Assumed Master (16 page)

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"Master?
Master, wake up."
Blake’s voice drew Dante back to reality as the haze of sleep slowly fell away.

"What time is it?" Dante asked,
rolling a bit and rubbing one eye.

He glanced at Julie who still slept. She was
probably hungry and thirsty and didn’t even know it. It wasn’t his habit to
fall asleep with his sub unattended after a session. He mentally kicked himself
and vowed not to make it a habit with her.

"It’s past noon," Blake informed
him. "What can I do for you?"

"She’s going to need to eat…and she was
working on a chicken."

"That’s taken care of and I have lunch
ready. Does this mean we’re going to Savannah, Master?" he asked, sitting
on the side of the bed and gazing at Julie who was now stirring a bit.

"Where are we going?" she mumbled,
stretching and turning to her back.

"Savannah," Dante said, sitting and
taking the bottle of water Blake stuck out at him. "Drink, sleepyhead."
He offered the bottle to her and she drew deeply from it before handing it
back.

"What are we going there for?" she
asked over a yawn.

"To introduce you to the fine art
of pain, love."

"What?"

"Allen’s going to helps us
find
our limits. I have a feeling you can go much, much
further than that lame spanking I gave you earlier." Dante brushed the
hair off her forehead and gave her the water again. "We’re going to stay
at the house he has there and he’ll be meeting us. I’ve never been to one of
his Savannah parties, but I’ve heard he has quite the dungeon set up there. I
think it would be better to explore all this somewhere else."

"Have you ever played with violet wands?"
She seemed to take a sudden interest in the possibilities and sat up, looking
quite excited. "Electricity has always fascinated me."

"Well, this should be interesting,"
Blake mumbled and rose. "Does anyone want a shower before their ham
sandwiches?"

Chapter Fourteen

"Gavril, try not to let your feelings run
away from your common sense this week. Okay?" Julie squeezed the boy’s
hand and gave him a half smile. "I know Papi said not to bother me this
week, that
I need a vacation, but if you need me…"

"Don’t worry, Mom. I promise to remember
to think before I act. And if my hormones win the fight, I have the whole box,"
Gavril leaned in and whispered. "Have a good week. You do need a vacation."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

With that Gavril snatched his duffle from the
front porch and went down the drive to finish loading his things into
Danielle’s parent’s SUV. Luc lingered a bit before wrapping his arms around
Julie and squeezing.

"I’ll keep an eye on him," he
assured her. "Try not to obsess about it. Have fun in Savannah. I hear there
are plenty of places to carb up down there."

Julie couldn’t help but laugh. Luc understood
things a grown man couldn’t wrap his head around at times. "Son, one day
you’re going to make some woman very happy."

"I love you, Mom."

"Love you, too. Have fun and be careful."
Julie waved as Luc trotted off toward the car. "Please…"

She wondered as she watched the car pull away
if this was what it felt like to send a five year old off to kindergarten for
the first time. A dull ache resonated in her breast as the SUV made its way
down the street out of sight.

"They’ll be fine," Dante told her,
coming onto the porch. "They’ve been skiing before, you know that. They’re
pretty good at it, too."

"You know,
dear
. I find it extremely odd you’re more worried about Gav getting
some girl pregnant that him breaking a limb or whacking his head." She
draped her arms around her middle and pouted her trembling lower lip. "I
don’t want them hurt."

"Spoken like a true mom." Dante
enveloped her in his arms and drew her close, kissing her soundly on the lips. "Is
your bag packed? Allen’s expecting us for dinner. He made reservations. If
we’re going to make it we need to get a move on." In emphasis, he ran a
hand down and slapped her bottom bringing a welcome heated sting to the
surface.

"Take it inside where my kids can’t see
you, you freaks!"

Julie spun around just as the neighbor pulled
into his drive-way, rolling his window back up after spewing his narrow-minded
attitude out of it. "Wonder how long it’s been since he got laid?"

"Well, if you were his wife, would you do
him any favors?" Dante asked, guiding her back inside.

"No, I think he’d make for a lousy
Master…"

"Who?"
Blake stood in the living room taking stock
of his bags.

"That asshole next door," Julie
said, mentally counting the piles of luggage at his feet. "Blake, we’ll
only be gone a few days. What is all this?"

"Master’s bag, my bag, your bag,"
Blake explained, pointing out each item. "Toys requiring batteries,
implements of torture, play wear…"

Julie glanced at Dante who appeared to be
unfazed by Blake’s ability to pack for a crowd. "I think we’ll make it for
dinner."

Almost seven hours later, Dante turned left
off the main highway onto a long, graveled drive-way lined with centurion oak
trees weeping heavy with Spanish moss. Julie didn’t think anyone had a drive as
long as hers, but Allen had just proven her wrong. When the first glimmer of
light beckoned them up the drive from the main house, Julie also discovered
this gem of the Deep South rivaled his home in North Carolina and left it in
the dust insofar as being elaborate.

The circular path leading to the front of the
house was paved with brick and inside the middle of the concave sat a sun-bleached
stone fountain that appeared to have come from somewhere in the Mediterranean.
Three very naked, quite rotund cherubs stood on pedestals facing each other,
steady streams of aqua blue water flying from their mouths to collect in the
chalice they formed only to spill out of the sides and into the pool
surrounding them. A wide covered porch lined three sides of the two-story home and
she wondered if it wrapped completely around the back. Ferns hung from pegs
between every column and benches sat at intervals nested beneath the greenery,
inviting and intimate. Steps the length of the entire porch led to the bright
red, double doors where spruce wreaths hung draped in golden ribbon. Every
window contained an electric candle and sprigs of greenery hung at every eave.
Oak rockers sat along the entire front side of the house in clusters as if
designed for mingling while drinking mint juleps. The second story was graced
with a full length balcony framed by intricate baluster work and saddles of yet
more greenery and ribbons. There were also Christmas trees of all shapes and
sizes sitting in the corners of the porch lit completely in white light. If
Julie hadn’t been grounded in the perpetual present she might have sworn she
saw Confederate officers milling about with southern belles hanging on their
arms, bourbon in hand and cigars firmly gripped between mustached lips.

"I knew Allen came from old money, but
this is borderline ridiculous," she said, still staring as they came to a
stop in front of the house. "I can’t believe I never took him up on an
invitation here."

"I wonder what kind of costume parties he
has
here?
" Blake said from the back seat. "I
think you’d make an outstanding belle of the ball, pumpkin. Pardon me for
speaking out of turn, Master, but I say we grab the next invitation without
question."

"He probably has naked lawn bowling,"
Julie said just as their host made an appearance, sweeping the front doors open
dramatically, resembling Rhett Butler a bit only dressed in black slacks and a
white linen, short sleeved shirt which was open at the collar allowing some of
his graying chest hair to peek out.

Blake got out first then opened Dante’s door
followed by Julie’s. He reached in and handed her out to the walkway and
retreated to start unloading their bags. Dante tucked her hand in his elbow and
started up the stairs.

"Welcome to Camelia Downs," Allen said,
descending a few stairs to meet them. "Julie, I think you’re really going
to enjoy your time here this week.
Dante, good to see you.
I hope everyone’s hungry. Our reservation is at seven and we’re cutting it
close."

He led them up to the porch then through the
entryway where Julie was as overcome by the flamboyance of the inside of the
home. Two curving oak staircases led up from the middle of the great room over
which hung a gargantuan chandelier. At one time it looked to have held real
candles, but appeared to have been most probably refitted to accommodate
electric flames. The railings running up the stairs were draped in white lights
and garland and between the staircases was a Christmas tree that Julie swore was
ten feet tall. She could barely see the green of the boughs for the icy, silver
decorations. At the top of the tree sat a beautiful angel with blond hair. At
that Julie blushed a bit. She couldn’t really imagine doing the things the men
had planned in a house watched over by an ethereal entity, real or not. Somehow
it was just a tad on the creepy side.

"Don’t worry, she’s a naughty angel,"
Allen whispered in her ear. "She’s not wearing panties and won’t tell on
you for not wearing any, either." Julie’s eyes grew wide and Allen laughed
at her. "I can promise you there are no angels in the play room, my dear."

Julie glanced at Dante and for the first time
since agreeing to this little experiment, she wondered if she was up to the
task. Worse was the question of what happened if she failed. What if they
discovered Dante was wrong and she really wasn’t the type of sub who would
blossom under the sweet kiss of his whip? For a moment the image of him using
it on Blake appeared from somewhere in her memory and she shuddered at the thought.
True, she’d wanted to try it a dozen different times. But was she really up for
it?

"Where can I deposit these, Master Allen?"
Blake asked, coming to the bottom of the stairs carrying as many of the bags as
he could at once.

"Up the right-hand staircase and turn
right. The last two doors on the left are your suites," Allen directed. He
turned to Dante and Julie and winked. "I put you in the opposite wing from
me in case I should be inclined to entertain while you’re here. We all need
some privacy while in residence, right? Speaking of entertaining, I hope you
don’t mind I may have failed to mention that I’m having a party Friday evening.
I thought it would be nice if after we break Julie in, we introduce her to
Savannah society, kink style. That is if you’re willing, Dante.
To show her off?"

Julie’s eyes wandered in the direction of
Dante’s and she tried to analyze if he’d known about this in advance and
thought if she knew she’d refuse to come. "Well, Master? Are you willing?"
Her voice held more bite than she intended and she could tell by the look he
returned her way he wasn't happy with her attitude.

"I think I recall you hate being left
alone to think about your behavior. Don’t make me show you my version of that
right off the bat," Dante warned her. "I know we’re still working on
trust, but you should know by now I’d never do anything you’re not comfortable
with at this point. If you’re not ready, no, I'm not willing. Now, be a good
girl, follow the way Blake disappeared and freshen up for dinner. I’m hungry."

Four hours later, quite stuffed with Moroccan
lamb and couscous, Julie sat on an enormous cushion between Dante’s legs while
Blake reclined on the chaise with him, his head resting in Dante’s lap. Allen
had taken up position in an antique wing-back, a brandy in hand.

"I think when we get home we should find
somewhere for you to take belly dancing lessons," Dante said, stroking the
back of her head. "I do believe I’d like for you to run around the house
in a flimsy sheer get-up wiggling your hips anytime I tell you to."

"If you wish, Master," Julie said, a
smile quirking her lips. Truth be told, she found the belly dancing at the
restaurant quite provocative and the thought had crossed her mind to take
lessons on the fly and surprise him. "Can I get my belly pierced, too?"
That little teardrop hanging from the girl’s belly button was sexy.

"Absolutely.
What about your nipples? Any chance I can
talk you into that, too?" Dante leaned forward and stole a kiss from Blake
while he ran a hand down Julie’s chest and squeezed her left breast.

It seemed to Julie he might be having a hard
time deciding who he wanted to take upstairs when Blake rolled to his back and
ran a hand around Dante’s neck, pulling him closer. When their tongues met,
Dante’s grip on her breast increased and a dull pinch settled low in her belly.
She’d never considered he might ever want them together, but now that she
thought about it, the prospect made her pulse jump, although she wasn’t
entirely sure how the logistics would work.

Allen cleared his throat and Julie’s eyes flew
back open. She hadn’t even realized they’d drifted shut as she absorbed all the
confusing sensations flooding her system.