Bounce Down: 1st Quarter: Start of Play (16 page)

“
No please, I
don’t want to come this way.”

“
Shh its
okay, you don’t have to.” He then gently removed it.

Brendon glanced up at the
screen and saw the movie was paused at a particularly delicious
scene. He proceeded to get naked and restarted the movie, before
pulling my arms above my head and taking me in a similar fashion to
what was happening on the screen. We came simultaneously with a
burst of pleasure. Then kissing me gently, he pulled me to my feet
and took me out of the room and into his en-suite.

I arrived at the security gate
at the back of the building some 30 minutes later. This car park
was usually reserved for Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB)
vehicles but, due to the lateness of the hour, it would be safer
than the pit. Unlike the police vehicles, my car did not have a
sensor to open the gate automatically, so I had to buzz the
security guard on duty. There was also a camera and I showed my ID
card.

Luckily, I was on a first name
basis with the three guards who did rotating shifts, so I didn’t
have a problem gaining entry. Most people all but ignored building
security staff, but I made a point of stopping to talk to them
whenever I had the time.

When I arrived upstairs the
news had already started, so I watched from the doorway of the
conference room. A short update ensued, with various details being
written on one of several whiteboards.

Following the meeting, Dave
came over to me. “Thanks for coming in, Chicken,” using his pet
nickname for me.

“
No worries,
if you’re all working I might as well be here. How can I help, do
you want me for database work or typing?”

“
Check with
Steve, but I think he wants you to guide the others with the
inputting.”

The squad would usually call in
additional personnel to input the data into the system and often
these officers needed some training and assistance on the correct
procedure.

As expected, following the
news, a flood of information came through, keeping everyone busy.
There were a couple of statements to type from the victim’s
neighbours, who provided valuable information about two possible
POIs seen in the vicinity. From their descriptions they appeared to
be youths, maybe as young as sixteen.

I didn’t realise how much time
had passed until I yawned and, on checking the time, was surprised
it was almost ten o’clock. I went to my bag and saw I had two new
messages; both from Brendon.

The
first,
‘How late do you expect to
be?’
was sent at 9.00 p m. The most recent
one, 15 minutes ago, showed he was getting anxious.
‘R u still @ work? If you’ve gone home Im comin
to get u’

I hoped to
pacify him with my reply.
‘Still @ work
shouldnt b much longer’

At 10.40 I stopped in front of
the gate, but before I could announce my arrival it slid open,
revealing Brendon had been watching for me. Once inside, he
presented me with a scotch and coke; it was just what I needed.

When the glass was empty, he
took my hand in his. “Come, I’ve got a surprise for you.” He was
steering towards the stairs as he spoke.

Wearily, I shook my head. “I
don’t think I can handle any more surprises today, can it wait
until morning?”

He gave me a telling look. “If
you weren’t so tired, I would censure you for forgetting I decide
when and where.”

On seeing my contrite
expression, he smiled. “And you also have to learn to trust
me.”

Still sceptical, I allowed him
to escort me to his room where, without any preamble, he undressed
me and took me through the en-suite door.

A multitude of fragrances
teased my senses. The deep oval bath was filled with bubbles and
surrounded by candles that gave off a low, sensuous glow.

I sighed in appreciation and
gave him an apologetic grin. “In future, in case I forget, please
remind me to trust you in all things.”

What a joy it was waking up in
his arms. We were facing each other, his outer leg and arm holding
me captive, exactly how I wanted to be.

My face was almost touching his
chest. I breathed in deeply, loving his purely masculine smell. I
stayed still, not wanting to wake him, as I recalled the previous
night’s bath. He had given me the option of bathing alone, but one
look at his hopeful face had me agreeing to share.

I sat on his lap with my back
to him while he tenderly washed my body. I could see our reflection
in the mirror splash-back facing us. I watched, fascinated, as his
hands worked their magic. His soothing attention, combined with the
warmth of the water, relaxed me to the point where I almost fell
asleep. Almost; the one thing keeping me lucid was the feel of his
hardness beneath me.

Then he had kissed the back of
my neck and I was lost. Gently, but steadily, he eased into me,
cupping my breasts, effectively holding me in place. The lovemaking
to follow was pure joy, long and slow; all the while he continued
to kiss and bite my neck, alternating between pleasure and
pain.

My mind came back to the
present, as I felt him stir from his sleep and then he kissed the
top of my head. “Good morning, baby.”

“
Good
morning.” I smiled up at him.

Then to my surprise, he was up
and out of bed. I sat up but he raised his hands. “No, stay in bed.
I need to go to a team meeting.”

“
How long
will you be; should I go home?”

“
Of course
not, I won’t be too long.” He then disappeared into the en-suite
for a shower.

Prior to leaving the house, he
sat on the bed and gave me one of his piercing looks. “While I’m
gone, I hope I can trust you alone in my house.”

“
Of
course.”

“
Because I
will know if you’ve been snooping and will have to teach you about
the second chastise word. In case you need to refresh your memory,
the file is in the desk drawer in your room. Finally, do not answer
the phone or touch the security panels. Don’t text me unless it’s
an emergency, is that clear?”

“
Yes.”

As I showered, I idly pondered
what the second word was. In hindsight, it probably was not such a
good idea listing the chastise words. I still had nine to learn
about. As I distinctly remembered the last four – flog, whip, lash
and beat, it helped me resist the temptation of prying into his
personal life. After all, I already knew his biggest secret, what
else could he possibly be hiding?

After
discovering the next word was castigate, I researched it on the
internet. The dictionary definition was
to
rebuke or criticize in a severe manner
with rebuke meaning
to scold or
reprimand
. The most alarming word was
severe.

Well it didn’t matter anyway,
because I wasn’t planning on looking behind closed doors. Well,
perhaps one particular door.

After a light breakfast, I
spent some time on Facebook and then gave Jeanette a call. I told
her Brendon had met Diane the previous day and also that Aiden was
coming over later.

“
So when am I
going to meet him, over dinner perhaps?” I told her it would be
soon.

I decided to
grab a book to pass the time, but on my way downstairs I paused
outside the closed door of the only room in the house I had not
ventured into.
Should I?
I wouldn’t get caught because he wasn’t
here
. But what if he asked me about it;
could I successfully lie without looking guilty?
As my mind weighed up the pros and cons, I
decided to take the plunge and deal with any consequences later.
After all, I had an inquisitive nature and it piqued my curiosity
every time I passed that god-damn door.

Gingerly, I
tried the handle and to my surprise, it opened. I had assumed he
would have locked it, but then again he was trusting me.
Bad move, Brendon.

It was a
bedroom almost identical to mine, except it was a mirror image, in
that the door and wardrobes were on the opposite sides of the room.
There were no personal touches or visible possessions, making it
appear as though it was simply a guest or spare room.
If that was indeed the case, then why did Brendon
deem it necessary to ban me?
There had to
be more to it.

Glancing again at the mirrored
panels of the wardrobe, I recalled with a smile how, on that first
day in his house, I had sought to find out more about Brendon by
looking into the wardrobes in what was now my room.

I slide open the nearest door
and was stunned at what I saw.

As I looked
at the extensive assortment of women’s clothes, the first thought
that struck me was how glamorous they were.
Surely this wasn’t where he was procuring my outfits
from?
He had said he purchased them online
and I assumed it had been recently.
Were
they recycled from his last conquest?

I shuddered
at the coldness of his actions, in not letting her keep them after
he had cast her out.
Or maybe it was a bad
breakup and she hadn’t wanted anything to do with him or his
clothes?

On closer inspection, I saw
they were all a size smaller than I wore and, from their length,
were obviously for someone much taller than my modest height.

I wanted to explore further,
but didn’t want to push my luck. Perhaps I would another time, when
the opportunity arose.

Upon checking out his
well-stocked bookcase, apart from several business/commerce
textbooks, I noticed a good selection of fiction, mostly with a
thriller/suspense theme. I grabbed one that caught my interest and
took it, along with a cold drink, outside to enjoy a leisurely
read.

An hour later being engrossed
in the novel, I was startled by the sound of the security screen
door opening. “Here you are. Are you hungry?”

I gazed up and seeing his
radiant smile made me stop and think a moment. Even though he had
trusted me alone in his house, he did not want anyone else to know
I was there. It was like I was a terrible secret he wanted to keep
hidden. But I could now understand, it was his to keep and I was
now a part of that secret. It was not an ideal situation but seeing
him smile at me like he was, I forgot everything except wanting to
be with him.

I smiled suggestively as I
looked at the spa next to the patio. “Hungry for...?”

His eyes followed mine and he
raised an eyebrow at my comment. He gave me a wicked grin. “Lunch!
After the meeting, we did a training run and I’ve worked up an
appetite... for food.”

“
Oh.” I
pouted at this letdown.

He shook his head. “Be careful
what you wish for. So, have you been a good girl while I’ve been
gone?”

“
Yes of
course.” I tried to sound confident in my answer.

He narrowed his eyes as though
he wasn’t convinced. He crouched down next to my chair. “So now all
of a sudden, when left alone, you’ve followed instructions and not
tried to find out more about me? Is this what you want me to
believe?”

Oh no, he knew I was lying! His
close scrutiny had me blushing.

“
Suzanna?”

I looked him directly in the
eye. “Do you honestly think I would lie to you after Friday night’s
lesson?” I held my breath; waiting, hoping. I was sure he could
hear my heart racing with panic.

“
Perhaps
not.” He reached for my hand, pulling me to my feet. “Come, let’s
eat.”

Aiden arrived at Brendon’s
earlier than was arranged. He was soon mesmerised with Brendon,
more so than Diane was, but this was because he knew a lot more
about football. After an initial awkward moment, they appeared to
be hitting it off. Aiden seemed fascinated with Brendon’s anecdotes
of both on and off field incidents he had experienced in his
playing career. Brendon had remembered to make special mention of
his knowledge of Ravenwood players.

The evening went fast, as did
Brendon’s homemade pizzas; they were immensely better than my usual
store-bought variety. By the time they shook hands, it was like
they had known each other for ages. I was impressed with the way
Brendon won people over; it seemed like it was his special
talent.

It was almost 7.30 a m and I
was about to leave for work. Brendon came towards me as I headed
for the door.

“
I’ve got
something for you.” Before I could react, he had secured my wrists
with handcuffs. At my stunned look, he shrugged his shoulders.
“Sorry babe, but it’s time for lesson number two.”

“
What? I
don’t have time!”

“
On the
contrary, you have 30 minutes of time, to pay back to me.” I shook
my head in disbelief.

“
It’s time to
learn about restrain, another word meaning to chastise. You didn’t
think I had forgotten you deliberately kept me waiting for 30
minutes?”

I sighed at the implications. I
could see where this was going and knew without a doubt, I would be
late for work. “Can I at least phone and let them know I’ll be
late?”

He reply was blunt and to the
point. “I didn’t get a phone call, did I?”

I held my manacled hands up to
him. “So, you want me to wait around for half an hour?”

He gave me his boyish grin.
“Now that would be boring, wouldn’t it?”