“Before we move on,” he said, “I need to know what happened in the garage whilst we watched the demo.”
“It’s been so long since I’ve had to delay my orgasm, Sir. I couldn’t hold it anymore.” She bit the inside of her cheek and hoped he understood.
“Did it once cross your mind to yellow if you thought I was pushing you to do something you didn’t think you could do?”
“No, Sir,” she said in a small voice. It hadn’t. Fuck, she was the worse submissive ever.
“You must learn to use your safe words, little one. Otherwise they are worthless. If you think for a minute I can attempt to slave train you without knowing with absolute certainty that you will use them, you are mistaken. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“Your next assignment is to write an essay, no word limit, on submission, its meaning, and how safe words enhance our play. This one will take some time, so you have a week. Do you have any questions?”
While before she dreaded writing assignments, this one actually sounded interesting. It would be insightful to explore her thoughts on safe words.
“No, Sir. I have no questions.”
“In that case, we’ll move on to your next lesson, which will take place in the garage playroom.”
Her chest tightened and her heart thumped wildly. It was almost as if two voices argued in her head. The playroom. He’s taking you to the playroom. The other one countered, This is Cole. You are safe.
“Sasha.” His one word banished the voices and grounded her. Tied her to him alone.
“Sir.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m going to explain everything. Do you trust me?”
She did. One hundred percent. No questions asked. “Yes, Sir.”
“I’ll keep you safe. Remind yourself of that fact.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“You will remain in the outfit you currently have on. I will not be attempting to get you into subspace because I need you with me mentally for the entire scene. Any questions so far?”
She’d never played with her clothes on. This would certainly be interesting. But she trusted Cole to know what he was doing. Her job was to simply obey and learn the lesson he was teaching her. “I have no questions, Sir.”
“I’m going to be touching you,” he said. “All over. And I’m not going to tell you beforehand. This is me giving you notice. If this troubles you in any way, let me know and I won’t do the scene.”
She took a few minutes to think about his words and their meaning. He was going to be touching her. All over. A few weeks ago, that would have been a hard limit, but now, knowing what she did of Cole, it no longer was. He would keep her safe. And more than that, she liked his hands on her. She wanted his hands on her.
“I have no problem with that, Sir.”
“I will also be pushing you harder than I have ever before and testing your limits. Again, this is your choice. If you feel uncomfortable, we won’t do it.”
She almost told him no, that it sounded like too much and she didn’t want him to push her and test her limits. But deep inside, in that quiet place she hid her secret desires, it was exactly what she wanted. And hadn’t she already confirmed she trusted him?
“I want to do it, Sir,” she said in a strong voice.
His smile chased away any lingering worries. “Very good, little one. I’m proud of you.”
She felt her face heat.
“I don’t normally give submissives choices about playroom time, but I’m making an exception here. I can either walk with you, meet you in there, or have you meet me.”
He was giving her a choice because he remembered the panic attack she’d had at the mention of Daniel’s playroom. She once again realized she had no reason to fear when she was with Cole. He knew her fears and he’d keep her safe.
“I would like for you to walk with me, Sir.”
His expression gave away nothing, but his reply was filled with approval. “With pleasure.” He held down a hand to her. “Come with me.”
She placed her hand in his and rose to her feet. Holding his hand, she felt more confident and she knew she’d made the right decision. They entered the garage and she took comfort in finding it unchanged since her last visit.
He led her to the middle of the garage where cuffs were mounted from the ceiling and adjusted her until her position met his approval. “Look at me,” he said. And when she met his eyes, Cole had been replaced by Master Johnson.
He buckled her wrists one at a time to the cuffs above her head. She focused on his face the entire time, breathing deeply and somehow keeping the panic at bay. He finished securing her and took a step back, once more meeting her eyes.
“I’m going to blindfold you, but before I do, tell me what you say if you need me to stop.” His gaze was steady and sure and gave her the courage to continue.
“Red, Sir.”
“If you’re scared, or starting to panic, I don’t want you to think twice or second-guess whether you should say it. You say it immediately, understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“If you’re a little uncomfortable and you need a minute to gather your thoughts or you feel like I’m going too fast, what do you say?”
“Yellow, Sir.”
“I’m placing an inordinate amount of trust in you. Do you understand the trust I have in you?”
It was the dichotomy of BDSM she’d never fully grasped until that moment. But standing in the playroom, bound by him, and at his mercy, it finally became clear that he had to trust her just as much as she trusted him.
“Your trust is not misplaced, Sir.”
“You give me your body for my pleasure, but in exchange, I give you my very soul. In dominating you, I expose a part of myself that is shown to very few. Tonight, I give that part of me to you for your keeping.”
The weight of his words caused her heart to tighten, and her eyes prickled with tears. “I will hold it most dear, Sir.”
“Thank you.” He ran a thumb across her cheekbone and whispered, “Close your eyes, Sasha.”
All her lingering doubts had fled and she closed her eyes, feeling nothing but contentment. Even when he fastened the blindfold around her head, there was only security in his touch.
“What color are you at, little one?”