Assumed Master (29 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Once Dante slammed the bathroom door behind
him, Julie sat up, infuriated that he’d left her frustrated and without relief.
So, this was her first punishment for the day.
Orgasm
deprivation.
Very well.
If he thought she didn’t
know how to take care of herself, he was an idiot. Scooting up to brace her
back on the headboard, she ran her right hand between her legs and picked up
where he’d left off, stroking her clit with her fingers. With a wave of heat
beginning deep in her belly, Julie’s eyes drifted shut and her clit drew up to
the point of aching.

"Did I say you could do that?" Dante
whispered right in her ear.

"Shit! You scared me," she yelped,
jerking her hand back. Her eyes flew open to find
his own
boring into her soul.

"You forgot something," he informed
her.

"Shit. You scared me,
Master
."

"That’ll work.
Downstairs
to the play room.
We have something to take care of."

Dante jerked her up by one arm and started
downstairs with her. They were both as naked as the day they were born, his
cock semi-erect from him watching her masturbate if she had to guess and her
dripping honey at every step as they picked their way through the sleeping
bodies, leftover guests from Allen's party.

Not stopping until they stood in front of a
spanking bench, Julie rolled her eyes and sighed. What she really wanted to do
was stomp her feet and scream.

"You did not just roll your eyes at me, did
you?" Dante asked most seriously.

"Yes, Master. I most certainly did do
just that," Julie snapped back.

"Looks like shopping will definitely have
to wait. Now you owe me yet another punishment for ruining my day like that."
Dante turned loose and turned to his bag which sat on a table not far away. "Bend
over and spread your legs."

"And if I don’t?"

"You can call the boys right now and
explain to them yourself why their mother never came back home." Dante
held up two things when he turned back toward her, a butterfly and a girl’s
worst nightmare, a chastity device.

Knowing she was defeated because Julie
determined after watching Blake suck him off last night, feeling lost and quite
the outsider, that she did in fact want to be a part of this family, she
relented and bent over the bench. With her hands bracing her weight, she spread
her legs and waited. She’d never be a part of this family until she proved to
Dante whatever it was he needed proven. If she could figure out what that one
thing was, she’d gladly do it and get it over with so they could all go home.

Dante kneeled to her right and laid the belt
and four padlocks on the rubber mat beneath the bench while he went to work
rigging the butterfly. With it untangled, he tapped her right ankle.

"Lift up," he said.

When she did, he slipped the harness around
her leg then moved to the other side, again tapping her ankle. He stood and
pulled the device into place, resting the feather light butterfly directly over
her clit and cinching up the harness to hold it firmly in place. Before going
further, he tapped the wireless remote once and a sharp tingle hit her,
gripping her womb. Before it could go any further, however, he tapped it again
to disengage it.
Great.
It looked to be they’d have an
all-day denial game. She supposed it was better than taking another paddling on
her sore ass.

She stood perfectly still as Dante draped the
wide leather belt around her waist, determining which notches would be
sufficient to hold it in place then threading a padlock through the locking
mechanisms on either side. Running his fingers between the smooth leather and
her skin to ensure she was secure yet could breathe, he apparently decided he
was satisfied and began working on the chastity flaps. He first pulled the anal
flap down, pressing it soundly between her ass cheeks then locking it in place.
Lastly he had her stand upright and he tugged the vaginal flap into place,
making sure it pressed the butterfly even more firmly against her clit and set
the last of the padlocks into place. Julie was well and thoroughly trussed. If
her virginity were in need of protection, she may as well have been imprisoned.
As it was, she was also completely safe from touching herself.

"Back upstairs," he ordered her. "We’ll
try again to get on with our day like two civilized people in a twenty-four
seven relationship."

They weren’t half-way up the stairs when the
butterfly fluttered between the flap and her flesh. Gritting her teeth, she
tried her best to ignore the sensation and kept moving. At the top of the
stairs the humming ceased only to resume again half way down the hall.

"Sheets first, if you please," Dante
said, following her into the bedroom. "I might want to lie down later while
I torture you." He flipped the switch that stopped the butterfly and
walked into the bathroom, leaving her standing at the foot of the bed.

While laundry was a regular part of her
domestic duties at home, Blake normally changed the sheets. He insisted it be
done every other day and took it upon himself to ensure it. Amelia changed
sheets when Mason was still alive. The last bed Julie had had any real dealings
with was her double back in her studio apartment. This king seemed a monster in
comparison and she wondered just how one went about making those neat, tucked
corners.

Just as she pulled the last pillow case from
its pillow, the butterfly, which she’d managed to forget for a while, began
buzzing again. What kind of range did the blasted thing have? With a bit of
sweat trickling down her back, Julie collected the sheets and started
downstairs with them only to stop
herself
before it
was too late. She retreated and knocked on the bathroom door.

"Master?
I need to go downstairs," she said over
the sound of running water on the other side.

His only answer was the butterfly stopped
again. Determined not to defy him again this day, Julie stood at perfect
attention, the sheets gathered in her arms sticking to her chest and stomach and
becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Her patience with his silence growing
thin, she knocked again and was greeted by the vibrator kicking on again. By
this time Julie believed she might spontaneously combust if he didn’t leave her
alone for just a few minutes. She placed a hand on the door and leaned forward,
panting.

"If you come without my permission, there
will be hell to pay," Dante said, pulling the door open and sending Julie
stumbling headlong into his chest just as the tingling stopped again. "Well,
look at that. You got me dirty."

Julie pushed back and stared at the splotch of
gooey honey clinging to Dante’s chest.

"I’ll have to shower again." He
turned the butterfly on and laid the controller on the counter as he took his
time turning the water back on and testing it for temperature.

"Please, Master," she begged,
rubbing her thighs together hoping it would either dislodge the irritation or
send her over the edge.

"What was that?" Dante said,
climbing into the shower and grabbing the soap.
"Uncomfortable,
princess?"

"Please, Master. If you don’t turn it off
I’m…" The wave started low in her belly and started to spread.
God, no.
What would he do to her for coming without
permission? "I’m going to…"

"No, you’re not." Dante reached out
of the shower and turned it off. "Now go get the sheets in the washing
machine."

With the buzzing stopped, a dull ache replaced
the warm pulsing that started and Julie gasped at the sudden pain.

"Princess?
Laundry," he said when she didn’t move
right away. "Go."

Julie spun on her heal and stalked off.

It wasn’t until twelve hours later Julie sank
into a hot tub, her reward for being at Dante’s beck and call all day in that
blasted belt, sticky, and with that damn vibrator coming on and off all day
until she thought she’d scream from the frustration of being on the edge of
orgasm for so long. Dante probably didn’t even realize he was so good at
psychological warfare. Once again she was required to climb into the bed next
door alone and watch Dante fuck Blake all the while her pussy throbbed with
need. She wanted to be in the middle of them more than anything. What did it
take to get back in their bed?

Falling into a fitful sleep, Julie dreamed
horrible things that all involved permanent separation from her family. She
woke in a cold sweat, heaving for air, to find Dante climbing into bed next to
her.

"It’s okay," he murmured, pulling
her into his frame and resting her head on his shoulder. "I’m here."

"For how long?" she managed in a
shaky voice, her whole body trembling.

"As long as you need me."
Dante pushed the mop of wet hair off her forehead
and kissed her temple.

"Why? You’re angry with me."

"What do I have to do to make you
understand?" he asked, rubbing her now shivering body. "Jules, this
is from one human to another. Not Dom to sub. I love you more than you could
ever possibly fathom. And I want you. Not because you were given to me, or you
think I believe you’re a possession. Not because I feel obligated to Mason. I
want you because you’re the woman I’ve always wanted. It’s because of who you
are and what you represent, everything you do. Because you have a huge heart
and
you’re
a great mother.
Because
you’re an outstanding friend and loyal lover.
But this won’t work if you
don’t want me just as much. And it sure won’t work if you never give me all of
you, willingly."

"I did. I love you, Dante. I love Blake
and I love the boys. I want this family and I want this to work, but I’ve given
you everything already." Her throat swelled with emotion. It felt like
Dante was telling her good-bye and she didn’t know what to do to stop it.

"No, you haven’t, Jules. You don’t trust
me enough to make right decisions and you expect me to live in Mason’s shadow.
I know you love Mason. I love him, too, but he’s gone. I’m here.
A flesh and blood man with as much pride as any man.
You
didn’t give me the courtesy of thinking things through and figuring out the
best approach to our problem. You didn’t give me time to decide where to go and
you didn’t give us a chance to talk things through. You balked at the first
sign of authority and ran. If you want to live this life with me, in true
Master/slave fashion, you can’t just go off haphazardly ripping your collar off
whenever it suits you and running away. That’s not how it works. And you have
to know if you act inappropriately, there will be consequences."

"I miss you," she whispered. "And
I miss the boys."

"They miss you, too." Julie hadn’t
stopped shaking and Dante snaked one arm out and pulled the blanket up to her
chin. "We’re moving. If you’d given me the chance you’d have known that
the next morning, but you didn’t."

"Where?" she asked, warmth
seeping back into her.
She sank
deeper into his embrace, hoping he didn’t pull away from her advance.

"When you decide if you can give me
everything, we’ll talk. It’s a conscious choice, you know." His fingers drew
lazy circles along her leg. "Jules, I can’t live in Mason’s house. I just
can’t. We all need a fresh start.
A start that begins with
us, not someone else.
Can you understand that?"

"I suppose," she concurred,
beginning to understand it wasn’t just about selfish male pride, he truly did
want her. He wasn’t asking her to forget Mason or even let go of what they had,
just to make room for him. "What about the boys’ schooling? Can I at least
help with that?"

"We can talk about it.
When
you decide.
They haven’t visited their new school yet, if we find it
unacceptable, we may have to find an alternative. I know you want to help, but
it’s hard for me to take it. You remember that feeling, don’t you?"

"Yes. I do."

Chapter Twenty-Five

After drifting back off, Julie didn’t dream
anymore. Or at least she didn’t remember if she did. When she woke back up, it
was daylight and Dante was gone from her bed. She turned to find he and Blake
gone from the other room, the bed neatly made and their clothes picked up.

Was isolation her next punishment?

She slipped out from under the covers and
tip-toed to the door, why she wasn’t certain. It wasn’t like anyone was around
to hear her moving about and
order
her back to bed nor
did she have on some ridiculous contraption that might go off and torture her
poor, sore clit further. With some trepidation, she reached out and touched the
knob. When nothing awful happened, she twisted and it freely
moved,
the door popping open a couple of inches. This was almost scarier than
everything that had happened the previous two days. Holding her breath, she
peeked out around the edge. She didn’t see anything and all was quiet below.
Had she slept through the rest of the weekend? Was the party over? Had Dante
left her here without saying good-bye or waiting for her answer?