Graceful Submission (8 page)

Grace fought to keep her hands away from her dripping pussy as Master gave his instructions. An orgasm would help relieve the tension from the day. She could concentrate on pleasure, not on the problems caused by angry students and Joe Watson.

“Are you listening to me, Grace?”

“I’m sorry. My mind was wandering.”

“I thought so. I hope you heard enough to know what to do, because I don’t plan on repeating myself. And if you fail to follow my instructions to the letter, you will receive a pretty harsh punishment. As it is, you’ll go without an orgasm tonight as punishment for not listening to me fully.”

“Master, please. I’m so wet right now.”

“No, Grace. The next time you come you’ll be in my presence.”

“I need to come. Master,
please
, I’m begging you.”

“I know it’s been a bad day, Lolly. But this will help you focus on tomorrow. Think about your pussy and how it’s going to please me. Needing to have an orgasm, and being denied, will help you think about something other than your suspension. Take care, Gracie. I’ll see you tomorrow night. Don’t forget to pack all your new toys.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Sleep well, little one.”

The phone went dead and Grace collapsed onto the bed. Sleep well? When she needed to come after such a horrible day? How could she think about anything but the horrible thing that was taking place in her life?

Part way through her packing, she knew that Toffer had made a wise decision. For the last hour, all she’d thought about was Toffer and the week and a half they would spend together before Lindsey’s party. She hadn’t thought once about Dominic, or Joe Watson.

Her life wasn’t all horrible right now. Toffer was a wonderful addition that had brought her new experiences, and promised to take her to new heights.

Her pussy, now used to nightly attention, ached for release. Grace kept her fingers to herself as she wrapped her toys in her clothing and placed them in her bag, praying that her luggage wouldn’t be searched at the airport, and then laughing as she thought about the look on the security officer’s face if it was.

Chapter Eight

Note to self: Thank Master for knowing exactly what to do, and for taking care of all the details so well.

To Do List:

Give deposition

Don’t forget to pack laptop

Tell landlord about extended absence

Stop mail delivery

Call Becca and ask her to water plants

Try and recall exactly what you are supposed to do when you get to Master’s house

The leather of the limo seat was cold against Grace’s behind. The driver had been polite and efficient as he collected Grace and her luggage and loaded them both into the limo. While he put the luggage in the trunk, Grace took advantage of the privacy and shimmied out of her panties.

It had been a long morning. Her deposition had gone well, and she’d been happy that, other than the clerks, the only people there were herself, Preston, Frank Medina, and the school’s lawyer, an older man named Carlton Bunch, who was polite and well-organized.

His questions had been succinct and kept on point. The only painful questions were about Watson, and his repeated advances toward her. Bunch suggested that she was making the whole thing up. Grace said Watson’s advances were numerous, and made her very uncomfortable. She hadn’t reported them earlier, because she’d wanted to handle it by herself.

She tried to refocus her mind as the car pulled into L.A. traffic. Grace had never been very thrilled about being in L.A. The crowds and smog had always dampened the charm of the city to her. She knew that Peter and Lindsey lived in Brentwood, and assumed that Toffer did, also. But she didn’t know enough about L.A. geography to decide which direction they were heading.

While the car made its way onto the freeway, Grace dialed Toffer’s cell number.

“How was your flight, Lolly?”

His pet name for her brought a smile to her face. “Fine. No turbulence and it was on time.”

“Good. And is the leather cold against your behind?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Tweak your clitty for me, just enough to make you hum for me.”

Grace spread her legs, resting her head against the leather of the limo seat. How was it that yesterday she’d been sure that life was over, and right now she felt as if it was just beginning? She rubbed her clit and moaned out Toffer’s name.

“I hope you remember what you’re supposed to do.”

“Could we clear up a point or two up? I know that …”

“Missed instructions bring punishments, so you need to learn to listen better. I’ll be home around eight and I’ll see you then. I’m so very glad that you’re here, Lolly.”

The phone went dead and Grace frowned. He had a habit of doing that, giving instructions and saying things before hanging up without a response. She pulled her fingers out from between her legs and watched as the city sped by. Well, sped by was overstating it. The traffic made it seem like it was crawling by.

Was this really happening? Was she going to spend a week and a half with a man she’d only met on the phone and over the internet? Was she really going to give him total control over her body? It was a fantasy come true, but Grace knew that if Toffer wasn’t friends with Peter, she wouldn’t be here.

She hadn’t told Peter and Lindsey about the suspension. She didn’t want to ruin Lindsey’s party. After it was over, she would tell them what was going on. At least in her public life. Would she tell them about her relationship with Toffer? She doubted it. Nothing would probably come from this. How could it? He lived in L.A., which Grace detested, and she lived in Boulder. But if she lost her job, she wouldn’t have a reason to stay in Boulder. Still, Grace doubted that she could ever live in
California
. It was way too crowded.

An hour and a half later, the car turned into a lavish neighborhood and Grace scooted across the seat to look at the houses. This wasn’t the Brentwood area that she remembered from her last visit. She frowned as she tried to figure out which button to push to lower the privacy screen.

“Where are we?”

“On our way to Mr. Shelley’s house.”

“Does he not live in Brentwood?”

The driver’s laugh sounded more like a snort. “No, ma’am. He lives in the Hills.”

“And the Hills are, what?” Alive with the sound of music?

“A very affluent residential area, ma’am. Mr. Shelley’s house is an architectural marvel, four stories that sits on four acres of land. Lots of steel and glass, with two swimming pools. You’re going to love it.”

The calm feeling that had built in Grace’s stomach went south. Four stories? Two swimming pools? He’d told her that he was forty-three years old. What sort of forty-three year old writer could afford a house in the Hollywood Hills with four stories and two swimming pools?

If she asked the driver about Toffer, the man would probably think he had the wrong person in his car. Something told her, however, that Toffer Shelley was more than he’d made himself out to be. From what’d he’d said, she knew that he worked at the studio. But she thought he was a writer. He must be a big shot to be able to afford a house that large, and in this area.

He’d given her permission to explore the house until the housekeeper left at seven. She would try and figure out then what his job was, because she doubted that he wrote scripts with Peter and Lindsey.

The limo stopped at a gate, which the driver opened with a code. When the car started its windy ascent, Grace marveled at the scenery. The lush foliage molded itself against the driveway and hid all but the top level of the house from view. She could see floor to ceiling windows, surrounded by steel beams. A deck looked to wrap around the entire building on the top level.

And if Grace thought that little peek prepared her for the rest of the house, she was wrong. When the car stopped next to the house, Grace thought her jaw would drop off. This house wasn’t a house. It was a palace. A woman in her mid-forties was bounding down the stairs with a man about the same age on her heels.

“Welcome, welcome,” she said as she opened the door. “I’m Millie, Toffer’s housekeeper and this is my husband, Rafe. He’s the main groundskeeper. We’re so happy to see Toffer have guests, especially a beautiful woman like yourself.”

Grace smiled and tried to get a word in edgewise as Millie propelled her toward the stairs. Her husband and the limo driver, who finally identified himself as Steve, lifted her luggage from the trunk.

“Now, you have the full run of the house and Toffer told me to unpack your luggage in his room.” Millie gave her a knowing wink and Grace blushed. “He won’t be home until eight or so and we leave around seven. I’ve made a salad for dinner and it’s chilling in the fridge. Now, let me show you around.”

Grace stopped in the entryway and stared. The house had a homey feeling, even though it was decorated to the nines.

“The first two floors are mainly for show,” Millie said. “Two living rooms, a den and two bathrooms on this first floor. The second floor has two guest bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living area and the dining room.”

“Now the top two floors are where most of the actual “living” is done. The third floor has the kitchen, the den, the library, the theater room, and another bedroom and bathroom, and Toffer’s work-out room. The top floor is Toffer’s bedroom and bath.”

Grace turned her stunned gaze away from the glass-enclosed room.

“An entire floor for his bedroom?”

Millie laughed. “Yup. The top floor is huge, the bedroom and baths take up most of the space. There are two baths, his and hers, on either side of the bedroom. A small staircase leads to an enclosed room that no one goes in but Toffer. The previous owners used it as a work-out room, but Toffer calls it his private sanctuary. He doesn’t even let me clean it, and it’s the only room in the house that’s not totally open with windows.”

Grace nodded and surveyed the living area on the bottom floor again. She knew what was in the “private sanctuary.” Toffer had told her that he’s set up a mini-dungeon in there, and that he was looking forward to showing her around it, and trying out his new toys on her.

“Now, there are staircases at the front of the house, and another set in the back. There are decks on each level so you can enjoy the view. One swimming pool is further down the property, and one nearer the house. And there is a dumb-waiter system to move things from one floor to another. I’ll show you how it works.”

“No elevator?” Grace laughed.

“Of course there is,” Millie said with a grin. “But we don’t ever use it.”

She guided Grace through each room, stopping to point out different works of art, or views of star’s houses. When they finally reached the fourth floor Grace, who thought she was prepared for anything, stopped short. The room was huge. Against a large bank of windows rested a bed that looked to be more than a king. It was covered in a black quilted bedspread, with more than eight pillows lined up to the edges and on top of each other. The his and hers bathrooms were also decorated in black, this time in marble and chrome. And off to the end, against a wall filled with a flat-screen TV and shelves stuffed with DVDs was the staircase that led to the dungeon.

Grace gulped as she thought about what she would be doing in that room.

“This is unbelievable. I never expected something so spectacular.”

“Mr. Shelley likes his privacy,” Millie said. “Although this whole house is full of glass, there is hardly space outside for the, um, well, for anyone to look in. And the curtains in this room are mechanical and cover the entire side. There’s a control for them on both nightstands. Now, you just make yourself at home and, if you need anything, there is an intercom system on the nightstand.”

Grace had turned down Millie’s offer to unpack her suitcases, not wanting the housekeeper to see her toys. After being shown where to put things in “her” bathroom, Grace unpacked quickly, tucking the sex toys into the nightstand drawer nearer the sliding glass doors. She figured that would be “her” side of the bed since the drawer was empty.

Or would it be? Grace had read about some Masters who had their submissives sleep on the floor next to the bed, or in another room entirely. Since her trip to
California
had literally happened overnight, the sleeping arrangements hadn’t been discussed. Although Toffer had told Millie that he and Grace would be sharing his bedroom.

She crossed to the sliding glass doors and opened it to the warm
California
sun. Even though it was February it was still beautiful outside. Too cold, though, for a swim. She went onto the deck and smiled at the hot tub that took up the far wall. Too cold to swim, but not to soak.

A glance at her watch showed her that she had a half-hour before Millie and Rafe left, and she had to prepare for Master’s arrival. She racked her brain to make sure she had the right instructions. Crossing to her bathroom she looked around until she saw the box sitting on the dresser. She’d overlooked it earlier.

She opened the carton, shivers running up and down her spine as she took out wrist and ankle cuffs. A blindfold rested under the cuffs. She was to bathe, and put on the cuffs, and then what? Wait downstairs? No, that wasn’t right. She was to wait up here. Master had said he’d honk the horn when he arrived, and at that point she was to put on the blindfold and wait.

Was she supposed to kneel? Or stand? She couldn’t remember. She would kneel. That was the most submissive position known to man, right? That’s what she would do. She just hoped that she did the right thing.

She put the cuffs back into the box and went downstairs. On the third floor she found the library, which had obviously been a bedroom before Toffer had converted it. The wall to ceiling shelves were lined with fiction books, both modern and classic and Grace smiled. Two large reclining chairs sat with a round table in the middle. Perfect for a couple.

She explored the other rooms, laughing at pictures that she found of Peter and Lindsey. Mixed in with those were pictures of Peter and Drake Dawson laughing and drinking a beer on the deck of this house.