she looked up and met my eyes for a split-second before dropping them again, "Master. Having thought about its choices, Slave would have enjoyed the grilled chicken sandwich." She trembled.

"Good. Was that really so hard? Figure at a place like that, they have...what? Burgers, chicken, fish? All you have to do is pick one. Perhaps we can come to an agreement? Let's call it an addendum to our contract."

"Master?"

"From now on, if I am going to insist that you decide something, I'll try to give you time to think about it. I'll try not to surprise you suddenly."

"Thank you Master. Master?"

"Yes?" I stopped as I walked toward my music collection.

"What was that letter from Master Dave?"

"Don't know. I'll take a look at it tomorrow." I turned back to my music case, "I think I want to hear something with dramatic harmony tonight; maybe Vaughn Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis."

DAY 15--In the morning, I crawled out of my bed, opened Kari's crate, and unlocked her ankle restraint. "Go to the bathroom and clean up."

"Yes Master. May I prepare breakfast when I'm finished?"

"That would be nice. Thank you. I'll be in the shower." I did my morning routine and then got dressed. I smelled coffee brewing and when I got to the kitchen I found Kari at the stove.

"What's are you making?"

"Oatmeal Master."

"Okay. But not too thick."

"Yes Master." She turned and smiled. Her nose-to-ear chain was back in place.

"You look very nice Slave. Did you clean all your jewelry and piercings?"

"Yes Master. Slave cleans everything at least twice a day. Slave is terrified of infections. Master, may Slave get your coffee for you?"

"Please. One sugar, a little milk. Make a cup for yourself if you'd like."

While I sipped the cup of coffee I slit open the silver envelope from Dirty Dave. It wasn't at all what I expected.

Greetings Fellow Masters and Mistresses:

It's time for the spring assembly for Masters and slaves of The Gathering. It will be held on Friday May 6 in the International Room of the Hotel Trafante. Cocktails, socializing, and the marketplace will be at 6:30. Dinner will be served at 8:00.

The hotel management has guaranteed our privacy and security.

Dress will be Smart Casual or casual chic. New masters should be aware of the slave dress color code: White--no touching; green--touching and kissing are allowed; red--intimate touching and consensual sex allowed...with the master's permission; black--no limits.

As usual there will be vendors on hand as well as games and challenges. The committee will donate all proceeds to the Regional Children's Hospital. Also, the vendors on site displaying their products have agreed to donate 50% of their profits to the hospital.

Those who wish to attend should RSVP to the below e-mail.

As a reminder, phones, cameras, and recording devices of any kind are not permitted in the meeting. Please leave them in your vehicles or check them in at the coat room.

See you at the meeting--The Gathering Committee

DAY 16-- I had an uncomfortable day at work. I arrived a few minutes early; poured a cup of coffee from my thermos; and opened my company laptop. It took me three tries to get it started; and after that it was as slow as cold molasses. I called down to the IT department and asked if anyone else was having problems--maybe a network glitch--I hoped. They told me to shut down the computer and promised to send someone right away. Fifteen minutes later, a scraggly-looking young man--he didn't look old enough to be out of high school--knocked on my doorframe.

"Mr. Noonan? I'm Mike from IT. I understand you're having laptop issues?" I said yes and did my best to describe the problems I'd had. He nodded, put my laptop on the corner of my desk and sat down in my uncomfortable visitor's chair.

Michael hummed to himself and nodded as he punched in my password and worked to start it, "You really should have a stronger password," he remarked as he continued typing.

After 20 minutes, he rolled his shoulders and neck, "There you are!" He muttered. He did a few more key taps and frowned. "Huh?"

"What is it?"

"Um. Have you been visiting any websites of...ah...questionable reputation?"

I grinned. "Yes. But not on this laptop. This machine is business only."

"Do you keep it with you all the time?"

"Not really. I take it home if I have work to do; otherwise, I leave it here. Why?"

"Well, sir, I have good news and bad news."

"Start with the bad. Please."

"Someone has gained access to your laptop. They've planted keystroke loggers, spyware that alerts them to changes, and given themselves administrator privileges. I can't tell if they did this remotely or somehow got access to your machine; however, I don't see any signs of an external IP address."

"Jesus! What's the good news?"

"They're amateurs. I've been able to find what they did. I'll take this back to my workstation and get it cleaned up. Tell me, where do you have your username and password written down?"

It annoyed me--especially because he was right--that he asked such an insulting question. "Top right drawer; taped to the left side." I admitted in shame.

"Well at least you're honest. So..." He closed the laptop and stood up, "...Like I said, I'll take this with me and get it cleaned up. You should come up with a nice, strong password that you can remember--without writing it down anywhere. I should have this back to you by the end of the day--unless I run into something major that I need to study. Thanks for calling me." He took off.

True to his word, Michael returned my machine at 3:30. We hit the power button and it quickly came to life. He watched as I selected a new password--he made me throw in two random symbols. K11a#1r18$i9.

"Well, it isn't the strongest password I've ever seen," He commented. "Who's Kari? Your wife...girlfriend?"

"Something like that." I muttered; embarrassed he'd spotted her name so quickly."

"Try putting the letters and their position in the alphabet..." Now I was really embarrassed that he'd recognized that combo as well. "... in a random order."

"Gotcha." I9$K11r18a1#.

"Better. By the way, I could not find any sign of remote access, so I'm assuming someone physically accessed your machine while you weren't around. So, for extra security I installed a program that will lock your computer for 24 hours if someone enters the incorrect password three times. If you lock yourself out, call IT and we'll come down and enter the bypass code."

"Great. Thanks for your help Michael."

"Call me anytime--when you need the best." He grinned and left. I stopped by my boss's office and explained what had happened. I asked if he'd seen anyone in my office that didn't belong there. He hadn't.

As had become the norm, when I arrived home Kari greeted me silently in her 'display position. I walked around her, admiring her beauty and presence. Her red hair gleamed; it was well below her shoulders now, but still neat and presentable. "You look perfect Slave. I'm proud of you. Have you finished your chores?"

"Yes Master. The house is ready for inspection."

"Let's go." We wandered together around the house. The main floor was in spotless condition; I couldn't find a speck of dust or dirt--and I tried. I was ashamed when I realized I was getting aroused at the thought of smacking Kari's perfect ass. "Let's continue in the basement." Kari looked surprised; I'd never inspected down there before.

"Master, I..."

"Relax Slave. The basement just needs to be organized and tidy--not spotless like upstairs. Down here I'm looking more for damage and leaks that might need to be repaired. This will be something you need to do every day and then notify me about problems when I get home."

"Yes, Master."

I showed Kari around my home gym. It wasn't much, really, just a high-end stationary bike, a treadmill, and a nice cage-style weight machine. "You may use any of these machines to keep in shape. I'll show you how to use them. If there is anything you'd like that I don't have let me know."

"Yes Master. Master, would it be possible for this slave to have a yoga mat?"

"Of course. Can you find a good one online or do we need to go shopping?"

"Online works, sir."

"Okay. Find what you want and I'll give you my credit card." We took 20 minutes and I showed Kari how to start and program the bike and treadmill. After that, I showed her how to safely use the weight machine.

"Thank you, Master. If that's all, it is time for this slave to begin dinner."

"Go ahead Slave. What are we having this evening?"

"Simple cooking, sir. Ground beef with onions, macaroni and cheese, steamed veggies."

"Sounds good. I'll be up in just a minute." Kari climbed upstairs. I powered down the exercise equipment and followed.

Kari came out of the kitchen, assumed her 'present' position, and raised her hand for permission to speak.

"Yes Slave, what is it?"

"Master, while this slave waits for the water to boil, would Master like it to prepare a drink?"

"Thank you, Slave. That's very thoughtful. But no. Perhaps after dinner while we listen to some music."

"Yes sir." Kari went back to the kitchen. I could hear her humming, but I couldn't identify the tune.

I watched as she set the table and then placed the food on the table. She came to the living room and once again assumed 'present' and raised her hand. "Yes?" I asked.

"Master, dinner is ready."

"Very good. It smells delicious." We walked out to the dining area and I sat down. Kari kneeled beside me in her usual spot. I served up the food and began eating; it tasted as good as it smelled. I fed Kari using a spoon after I spilled the first forkful across her chest. When I finished eating I sat back and burped. Kari stayed kneeling at my side; unusual because most times she was up and cleaning as soon as we finished eating.

I looked down at her and she raised her hand, "Remember Slave, you may speak freely while we're eating."

"Yes Master. Please sir, I want some more."

I glanced at her with surprise, "You've been reading Charles Dickens, haven't you?"

"Yes Master," She smiled and chewed on her bottom lip, "This slave has always wanted to say that line."

I fed her several more bites of beef and mac. "Thank you Master. This Slave is full now." Kari covered her mouth and tried to suppress a burp. She failed.

I went to the living room while Kari cleaned the kitchen. I had my phone out to check my e-mail when Kari finished and came to the living room. She yawned and stretched as she passed in front of me on her way to her rest pad.

"Want some music? Or TV?" I asked.

Kari kneeled in her corner and stretched again, "Music please, Master."

I selected another Beethoven symphony, "Be ready," I warned Kari, "This starts out loud and abrupt." Despite the warning, Kari jumped when the first two chords blasted out of my speakers; but she settled back and it wasn't long before she was nodding her head and tapping her hands in time with the music.

Midway through the third movement, my phone chimed an alarm. I read the message and smiled. I enjoyed the rest of the symphony. Even more, I enjoyed watching Kari enjoy the symphony.

"Wow!" Kari sighed as the music ended. "What was that?"

"Beethoven's 3rd, the 'Eroica.'"

"This slave can't decide which it likes best: the third or the ninth. Both are wonderful."

"It doesn't really matter, does it? One can't go wrong with either of them."

"Yes Master. Master? This slave thought it heard your phone ring?"

"Yeah. It was my calendar app reminding us that you're due for your third hair removal treatment tonight."

"Oh."

"Are you ready? You understand that after this third treatment, the hair loss is permanent?"

"This slave understands. It looks forward to not needing to shave or worrying about stubble when Master inspects it."

"Good. Go to your bathroom and get ready. I'll be right in." She took off silently. I shut down the sound system and cleaned and put away the album before I followed her down the hall.

When I got to Kari's bath she was already nude and standing in front of her medicine cabinet mirror. "Where is the lotion?" I asked her. She picked it up off the sink edge and handed it to me. "Wait...up," I ordered. She stood up straight with her legs slightly apart and arms up with wrists crossed above her head. "Nicely done Slave. I'm proud of you for remembering that. Are you ready?"

"Thank you, Master. Slave is ready." I took about 10 minutes to apply the gunk--from her hairline to her toes I covered every square inch. She ended up looking like a marble statue; I couldn't help laughing as I pulled out my phone and snapped a couple pictures.

"Master!" She whined. "That's embarrassing."

"Hush...and stay still." I caught movement in the mirror, "Slave, you'd better be licking your lips. Because if you're sticking your tongue out at me, I promise you'll regret it."

"Yes Master." She whispered, "My lips were very dry. This slave would never stick its tongue out at Master." The way she said it I knew that was exactly what she'd done. Like the first two treatments, by the time the prescribed 20 minutes had passed, Kari was getting fidgety.

"Okay, that's 20, go ahead and rinse yourself." Kari was in the shower and had the water running before I could finish speaking. I could hear her sigh of relief over the sound of the shower. I gave her five or six minutes to finish rinsing--while I stripped off my clothes. I saw her reach for her body wash and I slid open the door and stepped in behind her. She turned in surprise, "Let me help Slave."

I took the facecloth from her and doused it with bodywash. I washed her carefully from top to bottom, front and back. After she rinsed herself, I began washing her hair. I gently massaged the shampoo into her scalp. Her head lolled as she relaxed.

She reached behind herself and scratched her butt. As she did that, her hand brushed against my lengthening erection. She hesitated only a second before she stopped scratching herself and began softly stroking me. Without releasing me, she leaned forward, resting her head and forearm on the wall. She pulled me to her.

I slipped easily into her silky-smooth sex. She wiggled a bit to help me get the angle right, "Master, harder now!" She pleaded. I picked up the pace, I almost laughed at the absurd wet slapping sound of my front pounding against Kari's backside. I was fairly certain Kari climaxed without my permission; however, I was too involved with my own pleasures to really worry about it.

When Kari stopped shaking, I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her away from the wall. I tightened my grip and lifted her up so that we could turn and switch positions. I set Kari down again and turned her to face me. I leaned over and kissed her...repeatedly.

Outside the shower, we dried each other. I went back to my bathroom and combed my hair and brushed my teeth. It wasn't long before Kari marched in and went to her cage. She gathered her ankle cuff and chain and brought them to me. She dropped into 'floor' and waited as I secured her restraint. She shivered as I clicked the padlock.

"What's wrong Slave? Are you cold?"

"No Master. When you locked the cuff on its ankle, this slave had an orgasm without permission. It apologizes."

"I've warned you, repeatedly, about that. Stand up." She instantly came to attention in front of the bed. I sat on the edge of the bed, "I have to punish you. Get up on the bed and lay across my lap. Don't you dare forget to count."

I got as far as five hard slaps to each of her ass cheeks before she started shaking, "Master!" She cried, "Please, I'm almost cumming!" Six, seven, and eight followed, both her ass cheeks were flaming red. She was squirming and trying to control herself. Nine pushed her over the edge--she howled and shook; I felt her escaping moistness running down my thigh. I gave her one last very soft slap, "Ten, thank you Master!" She groaned and lay limp across my lap.

How, or maybe why, I wondered as I softly massaged her bottom, does a beautiful woman get sexual fulfillment from the discomfort of a spanking? I suddenly realized--I felt stupid that I'd taken so long--that everything I'd forced on her trying to dissuade her from her enslavement was actually arousing her and reinforcing her decision. And fuck me, but I was as hard as steel. I was aroused by her submission and the spankings I administered.