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Oubliette Pt. 01

By: coldhands_warmheart



"Get out of the car, Laura." The tone of Ian's voice was cold and cruel, just as it always was. 

"No." 

Ian Kent never had much patience and the miniscule amount he did have was rapidly wearing very thin. The only thing preventing him from pushing her out of the vehicle was his intention to not cause a scene of any kind. Causing a scene was against the rules at Oubliette and he knew all the rules. He kept his voice low but there was no mistaking his blood-chilling anger. "You agreed to this, now get out of the damned car. They're expecting us." 

"I want to leave. I'm not staying, Ian. This wasn't what I agreed to. You lied to get me here. You lied just like you have since this whole thing started. I have limits, now take me home." She knew it was a losing battle but she had no intention of giving up without a fight. 

"I don't give a damn about your limits. You always have to do things the hard way. That's fine with me. The next couple of days will change your mind about that." Ian flung the car door open on the driver's side. As he walked to the other side of the car, he yanked open the passenger door and gave her another order. "Get out of the car. Don't make me say it again." 

"No." 

Using both hands Ian grabbed her by the hair and her upper arm, virtually pulling Laura out of the vehicle even though her seat belt was still securely fastened. 

She screamed at him. "You're hurting me! Let me go!" She tried to claw at his face, his hands, his arms, any part of him she could touch and hope to inflict an injury. Even with her attempts to break free, her strength was no match for his. Her only defense was her screams. "Let me go!" 

Of course he didn't let her go. She knew he wouldn't. She also knew she was causing the scene he was so adamant about not causing as he dragged her, half stumbling and missing one shoe, toward the main door. Both of her feet were badly scraped on the roughly paved driveway and she would have fallen several times if he hadn't had his fingers tightly gripping her hair. 

The Oubliette structure was substantial in size and looked somewhat like a medieval fortress. The whole building appeared to be constructed of some type of cold, dark reddish-brown rock and the few windows looked small, very narrow and were covered with scrolled ironwork bars. There were a several steps leading to the heavy, roughly hewn wooden door that was trimmed with burnished metal hinges and handles. Nothing about it looked welcoming. 

Never releasing his hold, Ian yanked Laura up the stone steps leading to the entry. As they approached the door she saw it opening. 

A man stood there, silently watching everything. Laura noted that the man looked less than pleased to witness their arrival. He was nice looking in a cool, professional, almost detached way and casually attired in black denim jeans and a black button down shirt. 

"Good evening, Mr. Kent." The man's tone of voice was as cold as Ian's. "Is there a problem with your guest? Perhaps you require some assistance?" 

Ian pushed passed him, still dragging Laura by her hair. Once inside, he released her with such force she would have fallen if the other man hadn't reached out to prevent her from slamming into the stone floor. Laura looked up and gave the man a glance of gratitude as she slipped off her remaining shoe and did her best to regain her balance and dignity. 

She looked around noting that the foyer they were standing in was made almost entirely of the same dark brown stone. The only furnishings were several benches made of wood and the area was virtually silent except for Ian's heavy breathing. It was all very cold and austere. Her insides shivered although she was fairly certain it wasn't only because of the cool room. 

"Where the hell is Hale?" Ian's rage was on full display. "He was supposed to be here for my arrival. I'm paying for his services. Why isn't he here?" 

The other man wasn't the slightest bit intimidated as he looked at Ian. The tone of his voice remained icy and commanding. "MASTER Hale had some urgent business and business takes precedence over everything. And may I remind you, Mr. Kent, you pay for accommodations and use of the facilities. MASTER Hale's services are granted solely at his discretion. They are never paid for. I strongly suggest you remember that if you intend to remain for the duration of your reservation." 

Ian's arrogance prevented him from acknowledging the man's rebuke. "I know exactly what I'm paying for. Tell Hale I want to see him and show me my room. The modifications I requested had better be to my expectations. My bag is in the car. I expect it to be delivered. Promptly." 

The man in black turned to Laura. "This way please." He started towards one of two corridors leading off the entry way. Ian grabbed her arm, not giving her the chance to refuse to follow. At least he wasn't yanking her by the hair as he so often did although she was certain her arm was going to be bruised by his iron-like grip. 

Laura felt the icy chill of the floor under her bare feet. There was nothing decorating the dark stone walls as they walked down the dimly lit and narrow passage, stopping only when they reached an elevator. The man in black used an electronic card to summon the conveyance. 

The modern elevator seemed out of place in the almost medieval looking structure. The doors slid open with barely a whisper of sound and the man stood aside motioning for Laura to enter. Instead, Ian stepped ahead, still dragging her by the arm and oblivious to the looks of contempt he was receiving from the man dressed in black. Laura attempted to pull her arm from Ian's grip but he just tightened his fingers. 

The doors opened to another area made of stone. Laura saw four closed doors. Without a word, the other man led the way to the one marked with a number two. 

"What the hell is this?" Ian demanded. "I told Hale I wanted room five." 

"MASTER Hale has selected room two for your use this weekend. If it's not to your liking, Mr. Kent, you are welcome to leave at any time. Our policy ensures a fifty percent refund of your fees. Shall we return to your vehicle?" Ian glared angrily but said nothing. "I didn't think so," the man said smugly. "I'm sure room two will meet your needs. MASTER Hale doesn't make mistakes." The man pushed down on the handle and the door swung open. 

Laura felt herself being flung into the room. She hadn't been sure what to expect considering the reputation of Oubliette. It was quite large and, in keeping with the architecture of the building, styled like a bed chamber in a castle. The furnishings were dark, heavy and nearly ostentatious with deep claret colored, brocade coverings on the bed and at the windows. The chairs in the small seating area looked plush and comfortable. It looked like any typical hotel room, except for the iron rings embedded in the bedposts and the assortment of discipline devices hanging on one of the walls. 

"Where's the cage?" Ian was roaring with outrage. "I gave Hale explicit instructions to provide a cage. What the hell is wrong with you people? Can't you get anything right? This is not the kind of service I expect for the rates you charge." 

The man dressed in black gave Laura a long look before turning to Ian. "Mr. Kent," he was clearly showing his disdain for Ian's demands, "you are well aware of the rules and you also know the rules apply to everyone. The rooms do not have cages. If you and your guest wish to use a cage, they are located in the dungeon. Since nothing seems to be to your satisfaction, shall I escort you to your vehicle?" Again Ian glared with anger and again the man spoke with scorn. "I didn't think so." He turned to Laura. "Ms. Ellis, Oubliette welcomes adults who wish to explore a variety of erotic activities in a strictly consensual environment. Is this consensual for you?" 

"That's none of your damned business," Ian snarled. 

Laura looked straight into the other man's eyes as she answered. "I guess that depends on your definition of consensual. I never agreed to being beaten or raped." 

Ian reached out, clearly intending to grab her by the throat. She was too fast and he watched her scramble across the room. "Don't pretend you didn't agree to this, Laura. We both know you did." 

She had no problem speaking up, the venom in her voice very obvious. "Go to hell, Ian. We both know exactly what I agreed to and your very loose interpretation of my agreement. And don't you pretend that you've been upfront about anything. It wasn't until we were about a mile from here when you finally decided to inform me that Oubliette is an establishment for BDSM aficionados." 

"Ms. Ellis?" The man dressed in black addressed Laura. She turned to look at him. "We only have one other guest room occupied this weekend so we have plenty of staff available for anything you need. If you require assistance during your stay, the employees of Oubliette are very recognizable. Do not hesitate to approach any of them at any hour of the day or night." 

"Thank you and how do you know my name?" 

"It's a requirement. Before anyone can reserve our facilities, we request the full and accurate names of our guests. All the names are checked to be certain we have not been given any false information. If the names we receive prove to be inaccurate, all reservation privileges are revoked. It's for your protection and ours just in case of any unexpected emergencies." 

"And may I know your name?" Laura asked. 

"Yes, you may. If you need my assistance, just ask for Master Reed." He walked toward the door with a sneer directed at Ian. "And I'm also available any time of the day or night." 

She watched the door starting to close behind him and missed Ian making the grab for her neck he had missed earlier. "I'm warning you, Laura," his voice was vicious, "don't even think about embarrassing me. You know the terms of our agreement. I own you for one year and you will learn to serve me, no matter how you feel about it. The next two days are for my pleasure and I intend to use you however I wish including humiliating you and beating you until you're unconscious if I have to. Believe me when I say nothing would give me greater enjoyment. It's just your luck that there won't be many people around to watch me degrading you. Next time I'll have to plan better and make sure we have a larger audience." He squeezed her throat a little tighter, cutting off her air, laughing as she clawed at his hand. He flung her against the wall. "Now get undressed and kneel in that corner until I'm ready for you. Don't make me tell you again and don't bother telling me to go to hell because I'll have no problem making you wish you were already there." 

She watched him walk into what she presumed was a bathroom and slam the door behind him. "It won't be much longer, Laura," she whispered to herself as she rubbed her neck and started to remove her clothing. "Just stay strong." 

Reed took the elevator back to the ground floor and headed straight across the foyer and down the second corridor leading from the entry. At the far end, he used his electronic key card to gain access to a locked door. "Well?" he addressed the only other occupant of the office. "Is it the same Laura Ellis?" 

Marc Hale looked up from a bank of security monitors. "It's her and he's already beating the shit out of her." 

Reed walked over to look at what Marc was seeing. Laura was naked and tied face down across the back of one of the chairs, her arms and legs tightly stretched to the point of discomfort. Her ass and the backs of her thighs were already nearly the same color as the brocade decorating the room. Ian had removed his shirt and was sweating profusely as he wielded his disciplinary instrument of choice. Reed turned the volume control and they could hear her screams as Ian demanded her servitude while methodically and repeatedly slapping her with one of the thick but narrow leather straps that had been hanging on the wall. 

SLAP! "You will serve me." SLAP! SLAP! "Say it." SLAP! 

"NO!" 

SLAP! "You will serve me." SLAP! SLAP! "Say it." SLAP! 

"GO TO HELL, IAN!" 

SLAP! "You will serve me." SLAP! SLAP! "Say it." SLAP! 

Reed turned off the sound as they continued to watch Laura's punishment. "I hope he's convincing himself because he certainly doesn't appear to be convincing her. She doesn't seem very willing to agree to any of his demands. I also listened outside their door for a minute. He threatened to humiliate her and beat her into unconsciousness. Are you planning to stop him?" 

Marc's eyes never left the monitor. "I heard what he said and interfering isn't our policy." 

"It also isn't our policy to cancel reservations and you already did that. We were supposed to have seven couples staying this weekend and now we only have two. Marc, we've been partners for a long time and I've known you even longer. I trust every business decision you've ever made including canceling reservations but I think I'm entitled to an explanation. Who is Laura Ellis and why are you watching that son of a bitch beating her?" 

Marc continued watching the screen. "I told the cancellations we had technical issues that would prevent our usual standard of service and offered all of them a complimentary weekend. No one was disappointed and four out of the five have already re-booked. Business-wise, it looks like this is going to be our biggest year and customer satisfaction has never been better." 

Reed wasn't accepting the response. "I'm not disputing that you're a business genius. If I could find someone else like you, I'd happily expand the operation. Oubliette was my idea but partnering with you made it work which is ironic considering your lack of experience with the lifestyle. You have all the inclinations of a Dominant but don't seem to have any interest in dominating anything other than a ledger sheet. And you have not answered my question." 

"From a business perspective, your idea was a good one, Reed." Marc continued watching the monitor. "There are BDSM clubs in plenty of cities but not many all-inclusive resorts catering to those with more exotic interests. We were lucky to find this monstrosity of a building in the middle of nowhere and making the necessary renovations to accommodate the clientele was easy. And I think you have experience enough for both of us although I agree about possibly finding another business genius. We have plenty of money to expand so Oubliette II might be a reality very soon and we could use the help. He finally stopped strapping her. She looks like she's in a fair amount of pain but judging from the look of fury on his face I don't think she agreed to his demands." 

Reed turned to the monitor. "Considering that he yanked her out of the car and up the steps by her hair, I'd be very surprised if she would agree to anything except getting out of here and you still haven't answered the question. Who is Laura Ellis?" 

Marc leaned back and sighed. "I met her about three years ago, about two years after you and I started working together. I can't say we had a relationship because we only went out for a couple of months but I liked her although I doubt if she ever worked at much of anything besides getting regular pedicures. She seemed like a nice, polite, naïve, sheltered, spoiled little rich girl. Oubliette was just starting to take off and I didn't think she'd approve of my choice of career. I stopped calling her." 

"And she's the one that got away?" Reed questioned. 

"More like she's the one that got pushed away. She definitely has class, though. She left a brief but really sweet message on my voice mail about three weeks after I last saw her. No tears. No demands. No guilt. She simply said she didn't understand why I hadn't called because she really liked me and she was sorry things hadn't worked out. Never heard from her again and after her message I always felt bad for just cutting it off without an explanation. A couple of times I wondered whatever happened to her and then I saw her name on the reservation and checked her out. Can't believe she'd hook up with Ian Kent. We both know the guy is less than scum." 

"I'm not convinced 'hook up' is the right definition of their relationship. Room two is the only guest room we monitor and we only put troublemakers in there. I was sure you'd be watching so you must have heard her say she never agreed to be beaten or raped." 

"I also heard him say he owned her for a year," Marc responded. "Guess I didn't know her very well but I never thought of her as submissive. By the way, after this weekend, I'm banning him permanently. Considering how many problems he caused during his last visit, I didn't think you'd object. Ian Kent isn't the kind of guest you want at Oubliette. He's not a Master or a Dominant. He's arrogant and abusive, plain and simple and it looks like he's abusing Laura but it also looks like he's doing it with her permission which I don't understand. I know he demanded room five but I put him in two so we could keep track of him. I put Damon and Katrina in room five. They do the whole Dom/sub thing the right way and Damon hates Ian's pseudo-Dom personality. He'll look out for Laura." 

"And will Master Hale be making an appearance?" Reed wanted to know. "I have to say my ego takes a hit every time you decide to show up. The mysterious and silent Master Hale appears in the dungeon, hardly ever shows any expression except for nodding his approval or glaring his disapproval and all assembled act as if they've been blessed by your presence." He gestured to the screen and reached over to turn up the volume. "Looks like she's arguing with him." 

Laura's voice could be clearly heard. "Go to hell, Ian. If you want your feet licked, you'd better figure out how to shove your foot in your own mouth. And stop threatening me. I know what I agreed to and this wasn't it." 

"I'm warning you, Laura," Ian spoke menacingly. "This place has every means of discipline known and I won't hesitate to use all of them if I have to. We have a deal and you will respect me for the rest of our year together." 

"The rest of our year together?" she mocked his words. "You're the most unethical bastard on the face of the earth. You demanded occasional sex as payback. You never once mentioned any of your personal shortcomings or trying to turn me into chattel but concealing things seems to be a regular pattern of yours. And no one can demand respect. It has to be earned and that's something you'll never get from me. Let go of me!" 

"Your attitude is exactly why I demanded a cage in the room but they couldn't even get that right. This place is full of incompetents. They charge exorbitant amounts of money and talk about the outstanding service they provide. They're a bunch of frauds." 

"They're frauds? HA! Takes one to know one, doesn't it Ian? Let go of me!" 

"We're going to pay a little visit to the dungeon. Maybe locking you up in a cage, like an animal, will change your demeanor," he snarled at her. 

"You're barking up the wrong tree, Ian," she said with disdain. "Woof! Woof!" 

They watched him dragging Laura from the room. "She's not exactly a model of submission," 

Reed turned off the volume, "but that was interesting. Occasional sex as payback? Wonder what she owes him? And why? I guess they're headed to the dungeon. Damon and Katrina are probably already down there. Damon's going to be just thrilled to see Ian." Reed was rubbing his temples as though he was attempting to push away stress. "Damon is probably the most even-tempered Dominant I've ever known but before this weekend is over, Ian Kent might be hanging by his balls while Damon plays his happy little 'Hit the Piñata' game with him. Actually, I wouldn't mind taking a whack or two at Ian. Katrina can make her world famous Margaritas and we can turn it into a fiesta. Maybe we can start having theme nights." 


Oubliette Pt. 01



"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated, Reed," Marc responded, "and Damon already knows Ian and Laura are the only other guests this weekend." 

"All the other guests were cancelled. Laura is staying in the one and only room we monitor. Damon has proven himself to be trustworthy and has been forewarned. Don't you think you're being a little overly protective, Marc? Is it possible you regret letting Laura get pushed away?" 

Marc picked up a folder and attempted to look involved in a variety of facts and figures. "We have a responsibility to every guest who stays here, Reed, and Laura Ellis is no exception." 

Reed didn't bother to dispute Marc's statement. 

Laura wasn't sure how she could be shivering in the tiny cage and burning with humiliation and rage at the same time. 

Ian had forced her to walk, completely naked, into the elevator and down the long narrow hall leading to the dungeon. He had taken the leather strap with him and any time she attempted to stop he had slapped it against some part of her bare flesh. 

When they arrived at the dungeon she wasn't particularly surprised at the variety of discipline apparatus. Wherever she looked there were padded benches and tables along with every shape of chair, sofa and pillow. There were shackles embedded in the walls and cuffs attached to ropes and chains that were hanging from the ceiling. It was hard to miss the straps, paddles, crops, canes and whips hanging on different sections of the walls and her insides shuddered thinking about Ian's threat to use them all. She didn't doubt him for one minute. 

Against the far back wall were a row of different sized cages. He selected the smallest, opened the door and virtually shoved her inside, slamming the lock into place. The cage had a cold, black metal floor, thick bars and was hardly big enough for her to sit, although her sore backside and legs made sitting quite painful and uncomfortable. Actually every position was uncomfortable and Ian was clearly enjoying her discomfort. 

He was making things worse by using a short, multi-strand whip to torment her even more by constantly lashing at the sides of the cage. Not only was it incredibly annoying but the wide spaces between the bars ensured that she felt the sting on her back and shoulders every time he smacked at her. 

The only other people in the room were a couple sitting at the opposite end and obviously enjoying each other's company in a very playful manner. At first Laura was red with embarrassment at being forced into a room with other people while she wasn't wearing anything besides her anger at Ian, but she became more comfortable when she saw that the woman was also naked. 

She watched them from the cage. Both were very attractive. The woman had long hair similar in color to the reddish-brown stone of the Oubliette building. She was totally and comfortably nude, wearing only a golden chain around her slim neck. Her knowledge of the BDSM lifestyle made Laura certain the chain served as the woman's symbolic collar although it was obvious the pair didn't need anything to bind them together. They were clearly devoted to each other. 

The man had dark brown hair and was definitely handsome but it was his dynamic presence that caught Laura's attention. Even though he was obviously at least five inches taller than Ian, his confidence would have caught the eye of almost any woman. His dark gaze met Laura's several times and something about it made her feel safe. It was also apparent that the looks he was directing at Ian were full of contempt and distaste. 

Laura knew making the deal she had with Ian Kent wasn't in her best interest but he hadn't given her much choice. It was something she had to endure. At least for the moment. Luckily he wasn't the only one who kept certain information concealed. 

Ian continued to provoke Laura by snapping the whip at the bars of the cage. "I own you, Laura. Get used to it because you're stuck with it until your year is over and you still have more than ten months under my control." He flicked the whip harder making her flinch. "You will serve me and you will respect me or I will make you miserable," he taunted her. 

She had been putting up with Ian for just about six weeks. He was never going to be the warm and cuddly type but, at first, his abuse was only verbal. When he realized she wasn't taking him seriously, or responding as he expected, the physical mistreatment had started. Laura felt herself nearing a breaking point but she refused to cry. He would never have the satisfaction of getting even one tear from her. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Go. To. Hell. I will neither serve nor will I ever respect you. Not after what you did." 

Full of rage, Ian drew back the whip and lashed with his full strength, watching with satisfaction as Laura cringed lower, attempting to protect herself. As he pulled his arm back for another strike, the whip was grabbed from his hand. "What the...?" 

Damon stood just inches from the cage, the whip firmly in his grip. "You haven't introduced me to this lovely lady." Damon was all charm but the tone of his voice did little to conceal his true feelings for Ian. 

"She's no lady and I have no intention of introducing you so fuck off, Damon." 

Damon's eyes narrowed as he reached over and unlocked the cage. Opening the door he offered his hand to Laura who took it gratefully. He helped her extricate herself from the small space and gain her balance as the feeling came back into her legs. "Then I shall have to do it myself. Good evening, my dear. I'm Master Damon. Did I hear that cretin masquerading as a human refer to you as Laura?" 

Still a little shaky, Laura smiled at him. "Yes sir and it's a pleasure to meet you." 

Damon suavely wrapped Laura's hand around his arm. "Come sit with me, my dear. I'll introduce you to Katrina. Tell me, Laura...are you familiar with the relationship between Dominant and submissive?" 

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ian raged. "I own you, Laura. I own you. And how dare you give him more respect than you give me." 

"Respect is something that is earned," Damon spoke to Ian with scorn. "Come along, Laura." 

"I'm happy to do so, Master Damon and, in answer to your question, I am somewhat familiar with the Dominant and submissive way of life." Laura allowed him to guide her to where Katrina was calmly and quietly waiting as she sat on a large pillow next to the chair Damon had earlier occupied. There was another fluffy pillow on the floor and Damon gestured to it. "Please make yourself comfortable, Laura. Katrina, my precious, say hello to Laura." 

She gracefully sank down next to Katrina as the two greeted each other. Grateful for the overstuffed cushion, Laura winced as her still sore ass and legs made contact with the material. Katrina looked at her with concern while Damon gently patted her shoulder with reassurance. 

Making his way from the other side of the room, Ian grabbed for Laura. When Damon stood up to stop him, Ian let the full force of his fury blast. "Who the fuck do you think you are, Damon? She belongs to me. What right do you have to interfere with my property? You don't make the rules around here." 

"No, he doesn't. We do." 

Startled by the new arrivals, Laura looked up and straight into Marc Hale's cool, blue eyes. Suddenly very aware of her nudity, Laura felt herself blushing all over as Marc looked back. Ian had been making so much noise she hadn't heard Marc and Reed enter the dungeon. They stood side by side, both dressed from head to toe in black, neither looking particularly pleased with Ian's behavior. 

With his sand-colored hair and green eyes, there was no question that Reed was good looking but Marc was gorgeous, just as gorgeous now as he had been three years ago. From the moment Ian had first mentioned his plan to take her to Oubliette, Laura had been wondering when she would have the opportunity to see Marc. She didn't have to wonder any longer. 

He stood silently, staring straight at her with the same piercing blue eyes that made her insides implode even more than they had in the past. She wasn't exactly sure why she suddenly felt rather shy being naked in his presence. Three years ago he had seen every inch of her just as frequently as she had explored every millimeter of him. It hadn't lasted long but those few weeks with Marc had been incredible and it had taken longer than she expected to recover when he suddenly and unexpectedly stopped calling. 

Even though she was almost certain she knew why he had broken things off, it hadn't been easy. After a couple of weeks she had called him, leaving a brief message and hoping to give him a reason to call her back but it hadn't happened. Never one to feel overly sorry for herself, Laura had taken a few weeks to nurse her first ever broken heart and then moved on with her life. Now as she looked back at him, she was almost certain Marc had no idea how much they actually had in common. 

Marc knew he shouldn't be staring but he couldn't seem to stop. She looked exactly the same. No, she actually looked better. Her hair was longer than he remembered but it was still the color of dark, rich espresso coffee. He had always been mesmerized by the unusual copper color of her eyes. At the moment it was as if two shiny pennies were looking back at him. 

He wasn't sure why he felt uncomfortable seeing her without any clothing. Katrina was sitting only inches away from Laura and was just as naked. It wasn't as if he didn't remember how Laura looked, how soft her skin felt. Involuntarily his gazed dropped to the tiny mole on her right hip. It was shaped like the silhouette of a dolphin jumping joyfully from the sea. He had traced that mole with his fingertips and tongue more times than he wanted to remember. 

Marc and Reed looked up with annoyance as Ian started shouting violently, his face turning red with anger. "What the hell kind of an operation are you people running? I wanted room five and got stuck in room two. I demanded a cage in the room and that didn't happen. I made it clear that you were supposed to be meeting me when I arrived," he gestured to Marc, "but you had more pressing business. Now this asshole," he gestured to Damon, "is interfering with my property and you're allowing it. What happened to your alleged promise of impeccable service? You make promises that aren't fulfilled yet you have no problem taking my money. This place is a sham and I'm demanding a full refund." 

"Perhaps we should all calm down," Damon interceded even though everyone, with the exception of Ian, was already completely calm. "Let's sit down and have a drink before one of us says something he might regret." He glanced pointedly at Ian before turning toward Reed and Marc. "Would you gentlemen mind giving Katrina access to your bar? She can mix up one of her marvelous concoctions for us. I'm in the mood for one of her special libations. It's called 'Pérdida del Conocimiento'. Katrina, 'Pérdida del Conocimientos' for everyone!" 

Reed nodded his agreement to Damon and the employee tending the bar stood aside for Katrina as she scurried over to start mixing the drinks. 

Damon called out to her. "And Katrina, my precious, make sure Ian is especially satisfied." Damon's voice dripped with sarcasm. "The poor man has had an absolutely dreadful day. Perhaps the lovely Laura would like to assist Katrina." 

She was very much aware that the directive wasn't a suggestion and the lovely Laura didn't mind assisting anyone although the thought of serving Ian turned her stomach. The thought of serving Marc also made her stomach feel a little strange but it was mostly nervous flutters. 

Even though Reed and Marc owned and managed Oubliette, Damon seemed to have taken charge of the entire situation. He suggested the men get comfortable and engaged them in conversation, all three of them ignoring Ian's surly attitude. 

Laura was very much aware that Marc had not said a word but also had not stopped watching her. Every time she glanced at him, his cool blue eyes were observing every move she made. For some reason the longer and more intently he watched her, the more naked she felt. Not for the first time, she silently cursed Ian Kent as she looked forward to making him pay for his actions. 

Katrina seemed oblivious to the fact that she was nude as she happily went about mixing up a fairly large amount of whatever it was she was mixing. Laura had no idea what ingredients or liquors comprised 'Pérdida del Conocimiento' but when the preparation was finished it looked like nothing more than very refreshing and large glasses of pink lemonade. 

Beautifully decorated with sprigs of mint and cubes of fresh fruit, each glass looked like a miniature work of art. Katrina took two of the glasses and motioned for Laura to take the others. Naturally Katrina headed straight for Damon. She handed him a glass and giggled when he patted her bare bottom. She turned to Ian and handed him her second glass. 

Following behind Katrina, Laura was forced to serve Reed and Marc. She handed a glass to Reed because he was closest to where she was standing. He thanked her and she turned to Marc. She couldn't look at him but she could almost feel sparks when his fingers lightly brushed against hers. He didn't say a word and luckily he chose not to pat anything. 

While Damon, Marc and Reed sipped from their glasses and discussed whatever they were discussing, Ian guzzled one drink after another and glared menacingly at Laura as though plotting how to make her suffer even more for her insolence and disobedience. She knew he was determined to take every advantage of what she had unwillingly agreed to and was going to do whatever he could to make things as difficult as possible for her. She was also certain the only reason he had settled down and didn't have her bent over one of the spanking benches was because he knew he was completely outnumbered and outweighed by the other three. 

In addition, Reed hadn't been joking when he said there would be plenty of staff available to assist if she needed help. There were a number of diligent and quiet employees clad in vests with the Oubliette logo and any one of them could easily knock the diminutive Ian to the ground and sit on him. Together, they'd have no problem tossing him out the door or hanging him from the chains dangling in the center of the large room. The thought of Ian, hanging helplessly was almost enough to make Laura smile. 

The always vigilant Katrina dutifully refilled Ian's glass so many times, Laura eventually lost count. She noticed the others talking much more than they drank. She also noticed Marc spending more time noticing her than talking or drinking. Damon and Reed were deep in discussion and Marc had barely said a word the entire time he was in the room, pretty much commenting only when a question was directed at him by one of the other men. 

Whatever it was that Katrina was serving them, Marc hardly tasted it. Nudity was hardly out of the ordinary at Oubliette yet he was exceedingly uncomfortable as he watched Laura. She still seemed like the same polite, naïve, slightly spoiled girl remembered. During the past three years he had only occasionally thought about her so why was he suddenly remembering everything he hadn't during all this time? From the first instant they were in the same room, he hadn't been able to stop his thoughts. Surprisingly, he wasn't sure he wanted to. 

Reed would undoubtedly be quite pleased to know that Marc's latent Dominant tendencies were rapidly roaring to the surface since his primary thought was pulling Laura, face down across his lap and spanking her already bruised ass, as long and as hard as possible, for ever getting herself involved with Ian Kent. 

Maybe that was more of a secondary thought. The ever increasing tightness of his black jeans seemed to have more to do with his primary thought. Primary or secondary, he knew before the night was over he was going to have to get her away from Ian. 

He didn't give a damn what she owed Ian Kent. Marc's only concern was to see if there was any possible way to salvage their past acquaintance. Considering that he hadn't even bothered to call her to end things, he wasn't sure reconciliation was something she'd agree to but he knew he definitely had to try. 

The conversation finally seemed to be winding down. Silently, Laura was dreading the end of the evening. Even though she was still very much aware of her own nakedness she felt safer in the dungeon, surrounded by other people, rather than alone in room number two with a very drunk and increasingly abusive Ian. 

Involving herself with Ian Kent wasn't something she ever wanted to do or planned to do but the egotistical and unethical piece of crap thought he was brilliant enough to outsmart her. She had agreed to sleep with him only because she was forced to and, so far, she had managed to avoid the inevitable. 

Crude, coarse and verbally abusive, for the first couple of weeks he attempted to coerce her then came the night he had more to drink than he usually did and that was when he changed the rules of the game. That was the night he decided she needed to be disciplined into serving him for the duration of the year she had agreed to. Slime-on-a-stick had neglected to mention his interest in the BDSM lifestyle and she took his threats very seriously, especially the ones that involved paddles, whips and canes. 

Up until the strapping he had given her earlier, he had only used his hand, a hairbrush or a ruler to teach her lessons about obedience. She had no doubt he had every intention of making good on his threats and that his methods of teaching those lessons were going to escalate. She just had to avoid him for a few more hours. After that, there were going to be plenty of lessons learned but Ian Kent had no idea he was going to be the student. 

Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw Ian attempting to get to his feet and make his way over to where she was sitting next to Katrina. He had a murderous look in his eyes and Laura wasn't sure how many drinks he had consumed but judging by the way he was stumbling over everything that was in his path, it was obvious he'd had way more than one too many. 

She refused to allow him to see any fear she might have and just as he was about to grab for her, he slumped to the floor with a loud thump. 

"What a pity," Damon was standing over Ian without the slightest bit of concern. "Poor fool seems to have had a bit too much to drink this evening." He looked over at the women. "Well done, my precious. You can expect a significant reward when we go up to our room." 

Katrina was beaming with pride but Reed looked a little confused. "I know he was drinking more than we were but what do you mean by 'well done'?" 

Damon smiled placidly. "My Katrina is a mixologist of the highest ranking. That innocent looking drink she served us this evening goes down quite smoothly but I can't say it packs a punch. I'd have to say it packs more of an annihilation. 'Pérdida del Conocimiento' is Spanish for loss of ability or becoming unconscious and I believe that's what the insipid Ian will be for the rest of the night. Don't expect he'll be feeling very well in the morning either." 

Reed still looked unsure about what was happening. "We were all drinking the same thing. Why aren't we all falling on our faces?" 

Damon shrugged and turned to Katrina. "That's a very good question. My precious? Perhaps you should answer." 

Katrina looked at Damon, Reed and Marc with a lovely smile. "It's because the pitcher I used to replenish his drink had nearly three times the amount of alcohol as the pitcher I used to replenish your drink, Master Damon and also the drinks of Masters Hale and Reed. It seemed like the poor man had such a terrible day. Nothing went right for him so I thought he could use a little extra boost," she said innocently. 




Oubliette Pt. 01



Reed looked at Damon with suspicion. "Was this your idea?" 

Damon looked back with absolutely no guilt. "You can't consider me to be at fault when the man obviously doesn't know his own limits and can't handle himself in public. Katrina may have refilled his glass but she certainly didn't force him to drink." 

Marc looked down at Ian then over at Reed. "I guess we should get him upstairs to his room. If you grab that arm, I'll get this one." 

"Actually," Damon was attempting to sound concerned and failing miserably, "perhaps for his own safety it might be better if he stays here. Considering his inebriated condition and belligerent attitude, you certainly wouldn't want him possibly wandering, unattended, in the middle of the dark night. Who knows what could happen? There could be legal ramifications. Poor man might fall over something and be lucky enough to break his own neck. I, for one, would certainly sleep much better knowing he's not going to accidentally fall off the roof. What about allowing him to sleep it off in one of the locked cages, perhaps the one he forced the lovely Laura into this very evening? He shouldn't get into too much trouble in a three foot by four foot cage. And if he puts up a fuss in the morning, you can be damn sure he won't be in any condition to have a recollection of how he ended up kenneled in the dungeon." 

Reed and Marc exchanged glances, weighing Damon's suggestion. "Perhaps that would be the wisest option," Reed begrudgingly agreed. "Falling off the roof would certainly put a damper on his weekend. C'mon. Help me get him into the cage." 

Together the two men lifted Ian and dragged him to the cage. He didn't wake up when they rolled him into the small space and securely locked the door. 

Reed walked over to talk to one of the employees as Damon turned to Marc. "Katrina and I are going to say good-night." He took Katrina's hand. "We'll see all of you and the ignominious Ian whenever he has finished sleeping it off." Hand in hand, the two left the dungeon. 

Although she was standing just inches from Marc and knew he was watching, Laura couldn't bring herself to look over at him and those blue eyes of his. The heat of another blush was spreading and she self-consciously wrapped her arms around herself as though attempting to hide from his stare. 

Reed was coming back. "I told the staff to make sure someone is always watching him tonight but to stay out of sight," he told Marc. "Considering how drunk he is, I'm not anticipating he'll wake up any time soon but they have instructions to call me immediately if he does." 

Laura cleared her throat and Reed glanced at her. "A delivery will be coming by messenger tomorrow," she said. "It should be here around noon. Please make sure I get the envelope and that it doesn't go to anyone else." She glanced pointedly at the cage containing Ian Kent. 

Reed nodded his head and wondered for about the fiftieth time what was happening between his partner and Laura Ellis. "That's not a problem. I also think Damon had a good point. It would be in everyone's best interest for Ian to presume he locked himself in the cage. I have no doubt he'll be somewhat disagreeable when he finally does wake up with a colossal hangover although considering his winning personality I'm not sure anyone will notice a difference. Until then I'm going to try to get some sleep and hopefully dream about why I ever decided to start this damned business. I could use the insight. Goodnight Miss Ellis. Goodnight Master Hale." 

Now it was just the two of them. "I guess I might as well go upstairs." Her voice wasn't much louder than a whisper. 

"I'll go with you." 

"That isn't necessary." 

"I said...I'll go with you." He wasn't intending to sound as angry as he did and now that he finally had her alone, he had quite a few questions for the lovely Laura, starting with why she was involved with scum like Ian Kent and what exactly she owed him to force that involvement. 

He started walking and realized she wasn't moving, was still standing with her arms covering her breasts, not meeting his gaze. It suddenly occurred to him that he was being unfair. Not only had he ended their relationship without explanation, he also hadn't kept in contact with her, had no idea what was going on in her life. The Laura Ellis he remembered might have been a little sheltered and spoiled but she was also very sensible. If she was involved with Ian there had to be a damned good reason. 

Silently he pulled his shirt from the waist of his black jeans. Unbuttoning it he pulled it off and handed it to her. She looked more than a little surprised, murmured a quiet thank you and slipped it on. Taking her by the hand, he led her from the dungeon. 

To be continued... 

Hello everyone, 

It's been a while since my last submission but I'm keeping busy with my writing. 

This one will be in two parts - the second to follow shortly. 

Thank you for reading and thank you to Bigg_Mike for sticking with me and editing. 

CHWH



Oubliette Pt. 02



Oubliette – the conclusion

At the end of part one, Marc and Laura reconnected at Oubliette, a BDSM resort that Marc owns and runs with his friend, Reed. Laura is an unwilling guest, having been forced to visit by Ian. When Ian becomes incapacitated, Marc accompanies Laura from the Oubliette dungeon.



The awkward silence continued between them as he led her into the elevator and pressed the button that would take them up to room number two. A few moments later he was pushing open the door and standing back to allow her to enter.

As he looked around the room, Marc saw Ian's possessions strewn everywhere. His gaze fell on the chair Laura had been tied to earlier that evening. The rope was still wrapped around the arms and legs of the piece of furniture. He could almost hear the sound of the strap beating against her bare flesh. "Get your stuff," he told her. "I'm bringing you to a different room." For the first time since they left the dungeon she looked at him, question in her eyes. "We're only presuming Ian is going to be out cold for the next few hours. Just in case he isn't, I'd rather not have you alone in here waiting for him." 

Laura nodded her agreement and gathered the few items that belonged to her. "Is that all?" Marc questioned. She didn't seem to be holding very much.

"Yes. Ian very conveniently managed to leave my overnight case behind. He tends to do things like that. All I have is my purse and the things I was wearing when I got here."

Again Marc wondered what Ian Kent was using to attempt to force her submission to him. He had to get the entire story from her but not yet and not in this room. "C'mon. We're going to another part of the building."

Laura followed him back to the elevator. She was surprised when she realized they were downstairs in the lobby where she and Ian had first arrived. Marc led her across the space and down a different hall. He swiped his key card in more than one location to gain access. They passed several rooms that looked like offices before ending up in front of another elevator. 

Marc swiped his key card and the door opened. Once inside, he swiped the card again and tapped several numbers on a key pad. The doors closed and Laura could feel the elevator car ascending. When the doors opened a few seconds later, they stepped into a small entry space. Straight ahead was another door and another electronic key pad. Marc tapped in a few more numbers and Laura heard a click. He pushed the door open and gestured for her to enter.

Laura looked around. "Is this a suite? It looks a lot bigger than the other room."

"Oubliette is divided into several sections. The center of the complex contains the grounds and public areas and is accessible to all the guests. The floor above the lobby has the kitchen and dining rooms. The floor below is the dungeon. The guest rooms are located in the east wing. Right now we're in the west wing. This section of the building is the most secure. It contains the administrative offices and two private apartments. Reed and I both live on property. One of us is here at all times. His place is one floor down. This is my apartment."

Laura's eyebrows rose at that piece of information. She looked around noting that it looked nothing like the almost gaudy, theatrical décor in room two. The rooms in Marc's apartment were very large and modern without a hint that they were occupied by the owner of an establishment that catered to BDSM aficionados. Light colored wood, shiny chrome and exposed brick complimented the warm and sand-like shades of beige and deep, smoky blue. Although dimly lit at the moment, she was sure the entire space would be bright during the day considering the number of skylights overhead.

"Bedroom and bathroom are this way," Marc told her. "You can take a shower. And you have to eat something. I'll make some sandwiches."

"Marc, you don't need to take care of me."

"Well obviously someone should if you're irresponsible enough to get involved with Ian Kent." He stopped and looked at her, aware of how harsh he sounded. "Sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out that way. You don't owe me any explanations."

"No, I don't but I also don't mind giving them to you. It's pretty obvious you have the wrong idea and setting you straight isn't a problem but first I'd like to wash Ian off me. Since this is all I have," she held up her few belongings, "would you consider lending me another shirt? Something to eat sounds really good and we can talk after my shower."

"Fair enough." Marc was pleased that she sounded very much like the Laura he remembered and not like someone willing to submit to Ian or anyone else.

He showed Laura into his bedroom and where to find everything she might need. When the bathroom door closed behind her he headed to his second bathroom. The idea of washing Ian Kent off himself suddenly sounded very appealing.

He was more than a little confused by his reaction to seeing Laura again and it hadn't escaped his notice that she didn't appear particularly surprised when he made his appearance in the dungeon. He also couldn't imagine Laura ever wanting to be submissive to someone like Ian. She was smart and strong willed, even if she was a little quiet and naïve about the real world. It was her naiveté that prompted him to back away from her. 

Maybe he shouldn't characterize her as spoiled. She wasn't demanding or bratty and simply seemed to be the slightly indulged, only child of two parents who adored her and wanted to give her every possible opportunity. Marc wasn't sure if anything had changed during the past three years but, as far as he knew, she worked part time for her father's very successful business and didn't do much of anything else. He hadn't wanted to divulge his own business venture and source of income so he had avoided all discussion about work-related matters and had never really asked how she spent her time. He was just now beginning to see that, during the past three years, he thought about Laura much more than he realized.

Laura was enjoying the shower in Marc's very modern bathroom. It was apparent he hadn't spared any expense considering the quality of the fixtures in the room. She already knew Oubliette was doing well but it was obviously doing very well. 

She couldn't blame him for thinking whatever he was thinking when she arrived with Ian. Thanks to Reed's statement about checking out their guests prior to arrival, she already knew that Marc would have been expecting her. Actually she knew that piece of information prior to Reed mentioning it and it was one of the reasons she had decided on using Oubliette as part of her plan for undermining Ian. 

Ian Kent was, quite possibly, the most arrogant piece of shit she had ever met and she had met quite a few arrogant and shitty people. Luckily that arrogance and Ian's belief that he was smarter than everyone else worked perfectly for her plan. He was unethical, manipulative, immoral, unscrupulous and very smart. He just wasn't smarter than Laura Ellis. Actually, Ian wasn't smarter than a lot of people but it served Laura's plan to allow him to believe he was.

Marc was just beginning to wonder what was taking her so long when he looked up and saw her standing in the doorway. Her hair was long and soft and he wanted very much to touch it. She had pulled on one of his t-shirts. The dark green color made her pale, creamy skin and copper penny eyes glow. Even though it reached nearly to her knees, judging from the way the shirt was clinging to her, he was certain she wasn't wearing anything under it. That thought was making a certain part of his own body glow as well.

"Your apartment is beautiful, Marc, and this kitchen is incredible." She walked in and settled at the table, onto the chair opposite him. "I could do some serious cooking in this place."

"Yeah." He had the strangest feeling he had somehow renovated his kitchen with her in mind. "I can remember some of those spectacular, candle-lit dinners you made. Do you still cook like that very often?"

"Not too often. It's not as much fun when there isn't anyone to cook for. Looks like you've developed some kitchen skills. These sandwiches look great."

"I'm not sure sandwiches qualify as cooking but help yourself. Considering Katrina's killer cocktail, I'm sticking with iced tea but can I get you some wine? Coffee? Juice?" he asked.

"Tea would be fine. Thanks."

He filled two glasses and returned to the table. "Are you ready to tell me what's going on with you and Ian?"

"You don't waste time, do you? The truth is he's blackmailing me into serving him for a year."

"Blackmail?" Marc wasn't completely shocked. "What the hell could Ian possibly have on you and why haven't you gone to the authorities?"

"I came up with a better way."

"Sure you did, like allowing him to beat your ass with a strap and lock you in a cage. That's a great plan, Laura. You're really showing him who's in charge." Marc's sarcasm was obvious.

She glared at him just enough. "It's a long story and how did you know about the strap?"

He glared back. "I've got time and room two has security cameras. That's why I put you and Ian in there instead of in room five. I don't trust that bastard. Never have and never will and what's going on? Why is he blackmailing you?"

"I think of him as slime-on-a-stick but bastard works, too. I met Ian a few months ago. I was having dinner with a couple of friends and he decided to hit on me. I very politely declined his offer but he doesn't like hearing the word 'no'. Eventually the people I was with told him to get lost and he took it very personally and claimed he was humiliated. He decided to get even."

"You're kidding? Sounds awfully childish. Ian Kent is no great prize. He must be used to getting shot down. You'd think he'd be able to handle it by now."

Laura agreed. "It is childish but Ian Kent is a legend in his own mind."

"What's the rest of the story, Laura? What is he holding over you?"

"About a year ago my mom had a minor health scare." She noted the concern written in Marc's eyes. "She's fine now but it made both her and dad start to think about the future. He's always worked really hard and there are quite a few things on their bucket list so he decided to start pulling back and giving some thought to early retirement. The one thing that worried him was the possibility of company lay-offs. He's always been so hands-on and that's why the company is as successful as it is. He was afraid if he wasn't there on a day to day basis, things would fall apart and some people who have been with him since the beginning could suffer."

"What does that have to do with Ian and why he's blackmailing you?"

"Ian used his network of corporate jackals to find out what he could about me and discovered my connection to the business. He approached dad with a business proposal, an application of some kind which required a huge investment but assured a massive return. Dad thought the idea was great. He'd make enough money to retire comfortably and not have to worry about the future of the business or its employees since there would be a gigantic payoff."

"Sounds like a win-win for everyone."

"Yeah, except it turned out to be a huge win for Ian and a monster loss for dad. I'm not quite sure how he pulled it off but the documents my dad signed were somehow falsified after the fact. Dad is a really shrewd guy. He knows exactly what he signs but somehow Ian switched things around. In addition, the entire application proposal was bogus. There is definitely a product application but when it was turned over to dad, it was nothing like the concept Ian proposed. It has nothing to do with dad's company so it's worthless to him. It was pure fraud."

"And you're certain your father wasn't at fault? Is it possible he read something wrong or misunderstood? Maybe he was so focused on the potential income he missed something."

"According to the contract Ian is claiming my dad signed, he has to reimburse Ian for all kinds of costs and a huge interest payment. If he doesn't, Ian takes over the entire company. My father and his attorneys would not have missed a clause like that. The way it stands now, dad is pretty much screwed. If he pays Ian according to the terms of the contract, the company will be on the verge of bankruptcy. If he can't pay Ian, dad and his employees will lose everything."

"I knew the guy was a bastard. Where do you fit into all of this?"

Laura shrugged her slim shoulders. "About six weeks ago, slime-on-a-stick contacted me and asked if I'd be willing to help dad with his financial dilemma. He was very blatant about telling me he had decided to hit me where it hurt to get even with me for the humiliation I had put him through that night when I refused him. He gave me no real choice: I had to agree to sleep with him for a year or he'd pull the plug and demand immediate payment which he believes dad can't manage. It was all very official. He even had a contract for me to sign."

"And your father agreed to this?"

She smiled. "Not to the sleeping with Ian part but most definitely to what I have planned. He was even more in favor when I showed him that Ian also switched out the contract he had me sign. The original contract called only for occasional sex. That was what I agreed to and signed. When Ian suddenly informed me I'd agreed to a BDSM relationship and was going to be forced to serve him for a year, that I had agreed to be owned by him, he threw a contract at me as proof. Somehow it had my signature but it wasn't the one I had signed and I know that for a fact. I took a picture of the original pages with my phone when I signed it. I never agreed to be owned by anyone and certainly not by Ian Kent."

"So if you have proof of fraud, why haven't you called him on it or turned him in? Why the hell are you allowing yourself to be victimized? Why are you allowing him to humiliate you? Worst of all, how can you sleep with the son of a bitch?"

"Because, Marc, my plan for revenge is better and much more effective."

"Yeah, because that part where he locked you in a cage and lashed at you was really teaching him a lesson." Marc wasn't even attempting to hide the sarcasm or his anger. "Maybe when his alcohol induced stupor wears off he can tie you across one of the whipping benches and beat you with a cane until you bleed. That'll teach him a thing or two. And when he's fucking you in every orifice until you pass out, I'll bet that'll really be getting even with him."

Laura leaned back and looked over at him, her eyes narrowed. "You know, Marc, you might give me just a little more credit. Frankly I'm not sure why you even care. It's not as if you've been bothered about anything I've been doing since you decided to stop seeing me. I think I'd like to get some sleep. The couch looks comfortable. Is there a blanket I can use?"

"Take the bed, Laura, and don't argue with me. It's been a hell of a day and I'm not in the mood."

"Yeah. I'm sure it was total and complete hell for you when Ian was beating me with that leather strap Oubliette so graciously provided for him to use. And me being naked and locked in that tiny cage must have been immensely strenuous. Promise me you'll get a really good night of sleep to help you get over the trauma."

She turned and walked out of the room. As his eyes followed her he was left to wonder if his ass-like behavior was on any level even close to the way her ass looked with his shirt clinging to it. By the time he had cleared off the table, he had his answer. Her ass definitely won and his ass owed her ass a huge apology.

Before he could change his mind, he headed to the bedroom.

She was lying in his bed, staring up at one of the skylights in the ceiling and didn't even bother to look at him when he walked into the room. He might not have Reed's supremely Dominant tendencies but it was still hard for him to apologize for anything. Usually he never had to. He wasn't accustomed to being wrong.

"Laura, some of my comments were out of line."

"You think?" 

"It was a shock when I saw you with him. You were seeing me and now you're involved with him and he hovers in the vicinity of sub-human. Maybe it was a hit to my ego or something."

"And your reasoning would be valid except that I didn't leave you for Ian Kent. If that were the case, you'd have all kinds of reasons to administer first aid to your wounded ego but you dumped me, Marc. Without an explanation. Without a word. Did it ever occur to you that maybe that was a hit to my ego?"

He pulled off his t-shirt and sweatpants, tossing them on a chair before he climbed into the bed next to her. "Frankly, no and I suppose I owe you an apology for that as well. I'm sure you've wondered what happened, why I ended it without telling you."

"I always presumed it was because of your involvement with Oubliette. I figured you'd think I would freak if I knew you were into BDSM. You never bothered to hide the fact that you thought I was somewhat naïve."

That was definitely a frown creasing his forehead. "You knew? When did you find out?"

"Marc, we only saw each other for a couple of months but there were several things about you that didn't add up. One of those things was how you always presumed you knew me when you really didn't. How could you? You never asked very much. Another thing was how you never wanted to discuss careers. That's usually one of the first things people talk about when they're just starting to get acquainted. I was a little suspicious so I did some checking and learned about your affiliation with Oubliette about two weeks before you dumped me. It was about a month after you stopped calling that I discovered you were one of the owners and founding partners." She finally looked at him. "And for the record, when I found out, I didn't freak."

He shrugged. "Maybe I misjudged you although I think it's fair to say that introducing oneself by saying 'Hi, I'm Marc and I'm a part time Dominant and Master at a BDSM resort' could be a little bit of a conversation stopper. Why didn't you ever say anything?"

It was her turn to shrug. "I was hoping you'd bring it up. I wasn't too anxious for you to know I'd been checking up on you but I try to be careful about who I date."

"This from the woman involved with Ian Kent."

"Marc, I'm not involved with him and within the next few hours he's going to learn a really hard lesson about underestimating people."

"All I know is that when he checks out, you're not leaving with him. I'll lock you in one of the cages myself if I have to."

"I wasn't planning to leave with him and Ian won't exactly be checking out."

"So you're planning to strangle him with a riding crop and hang his corpse from one of the parapets? It's not that he doesn't deserve it but the management would frown on that."

"You are the management and I'm making no promises about the riding crop but I can guarantee no parapets will be involved."

"So what are you planning?"

"I'd prefer not to tell you right now. It's not that I don't trust you but I've worked on this for several weeks and I don't want Ian to have any idea what's about to hit him until it's actually hitting him. I'll answer all your questions tomorrow but I can say it's nothing illegal. I may want my revenge for what he tried to do to me and my father but I'm not stooping to Ian's level."

Marc was silent for several minutes before asking, "Would it be out of line to ask what else you've been doing since we broke up? Have you been seeing anyone else?"

"I keep busy but no steady relationships. How about you?"

"Work is good although when I graduated with my MBA it wasn't my intention to partner with Reed. I've known him for a long time and I knew about his personal choices but I was surprised when he told me what he was thinking about doing and asked if I wanted to help. Reed seemed to think I possessed an abundance of controlling and Dominant-like tendencies and would make a perfect business partner."




Oubliette Pt. 02



"You don't agree?"

"You think I'm controlling?" Marc sounded surprised.

"Well, when you decided our relationship was over, it was over without any input from me. You told me you'd take me back to the other room and you told me I wouldn't be staying there. You have security cameras in that room. You told me I'd be staying here in your apartment and that I'd be taking a shower and having a sandwich. You reprimanded me for my involvement with Ian. You told me I'd be sleeping in your bed when I offered to use the sofa. You threatened to lock me in one of your cages if I attempted to leave with Ian. Controlling? You?"

He snorted at her with annoyance. "To answer your other question, no, I haven't had any steady relationships."

"Seriously? No long line of submissives paying homage to Master Hale as they wait for your directives and to do your every bidding? How is that possible?"

He snorted again. "It's that kind of attitude that makes the lifestyle misunderstood. And no, I've never had a submissive. Reed has had several but it's never been as appealing to me. Frankly it's never seemed like much of a challenge to dominate someone who feels the need to submit. I'd rather dominate someone who has a strong will and says no sometimes. I think it would mean a hell of a lot more when the time comes that she says yes."

"That seems like the kind of relationship Damon has with Katrina. You can see how much they care. They rely on each other yet she's also very willing to submit although, in his own way, he submits to her as well. They're great together. They can practically read each other's minds."

"You picked up on that after only a couple of hours?" Marc sounded amazed. "I'm impressed."

"I try to be observant. It suits my needs sometimes. My observations about Ian have helped me deal with him and find his weak spots."

"I know it's none of my business but I heard you telling Reed that you never agreed to being beaten or raped. How often did Ian force you to sleep with him?"

"I've never actually had sex with him. That's definitely one of Ian's weak spots."

"What does that mean?"

"In spite of his bravado, obnoxious and disgusting behavior, his skill at defrauding people, Ian is completely insecure and with good reason. He has a pretty advanced case of H-D-D."

"H-D-D? What the hell is H-D-D?"

"Hardness Deficit Disorder."

Marc looked puzzled for a moment then the light bulb flashed in his brain. "You mean he can't get it up?"

"Oh it goes up, it just doesn't stay up. Ian is pretty much always down on his luck because his appendage down south is down for the count when he's caught with his pants down. I think that's one of the reasons he's trying to become proficient in the BDSM way of life. He thinks it will help him not be so down in the dumps."

"You shouldn't joke about something like that." Laura noted that even though Marc was attempting to scold her, he was trying to hide a huge grin. "Guys are sensitive about stuff like that. Even somebody as insensitive as Ian Kent."

"Yeah, well that's not the only reason for his insecurity. Do you remember that porn video you used to like? The erotic fairy tales?"

"You were the one who liked watching that. As I recall your favorite was The Adventures of Pinocchio: It's Not his Nose that Grows. I can't believe I'm saying this considering my line of work but that was even too obscene for porn."

"There are any number of reasons why it would be very beneficial for women if a guy's cock grew every time he told a lie. That being said...do you remember the story called The Amorous Adventures of the Little Dickling? Ian could have done quite well as the little Dickling's stand in although I'm guessing the Dickling had a lot more mojo than infinitesimal Ian. As I said, he has good cause for his insecurities. About two inches of good cause."

Marc was shaking his head. "What the hell ever made me think you were naïve?"

"I think that was your second mistake."

"What was the first?" Marc questioned.

"Dumping me without an explanation."

Marc sighed. "That wasn't my first mistake, Laura. That was my biggest mistake. Look, I don't know what your plans are regarding Ian and I really don't care. The asshole deserves whatever he gets and when you're done with him, maybe we can talk about starting us again. I'm not going to let any of my dominantly controlling tendencies loose. At least not until you've taken care of Ian Kent. I'm just asking you to consider it."

"I could do that but I'd like to get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a very memorable day."

It seemed like only a few minutes before she was sound asleep. Marc presumed getting one's ass strapped, being locked in a cage and then plotting revenge on the miserable scum known as Ian would make one a little agitated and restless but Laura appeared to be slumbering without the slightest bit of discomfort or guilt. She must have a very clear conscience. He fell asleep wondering what was going to happen the following day. 

*******

The skylights above the bed were just beginning to allow the earliest wisps of daylight into the room. Marc was suspended in the starting to awaken but still partially asleep state. Something felt different.

His eyes were slowly opening. He was curled on his side, snuggled with his front against Laura's back and his arm draped protectively over her. His eyes opened wide when he realized that the t-shirt she was wearing had ridden up during the night and his very hard cock was being caressed by her very bare ass which looked pretty damn good considering the strapping Ian had administered the day before. Impulsively he gave it a squeeze.

She rolled over and looked up at him, her copper eyes sparkling. "Good morning to you, too."

He looked back. "Laura? Remember what I said about not letting my dominantly controlling tendencies loose? I lied."

Suddenly any bit of control he thought he had was gone. His mouth covered hers almost as quickly as his hands uncovered the rest of her and the shirt she had borrowed was pulled over her head and tossed away. His fingers slid up and down her body, cupping her breasts, his thumbs entreating her nipples to stand at attention.

His pulse racing, he stopped to gaze into her copper eyes, noticing the flutter beneath the skin at the base of her throat where her pulse was beating wildly. Her eyes were filled with everything he was feeling, want, lust, passion, everything they had missed about each other.

Her hands slid up his flat stomach and she mimicked his move, tantalizing his nipples with her own thumbs. An instant later her hands moved lower and she gripped his length, making his already hard cock react, making him groan with need.

Anything she could do, he was going to do better and he slid his fingers lower, first finding silky hair, then moving into slick heat. She was so wet. He could feel her start to tremble as his fingers slid inside and her body tightened around him. He wanted her. All of her. Now.

His kisses moved lower and he licked the seam of her sex, her clit, nipped, sucked and licked again. She thrust her hips higher, begging, demanding, gasping, shivering as his tongue entered her. She was ready but he wanted her to wait, wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. Wanted her to need him. Wanted to hear her beg.

He pushed between her thighs, intent on being inside her, feeling her legs wrapped tightly around him, wanting to make her come until she was screaming his name. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck, burrowed into his thick hair, pulling him closer, putting her need on full display as she offered herself completely. 

He was so aroused, so hard he ached. He stretched on top of her, sliding inside, filling her. He set the pace, hard, slamming, almost punishing. She was clutching his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin, urging him further and deeper. His hands found her ass, griping and angling her hips, feeling how her back arched as she moved to welcome him.

He slowed to tease her, taking the time to kiss her neck, look into her eyes, tongue her nipples, listen to her moans of protest as she compelled him, pulled him closer, coaxed him. He could hear her whispering his name, shocking him with the intensity of how she sounded. He knew exactly what she wanted because he wanted it more.

He wasn't sure which of them was more ready but he was going to take her breath away. He tensed, then became more urgent, pushed back into her, felt her tight and wet desire as he stroked, demanded more from her, finally feeling her climax exploding and rippling through her body. He shuddered, his body almost turning to stone as he pressed himself deeper, his own breath rushing from his lungs as he came inside her. Aftershocks ricocheted through him, his eyes closed so tightly he could see bursts of vanilla-white light erupting in the darkness.

Perhaps he should look up the meaning of the word naïve. It didn't seem to mean what he thought it meant – at least not when Laura Ellis was involved.

Marc kept expecting his phone to ring, to hear from Reed that Ian was awake, hung-over and roaring demands but the call didn't come and he enjoyed his morning getting reacquainted with Laura. In spite of whatever she had endured because of Ian's manipulations, she still seemed very sweet, polite and a little sheltered. He and Reed had created a unique world and work environment for themselves. As much as he wanted Laura to be part of it, he couldn't imagine her fitting in. She was just so damned nice. So vanilla sugar with a hint of spice.

She had borrowed another of his t-shirts, this one the color of fine merlot wine. Even though it also hung almost to her knees, paired with her skinny black jeans, low-heeled black shoes, her long dark hair flowing around her shoulders, a slight shimmer of rose on her lips, she looked like the typical girl next door. Presuming, of course, that the girl next door was really attractive, a gourmet cook and hot as hell in the bedroom. 

The last thing Marc wanted to do was deal with Ian Kent but he was still, at least for the moment, a guest of Oubliette. He had every intention of informing Ian that he was no longer welcome at the resort, especially if Laura was going to be around. 

Reed was standing in the main lobby as Marc and Laura approached down the hallway leading from the west wing. Marc wasn't sure he'd ever seen Reed look so astonished. 

"There you are," Reed's eyebrows hadn't quite settled back to their usual position. "I was just about to call you. Ian's finally awake and screaming. Damon and Katrina are with him. Ian's threatening to sue anyone who's ever crossed his path." 

Marc just shrugged. "You know he can't do that. He signed the disclaimer promising not to sue so let him scream all he wants. What time did the Little Dickling wake up? The 'quack' of dawn?" Marc heard Laura quietly giggling. "Has he 'quacked' the lock and gotten out of the cage or is he just sitting in there 'quacking' up?"

Reed didn't look amused. "I'm going to presume you're having a delayed reaction to Katrina's loss of ability cocktail and ignore your comments. Miss Ellis?" Reed handed her an envelope. "This was just delivered for you by messenger."

"Thank you, Master Reed." She smiled sweetly as she took the envelope from him.

Marc led the way to the elevator. "We should get down to the dungeon. I'm sure the Little Dickling is going to be in a 'fowl' mood."

Reed still wasn't amused. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

As the elevator door opened, the sound of Ian screaming and cursing echoed down the narrow hall leading to the dungeon.

Laura touched Marc's arm. "I'll be in right after I read this." She held up the envelope.

He nodded. "Always a good idea to make sure your dicks...uh...ducks are in a row," he responded as he kissed her cheek and ignored Reed's scowl. Marc still had no idea what Laura was planning although he questioned if she was truly going to be able to outmaneuver Ian. It really didn't matter. Between him, Reed, Damon and the employees, Ian Kent was going to be shown the door and tossed through it. They might not even bother to open it first.

The two Masters entered the dungeon and stopped dead in their tracks, astonished by the sight in front of them. 

Ian was no longer in the small cage. He was hanging in the center of the room. His wrists were bound with thick leather cuffs attached to ropes that were suspended from the high ceiling. Leather cuffs also restrained his ankles and were fastened to hooks embedded in the floor. He was wearing nothing but his unyielding fury.

Marc evaluated the scene and decided it was probably a damned good thing he was screaming his ass off. Laura's description of Ian's dickling was surprisingly accurate. Better he screamed his ass off because the guy truly couldn't afford to lose an inch anywhere else.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Damon greeted Marc and Reed. 

"Damon, what's going on?" Reed masterfully demanded.

"Somehow the infernal Ian managed to lock himself in one of the cages. He was so inebriated last night he can't seem to recall anything. Luckily your very efficient staff managed to set him free but the poor man was a mass of knots and cramped muscles. A good stretching was exactly what he needed." Damon sounded quite satisfied with his diagnosis.

Shaking his head in frustration, Reed turned to some of the Oubliette staff. "Get him down," he ordered.

"Not just yet," came a quietly authoritative voice from the doorway.

Everyone turned. Laura was standing there. She didn't look the way she had just a few brief moments ago. The merlot-colored shirt wasn't hanging loose anymore. It was knotted tightly around her slim waist. Her lips were no longer pale rose. They matched the color of the shirt. Her long, flowing, dark hair was pulled tightly in a pony tail that hung straight down her back. The fiery look in her copper-colored eyes indicated that she was ready to do battle.

She stood silently, staring at Ian. 

He had stopped in mid-yell at the sight of her and no wonder. Everything about her was totally different. Quiet and naïve Laura's entire demeanor had changed. The way she stood. The way she held her head. The arch of her eyebrows. Her clenched fists. She was dynamic, imposing, commanding, dominating.

In absolute and complete control, still holding the envelope Reed had handed her, Laura strode confidently into the room. Without a glance she crossed in front of Marc, Reed and Damon. She sneered at Ian and headed straight for.........................................

Katrina???

Holding on to a single slip of paper, Laura handed the envelope to Katrina. "It's done," she said, a small, triumphant smile lighting her face. 

Katrina removed what appeared to be some kind of document from the envelope, quickly scanned through it and smiled back at Laura. "It's done," she repeated.

Clearly confused, Marc watched the brief exchange between the women. Standing next to him, Reed's mouth was hanging open in astonishment. Damon stood casually, comfortably and nonchalantly watching as though what he was seeing was an everyday occurrence.

And then Laura turned to Ian, the look in her eyes chilling and venomous. Slowly and deliberately, never taking her eyes from his, she strode closer to him. The color seemed to drain from Ian's face and Marc was almost certain Ian's dickling retreated another inch.

He looked as if he was going to say something but she glowered menacingly. "You picked the wrong person to mess with Ian and you're about to discover just how wrong."

Laura walked toward the wall and examined the leather straps hanging on display. She selected one that was a virtual twin to the one Ian used on her the day before. Turning back, she snapped it, the sound echoing in the windowless dungeon. "Does this one appeal to you, Ian? One like this appealed to you yesterday." She snapped it again, watching Ian cringe.

"You're a coward, Ian," she continued. "You think you're smart and you think you can hide behind unethical behavior and force people to respect you. It doesn't work that way and if you were really smart, you would have checked me and my father's company out a little more thoroughly. What you would have discovered would have made you run so far and so fast, you'd still be running." Laura snapped the leather strap just inches from Ian's face.

Laura sighed dramatically. "Just because I said I wasn't interested in dating pathetic slime like you, you decided to ruin my father's business? Who does that Ian? I'd call you a snake but I think a great many snakes in this world would be highly insulted. It might interest you to know that I was aware of your scheme right from the very beginning. I've been almost running dad's company for the last few years. I had this silly idea that I should put my MBA from Harvard to good use. And do you seriously think my dad doesn't know what he's doing? Do you think his company flourished because he'd be stupid enough to fall for one of your schemes? You like schemes don't you Ian? Well here's a scheme for you. All this time that you thought dad's business was going under because of the way you tried to cheat him, you were wrong. The business was never in any danger. I had two profit and loss files. One was the real one and the other was as phony as you are. That's the one you saw, Ian. The business is worth more than ever, more than you could ever hope to have." Again she snapped the strap in front of him.

Marc hadn't moved an inch but he could see Ian shaking although it was hard to tell if it was from anger or fear. He was pretty sure if he was in Ian's place, fear would be front and center. Sweet Laura, naïve, vanilla sugar Laura was damn scary at the moment. What had happened to the woman who had been in his bed just a few short hours ago?

"And then there's the matter of the product application you attempted to use to defraud my father. The night you attempted your little blackmail scheme, you laughed because it was worthless. You knew it was worthless because what you presented wasn't what you provided. And because you were so sure it was worthless, you sold it to me for the sum of ten dollars. Well, here's your ten dollars. This is a cashier's check for ten whole dollars. You might want to frame it and hang it on your wall because it's the only profit you're going to see from this little caper you tried to pull." She held up the slip of paper so he could read it before she handed it to him. "Ten dollars. Bad move Ian. You see, what you failed to think about was that while the application was worthless to my father, it was extremely worthwhile for another company."

This time she very expertly lashed at him with the side of the strap, raising an immediate and perfect welt just above his knees. She calmly waited until he was back to paying attention. 

"You see, Ian, the minute I actually looked at the application you attempted to pass off as the one you originally presented, I realized it would be worth a fortune to the right business. That pesky degree from Harvard just kicks in like that sometimes. So when you sold me the application for ten dollars, I took it to someone who I knew could really use it. Katrina. I'll bet you didn't know Katrina is the owner and CEO of a multi-bazillion dollar corporation which, because of that application, merged with my dad's business so now everyone is a winner except you, Ian. Katrina gets the application. Dad's business is thriving and every employee gets to keep their job. Dad gets to mostly retire and do some of the things he's always wanted to do but he also gets to stay on as an advisor and consultant. It all worked out perfectly and it was so worth the ten dollar investment. By the way, Ian," she glanced at her watch, "if my calculations are correct, and they usually are because of that degree I mentioned, Katrina's company has made three million, two hundred thirty-six thousand, nine hundred fourteen dollars and eleven cents since we've been having our discussion. So worth the investment."




Oubliette Pt. 02



She moved very quickly and sharply lashed him again, leaving several bright red Xs welted across his ass. Stunned, he didn't seem to have the ability to scream at the pain.

Marc watched with astonishment, dumbfounded at what he was seeing and hearing. Katrina owned a huge corporation? Submissive Katrina? Killer cocktail Katrina? And Laura? Sweet, polite, vanilla-spice Laura had an MBA from Harvard? And was a bit of a killer in her own right? A tigress in the bedroom and a shark in the boardroom. Plus she handled that strap like a real expert. Laura, who he thought would never be able to out-maneuver Ian Kent. Laura? The one he thought was naïve? What the hell had he been thinking?

Ian hadn't said a word and appeared to be almost in shock as he hung limply in his restraints. He seemed to have surrendered as though he knew he had no chance of winning.

Marc was almost surprised at Laura's control and restraint. All things considered, why wasn't she beating Ian to a pulp while she had him completely at her mercy? Somehow he didn't believe she feared retaliation. It was more like she was stalking him before going in for the kill.

"You really underestimated me, Ian," Laura continued. "You thought I was quiet, maybe a little shy, would agree to almost anything to help my dad. The kind of girl who wouldn't make waves." She shrugged. "You were partially right. I am mostly quiet and a little shy. I adore my dad, even if he is a little controlling sometimes, and I would do almost anything for him as he would for me. But I kind of like the beach and I truly love to make waves. Surfers even have their own language and you really can't beat the exhilaration of riding a wave and hanging ten." 

She wielded the leather strap again, forcefully slashing him ten times directly behind his knees. "Cowabunga, Ian."

Marc looked around the room. Katrina was sitting peacefully on a pillow as though she didn't have a care in the world which she probably didn't if she owned a multi-bazillion dollar corporation. Damon was clearly enjoying the show. Reed and every Oubliette employee looked a little dazed and stupefied, as if they had all consumed one too many 'Pérdida del Conocimientos'. He actually wouldn't mind having one at the moment.

"You know, Ian," Laura's voice dripped like thick, sweet, venomous honey, "if you had really done your research, you would have discovered that I don't just work for my father. I also freelance at Red Oleander. I guess you could say that by day I'm mild-mannered, studious Laura Ellis and by night, or when they have need of my services, I'm Mistress Lorena, Domme to every surfer dude who dares to walk the board on my beach." The edge of the strap hit him ten more times in the crease at the backs of his knees. "Surf's up, Ian."

Mistress Lorena? Who freelanced at Red Oleander? Even people who had no interest in the BDSM lifestyle knew about Red Oleander. The place was legendary. 

Marc debated whether or not he should tell Reed to lift his jaw from the floor but decided against it. Why bother? The way things were going it would only be right back down there in another minute or two. Aside from the fact that Ian wasn't going to be walking comfortably for a while, he was clearly not the only one who had underestimated sweet, sugar and spice Laura.

"There's one other thing you never considered, Ian." Laura took a number of tiny steps forward, stopping directly in front of him, dropping the strap at his feet. "Turns out, you're a very interesting guy. So interesting, in fact, that quite a few people would love to meet and talk to you, learn the methods to your madness, dissect the illegal and unethical way you run your business. Some of those people have very stressful occupations and like to de-stress at Red Oleander. Occasionally they just like to talk and I'm a really good listener. A couple of them found your activities fascinating. Especially when I changed some of your computer settings and you accidentally emailed a few of your computer files to those interested individuals. They actually found enough cause to obtain a search warrant. You had absolutely no way of stopping them because you just happened to be spending the weekend here at Oubliette."

A sound from the doorway made everyone turn. Several very official looking men were standing there, one brandishing a badge. "Justice Department," he stated as he entered the dungeon. "I'm looking for Ian Kent and...." He spotted Ian hanging in the center of the room. "Holy shit." It took only a moment for him to recover. "Ian Kent, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent and I strongly urge you to do exactly that because I really don't think I'm ready to hear your story."

"Hey! Is that the Little Dickling guy?" one of the other officials asked.

Laura looked up at Ian with a very sweet smile. "Well, Ian, I guess this is what every truly gnarly surfer would call a wipe out." Her smile disappeared and Mistress Lorena was back. "And, Ian? Do you know how you always liked pulling my hair? I really, really hated that." Laura reached out and tangled her fingers in Ian's dark, pubic hair. She yanked so hard that from across the room, Marc was almost certain he could see the stars Ian was also seeing. "Don't ever do that again because if you do, you'll be spending your golden years in a home for wayward eunuchs. Do I make myself clear?"

Tears running down his face, Ian nodded.

"Bitchin!"

The next few minutes were rather hectic as Ian was removed from his Oubliette restraints and placed in regulation Justice Department handcuffs. He was read his rights and led from the dungeon. The people arresting him noticed he had a difficult time walking and were kind enough to accompany him to room number two so he could put on some pants. Marc recalled Laura's prediction that Ian wouldn't exactly be checking out. She was mostly right. He was definitely checking out – just not in the customary way.

Damon and Katrina decided they should probably get started for home since Katrina had to be at her office early the following morning to finalize the merger between her multi-bazillion dollar corporation and the company belonging to Laura's father.

Damon said it had been the best weekend ever, couldn't wait to come back and vowed to tell every friend, Dominant and Master he knew, and ever hoped to meet, about the incredible service at Oubliette. The amenities were, in his opinion, extraordinary. 

Finally it was just Reed, Marc and Laura left in the dungeon. Reed was watching Marc watch Laura who was doing her best not to watch Marc. When she finally did look at him, he turned and stomped away without saying a word.

Reed sighed with frustration. "What a hell of a weekend this turned out to be. When I started Oubliette, I knew it would never be boring. Sometimes I wouldn't mind a little boring. Tying a submissive to one of the punishment benches. Forty or fifty strokes of a paddle. Comparing the best types of rope. 101 ways to use a whip. An occasional caning. A competition for which sub can take the biggest butt plug. Just typical, mundane BDSM activities. Boring can be good."

"Reed, I'm sorry I had to involve Oubliette in this whole thing but Ian truly deserves everything he gets."

"I have to agree, Laura, and you and Mistress Lorena were amazing. Is there a lot of evidence against him?"

"A huge amount. He's been cheating people for years and he was very careless because he thought he was infallible. Between the case the Justice Department has and the lawsuits that will be coming from all the people he defrauded, Ian will be bound and gagged for quite a while, figuratively speaking." 

"Why did you involve Oubliette? Was it because of Marc?" Reed asked.

"Only partially," she answered. "Ian decided this would be the best place to bring about my submission to him. I could have stopped him from bringing me here but I knew they were going to search his home and office and it worked out perfectly. I also did want to see Marc again although I don't think that worked out as perfectly."

"I've known Marc for a long time and he'll be just fine as soon as he analyzes everything. It's what he does. That's why I wanted him for a partner. He's never had the strong Dominant tendencies I do but I suspect you don't either. Marc was actually the one who gave me the guts to accept how I am and feel good about it. Give him a little time. Meanwhile, I'm going to give the staff the rest of the day off. How about some coffee? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

A couple of hours later, Laura entered the dungeon. Marc was alone, using a riding crop to slap at one of the padded whipping benches.

"That usually works better when someone's tied to the bench," she observed.

He didn't look up. "Are you volunteering? It can be arranged."

"Marc..."

"Don't 'Marc' me. Why the hell didn't you tell me, Laura?"

"As you pointed out earlier, saying something like 'Hi, I'm Laura also known as Mistress Lorena and I'm a freelance Domme at Red Oleander' could be a conversation stopper."

"That's bullshit. You already knew about my involvement with Oubliette."

"Not at first and which you never mentioned the whole time we were seeing each other," she reminded him. "I wanted to tell you but I kept waiting for you to tell me first and then you dumped me without an explanation. I was almost certain you thought I wouldn't be able to handle what you were doing so I called and left that last message hoping you'd return the call and we'd be able to talk about it only you never called."

"Damon obviously knew what was happening. That's why he insisted on visiting this weekend even when I tried to cancel his reservation. Why did you let Ian bring you here? Was it because of me? Because you knew I'd be here?"

"I just explained to Reed that you were partially the reason. Yes, I wanted to see you again and if Ian was here at Oubliette he wouldn't be around to interfere when they searched his home and office. Also, to be honest, it might not have shown but Ian was starting to frighten me. I thought I could control him. I did for several weeks but he was starting to get uncontrollable. As much as he tried, he wasn't a Dom and he didn't understand or care about the rules. I wasn't anxious to be on the receiving end of a whipping or caning from him. I couldn't be sure he wouldn't hurt me and I felt like I could be safe here. Regardless of your reasons for ending our relationship, I knew you wouldn't allow Ian to hurt me or anyone else."

"Is that where you were? Talking to Reed?"

"He was showing me around the property. He asked if I might be interested in working here."

Marc glared at her and slammed the riding crop hard on the padded surface of the bench. "He asked you to work for us without discussing it with me? I'm his partner. Shouldn't he have asked me first? Or isn't that the way MBAs do things at Harvard?"

"It wasn't like that, Marc. He asked what I was going to do now that Katrina pretty much owns dad's company. I told him I have an open invitation from her to work there but I was thinking about trying something new. Something a little more creative. He asked if I'd ever consider Oubliette and he made it clear it wasn't an offer, simply a question. He fully intends to discuss it with you first but there was no reason to do that if I wasn't interested. The thing is, I am interested but I won't even consider it if you don't want me here."

"Why are you putting it on me? So you can accuse me of being controlling?"

"Are you going to try to turn me into a sub?"

He huffed in annoyance. "Like that's ever going to happen."

"I seem to recall something about it meaning a lot more when a non-submissive says yes."

He was quiet for a few seconds. "Are you saying yes?"

She smiled her best vanilla-spice smile. "I'm saying yes."

He looked at her as if he was analyzing her statement. Finally he smiled back with his own spicy, slightly wicked, non-vanilla smile. "Okay. Let's go up to the apartment and see exactly how many things you're willing to say 'yes' to. Maybe you'd like to try one of my special drinks. It's called Chingazos."

"Chingazos? What does that mean?"

"Fuck me."

Laura's eyebrows arched and she smiled again. "Okay. Make mine a double and I'm sure you'll take it in the best possible way when I sincerely say...Cowabunga!!"

"Bitchin!"




Thank you to everyone who read and commented. 

The biggest thank you to Bigg_Mike – 

This adventure is always more fun with your humor and editing expertise!

CHWH