Limits

Once Lucy had left, Karen rinsed out the teacups, left them to dry on the draining board and took herself off upstairs to bed. As she undid her blouse, the lack of bra underneath brought back to her how she had been dressed all day; how she had broken the taboo and got away with it. She unzipped her skirt and let that slip to the floor and stood, stark naked, in front of the mirror. She wondered what Jude found so attractive in her awkward body. To Karen's eyes it was lumpy where it should have been flat and flat where it should have been curved but Jude didn't seem to mind, far from. With a little sigh she stopped gazing at herself, reached down and picked up her dress to toss it in the washing basket before getting out her flannelette nightie and putting it on.

Ten minutes later she had washed her face and brushed her teeth and was tucked up in bed with the lights out but, somehow, sleep wouldn't come. Her mind kept going back to the last time she had been there. She felt a physical hunger for Jude's presence. She told herself not to be silly, not to be so self-indulgent, but the memories were so vivid she could almost feel Jude's touch upon her skin and her body ached with want so much that sleep simply wouldn't come. Unthinking, she pulled up the hem of her nightie, and her hand slipped between her thighs.

And then she remembered what Jude had said only that lunchtime. She played back in her head Jude's voice on the phone; you're not to do anything about it. You're not allowed to play with yourself unless I specifically tell you to. Is that quite understood? At lunchtime this had been almost meaningless; at that point she had had no intention of indulging in what her mother used to call self-abuse but now, alone, in the dark, she was experiencing desires that had never really bothered her before. Disobedience wasn't really an option with 'Mistress' Jude but surely it didn't really count if she just lay there and her hand just rested, just gently, just....

Still sleep wouldn't come. As her fingertips traced gently back and forth through her pubic hair she wondered what Jude was doing; was she out on the beat catching criminals or driving about in a squad car? For all that she and Jude had talked and talked she still didn't really know how she spent her days, or in this case nights. She wondered what Jude would look like in uniform and had a sudden urge to find out. She knew that the modern police uniform was far from flattering but surely Jude would look good; she'd look good in anything. As she lay there in the quiet of the night she heard the clock in the lounge strike twelve and realised that she had been in bed unable to sleep for the best part of an hour. Idly she did the sums in her head. Jude had said that she went on duty "late afternoon"; if she made a guess at a four o'clock start then that meant that an eight hour shift would just be ending. She'd be back in the station, getting changed.

And then it came to Karen. Her new phone, her gift from Jude, she could use it to call her. Would Jude mind? Would she be cross? Would she think Karen pushy, or worse still, needy? In the gloom of her bedroom she could just make out her handbag where it lay on the dressing table. The phone was inside her handbag; it wouldn't take much to get it. Unable to stop herself Karen, without putting on the light, slipped out from under the covers, went over to her dressing table, grabbed the phone from her handbag and snuck back to bed. As soon as she pressed one of the buttons it lit up like a Christmas tree and it was simplicity itself to use in the dark. She opened up the address book, she pressed the right keys, she held the phone to her ear, listening to it ring, and ring, and ring, and....

Urgently she stabbed at the buttons until she cancelled the call. How could she have been so stupid; of course Jude wouldn't want to talk to her, not when she was working. She'd just have to wait and stop behaving like a schoolgirl with a crush. The lights on the phone faded and Karen just lay there grateful that she'd avoided making such a fool of herself. And then, just as the panic was abating and her heartbeat was returning to normal, the phone burst back into life and the sounds of 'Constant Craving' filled the bedroom. Karen looked at the screen which, inevitably, showed the words 'Mistress Jude' and, dreading the consequences, she pressed the answer button.

"Hello," she said nervously.

"Hi, it's Jude. I've got a missed call from you."

"Yes, I... I...." Karen stuttered unable to explain the impulse.

"Are you OK?" Jude asked, her voice full of concern.

"I'm fine," Karen reassured Jude. "I just thought I'd... I just thought I'd phone to say goodnight." There, that was innocent enough.

"Oh, hun!" Jude exclaimed, obviously delighted. "I miss you too. Are you in bed?"

"Yes."

"Ooh, how I wish I were right there beside you. I'd come on over this instant, except my shift doesn't end for another hour and you need to get up in the morning. So, my little sleepy head, are you naked?"

"No, I'm wearing my nightie."

"A nightie, how deliciously old fashioned! Sometime soon I want to see you in it but right now I want you to get naked so you had best take it off. Will you do that for me?" Jude urged. Jude heard a moment of two of rustling as Karen took off her nightie before she got back to the phone. "Have you done it? Have you taken it off?"

"Yes, Mistress," Karen replied. Now that she was naked it seemed natural to slip into calling Jude 'Mistress'.

"If I were there with you I'd snuggle right up next to you and I'd stroke those gorgeous breasts of yours, maybe give them a kiss or two. Do that for me, play with your breasts." Jude waited as Karen clamped the phone under her chin and a little sigh let her know that Karen was doing as she was told. "Are you doing it?" she asked, "are your nipples getting firm."

"Ummmm," Karen purred in response.

"Do you like me kissing your breasts? Shall I bite them? Shall I bite your hard little nipples? Shall I?"

"Oh, yes please, Mistress," Karen sighed.

"And while I'm nibbling your nipples what's my hand doing, where is it?"

"It's down there, Mistress, down between my thighs."

"Down where?" Jude queried.

"Between my thighs," Karen repeated.

"Be more specific. Where between your thighs?" Jude asked firmly.

"It's playing with my...," Karen's shyness cut in whenever she was talking about 'down there', it wasn't a subject for 'nice' girls and, even now, and it was hard for her to say the words. "It's playing with my... my slit, Mistress." There, she'd done it and it was deliciously liberating to 'talk dirty' like that.

"And what's it doing?" Jude went on.

"Playing with me, oh, Mistress, please, please may I...." Karen hadn't realised how worked up she had been even before the call and now Jude's words were going straight to the core of her being and she was fast losing control.

"Please may you what?" Jude of course knew perfectly well what Karen wanted but she was insisting on hearing the words.

"Please may I play with myself?" Once again there was that thrill, this time even more so, but when talking to Jude it was somehow easy.

"Only naughty, naughty little girls play with themselves." Jude spoke as if talking to a five year old. "Are you a naughty little girl?"

"Yes, Mistress. Please, Mistress," Karen gasped. Her right hand had moved down to her lower stomach and she was rubbing in circles whilst she had her legs clamped together trying to get whatever pressure she could to bear without actually touching, without actually breaking the rules that Jude had laid down.

"And does my naughty little girl deserve a spanking, or maybe something more severe?" Jude continued.

"I don't know, Mistress," Karen confessed. "More severe?"

"I've got a school cane at home, nice and whippy. Maybe that might sort out your dirty little habits."

"I'm not sure, Mistress," Karen replied, both scared and thrilled by the thought of the cane. "I couldn't take too much pain."

"You'll take what you're given, young lady," Jude snapped.

"Tango Delta Seven. Tango Delta Seven. Come in Tango Delta Seven." Even over the phone Karen clearly heard the sounds of a radio in the background.

"This is Tango Delta Seven," she heard Jude reply.

"RTA on the corner of Church Street and Maple Avenue," the radio continued.

"On my way," Jude replied.

"That's it I'm afraid. Duty calls. Goodnight my darling. I have to be off." Jude said suddenly normal.

"But what about...?" Karen gasped. The radio in the background had been like a bucket of cold water thrown over her but she still had unresolved needs.

"That will have to wait until Friday and if I find out that you couldn't wait...." Jude said left the threat hanging. "Now say goodnight. I really do have to go."

"Goodnight, Mistress," Karen said meekly.

"Goodnight, my lover. I'll call you tomorrow lunch time."

And with that the phone went dead. Karen stared at it for a moment in disbelief but there was no denying that Jude did have to go and that their phone call had to end. However, for all the frustration with the call being cut short, Jude's pleasure at being called in the first place was self evident, and not just so that they could talk dirty. She had obviously been delighted that Karen had wanted to call. This reassurance did much to settle Karen and, despite her increased frustration, she found herself drifting off at last.

The next morning Karen went through her morning routine as usual until, when it came to time to get dressed and she found herself reaching for her panties drawer, she stopped. She knew that she would be on the phone with Jude that lunchtime and she knew that the question of whether she was wearing panties was bound to come up. But it wasn't just the potential for awkward questions at lunchtime; there were other forces in play as well. Firstly there was a desire to please Jude, to show that she would play along with the game, or whatever this was that they had got involved with. On another level there was the undoubted pleasure of being "naughty", of knowing that, were her mother still alive, she would have been shocked to the core by the very thought. I mean, what would the neighbours say? The conflict between Jude's rules and the rules she had been brought up by generated a rebellious spark within her and, smiling to herself, she shut the drawer again.

All through the day, in all sorts of ways, Karen found herself thinking of Jude. She seemed to be constantly aware of her body and of the unresolved tensions that Jude had left her with. Although she wasn't overly endowed, and going without a bra wasn't uncomfortable, she still found herself constantly aware of the touch of her dress against her nipples. Never before had they seemed so sensitive. And first thing, as she had walked to the bus stop, the way the cool morning air circulated around her bare legs was a reminder, as if she really needed one, of how she was naked under her dress. And then to cap it all there was the phone call. Come lunchtime she was first away from her desk and off to the park, anxious to be settled before Jude called her. By the time she returned to the office, barely making it back to her desk before the appointed time, she was once again hot and flustered but strangely elated.

That evening, her mobile became a time bomb. During their lunchtime call, Jude had told her that she would be phoning 'to say goodnight' but she couldn't say when, as she didn't know when she would be free. Time and time again, as she sat in front of the telly, Karen checked the phone, checked that she was getting a signal, checked that it was fully charged, checked that there were no missed calls Not that there could have been as it had never left her side. At ten thirty she took herself to bed, this time foregoing the nightie. It was nigh on midnight before Jude finally did ring and, once again, there was that mixture of concern and outrageous demands. Jude, having ascertained that Karen was in bed naked and that the lights were out, ordered her to go and stand in front of the window and open the curtains. In the deep shadow of the darkened room she probably wasn't that visible but it was possibly the most nerve wracking ten minutes of her life. When a late night dog walker went by Karen thought she would die of shame but, with Jude ignoring her pleas and ordering her not only to stay but to play with herself as she did so. Karen obeyed, remaining at the window throughout and, as the man passed without an upward glance, she was finally able to breathe again.

Afterwards, as Karen lay in bed, she was still shocked and unnerved by what Jude had made her do. She had felt so naked, so exposed; dammit she had been naked and exposed and it was only good fortune that she hadn't been spotted. One glance, just one glance in the wrong direction and the dog walker would have seen her. Although her rational self realised that the danger hadn't been too great, she had been mostly in shadow and her hand had been below the level of the window sill, it didn't feel like that. She might as well have been standing in the street for all to see. Whatever would the dog walker have thought of her, parading herself about as if... as if.... Even now that it was all over, the shame of what she had done made her cheeks burn. How could she have been such a trollop?

And that was the big question. Whist she had been there, pleading with Jude to allow her to stop, to step back from the window, to close the curtains, the only thing that had really kept her there was her. For all that she had been on the verge of tears, for all that she had denied repeatedly Jude's repeated assertions that she was loving every minute of it, secretly she had been thrilled. The shame and embarrassment had been matched by an excitement, an excitement both physical and emotional, an excitement she was getting all to used to, an excitement she was fast becoming addicted to. Sure she needed Jude to push her; without Jude she would never have had the nerve to stand like that, but it was like a drug, a drug that lured her in and was dangerously addictive.

By the time Friday rolled around Karen was in a complete tizz. As she had gone through her morning routine she had carefully chosen her prettiest frock to wear. It had a bodice that buttoned down the front and, as she fastened the buttons she couldn't help but think of Jude undoing them later. Then she packed a small overnight bag; she didn't need much, just her wash things and a couple of changes of clothes. She wondered if she should pack some underwear but, after a few minutes calculation on her diary to double check, she knew she wouldn't need any. Then, locking the door carefully behind her, she set off to work. She was, as ever, first in the office so she was able to slip her bag underneath her desk where it wouldn't be noticed. However, when she tried to settle down to work the day just seemed to drag on and on and she had difficulty concentrating on anything. A text from Jude cancelling their lunchtime phone call didn't help much and, come lunchtime, she decided to forego the park and sat at the rest area eating her sandwiches when Mel wandered over.

"Hi, Karen," she said as she approached, "you're all dressed up today. Got a date tonight, have we?" Karen blushed and dropped her head but that wasn't enough to put Mel off. "It seems to me I saw an overnight bag tucked under your desk. Is someone staying out tonight? Has our Jude got lucky?"

"Please, Mel!" Karen protested.

"I'll take that as a 'yes', then," Mel laughed. "But seriously, good on ya, and don't forget to phone Lucy with all the gossip on Monday, then she can pass it on to me."

Karen was once again going to protest but, when she looked up at Mel, she could see that it was well meant and that Mel's joshing was friendly, not mean spirited. "Maybe I am seeing someone tonight," she admitted.

"Oooh, you little devil," Mel said, still laughing. "Still, that means we may well see each other later. We all tend to meet up down at the club and hang out together, or maybe she has more important things to do."

"I'm not sure what she's planned."

"Well, we'll have to see then, won't we. Catch you later," and, with that, Mel was off out to the pub for the Friday lunchtime session with the rest of the girls.

If the morning had dragged then so too did the afternoon. At four o'clock, just as Karen was starting to pack up for the weekend, Susan, her team leader, came over to discuss the finer details of that month's figures and Karen had to feign interest. Susan seemed in no hurry to leave and, as four thirty came and went, she droned on and on about productivity targets and how they were not being met. Karen couldn't help but keep glancing at the clock, which, now that work was officially over, was starting to race ahead. It was nigh on five when Susan commented that she didn't seem to have Karen's full attention.

"I'm sorry, Susan," Karen replied. "I'm meeting someone after work and I don't want to keep them waiting too long."

"I suppose we had better wrap this up then," Susan responded crossly. "However, I hope I've made my point. We expect far more from this team than it is providing and, as team leader, it's your responsibility to ensure that targets are met. We've turned a blind eye for quite a while but it can't go on forever. This whole team needs to pull its socks up."

"Yes, yes, I can see that," Karen replied meekly.

"Good. because I will be keeping an eye on you," and, with the knowledge that she had done a successful job of bullying, Susan strode off back to her office.

As soon as she had gone Karen logged out of her computer, grabbed her bag from beneath her desk and rushed off out of the building. What if Jude wasn't there? What if she had given up on waiting? What if she had been and gone? As Karen emerged from the front doors, her heart leapt and she gave a huge sigh of relief. There, standing patiently on the other side of the road was Jude. Until this point Karen hadn't realised just how much she wanted to be with her, just how much simply seeing her made her pulse race. With barely a glance at the traffic, Karen rushed over and straight into Jude's waiting arms.

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Karen said as they broke from their hug. "Bloody Susan just went on and on about those stupid figures."

"You poor thing," Jude replied. "I hope she didn't upset you too much. Now let's put work behind us and get on with having some fun. Is that your bag?" Jude stretched out her hand and took the overnight bag from Karen. "I'm parked up in the multi-storey. Come along," and taking Karen by the hand, she led her away.

Jude's car, when they got there, was parked in a quiet corner of the car park. Jude shepherded Karen round to the passenger side and held the door open for her. These simple actions made Karen feel cared for and protected. Jude was, in many ways, more of a gentleman than most of the men Karen had ever met. Jude put Karen's bag in the boot and went round to the driver's side and got in but, instead of pulling off directly she turned and looked Karen up and down.

"Is slave 'k' dressed correctly?" She asked, a big smile on her face.

"Err... Yes, Mistress," Karen replied. She had forgotten that 'k' was her 'slave' name.

"Show me then."

"What?"

"Show me. Lift up the hem of your dress and show me." Jude was beginning to sound impatient.

"What? Here?"

"It would seem that I need to get some things straight right from the start. I do not expect to have to ask three times, nor do I expect to have my orders questioned." Jude was calmly angry. "Now, I'm being easy on you because you're new to this but I don't expect to have to ask again. Lift up the hem of your dress and show me that you are properly attired."