Loving Authority Ch 01

Chapter 1 - Golden Couple

In the outskirts of London, Mark and Emily lived in a tall townhouse off the High Street. They'd met ten years ago at university; Mark had been in his final year studying law and had volunteered to help at the Fresher's Fair when Emily, a first year medical student, had bounced up to the Drama Society stall and signed up her name. Immediately smitten, Mark had copied down her number and uncharacteristically, had messaged her that same night to suggest meeting for coffee. Obviously, Emily had politely declined -- she had a boyfriend back home, and had no recollection of the 'guy at the drama stall', as Mark had unflatteringly described himself. She certainly didn't want to go for a drink with some random man she couldn't even remember, and she didn't reply to the subsequent drama club emails. That was almost the end of their story.

Six months later, Emily had queued behind Mark at the library café. She didn't recognise him -- she'd barely even met him after all, and drama club was long forgotten in the whirl of other activities all first years get involved in. But Mark had been acutely aware of the beautiful woman queuing behind him. As he reached the front of the queue, Mark had turned to ask - ever so courteously - if he could buy her that coffee. And now Emily really noticed him. A full head taller than her, dark hair and toned, there was a polite but quiet confidence about him.

Emily's love life in the previous six months had not been kind to her. Her previous boyfriend had dumped her in that first week. She'd been on one date since with a boy who'd turned out to be a member of the University "Assassin's Guild" -- a role playing club where members wasted enormous amounts of time stalking other players and pretending to murder them in outlandish style. She hadn't been able to see past his personality quirks and sartorial choices (a flat cap paired with trainers), and she had not arranged to meet him again.

And now a handsome man was asking to buy her a coffee. Her answer was a slightly shy

"thank you, that's really nice of you"

, and they had been inseparable ever since. Now they'd been together for over ten years, and married for two.

Mark job demanded precision, and he worked hard for his clients. With hard work came a decent salary and a level of comfort, and when he wasn't working, he was a loving and attentive husband. His hair was always neatly combed, and his sharp suits for the office gave way to well-cut jeans with a fitted shirt at home. He had an air of assuredness and security about him that Emily had found irresistible from the outset.

Emily was the centre of Mark's world. She was undeniably beautiful, and whenever they were together people seemed to gravitate towards her to be met with a smile and friendly conversation. Emily seemed almost unaware of the effect she had on people around her, even though she was one of those rare souls who could charm any man, woman or child with her quick wit and soft laugh. Her medical studies had led to a fledgling career as a paediatric doctor, and she now worked at the nearby teaching hospital with all manner of experts and leaders in paediatric healthcare.

She had a natural affinity for caring for children and their families, and she brought a sense of energy and positivity to the wards, where her days were filled with the mix of laughter and tears familiar to anyone working with sick kids. With her gentle smile and eyes that sparkled at the first hint of fun, she brought light to everything she touched. When her patients were bored, she'd try and liven up their young lives with a game of hide-and-seek on the ward -- much to the horror of the matron, who would complain about finding girls and boys peeping out from under their beds only days after surgery. The culprit was easy to spot, as Emily herself would be found hiding like one of the children, giggling with unstoppable energy when she was caught by one of the braver kids.

Their wedding had been a grand affair, held at a local church and hotel with 100 guests. They'd used modern wedding vows, promising "to love and to cherish" without any need to "obey"; their relationship was one of equality. Whenever Mark cooked, Emily would clear away the dishes. When they went running, Mark would slow his pace to match hers, and Emily refused to accept she was any less capable at DIY, grabbing the drill from Mark's hands whenever a wardrobe needed assembly.

Although they were true equals, it didn't stop them relishing their traditional gender roles. Emily was effortlessly, proudly feminine. Her gently wavy hair framed her oval face, and her tanned complexion meant her eyes looked striking with only the lightest coat of mascara on her naturally dark lashes. Her style varied from day-to-day, as she switched from hospital scrubs to jeans to a summer dress. Her figure was the source of much admiration (and some jealousy) amongst her friends -- she looked good in almost any outfit, and looked truly stunning when she chose to wear a body-hugging dress, her curves in perfect proportion.

Mark wasn't exactly a 'lad's lad', but his height and deep voice meant no one could confuse him for anything other than the man of the house. He was no push over and was quick to offer his firm opinion in court, but he was caring and gentle with Emily, only ever raising a smile for her, and never his voice.

On the night of the first of June, Mark and Emily were to attend their first 'Partner's Dinner', held by Mark's firm at a fancy country hotel a short drive away. The whole office attended this annual party, from secretary to Senior Partner, and this year promised to be a particularly decadent occasion as revenue had hit an all-time high. Only Partners were permitted to bring their boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands and wives. Mark had been promoted to Junior Partner the previous year; many of Mark's colleagues had met Emily before, but formally attending together and sitting as a couple at the head table was a big deal.

Mark picked out his favourite suit from the wardrobe and began to dress for the evening ahead. Emily rolled her eyes at the minimal thought that went into selecting his outfit; she had spent weeks agonising over what to wear herself and had started getting ready hours ago. She had spotted her dress at a local boutique -- a one-of-a-kind shop that had amazing pieces, if you could stomach the price tag. Emily had found the most perfect dress she'd ever seen. A backless halterneck dress in shimmery teal satin, she knew the moment she saw her reflection in the shop mirror that she'd found the one. Now in her own bedroom, she stepped into the dress and pulled the fabric up her body. Mark turned to ask her to help with his cuff links and stopped mid-sentence, his breath literally taken away.

"Wow, Em," he stuttered. "You look amazing!" Emily smiled and acknowledged his compliment with a tilt of her head. She knew she looked good in this dress, but it was always nice to hear that Mark thought so too. She stood in front of the mirror to check her hair, and became aware of Mark still staring at her. Turning towards him, she took a few steps forward and rested her hands on his chest.

"Like what you see?" she asked, the corner of her mouth turning into a smile.

"You look incredible Em," Mark said, leaning in to kiss her. With a squeak and a gentle shove, Emily pushed him away.

"I've just put on my lip gloss," she laughed. "You'll have to wait until later!"

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the hotel and stepped out of their car. A throng of Mark's work colleagues stood in the hotel's grand lobby, sipping champagne from tall flutes and chatting to one another as waiters walked past, offering canapés and top-ups. The moment Mark and Emily they walked into the room together, a hush fell over the crowd as every eye was drawn to the beautiful couple entering the room. The hubbub soon picked up again, but the impression they had made was unmistakable. Person after person came up to greet them, ostensibly to shake Mark by the hand and congratulate him on his promotion, but also to meet Emily and bask in the aura that emanated from the golden couple. The other partners were like moths drawn to a flame, and kept returning to be near Emily, offering jokes or offers of drink refills as an excuse for their latest reappearance. Emily, graceful and friendly, pretended not to notice and laughed on cue, even when she heard the same anecdote told twice.

The evening was a triumph, and as they drove home later that night, Emily and Mark roared with laughter as they remembered how Mark's boss had drunkenly fallen asleep at the edge of the dance floor, with his wife desperately trying to deflect attention and stop anyone from noticing.

Finally home, they undressed and climbed into bed together. Both were exhausted, but neither had forgotten the attraction they'd felt towards each when they'd been dressed up in their finery, and the surge of desire that they'd felt earlier that evening was rekindled. The rolled to face each other in the bed and kissed tenderly. Gently pushing Emily's shoulder back, Mark rolled over and lifted himself up on his elbows to lie on top of her. Emily wrapped her arms around Mark's neck and looked deep into his eyes as she spread her legs and allowed him to enter her. Reaching out to the bedside, Mark flicked off the lamp as they started to make love.

*******

Beneath their genuine happiness and contentment, Mark yearned for a spark to ignite their love life and to infuse their routine with a sense of excitement. For several months, he had been visiting websites that discussed the dynamics of a 'female-led relationship', and had become fascinated with the idea of allowing Emily to assert herself over him.

He'd played with the idea of domination and submission in his mind for years, and had never imagined anything other than being the one 'in charge'. Unfortunately, Emily had never expressed any hint of interest in playing along with his fantasies, and they continued in their conventional and somewhat vanilla relationship. Whenever he'd tried to introduce some suggestion of power play in the bedroom -- suggesting he tied her up, or playfully smacking her backside -- she would laugh it off and change the subject. She'd refused point-blank to perform oral sex on him since they'd been married, saying it tasted disgusting and felt degrading -- so he'd given up any hope of an evening of pushing their boundaries.

Recently, something about handing over control to Emily had clicked in his mind. According to the website, this was a common desire amongst men, especially those with a powerful careers and stressful jobs, as it allowed them a sense of release or relaxation away from decision-making at work. When alone, Mark found himself drawn to online stories about female domination. These stories ignited in him a yearning, a fantasy of being under Emily's command, but he was too nervous about her response to openly discuss his desires with her, and FLR had remained his private dream.

As Emily's 30th birthday approached, Mark saw an opportunity to introduce some spice into their relationship. He was unsure of how to bridge the gap between his imagination and their reality -- he wanted to find something that wouldn't frighten her off and close down the conversation, but perhaps he could find a playful gift that hinted at his hidden desires. He spent evenings browsing through online stores, his mind racing with possibilities. Yet, he was cautious. The gift had to be just right -- not too overt, and something he could make a joke of if she was horrified. Would Emily understand? There was a realistic chance of her rejecting his idea outright, or worse, rejecting him.

His search led him to a discreet website offering an array of dubious options. A lot of the stuff on offer was plain weird, and Mark wondered who in their right mind would buy it -- he immediately discounted most items either through his own pride, or dread at the thought of introducing them to Emily. Among the gentler options, a male chastity device caught his attention. There were hundreds of styles, but they mostly had a similar design; a ring that slotted around the base of the penis behind the testicles, and a curved tube into which the soft penis was introduced. The ring and the tube fastened together in such a way that once put on, the wearer could not get an erection as the tube always held the penis in a curved position, and pointing downwards; it simply wasn't possible to 'get it up'. The devices usually had some sort of lock, and the wearer was encouraged to hand the keys over to a trusted partner. No time limit seemed to be mentioned, and Mark assumed each device could be worn for a few hours without too many problems as most designs had well placed holes or a mesh construction to allow the wearer to use the toilet and wash. The prospect of surrendering to Emily for a night intrigued him. With a sense of nervous anticipation, Mark discreetly ordered one of the simpler devices, ensuring it arrived in a plain and unassuming box to cloak its contents.

It arrived within a few days, and Mark waited for Emily to leave for work before opening the package. He'd selected a metal design, with a simple ring and 'cage' style tube. He slipped down his trousers and tried it on for size. He could just manage to push each individual testicle through the ring, and once in position it sat snugly against his body. The ring couldn't be pulled off easily as the mass of his 'family jewels' prevented it moving much at all; only rearranging himself and carefully slotting one testicle at a time back through the ring would allow escape. Once the tube was locked to the ring, Mark could see that the ring would be held close to the body with both testicles held tight together, completely preventing the wearer from working himself free. The thought of Emily being involved in this scenario got Mark quite excited, which then made getting his cock into the cage impossible until his erection subsided - but eventually, he was able to proceed with the full installation. Working quickly, he finally managed to slip the cage on and secured it to the ring with a simple padlock. Almost immediately, he felt blood surge into his groin once more, but with the cage in position his penis was held firmly down. He watched as his body within the cage, bursting to get out but unable to break free. Surprisingly, it wasn't uncomfortable, and after a few moments' inspection, he pulled up his trousers and got on with his day.

As the hours wore on, Mark remained acutely aware of his restriction, but counter-intuitively he found the inability to touch himself or to develop an erection a huge turn-on. He even forgot about the device every so often as he concentrated on a work email. The only issue he encountered was having to sit down to use the toilet. Overall, the day proved to be quite a distracted one, but the device itself was a success. Reluctantly, Mark removed it that afternoon before Emily returned from work, and packed it back away in its box for safe-keeping.

The days counted down to Emily's birthday, and Mark's anticipation grew. He found himself torn between excitement and anxiety. The unassuming package was now buried in his sock drawer, a silent witness to Mark's hopes and fears. The question remained: how would Emily react to this supposed 'joke' present and nudge towards a world that Mark wanted to explore?