Petal

I lost track of time. My knees throbbed and if I moved, it made it flare up. When that happened, I would groan and he would hold me closer, whispering soothing words. "Hush, petal, you're okay. Master will take care of you. We won't have to do that again."

"Yes, Master." My voice was shaky and I just took deep breaths.

"I didn't like watching you down there, little slave. I meant what I said on the first day. I don't have any desire to cause you pain. But sometimes pain is the best teacher."

"Yes, Master."

"Do you think you can walk yet, petal?"

"I don't know," I said, the thought sending a shiver down my spine.

"Let's give it a try. We can order Chinese for lunch, enough to have leftovers for dinner. And we can watch a movie on the loveseat. You can even pick."

"Yes, Master."

"Good girl, little slave."

"Thank you, Master."

He slid his arm out from under my head and stood up. He held out his hand and I took it. He wrapped his arm behind my shoulders and helped me sit. I swung my legs around slowly, noticing that the knees were a bit bruised and red, with a little swelling, but they didn't look too bad. At least the skin hadn't been cut.

He kept his hands on me as I stood, letting me lean on him. I groaned again. The pain kept me a bit off balance but at least I knew my legs would hold me. He kissed my temple. "Master's got you, petal. Just take your time."

I walked slowly out of the bedroom. He led me to the bathroom. "Let me know when you're done, petal. I don't want you walking far on your own right now. Have to take care of Master's property."

"Yes, Master."

He left and closed the door. Once I was done, I stood up and washed my hands. I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was a mess and my face was puffy. But I didn't really see that. I just saw the collar. I could unbuckle it. I could take it off and leave, James' debts be damned. No one would blame me.

I sighed. I touched the leather and ran my finger along the edge of the hoop. That's where the leashes went. The ones I went along with. I pulled my hair back in my hand and looked at myself again. The woman looking at me wasn't the same one who had signed the contract.

I opened the door. "Master? I'm done."

"Good." He came into the hallway from my room. He held out his arm and I hooked my elbow around his. We walked together into the living room. He set me on the loveseat and pulled out his phone. He sat next to me and tapped through screens.

"Here's the best Chinese food place in the area. Order enough to last through tonight. Anything you like."

"Yes, Master."

I scrolled through and found my usual favorites. I ordered sweet and sour chicken with pork fried rice and lo mein. Then I added egg rolls and some steamed dumplings. It was a lot, but for whatever reason, I was actually hungry.

I gave the phone back and he sent the order. He put the phone on the side table and held out his arm. "Put your head on my lap, Petal. Put your feet up on the end and relax."

"Yes, Master."

I did as he said and he put his hand on my shoulder, stroking my bicep over and over. He picked up the remote and said, "What do you want to watch? Your choice, remember."

"I don't know, Master. It doesn't really matter."

"What about a sci-fi movie? I know you like those."

I did. He was right. I could only assume James had told him. Along with all of my other preferences, like the shampoo. "Okay."

He turned on the television and picked a classic movie. He set the remote down and used that hand to slide his fingers through my hair. I sighed softly and pulled my fists up to my chin. I was cuddling into him again.

We stayed like that for a while. There was a knock on the door and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I was naked. Would he make me answer the door naked?

He smiled at me and got up. "Don't worry, petal. I don't share my slave that easily. I'll get the door."

He went to the door and I heard him exchange pleasantries with the delivery driver, taking two bags and laddering them up his arm. He closed the door and nodded his head toward the kitchen.

"I'll take care of this. Do you want to eat in here or at the table?"

"I think the table is better."

"Then wait there for me before you get up. I'll be right back."

"Yes, Master."

He went into the kitchen and I heard the rattling of the plastic bags. After a minute or so, he came back into the room and stood by the couch. He held out his hand and I took it. Once I was steady, we walked into the kitchen and to the table.

The food was good and there was definitely enough left to have leftovers. He cleared the table, putting the food boxes in the refrigerator and throwing away the paper plates and plastic forks. It was obvious he had lived alone for a while, but he was more than capable of taking care of himself.

Which meant he just liked watching me clean.

He turned back to me and put out his hand. I reached out and took it and stood up slowly. He watched me carefully and he had his free arm out, ready to catch me if need be. He pulled me close and hugged me to him.

"We're going to go back downstairs, petal. I want to give you a tour of my dungeon. And you will come into it with me."

"Yes, Master," I said, trembling just a bit.

We walked side by side and he went down the stairs first. I walked slowly but followed him. Each step took me closer to the dungeon. But I made myself keep going. The skin on my knees stung, and I was more scared of the rice than anything else.

We walked through the laundry room and I avoided looking at the hourglass on the washer. We went into his office and he squeezed my shoulders. "Ready, petal?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good girl. Good little slave."

"Thank you, Master."

We turned sideways and walked into the dungeon, me only half a step or so behind. The floor was sealed wood and my feet were at least steady on it. I made myself keep my eyes up and looked around, my heart pounding at the various sights.

"Do you know what this is, little slave?" he asked, gesturing to a large wooden contraption in the shape of an X.

"No, Master."

"It's called a Saint Andrew's Cross. Come look closer."

He led me to stand next to it. He pointed to the top and the restraints hanging from the bars. "One day, I will bind you to my cross. Your hands will be above your head, and your ankles will be far apart, holding your legs wide open. You won't be able to stop me from touching you, or using you, any way I see fit."

I shivered and he laughed. He squeezed my shoulders again and brought me over to a large rack with various instruments hanging off of it. He took a leather paddle off and held it in front of my face.

"This is one of my favorites. Has some wonderful sting to it."

I swallowed hard. "Yes, Master."

He laughed again. "Don't worry, petal. You will come to need it."

He led me a bit further across the room, pointing with the paddle up to the ceiling. "Some hooks. Good for hanging you from your wrists... Maybe with some spreaders to keep my pussy exposed and accessible. Think about that for a moment. How would you feel, knowing you had no escape? Unable to move while I toyed with you?"

"I... I don't know, Master."

He leaned in to lick my earlobe. He ran the paddle over my nipples then my stomach, making his way down my body. I sucked in my breath as he tapped my mound with it. "How do you feel now, then, little slave?"

"I'm scared, Master."

"Anything else?"

He moved his arm down further and slid a finger into his pussy, holding the paddle with the others. I gasped as I realized how easily it went inside. I was wet. Somehow, even after the rice, in a room surrounded by things that I didn't understand that could very easily be used to cause me pain, I was wet.

He nipped my ear and pumped his finger in and out a few times before taking it back out. He brought his hand up, the paddle in front of my face, and ran his wet finger over my lips. "Lick me clean, girl. Taste your juices on me. Feel how aroused you are in my dungeon."

I licked his finger. It wasn't the first time I'd ever tasted my own fluids, of course, but this felt different. I had been that wet when I hadn't even known it. My body had essentially betrayed me.

Once his finger was clean, he dropped his hand and led me further into the room. He didn't speak. He just let me look at the manacles attached to the wall. I knew what he would use them for, but I still couldn't imagine what it would feel like to be locked into them.

Finally he led me to something close to the door. I looked at it, not really sure what to make of it. After a few seconds, he laughed and walked closer to it. "Do you know what this is, petal?"

"No, Master, I don't think so."

"It's my spanking bench. You just drape yourself over it and I buckle you on. Then, I can have fun with you."

I looked at it again, seeing how it would leave me completely open. It was black metal with black padding on where it looked like I would rest my belly, shins, and forearms. It had black and silver buckles that hung open like hungry mouths.

"You're trembling, petal. Come closer. Just touch it."

"Yes, Master."

We stood next to it and I stretched out a hand, watching it shake as it lingered in the air over the largest padding. "Touch it, girl. It won't bite," he whispered into my ear, squeezing my shoulders tightly.

I lowered my hand onto it and the padding pressed into my palm. It was smooth and had some give to it. It was some sort of vinyl material, which made sense as I could only imagine how much sweat and God knew what else would get onto it. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Good girl."

"Thank you, Master."

He squeezed my shoulders again and kissed my temple. "Let's go back upstairs. We can come back down here later after dinner."

"Yes, Master."

We left the dungeon together. He put the paddle on his desk on his way by before turning off the lights and closing the door to his office behind him. We went up the stairs, me in front this time so he could spot me from behind in case my legs decided to give out on me.

"Let's go to the bedroom. I think we could both use a nap."

"Yes, Master."

We laid on top of the blankets and he wrapped himself around me, holding me close. My body and mind slowly relaxed and I let my eyes close. "I chose so well, petal."

"Thank you, Master."