The Plume: The Second Anthology (10 page)

“So he has even more shots of me. Good.”

“It
is
good. You’re the only person
who can negotiate with him because you’re the only one he cares
about.”

Joanna looked away and bit her lip. She
didn’t look very optimistic. “But there’s probably only one thing
he wants.”

Amy shrugged. “Yeah, well, there is that. If
you want me to promise not to tell Mike, I will.”

“But I can’t do that! I can’t lie to Mike.”
Joanna frowned and shook her head. “And I can’t go to Rex. Not
now.”

“Not even to keep those pictures from being
exhibited?”

Joanna’s mouth opened, then closed again. She
frowned. “I don’t know.”

Amy scrawled a number on the piece of paper
with Rex’s home address and pushed it back across the table. “My
present to you – his unlisted phone number.” Joanna stared at the
piece of paper, apparently appalled by what she had to do. “You’ve
done it before, right? What’s once more for old time’s sake?”

Joanna shook her head. “It’ll ruin everything
with Mike, especially since it’s Rex.”

“You could talk to Mike.”

Joanna swallowed.

“At least you know where to find Rex. Look,
I’ve got a class.” Amy smiled and turned off her laptop. She
grabbed her backpack, unable to reconcile the lost-looking woman
with her ambitious, in-control sister. “It’ll be all right, Joanna.
Just explain it to Mike. He seems pretty cool, and if he knows
already, you should be able to work it out.”

Joanna forced a smile. “Yeah. You’re probably
right.” She stood up and gave Amy a hug. “Thanks.”

Amy hauled on her backpack and strode away,
shaking her head.

Her big sister had been a willing sex slave
at a private BDSM club – and there was photographic evidence.
Incredible. Amy wouldn’t have believed it if Joanna hadn’t admitted
it herself.

In fact, she still didn’t believe it.

She wouldn’t mind seeing those pictures, that
was for sure.

* * *

Four

Joanna sat on the end of her bed and stared
at Rex’s phone number.

Her hands were still shaking.

She could talk to Mike about the photographs
and her fears. She had a feeling, though, that he would brush off
her concerns. He was so confident about everything. He wouldn’t be
worried about having pictures of himself shown publically, and he
might not understand why she was so concerned about it herself.

Or she could call Rex herself.

In a way, she didn’t want Mike to solve
everything for her, even though she wasn’t sure he could – or
would. She might be his sex slave, but she was also an adult. She’d
created this mess and she should solve it herself.

She’d reviewed her signed contract with the
Plume, hoping against hope that this exhibition might be a
violation of the terms, but no – she’d signed that she was willing
to be photographed.

Rex was perfectly within his rights to show
the pictures he’d taken of her.

And it wasn’t as if he didn’t have a lot of
shots to choose from.

She’d even called the gallery and talked to
Louise’s friend, Josh, pretending to be in her journalist role.
She’d asked about the show, and once she’d promised to not run any
information until the official announcement, Josh had been only too
happy to confirm the details.

The exhibition was going to happen.

If she was going to act, she had to do it
soon.

Joanna swallowed, then punched Rex’s number
into her phone before she could lose her nerve.

He answered right away. “Joanna?” He seemed
skeptical that it was really her.

Hopeful.

“Hello, Rex,” she said quietly.

Rex exhaled, then sounded disappointed.
“You’re calling about the show.”

“Yes.” Joanna straightened, seeing no point
in being coy. She was clutching the phone so tightly that her
knuckles were white. “I’d like you to omit any shots of me.”

There was a long pause and Joanna closed her
eyes, praying that Rex would even be open to negotiation.

“They’re good shots,” he said finally. “Some
of the best I’ve taken. They’ll make the exhibition. You’re asking
a lot.”

Joanna winced. “I’ll do anything.”

Another pause.

“Anything?” Rex’s voice was low and dark.

“Anything.” Joanna tried to swallow the lump
in her throat and failed. She closed her eyes. “Master.”

There was another long pause, but when Rex
spoke, Joanna heard the excitement in his tone. “Then, maybe we can
make a deal. If you surrender to me, right here and right now, and
agree to be mine for as long as I say.”

Joanna’s chest tightened. What would she tell
Mike?

“You’ll keep this a secret. You won’t even
tell Mike.” Rex’s voice hardened. “Surrender now, Joanna, or we’re
done talking about it.”

“And the pictures?”

“If there’s no deal, I’ll be sure you get
some good visibility.”

Joanna closed her eyes, feeling a tear slide
over her lashes. There was nothing else she could do. She had no
choice. “I surrender,” she whispered.

“Louder,” he commanded.

“I surrender to your will, Master. For so
long as you decide to keep me.”

“And?”

“And I will tell no one of this.”

“Excellent.” Rex’s satisfaction was clear and
he spoke more quickly. “This is what you’re going to do next.
Tomorrow night, you’ll return to that hotel where we met before.
Prepare yourself as previously. Rafe will pick you up and give you
the room key. You’ll be naked and ready when I get there.”

“You’ll bring the pictures?”

She could hear his smile. “I’ll bring the
pictures, and I’ll give them to you once you’ve earned their
return.” His voice dropped low. “I should warn you that it could
take all weekend. Maybe even longer.” Joanna shivered at his
determination. “Here’s your shopping list. Don’t forget
anything.”

Or the deal is off.

Joanna heard his implied threat and fear
caught at her heart. She had to be sure she didn’t give Rex any
excuse to break his word. She had to be sure that she didn’t risk
everything for nothing.

Because whether he kept his word or not
wasn’t up to her, not in the end.

* * *

It was Friday afternoon and Mike couldn’t
figure out where Joanna had gone.

She’d left the office right after lunch,
making some excuse about an appointment, and by the end of the day,
she still hadn’t come back to work. Something was wrong. He had a
feeling about it, but she kept insisting he was mistaken.

She’d declined his invitation that they go
away for the weekend, even though they’d talked about booking this
cabin before. He wasn’t that upset about losing the deposit – he
was a bit freaked out that she said she had plans and wouldn’t tell
him what they were.

Joanna was pushing him away. But why? Had his
talk about marriage been premature?

He tried to call her again and breathed a
sigh of relief when the call didn’t go to voice mail.

“Joanna here.”

“Where are you, sweetheart?” he asked. “Is
everything all right?”

“It’s fine,” she said and he had the sense
that she’d been expecting someone else to call. Who? “I’ve got to
go.”

“Where are you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Look, Joanna, if something’s wrong, maybe I
can help.”

“I don’t think so. And nothing’s wrong. I
have to go.”

“Are you going to be home tonight?”

“No, no.” Her voice faltered and Mike sensed
that she would lie. “I have things to do.”

“Do you want to meet for dinner? You need to
eat.”

“No, I don’t have time. Talk to you next
week.”

And she ended the call.

Mike drummed his fingers on his desk. He
called again, but his call went to Joanna’s voice mail.

Something was wrong.

But Joanna wasn’t going to tell him what it
was.

Was it him? Was it them? Or was it something
else?

How could he find out?

He’d go to her apartment after work. Even if
Joanna wasn’t home, Louise might know where she’d gone.

Mike tried to stay calm and keep the trust.
Maybe there was a family illness. That would upset Joanna. That
made sense.

But he couldn’t entirely dismiss his sense
that the truth wasn’t so benign.

* * *

Amanda eyed the caller identification on the
phone at the Plume when it rang. She didn’t recognize the name of
the caller, so it was probably a wrong number or a hoax. She
answered in her most officious voice, not using the name of the
club.

“Hello?”

“Amanda!” a woman said. “I’m so glad it’s
you.”

There was an echo on the line, as if the call
was going through a satellite.

“Who’s calling, please?”

“Amanda, it’s Tess Martin. I’m in Melbourne
and using my coworker’s phone.”

Amanda felt her eyes narrow. She was more
suspicious of callers now. “Really.”

“Really. Look, Amanda, I can’t talk long
because the roving charges are going to be unbelievable, but I lost
my phone! I promised Tex that I’d call him and I don’t want him
thinking that I forgot or something stupid like that. I know you’re
friends – could you give him a message for me?”

Amanda smiled at the desperation in Tess’s
tone. She sounded just the way Tex had sounded lately.

“I suppose you’d rather just talk to him,”
she said, her tone warmer than it had been.

“Oh God, I’d love to, but I know it’s against
the rules.” Tess must have put her hand over the mouthpiece. “I
know, I know. I’ll pay you for the call. I promise.” Her voice
became louder again. “Could you give him a message for me, Amanda,
and tell him what’s happened? I feel so stupid. I’ve never lost my
phone before.”

“I can do better than that.” Amanda was
calling up the inhouse communications systerm. “It’ll click but
don’t hang up.”

“Thank you, Amanda.” Tess gave a little
squeal. “I’m bringing you chocolate!”

Amanda tapped up Tex’s node, and he answered
her ping immediately. She tried to sound serious and not give it
away. “So, Tex, there’s this chick wants to talk to you.”

“Really?”

“She’s in Australia. She says she lost her
cell phone but needs to hear your voice. Anybody you know?”

“Yes!” Tex roared. “Tess!” The man was an
open book. That was one thing Amanda liked about him. She smiled
and connected the two of them, not giving a damn if she’d broken
Plume rules. She knew she’d done the right thing.

* * *

Rex stood outside the door to the hotel room,
unable to believe that Joanna would really be there. Her phone call
had left him weak in the knees, just the sound of her voice on the
other end of the line.

Never mind the exchange she offered. It was a
dream come true. Joanna coming willingly to him.

Well, more or less willingly. Rex wasn’t too
worried about the details.

Her submission had nearly made him come in
his pants. He hadn’t been able to think of anything else all day,
and he’d nearly arrived early. He knew he wouldn’t be able to stand
the sight of her entering the hotel, wearing only her raincoat and
boots. At the same time, he was hungry for every glimpse of
her.

He’d paced his apartment like a restless
tiger for as long as possible, and arrived at the hotel to see Rafe
pulling away.

She was here.

Rex had booked the same suite in the same
hotel where he had had her once before. He liked that their story
came full circle, that he would be claiming her in the same place
where he’d thought he’d been leaving her forever.

Maybe this was his future. His photographs
and his Joanna.

Rex swallowed, then lifted his key, unlocking
the door.

He opened the door and heard the rustle of
movement in the room beyond. He caught his breath, the evidence of
Joanna’s presence electrifying. He hung up his coat beside her
raincoat, his chest tightening with every move. What was it like
for Mike to have her all the time? What was it like to have a
permanent connection with one woman?

What was it like to fall in love with a
slave? Rex had a feeling that he knew.

He imagined having Joanna captive in his
apartment for perpetuity, bound and blindfolded and serving only
him. He imagined her willing and ready for him, each and every
time. He imagined them going through the photographs together, the
ones that were their own private stash, remembering hot moments and
taking note of good poses.

He’d truss her up first for those reviews,
then finger her wet snatch as they reviewed the images.

It would be a perfect life.

Rex was both desperate to see Joanna waiting
for him, and intent upon prolonging this moment of anticipation. It
was so powerful that it almost made him dizzy. His heart pounded as
he moved silently into the living room.

Joanna was there. Nude. She was sitting on
the stone coffee table, just as she had before. The sight of her
stole his breath away. She sat amidst piles of peacock green satin
ribbon, just as he had ordered, the rich green making her skin look
like porcelain. The ribbon was the four inches wide that he’d
specified and he knew each length would be the ten yards he’d
specified.

He loved that Joanna followed
instructions.

She was perfect. Submissive. Biddable.

And beautiful.

The ideal sex slave.

And his to keep.

He saw that she had bought five lengths of
ribbon, just as he’d commanded. Two were knotted around her wrists
and two around her ankles at their middle point, just as he’d
instructed. The satin was smooth and taut around her joints, like
gleaming manacles, the contrast making her look delicate. The ends
spilled across her lap and down to the floor, coiling around her
bare feet.