Author: Cari Z.
Date: 2014-05-06 04:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Bdsm; Lesbian; Romance; Fiction; Erotica; Lgbt; Erotic Romance; Contemporary
Description: Danny doesn't expect much to come from the interview she has lined up through her modelling agency, who told her only that it involved tea and a kink convention. She thinks it won't be much more than wearing some strange outfit, sitting around, and getting easy money that she desperately needs. What she gets instead is Lucy, a formidable woman in riding boots and a corset, who makes Danny want to please her without saying a word. By the end of the interview, Danny is convinced that her new job isn't going to be anywhere near as easy as she first believed. Can Danny make the woman determined to
Publisher: Less Than Three Press LLC

Table of Contents

Camellia

Book Details

Dedication

Chapter One: Tea for Two

Chapter Two: Beauty in Fragility

Chapter Three: Family Dynamics

Chapter Four: Finding Her Feet

Chapter Five: Preparation is Everything

Chapter Six: Poetry in Motion

Chapter Seven: Good Behavior

Chapter Eight: Finding Balance

Chapter Nine: Brand New Day

About the Authors

Danny doesn't expect much to come from the interview she has lined up through her modelling agency, who told her only that it involved tea and a kink convention. She thinks it won't be much more than wearing some strange outfit, sitting around, and getting easy money that she desperately needs.

What she gets instead is Lucy, a formidable woman in riding boots and a corset, who makes Danny want to please her without saying a word. By the end of the interview, Danny is convinced that her new job isn't going to be anywhere near as easy as she first believed. Can Danny make the woman determined to keep her at the end of her riding crop let her into her heart as well as her bed?

Book Details

Camellia

Camellia Book One

By Cari Z. and Caitlin Ricci

Published by Less Than Three Press LLC

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.

Edited by Amanda Jean

Cover designed by Aisha Akeju

This book is a work of fiction and all names, characters, places, and incidents are fictional or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is coincidental.

First Edition May 2014

Copyright © 2014 by Cari Z. and Caitlin Ricci

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 9781620043561

For everyone who's not afraid to try
a little something different

The metal sign that projected out from the shop read Camellia in curling script, the word cradled by delicate painted flowers that looked almost real. The shop itself was set up in a row house, one of many little boutique stores tucked away on Lark Street. The exterior was weathered red brick, and empty flower boxes lined the front window. In the warmer months they were probably beautiful, but in December, they just looked a little sad.

Danny got out of her car; an old VW Beetle her dad had fixed up for her as a graduation gift, and fed the meter. She had just enough change for an hour. Surely that would be more than enough to do the interview and hopefully get the gig. Most employers who were looking for "alternative models" in the city of Albany went to her agency, and Danny hoped to be a popular choice soon, though she wasn't quite there yet. She had some gorgeous tattoos, ranging from brilliant explosions of color on each of her forearms to the grayscale raven that decorated her chest right above her heart. She grew her dark hair out long enough to mimic anything from a pin-up girl to a geisha, and teaching yoga at the local YMCA helped her stay in photo-worthy shape. She had been at this modelling thing for only a few months, but the jobs she'd had were promising, and the agency had assured her of more soon if this one worked out, because she'd done well at the shoots so far.

Not that this job was a photo shoot. Danny barely restrained an eye roll as she stepped over the curb and headed to the front door. Live model wanted for a kink convention was the headline of the email she'd received from her agency only a few hours ago. Wanting the work and the experience, she'd accepted it without giving it a second thought. She guessed that meant she'd probably be bent over a table and spanked for an audience, all while wearing squeaky black latex that would likely make her uncomfortably sweaty. Danny was pretty sure she could handle that sort of thing, though she hadn't done anything like it before. The bit with the tea, though … where was that supposed to come into it? She'd never been told to review a video before coming to an interview before, and all she'd gotten from the thing was that making tea wasn't always as simple as popping a mug in the microwave and hitting Start. Maybe if she'd had more time to go over the video, she might have gotten something useful from it. But that hadn't been possible.

Danny opened the door to the shop, stepped inside, and just … stopped for a moment. The bone-deep chill of the winter day melted away to welcoming warmth, and the air was filled with bright, grassy scents almost covering up a dark bitterness that might be chocolate. She looked around at the interior of the tea shop and felt a little like Harry Potter taking his first steps into Diagon Alley.

Camellia seemed a lot bigger on the inside than it had on the outside. The floor was a beautifully polished cherry wood, and the front of the shop had four little tables covered with lacey cloths, each one crowded with people sipping tea. Up and to the left looked like where a customer would place their order, and there was a line of people almost as far back as the front door waiting patiently for service from the two baristas.

On the other side of the shop was a series of long shelves that stretched along the wall, and neatly stacked on each shelf was a series of carefully labeled ceramic containers. A slim young man wearing an apron and a serious expression scooped some of the loose tea from a jar and bagged it for an older woman, who thanked him profusely. She headed to the checkout to pay, and Danny stepped forward before another customer could divert his attention.

"Excuse me," she said, feeling a little gratified when he did a double take. She knew she looked good, in a tight red dress that perfectly matched her lipstick, a black leather jacket, red scarf, and knee-high boots, but it was always nice to get a confirmation. Admiration made bearing the cold a little bit easier. "I've got an appointment with Lucy Culpepper. Could you tell me where to find her?"

"Are you Miss Breaker?" Danny nodded. "Miss Culpepper said you'd be coming by. She's in her office. Would you follow me?" She nodded again, and the young man led her past more shelves and small, tasteful displays featuring teapots, mugs, and one china service set decorated with marigolds that made Danny's fingers twitch with a desire to pick a cup up and just hold it, just to admire it for a while. She mentally snorted at herself. Breakers were coffee people. They didn't drink tea, and they certainly didn't drink it out of ceramic so delicate she could almost see the light shining through it.

"Miss Danielle Breaker, I presume?"

Danny looked up at the sound of the gentle, faintly British voice behind her and turned to face the woman, her eyes going wide as she caught sight of her surprising outfit. From the elaborate strawberry blonde braid that fell down her back to the tips of her shiny black riding boots, this woman exuded class. She wore a flowing poet-style cream shirt tightly fitted under a brown corset that screamed steampunk to Danny, with its brass rings and buckles decorating the front panel. Though little of her skin was exposed, the corset and tight riding pants she wore left nothing to Danny's over-active imagination.

Though she was surprised by the woman's outfit, it was her eyes that ultimately refused to let Danny go. Or, more specifically, the way in which she was looking at Danny. Like she was somehow unimpressed with her before Danny even opened her mouth. It wasn't a look Danny was familiar with or found herself particularly liking.

But the look also made Danny want to step up to the challenge, whatever it would be. "I usually like to be called Danny, but you can use Danielle if you really prefer it," she said, bristling under the woman's discerning stare as she stuck out her hand and tried not to be defensive.

She took Danny's offered hand in her own and gave it a firm, brief shake before pulling away. "I appreciate your punctuality. Dalton," she turned to address the young man, "Bring the covered tray I've prepared to the ceremonial tea room. Miss Breaker, follow me, if you please." Lucy turned and walked away at a brisk pace.

Danny trailed along behind her through a narrow, dimly lit hallway until Lucy turned into a brightly colored room awash with rich purples, greens, and reds. The room's only window was shut; naturally, the view through it shielded by a sheer purple curtain. The rest of the four walls were solid brick, mostly hidden and softened by long, elegant pieces of fabric that were draped all around the room. The effect was pretty, and Danny wondered if Lucy did it herself or if she'd had someone else do it for her. Multiple chairs and a few chaise lounges sat around a low ebony coffee table in the middle of the room. The colors made the room feel exotic, a lot less like winter in Albany and more like summer in the Caribbean. It kind of made Danny wish for a Mai Tai.

"Have a seat," Lucy said. She indicated a chair across from her as she took a place in the largest one at the coffee table: an antique wingback with a green and gold swirled pattern. Danny sat down across from her and made herself comfortable on its silky fabric. It was pretty cozy for something she was a little afraid of breaking.

"Let's get started, then. Please tell me about your most recent job?" Lucy asked her. "I have reviewed your résumé, admittedly briefly, as the previous model only quit this morning, but would prefer to hear the details from you."

Danny was used to people with clipboards and manila folders that read over her resume and looked at her headshots while obviously wondering what she had under her clothes. Lucy appeared to simply be making conversation with her, and the difference between her last experience with a client and this one was startling. Danny found herself relaxing and offered Lucy a small smile, which she was surprised to see her return, her perfectly painted red lips parting and her stiff porcelain expression cracking for an instant, dissolving the illusion of the prim British woman that Danny had started with.

"A car company wanted shots with next year's model," Danny replied. It had been an easy job with a group of four other women, all of them dressed as sexed-up adaptations of jobs that had to do with cars. She'd been a mechanic, and the oil smudge they'd put on her cheek to make her look the part had made her break out. Not fun, but at least there hadn't been much to it. As far as the second modeling job of her life went, it wasn't too bad.

Lucy nodded. "Did you enjoy it?"

Danny pursed her lips and shrugged. "Sure. I didn't have to do much. Just standing around looking sexy and touching a car. Will this job be similar?"

Lucy tilted her chin toward her and folded her hands on her lap. "At times, possibly. At other times, decidedly not. Tell me, how long have you been with the modeling agency?"

Danny was used to getting asked these kinds of questions when she went to an interview. It was a way a client could professionally make simple conversation with her while satisfying their own curiosity. People always seemed to think that modeling was more glamorous than it really was. Danny didn't mind Lucy drawing things out, because she found that she was relaxing and becoming more comfortable with her as the minutes passed. "Three months."

"And what is your experience with BDSM?" Lucy continued, not missing a beat.

Okay, now that wasn't a standard question Danny'd heard so far, although given the job description it was one that she should have been ready for. She fiddled with the hem of her skirt for a moment but quickly pulled her hands away from the fabric, not wanting to appear nervous. "Like kinky stuff? Not a whole lot. I know I wasn't your first choice for this job, so thank you for giving me a chance, and I did read about what you need. From what I remember my agency sending me, it's a two day kink event next weekend and, if you like me, I'll be wearing different custom-made outfits while doing some demonstrations."

Lucy pulled her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment. Danny found herself tracking that movement despite trying not to, and told herself that yeah, Lucy was freaking gorgeous, but totally off-limits.

"BDSM is a spectrum, everything from couples wanting to try something new for the weekend to exclusive clubs set up to host the darkest carnal pleasures a mind can imagine. Many people think there has to be an element of pain involved, but I prefer to use a light tap for correction, as, if you agreed to do this, I would be doing with you. I prefer to delve into the more psychological side of such a relationship, and though I'm not involved in the local scene as I prefer to have privacy when it comes to my activities, I don't judge those who feel comfortable expressing themselves in any way they choose. Do you?"

Danny blinked at her, wondering which part of that she was supposed to respond to as her mind swirled around the idea of Lucy somehow lightly correcting her. "Do I what?"

Lucy's lips thinned into a tight smile and her gaze sharpened. "Do you judge those that you see openly involved in the BDSM lifestyle?"

"No. I try not to judge anyone," Danny replied hastily as a faint blush crept over her cheeks. With her friends and family, her sexuality wasn't a secret, but she knew how bad it felt to be judged for the things she liked, for things she couldn't help.

"I realize you only received this job offer and the video along with it this morning, but did you happen to have a chance to watch it?" Lucy asked her, apparently moving on.

Danny nodded, feeling some relief at the new question. "Yeah, I did. Though it was only briefly. I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to do more with it than that."

"Understandable. What did you think of it?" Lucy asked, trailing one finely manicured hand over the brass buttons going down her corset.

Danny became aware she was staring and tried to fight it. She needed to refocus. "It was fine. Easy enough, I think."

Lucy smiled. "I'm pleased that you think so. It was the simplest form of the Japanese tea ceremony that I had video for, and I thought it would make for an adequate test of how much you actually want the job. Ah, Dalton, lovely." She looked over as he entered and gestured to the low table between them. "Set the tray down here, please."

The tray wasn't the gaudy, silvery kind Danny had been expecting. It looked like bamboo, and the implements on top of it weren't delicate cups and saucers. Instead there was a squat iron pot with a bamboo ladle and a pale pink silk cloth beside it, a black lacquered round box decorated with golden cranes, and a slender bamboo scoop. Finally there was a bamboo whisk that look like it would break if worked too vigorously, and a bowl that was black on the outside, dark red on the inside.

"It's hardly everything we would need for a proper tea ceremony, but this contains the most important pieces," Lucy said, rearranging the tray so that the implements faced Danny. "Do you recall these from the video?"

"Yes … ?" Honestly, Danny had spent a few minutes stuck at red lights glancing at the thing on the way over. How was she supposed to know she'd be tested on it? What did making tea have to do with modeling?

"You sound rather uncertain." There it was, that note of disapproval, almost dismissal. Like Danny wasn't good enough to make her tea. "Perhaps I should go back to the agency and request someone with specific knowledge of this ceremony, though I do appreciate your time."

"You haven't even given me a chance," Danny snapped. Lucy's pale gaze instantly zeroed in on her face, and Danny unconsciously shrank back into her chair. That was a look that she recognized, a look Danny had seen a thousand times over in her life from everyone from her father to her agent; a look of intense scrutiny and expectation. Danny had stopped letting it affect her by the age of five, but for some reason she wasn't able to do that with Lucy. Instead she just felt breathless with nervousness.

"I'm more than happy to give you a chance," Lucy said after a moment. "You only have to grasp it. Go on then, prepare the tea. Reproduce as much of the content from the video as you can, and feel free to ask for direction as you proceed."

Oh, like that was going to happen. After being doubted already, Danny wasn't about to ask her for help, even though part of her wanted to, just so she could hear that low, lovely voice for longer. Fine, making tea. It couldn't be that hard, could it?

Start with the water. Danny went to lift the top off the pot, then gasped and snatched her hand back at the incredible heat of the iron lid. Hot, shit, there was hot water in there. Danny cursed herself for her own stupidity, though in all fairness she'd thought it would have cooled down some by now. When she nuked her instant coffee in the mornings, it didn't stay hot as long as this pot seemed to. She picked up the cloth, letting the ladle slide off it, and used that to remove the top. Then she picked up the ladle, scooped out a steaming cup of water, and brought it over to the bowl. Danny was so focused on trying to remember the next part of the video that she tried to pour it too quickly, and the stream of water overshot the bowl and splashed onto the tray.

"Shit." Danny put down the ladle and mopped up the water with the silk cloth, feeling her face heat. She didn't look over at Lucy. She didn't dare. Danny cleaned up the tray, then added the rest of the water to the pot. It was about a third of the way full—that wasn't enough, was it? She added another ladle's worth more carefully before setting it aside.

Okay, tea. Which could only be in the black lacquered box, so Danny pulled the top off and looked inside. It was full of green powder—right, this stuff was done with powder, not normal tea. Which was kind of gross as far as Danny was concerned, but it was the only option. She picked up the bamboo scoop and dipped it into the powder, then dumped that into the bowl of water. Hmm … probably not enough. Danny added a second scoop, then a third. The tea clumped awkwardly, and Danny knew she should mix it in, but the whisk wasn't long enough to reach the bottom of the bowl with this much water in it; when she'd tried to use the whisk her fingertips were scalded. So Danny used the scoop instead, mixing the powder in as best she could. The tea stayed clumpy, and Danny knew that she had screwed this process up royally. She put the scoop back down on the tray, wincing at the trail of sludgy green it left in its wake, and finally looked over at Lucy.

Lucy met her gaze with a steady derision that made Danny flinch before hastily looking away. "I realize that you are inexperienced in many things here, but I don't suppose I need to tell you that you didn't do well, correct?"

Pursing her lips, Danny nodded and tilted her head back, cracking her shoulders to release some of her frustration. "Yeah. I got that."

"Good. Dalton, please escort Miss Breaker out," Lucy said softly.

Turning, Danny looked at her. "Wait. I need another chance. That was just the practice round. Right?" A nervous laugh escaped her lips, and she quickly pressed a hand over her mouth to cut off any more sounds that might come out of it on their own.

One of Lucy's perfectly trimmed brows lifted as she raised her hand, halting Dalton's approach. "If I permitted you to do this ceremony again, what would that accomplish?"

Flushing, Danny forced herself to meet Lucy's stony gaze, despite how much she wanted to look away. "I'd get it right."

Lucy smiled tightly. "Are you so sure of yourself? You have a very long way to go from what you just performed to the kind of competence I expect. It seems to be a nearly impossible task."

Danny swallowed thickly. She'd known she had screwed it up, of course, it would be difficult not to realize that. But the way Lucy said it made it seem like Danny would have done better to just stay home. She knew that she was out of her element here, but she really wanted the job. "I can do it," she replied, cringing when her voice shook. She'd never been this nervous in an interview. And she'd never done this horribly before, either. Admittedly, she'd never been asked to do much besides walk around a room, twirl to show off all her angles, and smolder with her eyes, but Danny despised the thought that she was failing badly enough to be asked to leave. She didn't want to leave.

Nodding, Lucy slowly got to her feet, the heels of her boots clicking on the hardwood floor as she rose. "Is that so?"

"Yes." Danny watched as she went over to an antique looking dresser that hugged the wall closest to the doorway Dalton was currently filling.

Lucy had her back to her but spoke anyway as she opened a drawer and pulled something out. "Do you believe that you deserve another chance? Or will you simply be wasting my time again?" When Lucy turned around, Danny's mouth fell open at the sight of the leather-handled riding crop held between her hands. She remembered Lucy mentioning she would be lightly correcting her, but she hadn't thought it would start so soon.

"I ..." Danny licked her lips. "I do. I'll do it right this time. I promise."

The corners of Lucy's mouth turned up into a faint smile, and she tilted her head to look at Dalton over her shoulder. "We require a bit of privacy. Please close the door behind you and make sure that we aren't disturbed."

As Danny sat staring at them both, Dalton nodded and did as he was told, leaving her alone with Lucy, who only stepped away from the dresser when the door had closed behind him. "The tea ceremony is immensely important. It is dignified. It is grace incarnate. Do you understand?"

Danny wanted to say that sure, of course she did. But that would be a lie, and she had the feeling that lying to Lucy would be a very bad idea. So she went with the truth. "No, not exactly."

"Honesty is a refreshing quality. Don't lose it. In the future, should we continue, use it often and ask for help when you need it. There is no shame in asking. Tell me now, Danny, what did you think when you watched the video?" Lucy asked, slowly walking around her as if circling.

Danny tried not to let the predatory action bother her as she came up with an answer that was both honest but also one that she thought would please Lucy. "It was pretty."

"But?" Lucy asked her, apparently catching the doubt in Danny's tone that she'd tried to hide.

Knowing her cheeks were getting pink, Danny shrugged and met Lucy's gaze. "It seemed like a lot of work for a cup of tea. I mean, most people just nuke a cup of water and drop in a bag, right? Presto, instant tea."

Lucy chuckled, but whether the sound was the result of actual happiness or if Lucy was laughing at her, Danny had no idea, and it unsettled her. She hoped it was happiness, though, since she hadn't been laughed at in years. Not since ninth grade, when she'd been told to climb the rope ladder in gym and cried when her fear of heights had caught up with her a foot off the ground.

"If all I wanted was a cup of tea, there are faster ways to accomplish such a thing. But I find that the simplicity of the movements calms me. Each action has its own part to play, its own purpose in the ritual. Together they combine to make something beautiful, something so much more than a simple cup of tea." Lucy sounded almost wistful describing it. Danny really had no idea what she was talking about. Maybe Lucy just had far more time on her hands than anyone should. If she did this tea ceremony as often as Danny drank coffee, she must have had hours to kill each day, because she was pretty sure it took a lot of time when done correctly.

Lucy paused in her slow circling when she was directly behind Danny's chair. "I would like to begin again and, if you're agreeable to it, I would like to give you some of the light corrections I mentioned before. I won't hurt you and you may stop me at any time. Saying no to my crop now or during the ceremony will not change the outcome of this interview, but the crop is something that will be used at the convention as we will be expected to portray some physical attributes of BDSM while we are performing. Do you understand?"

Danny looked over her shoulder at Lucy and nodded. "Yes."

"Are you agreeable to being corrected with the crop?" Lucy asked her.

Danny had already thought she'd agreed to that with her previous answer, but maybe Lucy was looking for something more concrete. "Yeah." The riding crop in Lucy's hand settled against her thigh. Danny followed that movement with her eyes. "Are you going riding later?" she asked Lucy, knowing that she sounded dumb even as the words left her mouth.

Lucy shook her head and indicated the low table. "Please remove your jacket and kneel at the table, hands on your thighs, back straight, chin parallel to the floor."

Shrugging out of her jacket, Danny quickly moved onto her knees. The bare floor felt a bit too hard for comfort, so she started to reach for a pillow, but her hand stopped halfway toward it. "Can I use a cushion?" she asked Lucy, not entirely sure why she just didn't take it.

Lucy nodded and gave her a small smile. "Yes, you may. And thank you for asking. I realize that you are inexperienced with BDSM on the whole, so please listen to me closely now. If at any time you feel uncomfortable during this interview, please feel free to leave. If you have any pain, either emotional or physical, you must tell me instantly. Anything less is unacceptable. Questions asked of you will be answered with either a yes or a no. Do you understand these rules as I have stated them for you?"

"Sure," Danny replied instantly, not thinking much of Lucy's words as she got as comfortable as she could on the pillow under her legs. The sharp sting of something hitting her butt startled her, and she jumped, quickly looking over her shoulder at Lucy in time to see her pulling back the crop. "Did you just smack me on the ass with that thing?" Danny snapped at her.

"You answered incorrectly," Lucy replied unapologetically.

Danny stared at her for a long moment before nodding, her gaze narrowed at Lucy. "Yes."

Lucy's porcelain face softened. "Good. Now you may begin. First, you'd better drink your mistake so that we can use the bowl again."

Danny grimaced down at the lumpy green mixture, but picked it up—"Right hand only"—and drank from the bowl. The tea was bitter and sharp, and Danny was half tempted to put the bowl right back down, but she knew if she did that this interview would be over and she wouldn't get another chance. So she sipped, and sipped again, until finally she got to the bottom of the bowl. She couldn't help the disgusted face she made as the last clumpy bits slid down her throat, and Lucy touched the soft leather tongue of the crop to the apple of Danny's cheek. It wasn't a strike, was barely even a brush, but Danny felt herself flush.

"Do try to maintain an aura of tranquility," Lucy reprimanded lightly. "Now, pretend you are starting from the beginning. Add your first ingredient."

The first ingredient, which was clearly not the water by the look Lucy gave her when she started reaching for it. So it had to be the tea. Danny picked up the bamboo scoop, dipped it into the powdered tea, and tilted the tea into the bowl. She paused, but Lucy didn't say anything, so Danny added another. She went for a third scoop, like last time, but this time the crop lightly tapped the top of her hand. "Two is sufficient. Move on." Lucy removed the crop. "Remember, tranquil."

Tranquil, right. Danny felt like she was going to burst out in shivers every time the smooth leather tongue touched her skin, but she wasn't even tempted to put a stop to things, even though Lucy had made it quite clear that she could whenever she'd had enough. She went to remove the top of the teapot, then realized that she'd never replaced it after the first time. The water was still steaming faintly, but Danny knew by Lucy's expression as she went to it she'd made a faux pas. She dipped the ladle in the water, brought it carefully over to the bowl, and poured slowly, making sure every drop went where it was supposed to go.

"Good," Lucy said, and Danny felt absurdly accomplished for a moment before she realized what she was doing and snorted inwardly. Proud of pouring water, wonderful. Next thing she knew, she'd be purring like a cat to be told she was good at kneeling.

The crop snapped across the top of her back, and Danny glared at Lucy. "What?" she demanded.

"Focus on the task in front of you, not on whatever thoughts are going through your head," Lucy said. "And by the way, if you speak out of turn again, you'll get another. Now, do continue."

Oh, for fuck's … Fine. Danny turned back to the tea. She went to add another ladleful, then remembered how she hadn't been able to use the whisk during her last attempt, and left the water level as it was. She set the ladle down and replaced the lid, avoiding using the soiled pink cloth—she still wasn't sure what that was for, but she knew she'd used it wrong last time. Then Danny picked up the whisk, set it in the water, and began to stir.

"With a bit more vigor, if you please," Lucy said calmly. Danny stirred harder. "Rhythmic vigor, Danielle, this tea will be useless if it is sloshed out of the bowl."

No one has called me that since my mom, she wanted to say, but Danny bit her lip and whisked a bit more tightly. When a light green froth began to rise on the surface of the water, she called it good and set the whisk aside. That was it, right? Except for the drinking. This looked drinkable.

On a whim, Danny picked up the bowl and extended it to Lucy, who smiled pleasantly. "Do you think that this tea is good enough for me to drink? Consider carefully. Was it made with a sense of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility?"

Danny thought about it. "I think it's as close as I can manage right now," she said after a minute.

"Again, I do appreciate your honesty," Lucy murmured. "Very well." She knelt gracefully on the floor next to Danny, set the crop on the table beside the tray, and took the bowl. She drank its contents in three smooth swallows, then replaced the bowl on the tray with a nod. "Acceptable."

Danny slumped a bit with relief. "So I have the job, then?"

Lucy tilted her chin to the side in consideration, and Danny couldn't help squirming under her intense focus. She felt less like a bug being dissected than before, more like a puzzle being worked out, but the attention was still a bit unnerving, and it was hard for her to sit still while Lucy was looking at her like that.

"Would it please you if I said yes?" Lucy replied, her voice soft and gentle with just the faintest hint of the accent Danny was starting to enjoy hearing.

Danny nodded, wondering what she was playing at. "Of course. I came for the job, after all. So getting it would be great."

Lucy rose from the floor. "Stand up, please. I wish to get a look at you without your jacket on."

Danny wanted to remind her that she'd been doing little else besides watching her during this whole interview but knew better than to voice that thought as she got to her feet. Tranquil, Danny reminded herself as she moved away from the table and stood, ready for Lucy's inspection.

Lucy walked around her, that crop dangling between her fingers, and Danny tried not to fidget. A light smack came down on her left butt cheek, and Danny gasped. It wasn't hard and it didn't hurt, but the action had caught her off guard. "What was that for?" she grumbled. Another smack across her other cheek reminded her not to speak out of turn.

Lucy came around her side and put the tip of the crop under her chin, holding it up and forcing Danny to look at her. "Your posture is atrocious. Young as you are, there's still time to work on such things. I advise you to practice as often as you can. Your ears, your shoulders, and your hips must be in alignment as often as possible. Your chin goes over the floor. Not down, not up. You must be tranquil in all things; this is your strength. Do you agree?"

"I'm sorry, but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Danny told her. She didn't move her chin off the tip of the crop, though she wasn't entirely sure why she wasn't fighting it.

Lucy gave her a brief but beautiful smile. "No, I'm sure you don't. But would you like to learn?"

There was something there, something that Danny was sure she was missing between the lines of conversation and information that Lucy was giving her. But as she licked her lips and looked up into Lucy's icy gaze, she wasn't sure if she cared all that much about whatever that thing was yet. What was happening between them was new to Danny and, she was beginning to realize, fascinating. So she nodded and offered Lucy a simple, "Yes," in response.

The crop fell away from her chin, and Danny almost missed the feel of the soft leather against her skin. Its touch made her anxious and nervous, but at the same time she found herself getting excited and even, maybe, a little turned on.

"I'll give you the links for some more videos and send you home with a tea set to work with. You have plenty of studying to do, which I expect you to take your time with until you master this ceremony. I will see you back here the evening before the convention to do another practice run, Danny," Lucy said without turning around as she walked toward the door.

She was gone and out the door a moment later, leaving Danny alone with her racing thoughts and rapidly beating heart.

One week later

Lucy carefully stepped around a man with his legs stretched out in front of him. Though her expression remained placid, she could feel her annoyance for him slowly simmering along in her veins. Friday nights were when she hosted an introductory tea pairing class, and her newest student, Andrea, hadn't thought to inform her that she would be bringing her boyfriend along with her. He was an oaf of a man and completely disrespectful, utterly undeserving of petite, black-haired, pixie-like Andrea, who was one of her favorite people in the little class.

They were in the back room of her shop, the place she held all of her private classes and meetings. As the group of four tried the tea that had been set out in front of them, Lucy couldn't help remembering what had transpired between herself and Danny in this very spot. Tonight was the night before the convention, and Lucy was looking forward to seeing Danny again. Lucy's high-heeled boots clicked on the hardwood as she took her seat in her favorite chair, a bit apart from the others.

"Emmanuel, please tell me what you think of this tea," she asked.

The oaf rolled his eyes even though he wasn't the one being addressed. If he'd possessed a sense of shame, Lucy might have wanted to take him to heel for his behavior, but since she had no interest in fruitlessly engaging with him and knew the effort would be lost on him, she chose to ignore him as she'd been doing for the past hour. Additionally, this was her shop, not a club, and people couldn't be made to behave as easily here as subs did in clubs. As long as his antics stayed silent, no one else needed to be bothered by his behavior. The apologetic look Andrea gave her told Lucy that she'd noticed his attitude as well. That was fortunate. Perhaps she wouldn't decide to bring him along for the next class. Lucy could hope for that much.

Emmanuel took a sip of the tea in his hands and put it down just as quickly as he'd lifted it. "I'm not a fan of white tea," he said honestly.

Lucy nodded and crossed one leg over the other before smoothing the ruffles of her layered skirt down over her knee. "And why is that?" she asked him.

He shrugged and looked down at the tea. Lucy knew that speaking during even the smallest class was hard for him. They'd spoken of his shyness on numerous occasions, and that he'd even chosen to answer her at all had been a surprise. Usually Emmanuel simply lifted his hand, silently signaling that he had no response for her as he'd done so many times before. Lucy was impressed with his progress and made a mental note to give him a package of his favorite loose-leaf tea the next time he came to class.

"It's a bit bland," Emmanuel told her softly before he'd decided to look away from her, ending the exchange with a finality Lucy perfectly understood.

She turned her attention to the three women seated around her. Andrea, Stephani, and Leia all watched her expectantly, like kittens waiting to be told they could have a bit of string after a bowl of cream. "Leia, what flavors did you pick up from the tea?" Lucy asked the closest of the women. She was barely twenty-three, her palate too young to truly appreciate the finest of the teas, but old enough to think a class on pairing tea with food would be an interesting way to spend a few hours on a Friday evening.

"Citrus?" Leia spoke up as she briefly touched the cup, looking to it as if for answers when she should have been consulting her tongue.

The answer was close enough. Lucy didn't expect any of them to be able to pick out the subtle flavors of grapefruit, mint, and pear on their first tries because of their undeveloped palates. "Yes, that's good," Lucy said, giving her a bit of praise.

Stephani leaned forward, her breasts nearly spilling out over the low neckline of the pink sweater she wore. "There's almond in there too, isn't there?"

Lucy took a sip of her own cup of tea before making a slow circle around the group. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, dear, but there is no almond in this tea. Perhaps the nuttiness of the black tea we had first is lingering on your tongue."

Stephani looked a bit disappointed, but Lucy didn't let that get to her. She wouldn't lie to a student in order to save their delicate feelings. Andrea's boyfriend, however, looked more than ready to cheer Stephani up as he leered at her exposed cleavage. Lucy sent up a silent little prayer that Andrea would come to her senses before he broke her heart as surely as her last boyfriend had.

"With a light, citrusy tea such as this one, we must take care to pair it with foods that will not overpower it. Tea is a drink nearly as popular as water, and so it is often taken for granted in the day to day life of its drinkers. But there is a precision, a grace that comes with tea, and its flavor must be respected. Andrea, what would you pair this tea with?" Lucy asked her.

Andrea crossed one leg over the other, mimicking Lucy's own position on the chair. "Little sandwiches with a bit of butter and maybe cucumber?"

The idea had merit and the tastes wouldn't clash, but Lucy wasn't quite satisfied with her answer and, knowing Andrea fairly well from her years as a customer, chose to get her to clarify it. "Are you asking me or telling me what you would do?" she pressed.

Andrea flushed and ducked her head. "Asking, I suppose."

Lucy had thought as much. Her answer had lacked the conviction of someone familiar with these flavors, which didn't surprise Lucy, as they'd only just moved into white teas in this session. "Pity, because you were correct with your flavor choices. Cucumber would be a fine choice with this tea as they are both light, refreshing, and mildly flavored. Another good choice would be rice. Lightly-scented jasmine rice would be a perfect pairing to this tea."

The door to her right opened, and Lucy was surprised to see Danny step through. She wore boots, and the hem of a black skirt could be seen under the thigh-length jacket she wore. Danny's attire wasn't perfectly appropriate for the chill outside, but Lucy still wanted to see her in fewer layers. Danny was … very easy to look at. Hopefully the warmth of the room would invite her to make herself more comfortable.

"Danny, you're early," she called to her, and Danny suddenly looked a bit lost when faced with everyone staring right at her.

Danny nodded and shifted her weight in her boots. The sound made her soles squeak against Lucy's fine floor. "Yeah ... Sorry, yes. I am. Want me to come back in a bit? I could go get some coff—er—tea from the front?"

Lucy smiled at her little verbal fumbling. Danny was polite even when she was on the spot, which Lucy appreciated. She fought back a wave of anxiousness as she wondered whether Danny’s messy tea ceremony had improved since last week. She'd been given quite a stack of homework to help her prepare for tomorrow, and part of Lucy was tempted to have Danny show her what she'd practiced right now, to show her little class something exceptional. Now wasn't the right time, though. These weren't the right people, and it wasn't the right place. Tomorrow would be better.

Lucy shook her head and rose from her chair. "No, this is fine. Take a seat here."

"You sure?" Danny asked, even as she took a step forward.

Lucy nodded, and her hand remained on the back of the chair until Danny took Lucy's seat. Lucy poured a fresh cup of the white tea from the delicate china pot and set it in front of Danny. She hardly had any expectations for her, but she was curious to know what Danny thought of the tea. It was far different from the matcha she'd been introduced to before.

"Try this when it cools and tell me what you think. Careful, though, it is a bit hot at the moment," Lucy said.

Emmanuel leaned toward Danny by a fraction of an inch, but the motion was only noticeable to Lucy; the others likely missed the subtlety of it completely. "It's also a bit bland," he said quickly before turning back to the tea in front of him again.

Danny smirked and looked as if she wanted to say something back to him. She didn't follow through on the impulse, which was probably better for Emmanuel. Lucy turned back to the rest of the small gathering, though she did not leave Danny's side. "White tea is one of the finer teas, and because it is so delicate, few companies in the world are comfortable with the process needed to produce it. The beauty of this tea is in its refinement, in its fragility, in its—"

Danny coughed from beside her, and Lucy looked down to see her hastily putting the cup back down on the coffee table in front of her. "Too hot for you still?" Lucy asked her.

Danny quickly shook her head. "Sorry, not a fan of grapefruit at all."

"Is that what the citrus flavor in it is? I'd have never guessed," Leia said to Danny. Lucy was intrigued, wondering how someone with no tea experience to speak of noticed such a delicate flavor. Perhaps she'd been learning about more than just the tea ceremony. Lucy decided to reward her insight, however it came about, and stepped over to the door.

"Dalton," she called out. He appeared a moment later. "Prepare a pot of the Earl Grey, please. The Ceylon and cornflower, not the Assam. And bring a full service for two." He left, and she turned back to her students. "As I was saying, white tea is a tea of great refinement, but it also carries great health benefits. It has the most antioxidants of any type of tea thanks to its minimal processing, and studies show that it can be an effective tonic against certain types of cancer, infections, and viruses. Next week, our first tea will be an exquisite Silver Needle tea from China, so be sure to arrive with your palate cleansed and ready.

"We'll follow it with a sencha," she continued, watching Emmanuel perk up some at that, "for those of you who prefer something more robust. Enjoy your evening, ladies and gentlemen."

"God, finally," the oaf muttered, standing up and cracking his back. "I'd kill for some coffee. No offense," he added in Lucy's direction. She ignored him completely and spoke to Andrea instead.

"You have good instincts with your pairings," she told her. She looked like her face had caught fire with the heat of her blush. "Don't be afraid to follow them." Now, if only Andrea would get better instincts when it came to the men in her life. Her boyfriend was already walking out the door, his eyes glued to Stephani's rear as she left first.

"Thank you, Miss Culpepper," Andrea said. She grabbed her bag and left the room, as did Leia after a polite goodbye. Only Danny and Emmanuel remained, and Lucy had to deal with one before she could devote her whole attention to the other.

"Thank you for your participation tonight, Emmanuel," Lucy said with a smile. He smiled back, waiting for her to say the second part. As remarkable as the strides he was making were, he still did have his little habits that had to be followed in order for him to be comfortable. "I look forward to seeing you next week."

"Thank you, Miss Culpepper," Emmanuel replied. He got to his feet and glanced at Danny, opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it and left instead.

Lucy waited for the door to shut behind him before letting herself sigh a little. Sometimes these classes were rejuvenating, but other nights they were trying, and tonight was one of those nights. Hopefully Danny would reduce her stress instead of adding to it.

"So," Danny broke the silence. "This is how you spend your Friday nights. Not quite what I pictured."

"And what was it that you pictured?" Lucy asked as she moved Emmanuel's chair a bit closer to Danny's and sat down next to her.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe you, drinking tea in a dungeon while some leather-clad babe licked your boots."

Lucy eyed Danny sharply, gauging just how serious she was being.

Danny met her stoic gaze for a long moment before tilting her head back and laughing. "I'm kidding! I can't actually picture you in a dungeon, it isn't fancy enough, even though it is kind of British, isn't it?"

"There are many types of dungeons," Lucy replied smoothly. Danny had a nice laugh, rich and throaty like her speaking voice. She wondered how Danny sounded when she sang, or if she sang at all. "Some of them are certainly posh enough for me to be seen in if that's what you're wondering, but no, those are not typically a part of my Friday evenings."

"But teaching is," Danny said, fishing a bit. Lucy decided to give her a little more.

"Teaching is. I enjoy sharing my passion for my work, and there are plenty of people willing to pay for the privilege of learning with me."

"Really." Danny licked her lower lip unconsciously.

"Indeed." A brisk knock sounded at the door. "Come in, Dalton," Lucy called, and a moment later he entered, carrying a tray with the tea service set that Danny had so admired last week. Lucy smiled appreciatively at Dalton's attention to detail. "Thank you." She waited for him to clear the other teapot and cups from the class before turning back to Danny.

"You were in the mood for coffee earlier," Lucy said.

"Oh, no," Danny said quickly, shaking her head. She was probably remembering Andrea's boyfriend. "Tea is fine, really. I've just never been a fan of grapefruit. It was all my grandma had to eat for breakfast when we stayed over at her place, and it got old by the time I was five."

"I think this tea will be more to your liking," Lucy assured her. She poured each of them a cup, enjoying the citrus smell of the bergamot. "Taste it before you add cream or sugar, although this tea is excellent with both." Lucy added a splash of the cream to hers before lifting it to her lips.

Mmm, there was that delicious full-bodied malt flavor, slight notes of burnt sugar and tobacco alongside the subtle orange of the Ceylon. Lucy deliberately didn't look up when Danny first tasted her tea, and her faint sound of surprise and approval was heartening.

"This is great," Danny said, staring at her cup like it was speaking to her. Lucy hoped it was. "Really, really good."

"Thank you. It's one of my favorite blends, I like it whenever I need a little pick-me-up," Lucy confessed. "White teas are absolutely divine for a light breakfast or afternoon tea, but nothing is quite so comforting as a stout Earl Grey."

"Did you need comforting after that class?"

"No. But I did wish to make you comfortable. We have quite a lot to discuss concerning tomorrow, after all."

"Right." Danny took another sip, then set her cup down. "So, I watched all of those videos, and I do mean all of them, even the one that took half an hour before she got to the actual tea part of the tea ceremony. I've gotta warn you, I've been working on it, but I don't think I'll be able to drag it out that long."

"You have to work at a speed that feels right to you, of course," Lucy said. "And that looks right to me. That is where the correction will come in."

"Can we practice tonight?" That was eagerness in Danny's voice, anticipation in her bright brown eyes. Lucy enjoyed it even as she prepared to dowse it.

"No." Danny deflated in her chair. "I told you to practice this past week. Have you done so?"

"Yeah, I already said—"

"And do you feel confident in your ability to perform the tea ceremony adequately?"

"Yeeesss … I guess."

"Then I believe you," Lucy replied simply. "A great deal of the pleasure I anticipate for tomorrow will be in seeing your improvement over last week's efforts for the first time. Besides, we have plenty of other things to go over, starting with your attire." Lucy stood up and walked over to the dresser.

Lucy opened the dresser drawer, and her fingers grazed over the light leather outfit before pulling it out. She waited until she was back beside Danny to speak again. "As you may remember from the job description, our presence in the conference is to help bring attention to my friend's designs. She makes marvelous costumes, all of them by hand. This is an example of her work." Lucy laid it out in front of Danny and carefully watched her expression to see what Danny thought of it.

Though the outfit was intricately detailed, with the straps and brass riggings that would follow along Danny's curves, Lucy knew that it would do little to give her any sense of modesty. She'd made it clear that the model hired would not be required to be naked when she'd contacted the agency, but at the same time Lucy had tried to convey just how open the woman coming to take the job would have to be in regards to the attire she was expected to wear.

"That looks complicated," Danny said, leaning toward it and running her hands over the skirt, nothing more than a series of thick leather straps that dangled down from the bottom hem of the corset.

Lucy nodded and moved away from the outfit so that Danny could examine it. "It is, a bit. My friend will meet us at the conference tomorrow morning to help you into it, should you need assistance."

Danny's mouth pinched. "So she'll be there too?"

"Yes, of course. She and her partner will be running a booth at the convention; they have to be there to make sales," Lucy said as she took another sip of her tea.

Tilting her head to the side, Danny looked up at her. "So if your friend is going to be there, then why are you demonstrating her stuff? Shouldn't she just be doing it?"

Lucy's tight smile eased as another sip of hot tea worked its way down to her stomach. The heat radiated out from her chest, easily making her forget all about Andrea and her oaf, or the way Emmanuel had looked at Danny as if he might be interested in her. That had bothered her, though it was likely only because she knew how wrong they would be for each other. Emmanuel, she knew, was soft and shy, and though she barely knew Danny, Lucy was sure that she was a far cry from Emmanuel's gentle life, full of quiet music and carefully-selected plaid shirts.

"My friend has a ..." Lucy considered for a moment how to describe her friend's relationship with the woman who had been sharing her bed for the last four years. Coming up with nothing better, Lucy decided to go for the truth. "She has a slave."

"Slavery is illegal," Danny quickly pointed out, her gaze narrowing. Clearly, Lucy had chosen the wrong way to introduce such a topic to her.

She backtracked, thinking of way to have this make sense to someone that hadn't spent most of their adult life surrounded by others to whom such things came as naturally as breathing. "My friend, Natasha, and her partner, Lillian, have a special relationship. It isn't the typical one you'd likely find at your Sunday brunch downtown at a fancy restaurant, but it works for them and has done so for quite some time. Natasha is a dominant type of person, much like I am. That dominance is openly expressed in her private relationships. She was fortunate enough to find Lillian, a woman who is naturally submissive. Lillian is sweet and gentle, a caring sort who enjoys being cared for as well as taking care of someone else.

"Natasha believes, as do I, that there is freedom and beauty in the act of giving oneself over completely to another person. To let that person take care of you, to see to your every need, to accept and expect that they will put their well-being above your own. Together Natasha and Lillian have taken this idea to an even deeper level between them, to the point where Lillian has given all of herself over to Natasha. This level of submission is defined by some as slavery, where Natasha, in essence, owns all of who Lillian is, body and soul. Lillian, in turn, exists only for Natasha. In exchange, Natasha cares for Lillian’s needs as her own and gives each of them the same amount of consideration she would give herself."

Having said that, Lucy still wasn't entirely sure that Danny could comprehend such a relationship. It was far more than whips and handcuffs, though even those simplest of bedroom accessories were more than some people could imagine.

Danny took a sip of tea before answering her. "So, most of that went way over my head. Let's back up. Natasha, who designs the clothes that I'll be modeling, is in a relationship with someone named Lillian, and the reason that she can't do it is what now, exactly?"

"Because Natasha takes responsibility for Lillian completely, she won't allow Lillian to be viewed in the manner that you will be tomorrow. Being exposed in such a way, on display for hundreds, if not thousands, of people is something that Lillian would never wish to experience, and that Natasha would never want her to," Lucy explained to her, hoping it would make sense to her now.

Danny shrugged. "All right. So I guess that makes sense. Kind of. Lillian is shy and Natasha wants to protect her. Right?"

"That's the simplest way to explain a complex relationship between two people, but if that's what that makes sense to you, then use it. As you'll meet both of them tomorrow, I believe that the dynamics in their relationship will make more sense to you once you see them in person," Lucy told her.

"Have you ever had a slave?" Danny asked after a long moment in which they both drank their tea. Lucy's was nearly cold and quite close to being empty, but she found that she didn't want to call for more and disturb the moment she was having with Danny.

Lucy shook her head and smiled at Danny over the rim of her teacup. "No. Far from it. I prefer to have the women in my bed, while being submissive to me, to still retain some level of autonomy that is not awarded to slaves and toys. In short, submissive sexual partners are enjoyable to me, and even taking care of their every need is sometimes pleasurable, but I don't want someone that I have to care for day in and day out. I consider myself a caring person, but I also fully accept my selfish tendencies. I believe wanting time for myself is human. Natasha and Lillian have found something deeper than I've ever experienced, or have wanted to. I don't question their love for each other or Natasha's devotion to caring for Lillian's every need."

Danny wore a soft blush on her cheeks, and Lucy wondered at its origin. "So … I guess a lot of guys are going to be staring at my ass in this outfit?"

Lucy smiled at the crudeness of Danny's words as well as the lightness in her tone. Danny wasn't as upset by Lucy's revelations as some people would be, even if she wasn't comfortable with them, and that was a good sign. "Oh, naturally. I'm sure there will be men, as well as women, that will be interested in you. But while we're there you will be under my protection. I have a ribbon that I'll tie loosely around your neck, and I will wear the same color on my wrist. Other people will use other means of communicating their statuses while we're there, but this is the simplest one. The ribbon will show that you aren't available to anyone while you are at the convention, and people will not test that. They can, and will, look. But they won't take things further than that unless you choose to give them permission. As you will be employed for the duration of the weekend, I don't see that being a problem. Do you?"

Danny quickly shook her head. "I've got no interest in hooking up at the conference."

Well, that was certainly decisive. "When I pick you up tomorrow morning at seven, please be ready to leave. You won't be wearing shoes for the most part tomorrow, but pack a pair of comfortable dark colored heels in case you want to walk around the conference at all during your breaks or lunch. If you want me to accompany you during these times I can, but I won't require you to be by my side the entire time if you wish to explore a bit on your own. Keep your hair natural and your makeup minimal, since it will have to be adjusted for every costume you wear."

Lucy got to her feet and motioned for Danny to follow her as she made her way to the front door of her shop. It had been dark for a while now, and the old-fashioned lamp posts outside glowed bright in the wintery gloom. "Thank you for coming tonight. It was good to speak with you again before the conference," Lucy said, her hand resting on the front door of her shop.

Danny gave her a little smile. "Yeah. You too. Big day tomorrow."

Lucy nodded. "Yes, it is. Oh, and one more thing, Danny."

"Yes?"

"While we are at the conference, please address me as 'mistress', as that is what will be expected at this convention, and in all honesty is something I prefer as well," Lucy asked of her, keeping her voice firm. It wasn't really a request, but Lucy wouldn't force the issue if Danny flatly refused to go for it either.

Danny gave her a little shrug. "Sure thing. Bring the crop?"

There was a lightness in her voice and a flare of a challenge in her gaze that made Lucy stop short. Danny gave her a little wave over her shoulder as she turned and walked out of the shop, leaving Lucy staring after her. Lucy wondered if Danny could have possibly meant what she hoped she was saying with her farewell.

Danny felt her face heat as she walked briskly to her car. What had she been thinking, bringing up the crop? Why had she mentioned it at all? It wasn't her place to dictate to her employer what could and couldn't be used in a, god, a kinky leather-and-lace Japanese tea ceremony demonstration. And wow, how was this her life? Danny was suddenly really glad that she hadn't gone into a lot of detail with her dad about this particular job.

She checked her mirrors, then pulled out into the slushy road. Danny drove carefully, trying not to think about why she was a little disappointed that she hadn't gotten to do an actual tea ceremony tonight. Dalton had sent her home with a simple tea set last week, and Danny had done at least one ceremony a day, usually after watching a new video so she could try to incorporate different things and see which ones felt right. She had been looking forward to showing Lucy how much she'd improved, that she could be counted on to take the job seriously after she almost screwed up the interview. She'd videotaped herself doing one that she thought was her best and emailed the short movie to Lucy to get her approval a few days before. She'd received a simple "Acceptable" in reply, which was less than she would have liked to get as far as praise went, but she guessed it was better than nothing.

And maybe … maybe she had also been looking forward to the correction, just a little bit. The memory of the soft tab of leather at the end of the crop trailing over her skin, smooth and promising, and the sudden, invigorating snap of the crop across the curve of her ass …

The car behind Danny honked insistently, snapping her out of her reverie. Danny pulled forward and resisted the urge to flip the bird at the SUV that pulled around her and roared past, still honking its horn. That fucker would be stuck in a ditch before the night was out if he kept up at that speed, and Danny felt absolutely okay with that.

She finally pulled in at her family's townhouse, just a couple blocks from the garage where most of them worked, with a sigh of relief. Danny didn't care for driving in the snow, not when she couldn't afford snow tires. Her dad had been on her to upgrade, but she just hadn't been able to yet, and she wasn't going to let him pay for anything else for her. He had enough to deal with.

Danny opened the front door and was immediately met with calls of, "Jesus, shut that, it's fuckin' freezing out there, are you crazy?" Danny was the second of her dad's four kids, the only girl in a house full of boys, and they were all living with him, now that Zach was back from his second tour overseas. His leave was over in a week, but with him here now, and Neil's live-in fiancée all crammed into the three-bedroom house, it was a very tight fit.

"Hey, honey," Danny's dad called from his recliner. His cane was propped against the wall, and he had a can of Bud Light in his hand. "How was your meeting?"

"Good," Danny replied. "All set for tomorrow."

"Great, that's great."

"You're blocking the TV," Danny's youngest brother Clint said irritably. "If I wanted to see your ass, I'd go look you up online."

"Gross," Zach said.

"Jesus, Clint, the hell is wrong with you?" Neil added. "You don't look up your own sister's porn, that's disgusting."

"I don't do porn," Danny said for the thousandth time. "And, oh, is my ass in your way? Sorry, how about now?" She backed up toward Clint. "Can you see the screen now? How about now?"

"Get that out of my face!" Clint shrieked.

"Kids!" her dad snapped. "Knock it off. Jesus. You need dinner, honey?"

"She doesn't need dinner, look at the size of her ass," Clint muttered. Neil threw an empty beer can at his head. "Ouch!"

"I already ate," Danny said. "Thanks, though." She went over to her dad and kissed his whiskery cheek, then glared over at her brothers. "Neil, tell me your pregnant fiancée isn't doing dishes in the kitchen by herself right now. Tell me you guys aren't an enormous bag of dicks, letting the one woman in the house do all your goddamn dishes by herself."

"Language; don't call your brothers dicks," her dad warned.

"She offered," Neil said weakly.

"Jackasses," Danny snapped, and headed for the kitchen. Sure enough, there was Lauren, up to her elbows in suds, her T-shirt wet where her round belly was pressed against the edge of the sink. She looked over at Danny and smiled.

"I did offer," Lauren said mildly.

"Yeah, well, they should have offered to let you sit down and put your feet up instead of making you stand here like this," Danny said, slipping off her leather jacket and pushing up her sleeves. She started rinsing the dishes that had been scrubbed and laying them in the rack to dry. "I'll take care of this. Go sit down."

"I really don't mind. Besides, Neil and I are moving into our own apartment this weekend, so after this I'll have a lot less to do."

Danny blinked with surprise. "You guys found a place?"

"Just today," Lauren said happily. "It's not far from here, still close to the garage, but it'll be a good place for us to spread out a little when the baby comes."

"Congratulations," Danny said, really meaning it. Neil and Lauren had been living with them for almost six months, ever since Neil lost his job. Dad had been able to give him work, but it hadn't paid enough for them to afford an apartment on their own until the bad-weather rush brought the garage more business than they could handle.

"Thanks, Danny."

"Now seriously, go sit down. I've got this."

"If you're sure …"

"Totally sure. Go make those jackasses scoot over for you on the couch."

"You're a jackass!" Clint called out.

"Language, you two!" her dad yelled.

Lauren rolled her eyes and headed into the living room, where Zach gave up his spot for her so she could settle in against Neil. Danny turned back to the dishes and started scrubbing with a vengeance. She must have done this hundreds of times over the past few years after their dishwasher had given out and Dad had never bothered to get it fixed. Someday Danny would be successful enough to move the hell out of here, and that would be a beautiful day.

The dishes didn't take long, although she had to let the lasagna pan soak for a while. Danny dried the plates and put them away methodically, feeling a little pang in her heart when she realized that there was only one of her mother's pretty blue china plates left in the cabinet. There used to be a dozen, part of the set that Grandma had bought Mom and Dad for their wedding, but after almost thirty years of abuse and breakage, they were down to the last one. The teacups and saucers had been the first things to go. Danny had squirreled a set away once she'd seen Zach take out three of them at once with a badly aimed football back when she was fifteen. The last little hints of her mother's delicate, feminine touches in this house full of testosterone were almost gone.

"You going out tonight?"

Danny started and looked up, seeing Zach standing in the door. She and Zach were the closest in age, with Danny just eleven months older than he was. They'd been inseparable as kids, and Zach was the only one in her family who hadn't given her a ton of shit when Danny came out. They'd just gone girl-watching together. It was hard having him stationed so far away.

"Nah, not in this weather," Danny said, although she was still buzzing with energy from her meeting with Lucy earlier. "Think I'll just go downstairs. I've got a few things left to do to get ready for tomorrow."

"Yeah?" Zach sat down at the kitchen table. "This job is a pretty big deal, then?"

Oh, you don't even know. "Yeah," Danny said. "Pretty big. I want it to go well."

"I get that." He looked at her for a long moment. "You okay?" he asked finally, his voice low enough that it couldn't be heard over the television. "You've been a little jumpy all week."

"I know," Danny admitted. "Sorry if it's been annoying."

"I'm not annoyed, I'm just wondering if I've gotta go beat someone up for you."

The thought of her brother going and confronting Lucy, prim and proper and gorgeous Lucy with her accent and those heels and the crop in her hand … it made Danny smile. "Nah, it's nothing bad. I'm just—actually, I'm kind of excited. I feel like I've got …" a chance at something I didn't even know I wanted, "… a real opportunity here, and I don't want to blow it."

"You won't blow it," Zach said confidently. "You're great at this stuff. All the guys in my unit bought your car calendar, and trust me, they agree."

"Oh my god, what?"

"Hey, I didn't buy one for me!" Zach defended himself. "They figured out who you were all on their own! I just showed them your Facebook page."

Danny stared at her brother for a second, then started laughing. "Thanks for the publicity," she managed between chuckles. "Watch, this is gonna lead to my big break. I'll be the face of one of those guys' companies someday."

"I hope you are." Zach stood up and went over to the fridge. "You want a beer?"

"No, thanks," Danny said. She could still conjure up the taste of Lucy's Earl Grey on her tongue, and the thought of eradicating the memory with cheap beer just didn't appeal at all. "I think I'll have some tea instead."

"You on some kind of health kick? That's all you've drunk all week."

"Maybe it's a weight loss plan?" Clint added loudly.

"Maybe I'd rather lose weight kicking your sorry ass up and down these stairs ten times, what do you think?" Danny yelled back. She stood up and kissed Zach on the cheek. "I'm going downstairs."

"Don't study too hard."

Danny gave him a little wave as she made her way downstairs to the basement that had been transformed into her room. Well, it'd been hers since she was a teenager, actually, but now it was quite a bit more grown up than it had been when she'd first claimed the large, wood-paneled space as her own. She had her own mini fridge, a microwave, a brand new electric kettle, and a bathroom that was all hers—a real blessing once she realized how messy her brothers were sharing one bathroom upstairs. She'd practically begged to be moved into the basement as soon as the bathroom had been remodeled, allowing a standing shower to be added where before there had only been a large, mostly useless, closet.

She shucked off her jacket, then her boots, before flopping down on her belly over her bed. Her comforter, a gift from one of her brothers last year, had a sleek black and white pinstripe motif, something Clint had derided as "white collar prison style" but which Danny loved. It was a far cry from the set she'd had as a teen featuring a pop icon who she'd secretly had a crush on. Artwork she used as inspiration for her tattoos hung around her room, mostly Asian with koi, Fu Dogs, and some eastern dragons, but with a few other pieces mixed in as well. Danny had always loved the permanency of her body art, and seeing her tattoos felt like going to a gallery and exploring each time she looked in the mirror. Danny didn't have random crap tattooed on her arms. No meaningless roses or half-hearted angel wings for her, though her first tattoo artist had tried to convince her that all girls got things like that. Instead she'd had him add a quote from Star Wars to her ribs:  Do or do not, there is no try. He'd been impressed enough to give her a discount, and she in turn gave him a good tip and a promise to return. That had been six years ago, and Danny had been going back with new ideas ever since.

Danny filled the kettle with water and turned it on. She'd thought about using her microwave to heat the water when she practiced the tea ceremony, but the memory of Lucy's pained expression had been enough to convince Danny to splurge on the kettle. Danny pulled out a bag of chamomile mint herbal tea, resisting her hand's natural twitch toward the matcha, and poured the swiftly heated water into her fragile china teacup. She idly ran her fingertip over the cup's scalloped edge as she waited for the tea to steep, tracing the fading golden edges. This cup had been run through the dishwasher too many times, back when they'd had an actual dishwasher. The gold trim was mostly a memory at this point, but Danny still loved the elegance of it. That same scalloped gold edging decorated the nape of her neck, an abstract reminder of her mother and grandmother.

The tea didn't take long to steep. Danny tossed the bag, poured in a little honey, and sipped. The box said this stuff was supposed to be relaxing. Danny wasn't so sure about that. Her first inhalation of the strong mint scent made her want to sneeze, but then the urge settled. It was all right; not a substitute for coffee, but drinkable. Definitely better for her than going out drinking the night before a job. Danny sat down on the edge of her bed, set the teacup in its saucer, and reached for her purse.

She only had to dig around a little bit to find her phone, and once she found it she opened her calendar app, checking on her next job and what she was required to do for them. Only the basic details were listed on the app; the rest of it was in her email, but at least she could get some idea of what to expect coming up. Danny expected to get a lot of posing-with-muscle-car types of jobs because she didn't mind wearing skimpy clothes, and that particular audience was into her tattoos, but there were softer things that came up as well, like posing with pets for adoption campaigns and helping out with magic shows at the local comedy house. Something like that would be nice.

Until it came to Lucy. God, that woman made her head spin. And that crop … Danny's thighs clenched together on their own as she thought about the feeling of that little bit of leather tapping her. Or, even better, when Lucy had held it under her chin and made Danny look up at her from the end of it. She'd known then that she could easily have pulled her chin off the tip of the crop. There had been nothing to physically keep her looking up at Lucy. Danny had done it because she'd wanted to. Being on her knees like that, with Lucy above her head had felt … well, damn good if she was going to be honest, but it was more than that. Like sitting that way made her small and petite, beautiful. With Lucy she felt almost like a flower. Danny snorted. Nobody would ever compare her to a flower. The whole thing seemed kind of ridiculous.

Yet the crop and Lucy in those damn sexy boots with the tiny heels and the shiny brass buttons rising along her calf had made Danny feel like she could maybe be just as exquisite as Lucy was. Danny had always been a sucker for a woman in heels, and no one wore them quite like Lucy did. She moved with precision, and it was freaky beautiful, like Lucy was a classical dancer.

Danny tried picturing Lucy dancing a bit sexier than in a ballet, maybe even on a pole with just a thong and thigh-highs, and couldn't. The idea made her laugh loud enough that Clint yelled at her through the door upstairs to shut up. Normally Danny would have yelled right back at him to shut up, but at that moment she was too turned on to do much but think about Lucy and the image of her in a pair of thigh-highs that her mind had created. The pole dancing and thong were gone, but the stockings were there to stay in Danny's mind, and oh … She struggled not to moan aloud as her thighs pressed together on her way to the shower.

She'd hoped that the hot water would make her relax and get her mind off things, but as she stepped under the spray Danny realized that wouldn't be the case. Instead she leaned back against the wall, the cool tile pressing against her narrow shoulders, as she tilted her face up into the hot water and cupped her breasts with both hands. Danny teased her nipples, bringing them to stiff peaks as she thought about Lucy's crop brushing against the curve of her ass. That little bit of leather at the end had startled her when it had come down, but there was no real pain with it. Danny wondered what it would feel like against her naked skin and, more specifically, how Lucy would use it on her.

Danny wished she knew more about crops so that she could flesh out the fantasy in her head a bit more, but at the moment she'd just have to use her imagination. For now she turned around and propped her forearm on the wall above her head as she leaned into it, spreading her legs just wide enough to allow her hand in as she thought about Lucy's long fingers in her hair, slowly combing through the strands. Maybe she wouldn't just stroke. Maybe she'd pull on Danny's hair until her neck arched back, then kiss her neck.

Her fingers went from playing with her clit to sliding into her tunnel. She was slick and swollen and ready for more, but since she hadn't thought to bring any of her toys into the shower with her, Danny made do with her hand. She sped up, her fingers sliding in and out of her tight pussy as she imagined the tip of Lucy's crop coming down across her ass and Lucy's soft British accent in her ear. Gasping out Lucy's name, Danny nearly lost her balance as her orgasm shot through her, surprising her with its force.

Still trying to catch her breath, she stumbled out of the bathroom with her fluffy robe wrapped around her and barely managed to keep her forgotten, mostly full teacup from spilling over as she landed on the bed. Happiness-inducing chemicals swam through her body, keeping the fantasy that Danny had just come to from shocking her as much as she felt it should have. She wasn't big on pain, and for her extreme sex was pretty much just about wearing a strap-on and calling her lover a dirty girl once in a while. At least, that was how it had always been before meeting Lucy.

Danny had a good idea that some things would be changing about her idea of sex tomorrow morning. She shivered—with cold, she told herself, not anticipation. It was just the cold.

While Lucy would've liked to have called Danny down to the curb the next morning so that Lucy could wait for her in the comfort of her warm car, good manners dictated that she go to the door. Her high-heeled boots caught and held traction on the icy concrete as she stepped out of her Aston Martin. The car was red and sleek, but looked nearly purple in the early morning light. Beautiful, even if the wheel wells were somewhat caked with ice. Poor thing; she'd have to park it indoors once they got to the convention center and get it professionally cleaned once the weather dried out some. Danny's house was between Camellia and the convention, so though Danny had offered in an email to meet her there, Lucy had decided to come get her.

Lucy rang the bell as soon as she stepped in front of Danny's front door. Muffled yelling immediately erupted inside the house. She raised her eyebrows and stepped back, waiting for the door to open as the unseen game of who-was-going-to-answer commenced.

Eventually the winner opened the door. Lucy was relieved to see it was Danny, although she had to hold onto the edge of the door with both hands to keep from being crowded forward. "Hi," she said a little breathlessly. She wore a pair of skinny jeans and low, dark heels on her feet, just as Lucy had recommended. Her form-fitting sweater accentuated her sensuous curves, and her hair was loose around her shoulders, smooth and shining.

"I just have to get my jacket, it's downstairs," Danny continued, kicking back sharply with one foot. The young man behind her reeled away, swearing.

"Aren't you gonna invite your friend in?" a man called from inside the house.

"Daddy, this is my boss," Danny called back. "And we're going to leave in just a second, so …"

"Then she can get in out of the cold for just a second," the man said firmly. Danny shrugged and stepped aside.

"I'll be fast, I promise," she said softly as she waved Lucy inside and shut the door behind her, but not before the young man who had been crowding her got a look outside.

"I knew it was something like that!" he crowed, going over to the window and looking out. "Holy shit, that's a what, a DB9? Two thousand and … ten?"

"Two thousand and nine," Lucy replied, glancing discreetly around the lounge. The floor was carpeted with something that had probably once been champagne colored, but was now more of a dirty dishwater tan. A few empty beer cans were scattered around the floor next to the well-worn sofa and recliner, leaving the air smelling a bit malty.

Seated in the recliner was an older man, undoubtedly Danny's father, who looked at Lucy like he didn't know exactly what to make of her. Fair enough—Lucy felt rather the same toward him. He was as homely as his daughter was enchanting, heavyset and stubble-faced, and the bathrobe he wore was practically indecent. For a certain standard of decency, of course.

"Care to sit down?" he offered.

"No, thank you, I'm quite comfortable standing."

"Right, right." They looked at each other in silence for a moment. "So, you're the lady with the job," he said at last.

"Quite."

"Modeling clothes, I guess?" he asked, gesturing at Lucy's outfit. She was in what she considered to be one of her tamer ensembles:  a vintage Dior twill suit that had belonged to her mother, paired with ankle boots and a Merino wool, single-breasted coat.

"Yes," Lucy replied briefly. She felt extra eyes on her and looked over at the door to what was likely the kitchen, where a young and very pregnant woman peeped around the doorframe at her. Lucy smiled at the girl, who ducked back around the corner. A sister, perhaps?

"Oh my god, your car," the young man—more of a boy, really, as he couldn't be much older than twenty—moaned. "I would trade my right nut to get a good look at its engine."

"Might as well trade them both, since you're not using them," Danny quipped as she barreled back up the stairs she'd disappeared down, her leather jacket slung over her arm and a small duffel bag in her hand.

"Shut up." The boy turned to Lucy. "You want to trade my sister for your car? 'Cause I think all of us here would prefer to have the car."

"Clint!" Danny yelled, flushing with emotion—embarrassment, anger? Either way, Lucy disliked seeing Danny so perturbed.

"I'm afraid nothing I own is remotely as precious as your sister," Lucy said coolly. "And," she added, dialing up her British aloofness, "I greatly disapprove of casually referring to human beings as commodities, so I'm afraid I could never do business with you, anyhow. Are you ready, Danny?"

"More than," Danny muttered, heading for the door.

"You gonna be home tonight, honey?" her father asked, glancing at the bag.

"I'm not sure yet," Danny said slowly. She glanced at Lucy, as if asking for guidance, but before Lucy could speak up she continued, "I'll call either way. Have a good day at work, Daddy."

"Yeah, you too, honey."

"The car," her brother whined as they headed out. "Danny, you have to take—!" She slammed the door before he could finish the sentence.

"Jesus. Sorry about that," Danny said as they picked their way down the icy steps to the front walk. "Clint can be such a jackass."

"Your younger brother, I take it?" Lucy asked.

"The youngest. There's another one between me and him, and an older one, but they're both off opening up the shop," Danny explained, sliding into the passenger side. "Oh, wow," she said as she shut the door. "Oh my god." She ran her hands over the sumptuous chocolate brown leather of the dashboard, settling into the seat with a decadent sigh. "This really is amazing."

"Thank you," Lucy said, starting the car. Danny actually moaned as the engine purred to life, which was simply unfair. "I like it."

"I can see why. You must feel like a female James Bond in this thing."

"Oh, but James is such a one-dimensional scoundrel. I prefer to think of myself as M," Lucy replied with a smile.

"No, you have to be James Bond. He drives the Aston Martin, he wears the gorgeous clothes, he always gets the girl …" Danny's voice trailed off, and she blushed again.

"Well, if I absolutely must be an icon of British culture, I suppose I could do worse," Lucy allowed. Traffic was light this early on a Saturday, and she figured they would reach the convention center in less than fifteen minutes. She consciously relaxed her foot on the gas pedal, not wanting to cut short what might be the only real private time she got with Danny today. "The mug on the right is yours, by the way."

"Thank you." Danny lifted it straight to her mouth and took a drink, and Lucy appreciated the fact that she hadn't even stopped to ask what Lucy was giving her, she'd just trusted it would be acceptable. "Is this chai?"

"Black tea chai," Lucy said. "Consider it your coffee substitute. It's high in caffeine, and rather delicious, I think."

"It's pretty good," Danny agreed. She sipped in silence for a while, and Lucy let the quiet lengthen without discomfort. She didn't have to fill the air with words to enjoy being in someone else's company, and she appreciated that Danny didn't seem to either. Eventually, though, the silence was broken.

"So," Danny drawled, "if you're not a Bond fan, why an Aston Martin? Is it because you only buy British, or because you like paying super-high insurance premiums to protect yourself from all the idiots on the road here?"

Lucy smiled. "Neither of those. A few years ago, I came into a rather large inheritance. I didn't need the money, but a friend of mine induced me to spoil myself with something beautiful. I decided on an Aston Martin because it was my father's favorite type of car, and also because sometimes owning something so exceptional is the only bright spot I might have in an otherwise dull day."

"I'm sure it would brighten my day." Danny chuckled.

"You'll have to take it out sometime this weekend," Lucy said. "If only to tell your brother all about what he's missing."

"You know, I didn't think you could make that offer sound any better, and then you did," Danny marveled. "Clint likes the power of a sports car like this, but it's a shame Zach wasn't home to see it. He'd really appreciate it."

"He sounds like a kindred spirit," Lucy said, pulling into the convention center's underground parking lot. "And here we are. Are you ready to meet Lillian and Natasha?"

Danny nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Lucy stepped out of the car and, once Danny had shut the door behind herself and they'd removed her bags, locked it behind them. This particular convention center was connected to a hotel that promised a level of discretion commensurate with the subject of the convention itself. BDSM, while not as taboo as it had once been, was hardly a lifestyle so accepted by the masses that it could be paraded down a busy street without repercussions.

Lucy looked at Danny as they made their way to the elevator that led to the lobby and wondered what she was thinking right now, given that Danny had no real experience in the scene. Was she nervous? Would she find it appealing, or appalling?

Lucy's own introduction to the BDSM lifestyle had been a godsend. She'd been fresh out of college, an educated woman with prospects, but no real sense of purpose. Her father had described her as a boat adrift in the sea of her own privilege. Lucy had kept that description well into her listless twenties, until a woman with a firm hand and a lot of patience taught her about life in an entirely new way. And it had started with a crop, much like the one in the leather satchel tightly grasped in Lucy's left hand.

The elevator doors opened, and Lucy led Danny over the polished hardwood floor and past gilded Rococo columns to the front desk, where a young woman with tightly braided blonde hair greeted them with a bright smile.

"Good morning, and welcome to the Sapphire. Checking in for the convention?" she asked Lucy after glancing at their luggage.

Lucy nodded and handed over her driver's license and credit card. "Lucy Culpepper, although the reservation should be for two."

After a quick check of her computer, the receptionist nodded and handed her back her cards, along with two key cards for the room. "Ah, here you are. These are your keys to the room. Sign here, and please enjoy your stay. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call the concierge."

Lucy signed and took the cards, handing one to Danny before putting her own in the front pocket of her satchel. They were on the second floor judging by the room number, and Lucy quickly walked up the nearest set of stairs, eager to get out of the lobby. Leather-clad men and women were already queuing up to get their welcome bags and badges, and Lucy didn't want to get drawn into the maelstrom this early in the day.

Their room was easy to find. It held two double beds, a table and chairs, and the banal art that seemed to be a requirement of hotels everywhere. A lavish bathroom sat just off the entrance, and there was a mini fridge with a sign above it announcing that the beverages inside were complimentary. Lucy bent and pulled a bottle of water out for each of them. Another cup of chai would have gone down better, but if they couldn't have Lucy's tea, then at least they could settle for being well-hydrated.

"There should be a lock box in the closet and another under your bed, if you wish to utilize them," Lucy said as she pulled the steel box out from under her own bed, stowing her purse in it before swiping the key.

Danny looked surprised. "Isn't that a bit overkill? Three boxes, I mean?"

Lucy nodded, supposing that it was. "This hotel has a reputation for its discretion concerning clientele. I presume they anticipate the needs of their patrons and plan accordingly. Natasha and Lillian should be here any moment, so please, put away the things you won't be needing while we're out of the room. My assistant from Camellia is setting up the booth in the main convention area already, and I expect go we'll straight there as soon as Natasha deems us both presentable."

Danny locked her own purse away, then shrugged her jacket onto the bed and kicked off her heels. After that she started digging into her duffel— probably looking to take things out and hang them up, as it was impossible to keep a proper crease with a soft-sided bag. Lucy opened her own luggage and removed the few items of clothing she knew Natasha wouldn't be providing for the weekend, mostly underwear and her favorite dressing gown, and put them away. She set her toiletries out across only half of the sink so that Danny would feel that she had plenty of room for her own things if she opted to stay the night. Lucy pumped a little of her shea butter moisturizer onto her hands and rubbed it in, frowning at the dryness of her skin. How in this weather she could dehydrate in only a few hours constantly surprised her.

There was a knock on the door, and Lucy went to answer it while Danny continued to rummage through her duffel. A quick check through the peephole showed just who Lucy expected it to be, and she opened the door, allowing Natasha and Lillian in.

"Danny, we have company," she told her unnecessarily as Danny straightened up and looked at their guests. Lucy tried to see them from Danny's perspective, instead of as the people she'd known for years. They were both beautiful, but in entirely different ways. Lillian was as close to the perfect slave in temperament as Lucy had ever met. She rarely spoke but was always there, willing to lend herself to her mistress' use without having to be asked. That kind of attitude was beautiful in its simplicity. Her hair was shorter than the last time Lucy had seen them, and the inky black stopped just above the thick gold choker around her neck. Her almond-shaped eyes glanced Lucy's way when the door opened, as close to a greeting as Lillian ever offered anyone without direction from her master.

Natasha was all fire to Lillian's apparent calm. Her nostrils flared with exertion already as she balanced half a dozen boxes of shoes, craning her head around the pile, her dangling ruby and gold earrings dancing. "Want to give me a hand with these, honey?"

"Of course," Lucy said, grabbing a few off the top and setting them on her bed. "It's lovely to see you both again."

"You too, Lucy-Lou. You should come over more often," Natasha replied, her Southern accent seeping through her words as she walked in and set the rest of her load down on the bed.

They embraced and kissed each other on the cheek, and when Lucy stepped back, Natasha looked over at Danny. "This is the girl you picked?" she asked.

The choice of a model for the job had been at Lucy's discretion, so there was hardly cause for the flutter in her stomach as Natasha gave Danny a thorough once-over with her eyes. Still, when Natasha turned back to her and gave Lucy a grin, she felt relief uncoil the tightness in her belly.

"She's beautiful," Natasha said approvingly before going to the chair by the window and laying her pea coat over the back of it.

Lillian followed behind Natasha, pulling a small rolling suitcase along with her. Natasha nodded toward Lucy's bed, still mostly neat—unlike Danny's, which had her things spilling over it—and Lillian opened the case and began pulling clothes out of it and laying them on the comforter.

Lucy turned her attention to Natasha, surprised at the lack of embellishment in her outfit of choice for the day. She wore a corset, as was her norm, and though Lillian wore a long jacket over her black slacks, Lucy knew that more likely than not she would be wearing one as well. But, like all things about Natasha, Lucy knew that it was the details that mattered most when it came to her creations, and so she crossed the room and touched Natasha's shoulders, holding her still as Lucy got a closer look.

What she had thought to be a black corset with swirling gold accents was actually a deep red; in the unnatural light of the hotel room, it was hard to discern as much. But once she caught that detail, the entire ensemble became entirely different to her. The red went perfectly with Natasha's skin, the color of fine chocolate, and the gold brought out the amber flecks in her brown eyes.

"This is exquisite," Lucy said, stepping back to give her some space.

Natasha smiled at her. "If you like this, I think you'll love what I've got in mind for both of you. Bring your girl over to see the lovelies I've come with."

Lucy wasn't surprised at the way Danny's face became pinched. Before Danny could say anything to embarrass either of them, Lucy put a gentle hand on Natasha's forearm. "Danny is outside of our circle, so please address her by her name."

Natasha froze for a moment, then sighed heavily. "Oh, good lord. Foot, meet mouth. I apologize, Danny. I hardly have a social life outside of the scene. I shouldn't have assumed you were into it. Won't you come closer, honey? I won't bite and Lillian won't unless I tell her to."

Lucy held her hand out for to draw Danny close, and though she looked a bit uncertain, after a moment Danny took it. Lucy gave her a soft smile as Danny's palm warmed hers.

"Thanks, it just startled me a bit. This is still all really new." Danny seemed to fumble for a moment. "But I'll do my best. I've been practicing the tea ceremony a lot this week. It'll go smoothly. Promise."

Lucy wasn't sure who Danny was trying to convince more, herself or Natasha, but she appreciated the effort at reassurance anyway. "Of course it will," Lucy said.

"Glad to hear it," Natasha declared, wrapping an arm around Lillian's waist as she moved out of the way. "Lucy, your things are to the head of the bed. Danny, yours are at the foot. I wasn't sure of your measurements, so I brought things that could suit a range of different sizes. Don't wear anything that makes you uncomfortable, go with something you like. I've gotta say, anything of mine that you pick will look good on you." She grinned and reached out to touch Danny's cheek, a common sign of affection from Natasha. Lucy felt Danny tense a little and squeezed Danny's hand reassuringly.

"With that skin, those tattoos … and honey, your features are marvelous. I could sharpen my steak knives on those cheekbones. I brought a lot of blue, and I'm glad; I think it'll suit you. Blue, deep like the sea, with silver accents and curves to match your own, subtle and bold all at once. Oh hell yes, honey, you're gonna look so fine." She dropped her hand. "I won't be able to send you home empty-handed, I can tell already. Lucy, don't let me get carried away. And as for you …"

Natasha moved to the top of the bed. With a flourish, she picked out a long black skirt, gathered in the front and long in back, and handed it over to Lucy, who rolled the luxurious fabric over her fingertips. "What is this? Silk?" Lucy asked.

Natasha smiled at her. "A blend that I've been working with. It flows wonderfully, doesn't it?" Lucy didn't even have time to agree before Natasha handed her a purple corset made of crushed velvet and lace. Of course it was purple. Though Lucy preferred to dress in earth tones, simple and soothing and reminiscent of her shop, from the moment Natasha had laid eyes on the Aston Martin, she'd decided that Lucy had to match it, and was solely responsible for the influx of purples and reds into her wardrobe.

"Danny, please go into the bathroom with Lillian, she'll help you get dressed," Lucy said with a nod toward the open doorway and to the travertine-tiled room beyond.

Danny hesitated. "I think I can get dressed on my own."

"I'm sure you can," Lucy assured her. "However, some of Natasha's creations are quite intricate. Lillian should be there to help you, just in case. You'll be in good hands, and I'll be right out here waiting for you when you're done."

Danny looked unconvinced but followed Lillian into the bathroom anyway. Lillian's arms were heavily laden with outfits, and Lucy hoped that most of them fit so Danny could have the comfort of choice. Once the door closed behind them, Lucy began undoing her own clothes with Natasha's help. After having Natasha dress her before on numerous occasions when Lucy was first learning to wear corsets, there was nothing remotely sexual about the experience now. Still, she couldn't help an idle wish that it was Danny's nimble fingers helping to fit the corset over the black lace shirt Lucy was already wearing.

"She seems promising," Natasha whispered in her ear as she began to lace the ribbons going down Lucy's back, once she'd secured the corset's dozens of tiny clasps in front.

Lucy didn't deny it, but she didn't respond to the innuendo in Natasha's voice either. "I agree. I believe she'll do quite well as a model this weekend. I was fortunate that the agency sent her to me."

Natasha's wicked chuckle was a soft breeze against Lucy's neck as she pulled the laces of Lucy's corset even tighter. "That's hardly what I meant, and I think you know that."

"I'm not interested in any other possible meanings at the moment," Lucy told her as she adjusted the front of the corset to further cover her breasts. They were already pushed up and on display, despite the high-necked lace shirt covering them. Well, a layer of lace was better than nothing at all.

Apparently finished in the back, Natasha turned Lucy around and adjusted a few more things, even going so far as to undo a few of the tiny black buttons that ran from Lucy's throat to her sternum. Normally the amount of skin would have still been on the side of modesty, but with the corset working to push her breasts up, it was as if the opening in her shirt created a giant skin-colored arrow that pointed straight to her cleavage.

Instead of commenting on it as Lucy had expected, Natasha moved on to accessories, placing an antique cameo around Lucy's neck along with a lustrous string of pearls.

"Now for the skirt," Natasha proclaimed, reaching around Lucy for it.

Lucy batted her hands away. "I believe I can manage that part on my own, thank you very much."

Natasha frowned. "Saucy Brit," she muttered, but moved on to straightening up the clothing remaining on the bed as Lucy slipped out of one skirt and pulled on the other. It was a style she was familiar with, somewhere between modern steampunk and historically accurate Victorian garb. That blend was the definition of Natasha's style, and part of what had first brought the two of them together.

"How goes the shop?" Lucy asked as she smoothed the corset down over the top of the skirt and checked herself in the mirror sitting on top of the dresser.

Natasha looked up from fiddling on the bed. "Sales are up, the landlord's pleased that our clients are much cleaner than the porn store's before us, and Lillian's beginning to come out of her shell in the late evenings when I work her behind the counter."

"Don't you mean that you have her work behind the counter?" Lucy replied, checking her eyes and lips to see if her makeup required retouching.

Natasha met her gaze in the mirror and smiled. "Not necessarily." Her wicked grin told Lucy more than enough.

Lillian didn't say anything as she helped Danny into the first outfit. Or the second. She looked over both of them critically, adjusted the fit across Danny's torso, and made a few adjustments to the trim before finally deciding on the second one.

Danny tried to take a deep breath and frowned. "It's a little tight," she commented.

Lillian looked at her with one eyebrow raised, as if to say, What, you can't handle a little squeeze? What kind of model are you? Danny kept her mouth shut after that. Honestly, the matte black leather corset was gorgeous, and the brass buckles gleamed in the soft lights of the vanity. The leather strips along the bottom really didn't do the job of a skirt, but the tan boy shorts covered more of Danny's ass than she was used to at her other modeling jobs.

Lillian pointed at the closed toilet seat, and Danny sat. She closed her eyes and let Lillian do her makeup, then pull her hair away from her face into a simple, elegant bun held in place with crystal-studded chopsticks. Finally she patted Danny's shoulder, and Danny stood up and looked in the mirror.

"Oh." Oh, man. She looked like sex on a fucking stick. Her face glowed, almost bronzy but not like a fake tan. Her eyes were dark and smoky, and her lips were a lustrous carmine red, not garish but suggestive. The corset made her waist look ridiculously tiny, and the lack of any extra adornment drew the eye back to her face. "Wow. That looks amazing." Danny turned to Lillian and grinned. "Nice job."

Lillian smiled and did a little curtsy of thanks, then motioned toward the door.

"Right." Danny opened the door. "So how many of those shoes are for m-uhh." Her sentence came to an abrupt halt as she got a good look at Lucy. If Danny felt sexy, then Lucy had to feel like a fucking goddess, because she looked absolutely unreal. "That's … beautiful."

"Thanks, honey," Natasha replied. "You wear my fashions just as well, though. God, look at your legs, I'm so glad you're showing them off. I knew you'd look perfect. One more thing to finish you off, though." She took a pair of blue topaz studs out of a leather roll-up kit that held a variety of decorations and handed them over. "Something borrowed, now something blue." She grinned. "It's almost like a wedding."

"I think my dad would have a heart attack if I got married looking like this," Danny said, putting the earrings in. Lucy hadn't said anything yet, and Danny glanced at her nervously. "Do you like it?"

Lucy smiled slowly, then walked around the bed to Danny. Only when she got close did Danny notice the crop she held in a loose grip in her right hand. She tapped it against her leg as she inspected Danny slowly, and Danny felt her face flush with heat. She resisted the urge to squirm, or worse, ask for more. "You're gorgeous," Lucy said at last. "Natasha, if your booth doesn't sell out completely and your next month isn't full of commissions, I'll be stunned."

"Me too," Natasha agreed. "And yes, we've got shoes for you." She indicated the pretty velveteen boots she'd pulled out of her mound of boxes. "I checked them against your heels, so they should be the right size, and they're a really comfortable fit. Although they're just for walking around in. You won't wear anything on your feet for the demonstration."

Danny looked at Lucy. "Really?"

Lucy shrugged. "Call me backwards, but I like the look of bare feet resting beneath your bottom when you kneel."

Oh god. Kneeling. For the tea ceremony, with Lucy walking around her, wielding that crop, adjusting her, disciplining her … Danny thought she might honestly faint from how fast the blood drained out of her head. "Is it time?" Danny asked. Her voice came out as a croak, and she coughed and tried again. "Is it time for the first ceremony?"

"Not for another hour or so," Natasha said. "We've got to get back down to our booth. Lucy let us borrow Dalton while we got you set up, but he can't cover for us forever. Our booth is very close to the stage, so it won't take long to get things ready for you." Natasha smiled. "You two should wander around, get the lay of the land. Just be sure you don't go out there naked." She tapped her wrist meaningfully, then took Lillian's hand. They left the room together, and Danny looked with confusion at Lucy.

"Naked?"

"A sign that lets others know your status here," Lucy reminded her.

Danny still didn't get it. "My status? Status as what? A woman? A lesbian?" The soft lines around Lucy's eyes crinkled, and Danny was pretty sure that wasn't the right answer either.

Lucy went to her satchel and from its myriad pockets pulled out two white ribbons. "Normally, if you were at a club, wearing white would mean something completely different. The handkerchief code, as it's sometimes referred to, is something gay men adopted years ago, and since then it's evolved into something much more varied and inclusive. There will be people at the convention running around with little cards that have the meanings of colors written down on them. In our case, those cards are completely unnecessary, as I have no interest in making any lasting sexual connections here, and for this weekend, your time is mine." She said it perfectly matter-of-factly as she tied one of the ribbons around her wrist, surprisingly deftly, considering she was only using one hand.

"Our color is white because it indicates that neither of us is interested in being approached for liaisons. Yours going around your neck is an indication that someone is looking after you while you're here, and you're not to be spoken to without permission," Lucy said, proffering the ribbon to Danny.

"You're saying it tells people that I'm submissive."

"Yes. But only to me," Lucy added, as though that should make Danny feel better.

Actually, it kind of did. Danny didn't think of herself as a submissive person. She'd never played that way before with anyone, and she had never been afraid to throw down with her brothers if she felt backed into a corner. Danny was strong and self-reliant and confident, and she didn't need to submit to feel good about herself. Hell, she might not want to do it at all if it weren't Lucy who was asking for it; Lucy who seemed to be reason enough for Danny to try something new. She could do this, with Lucy. For Lucy. Danny didn't take the ribbon, but she did bend her head forward a little. A moment later, Lucy's hands slipped around Danny's neck, and she tied the smooth white ribbon with a tiny bow at the back, just tight enough so that it didn't slip.

"Perfect. Let's head downstairs."

"Sure." Danny pulled on the velveteen boots which, as promised, were a great fit, then followed Lucy out the door.

Maybe there was still a part of Danny that rankled at the idea of belonging to another person, but as they entered the lobby and the stares of both men and women alike followed them, she was glad that Lucy had declared Danny to be hers in front of all these people. It made Danny feel far less intimidated by the beefy guy in leather that they passed. She even added a little confident sway to her hips, knowing that Lucy would probably appreciate it as much as everyone else.

Compared to some of the people here, Danny's outfit was downright tame, but she felt fantastic in it. She felt sexy and powerful, like she'd just taken a shot of whiskey, walked up to the hottest girl at the bar, and asked her for a dance. Only the hottest girl at this bar happened to be Lucy, and she'd likely eat Danny alive.

Oh, that wasn't a good thought, especially while Lucy was dressed like that and holding the crop in her hands. Danny licked her lips, thinking about the feel of that soft leather against her again.

"By the way, while we're working, I prefer to call you Danielle," Lucy said as she moved ahead and through the door to a room marked Ballroom A.

God, Lucy's ass looked like perfection in that skirt. "Uh-huh. Sure."

Danny looked up as they entered the ballroom, then immediately looked back down. Damn, she had to be blushing now. She should have kept her eyes on Lucy's ass. The people here were … well, Danny hadn't known what to expect, but there were a lot of people here, and they were all over the map when it came to dressing for the convention. There were people in latex, others in leather, some in street clothes, some wearing little more than underwear with tape over their nipples, and one woman walking around with words written all over her mostly naked body. Danny could see that they were phrases, but from her distance from the woman she couldn't read any of them.

"Does that woman interest you?" Lucy asked, her words a little clipped as she followed Danny's gaze.

Danny quickly shook her head. "Not really, just … I mean, what's going on with her?"

"If I had to guess, I would say that she's a toy."

Frowning, Danny shook her head. "This is like the slave thing, isn't it? How can a person be made into a toy?"

The crop twirled in Lucy's hand as she spoke and led them along past the people that were setting up their booths. "Toys are people who simply enjoy being used. Their lives are supremely uncomplicated, and though it's the lowest layer of the scene I'm acquainted with, in many ways it's the highest level of submission, because a toy accepts that none of their needs will likely be met. They exist solely for the use and pleasure of whoever they belong to at the time. No name, no feelings, no wants or desires of their own. A perfect sexual object."

Danny shuddered. There were so many ways in which that was not okay to her. "Have you ever been with someone like that?" The question was likely too personal, but Danny found herself unable to stop the words from coming out of her mouth. She was curious, not just because that was natural for her, but also because she wanted to know what Lucy liked, what she wanted. Lucy was one sexy-as-hell enigma, and Danny wanted to know far more about her.

Lucy slowly tilted her head to the side and stopped walking as she answered Danny's question. "No. As I've said previously, I prefer my sexual partners more autonomous than that. I find all submission beautiful and respect those that are able to bring forth such a state within themselves. But I could not enjoy having that person in my bed."

The relief Danny felt at hearing Lucy's words surprised her. "That's awesome."

Lucy raised her perfectly sculpted brows. "It is? How so?"

Well, shit. Now Danny had to figure out a good answer for this as well. "Um ... uh ... 'cause that's good? That you know what you like, I mean." All right, that was lame beyond all belief, but the answer seemed to placate Lucy. Or maybe she was just distracted, because a moment later she seemed to find something that made her smile, and then she raised her arm in a wave.

As they got closer, Danny picked Dalton out of the crowd. He was standing next to a large booth full of clothing similar to what she was wearing as well as a selection of leather-wrapped paddles and cuffs. A few feet to the side of the booth was a stage, about four feet high and covered in white canvas. At the front of the stage was a very familiar setup; a low table covered with everything they'd need for the tea ceremony. Dalton had been a busy boy.

"How long before the demonstration?" Danny asked, feeling a little nervous despite all her practice. She hadn't realized that she'd be performing in the face of so much that she didn't understand. What if she messed it up? What if people started laughing when she did? What if she made Lucy look bad? Just thinking about it made Danny shudder.

"About fifteen minutes," Lucy said after checking her watch. Her pocket watch, Jesus, why was a watch on a chain so goddamn sexy? "Plenty of time to prepare. Dalton's done the work of the setup, so we've plenty of time to consider our own tasks."

"Yeah, about that," Danny blurted. "I really wish you'd let me show you a practice run last night."

Lucy tilted her head slightly. The pearls around her neck glistened under the harsh fluorescent lights, elegant despite their milieu. Danny was convinced at this point that Lucy could make almost anything look elegant. "Why is that?"

"Because then you could have mentioned anything you didn't like about the way I did it before I have to go up on stage!"

"Ah. I see." Lucy took one of Danny's hands in her own and led her behind a rack of clothes. The ballroom was busy but not really crowded yet, and so they had a little bit of privacy. Lucy pulled Danny in close and spoke softly. "When we discussed this concern of yours yesterday, what did I tell you?"

"That … that part of your enjoyment came from seeing how much I'd improved. But I don't know that I have!" Danny protested. "I've been practicing, I've practiced every night, but I'm still not sure it's exactly how you're going to want it!"

"And that's fine, because the other, much larger part of my enjoyment in this is going to be from the pleasure of correcting you," Lucy explained. "You did ask for correction." She subtly trailed the end of the crop along the outside of Danny's knee. Danny shut her eyes at the first touch of leather against her skin. "Indeed, you specifically asked for this kind of correction, and I brought it for you, Danielle. I'm giving you what you want. All you have to do is continue as you have begun, and be ready to be guided by me. I may tell you to be still, I may instruct you to move, I may even tell you to bring me the tea from on your knees. Would you mind that?”

"No, not really. I just don't want to embarrass you," Danny whispered. She was shocked to find herself shaking, so worked up that she literally couldn't control the trembling in her own hands. "I don't know, I mean, what if they expect me to be perfect? Everyone here seems to know things that I don't, I'm afraid of …" Of disappointing you …

Lucy reached out and cupped Danny's face with her hands. "Danielle, no one expects you to be perfect. Indeed, if you were perfect, I think a lot of people would be unsatisfied. All they expect is for you to do what I ask. Trust me, I wouldn't let you be hurt by this," she said solemnly. "I will not let you be hurt by this."

It had the ring of a vow, too much, too elaborate, and yet, it was just the thing that Danny needed to hear. She nodded her head.

"Good girl. Now, take a deep breath." Lucy demonstrated and Danny complied. "Lovely. Again." They stood there and looked into each other's eyes and breathed, just breathed, until Danny's hands were steady and her respiration was slow and regular.

"Perfect. Now. Are you ready for the demonstration, Danielle?"

"Yes," she said.

Dalton, as usual, made sure everything was perfect. The performance would take place on a small stage, eight feet by eight feet, and just tall enough that Danny's shoulders would be at everyone else's head height when she kneeled. Which meant that Lucy would stand tall over the entire crowd, as was only right considering it was her demonstration, for all practical purposes. The glamor and glitz belonged to Natasha and Lillian, but the essence of it, the performance itself and the show of what she could do with her submissive, were the real draw here. The tea ceremony was a beautiful template to elaborate upon, and Lucy found herself looking forward to it with a sense of anticipation that she hadn't felt for what seemed like years.

Everything was laid out perfectly in the center front of the stage:  a small table covered with a green silk cloth, her familiar iron pot with its bamboo ladle resting on a sapphire blue napkin beside it, the shining black box of matcha, and the bamboo scoop. The delicate whisk rested next to the drinking bowl, which was the same soft jade green color as the tablecloth. It was all simple and refined, and Lucy could feel when Danny's gaze landed on it. Her whole body tensed for a long moment before she took a deep breath and let it all out, all the tension and stress. Perfect. Danny knew what to do, and more importantly, she trusted Lucy to look after her. She was taking Lucy at her word, and that imparted a heady sense of power and responsibility.

It took Lucy just a moment to sink into her headspace before the demonstration. People were gathering around the edges of the stage, their voices respectfully low as they wondered about what was going on, and Lucy sighed appreciatively. They'd all know soon enough, and if she did her job right there would be people in this crowd panting to take Danny's place at her feet by the end of it.

First things first. "Remove your shoes," she instructed Danny, "then climb onto the platform and kneel in front of the table, facing out toward the crowd. Don't look at them. Keep your mind and your eyes on your task, but don't begin until I tell you to. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"And Danielle?" Lucy waited for Danny's eyes to focus fully on her. "Now is when you answer my questions with 'yes, Mistress,'. Do you understand?"

Danny swallowed, and her pupils expanded right before Lucy's watchful gaze. "Yes, Mistress."

There it was, the beginning of the rush, the sweet surge that Lucy had forgotten how much she loved. "Very good. Go now."

Danny stepped gracefully out of her shoes, then walked up onto the stage and out to the little table. The murmurs quieted as the spectators watched her kneel in front of the table, her eyes downcast, entirely focused on the tea service in front of her. She was so lovely, her tattoos an exotic enhancement of her beauty, and Lucy smiled with satisfaction as she took Dalton's hand and let him assist her up the stairs. Her skirts were long, and it wouldn't do for her to trip, after all.

Lucy slowly walked the short length of the stage, coming to rest at Danny's right side, just close enough that the dusky purple and black damask of her full skirt brushed Danny's shoulder. Danny shivered slightly.

Lucy brandished her crop, raising it up suddenly, and the crowd seemed to inhale as one. She let it lilt, though, sinking gently from the sharp angle of her wrist to just brush against the generous curve of Danny's breasts as Lucy began to step in a slow, assessing circle around her. The black tip of the crop could have blended with the dark fabrics both of them wore, but instead the soft, buttery leather stood out against Danny's shining corset and golden skin.

Lucy trailed a thoughtful line across Danny's chest and over her left shoulder, examining her, carefully avoiding any entanglement in the tea table. Once she worked her way around to Danny's back, Lucy stopped, smoothed the tip of the crop in a line between Danny's shoulder blades, then struck her along the same line a moment later.

Danny hissed and started, straightening out of the round-shouldered position she'd been in before. She didn't turn around, thankfully, but Lucy read anxious question in every line of her body.

"Posture, Danielle," Lucy said firmly. "Pull your shoulders back."

Danny immediately pulled her shoulders back. Lovely. Lucy completed her circle and surveyed her submissive with satisfaction. Much better. She briskly tapped the outside of Danny's right calf. "Bring your feet in so that your toes touch."

Danny's feet came in, forming a beautiful angle beneath the sweet swell of her bottom. Lucy itched to feel that ass beneath the palm of her hand, warming to her stinging touch, but now wasn't the time to let herself be distracted. She brought the crop down swiftly across Danny's forearms, also brushing her corset-covered stomach with it in the process. Danny wouldn't really be able to feel the bite of the crop beneath the boning, but she certainly felt the impact. She was breathing fast but not too shallow, Lucy noted, and her lips glistened wetly from repeated touches of her tongue.

"Rest your palms on the tops of your thighs when your hands aren't in use, Danielle." Lucy watched her comply with gratifying alacrity. The crowd was absolutely silent, turning their pocket of the ballroom into a magnet for attention. Lucy stepped behind Danny again, pushed the tip of her crop beneath her chin. She tilted her head until Danny was craning her neck backward, her gaze immediately seeking and finding Lucy's. Lucy stroked her free hand down the side of Danny's face, briefly cupping her jaw in a mirror of her earlier calming gesture. Lucy tilted her further, and Danny arched beautifully, keeping her hands on her thighs despite her increasing lack of balance. Someone in the audience sighed.

"Now," Lucy said. "Prepare the tea."

She released Danny's face and moved the crop, and Danny swayed forward again, almost too far before she caught herself at the last moment. Danny blushed, but didn't get flustered, and reached for the lacquered box of tea. She uncapped it, then picked up the scoop and carefully measured out a perfect portion of powdered matcha, transporting it slowly to the drinking bowl so that none of the powder fell on the tablecloth. Lucy watched carefully as Danny repeated the process, then set the ladle down and replaced the top on the tea box. She reached for the napkin that matched the blue of her earrings next.

Ah, good, she remembered. Danny pulled the cloth free without first moving the ladle, though, and Lucy smacked her firmly across the bottom, making her jump slightly. She wasn't hitting her hard enough to hurt, not really, but the sound of the crop against the strips of leather that barely covered Danny's ass was rather noisy. "Be precise," Lucy admonished.

Danny stopped and took a deep breath so she could begin again, replacing the ladle so it was straight and using the cloth to lift away the iron lid of the pot. She set both aside, then reached for the ladle again. Her hand was beautifully steady and she didn't spill a drop, not while she was filling it or while she poured it into the bowl. Danny set down the ladle, replaced the pot's top, and picked up the whisk.

She started to stir. "With vigor," Lucy reminded her, tapping the end of the crop against the top of the table. Tap tap tap taptaptaptaptaptap … She set the beat and Danny followed it, struggling to maintain her speed while not spilling the tea. Fortunately she hadn't overfilled the bowl, and soon the matcha filled the air with its bright herbal fragrance.

"Very good." Lucy stopped tapping, and Danny lifted the whisk out, letting the excess tea drip off the spindly ends for a moment before setting it aside. Lucy moved to the edge of the stage furthest from the table.

"Now bring it to me," she told Danny. She waited for her to begin to get up before adding, "From your knees."

This was a crucial moment. They hadn't explicitly negotiated the sorts of things that Danny would do during a performance, and while making tea was one thing, abjectly crawling across the stage to present Lucy with a cup of tea was quite another. It was a very deliberate test of Danny's willingness to obey, and while Lucy had no doubt that she would, her attitude while doing so would inform the rest of their time together. Lucy stood straight and proper and waited to see what Danny would do.

Danny looked over at her, then down at the bowl. She picked the bowl up in her right hand, turned to face Lucy, and …

Oh, that was not a crawl. Crawling was an awkward method of ambulation, not this slinking, suggestive slide across the floor. Somehow Danny had turned an act of obedience into a declaration of pure sensuality, and the crowd was riveted by her. It was all Lucy could do not to glare at them all and shout, "Keep your distance!" Using a professional model was supposed to protect her from this sort of distraction. Instead she'd gotten Danielle Breaker, novice at BDSM but rapidly becoming an expert at trying Lucy's rigid self-control.

It took Danny approximately ten seconds to reach Lucy, which was at least five seconds too long in Lucy's opinion. She resituated herself into perfect position, presented the bowl with both hands, and cast her challenging gaze up at Lucy. Your move.

Indeed it was, and Lucy wasn't about to be outdone by her submissive in this scene, no matter how delightful Danny's actions were. Two could play at this game.

Lucy bent at the waist, balancing carefully on her rather high heels and leaning until her back was parallel to the stage, putting her cleavage on dramatic display. She placed her hands on top of Danny's, not bothering to set her crop aside, then tilted the bowl to her mouth. Danny let Lucy's hands do the guiding, seemingly unable to take her eyes off of the peach blossom pink of Lucy's lips, and Lucy finished the frothy bowl with satisfaction, careful not to let any of it spill.

She let go of Danny's hands and straightened up just enough to lay a tender kiss on Danny's forehead. "Very nice, Danielle," she congratulated her softly, then helped her up. "Dalton will tidy things up. Our work is done for now."

Lucy turned away from the stage and was surprised to see Natasha and Lillian there waiting for them even as the last of the people that had been watching their performance moved on to the next attraction. She had thought Natasha would want to hang back for a moment while Dalton prepared the booth for her again.

"That was stunning," Natasha exclaimed, coming up to her and placing a quick kiss on each of Lucy's cheeks before moving onto doing the same to Danny, who looked surprised by the gesture.

Lucy gave her a soft smile. "Thank you. I appreciate that, though the credit goes to Danielle. She has a natural grace about her that is most appealing."

Meeting Danny's gaze, Lucy was surprised to find her smirking. "My brothers would disagree with you in a heartbeat."

Somehow Lucy didn't doubt that. She'd barely spent any time with them, but they seemed far more ... rambunctious ... than Danny did. "But have they seen you perform the tea ceremony as you just did?" Lucy added a bit of lightness to her voice, softening the accent she knew she carried. Some had called it beautiful, others off-putting, but this time Lucy wanted Danny to know that she was attempting a bit of humor.

Danny's cheeks flushed and she looked away. "Um. No, they haven't."

Natasha made a cooing noise in her throat. "Oh, now that's a shame, honey. Maybe you should invite them to the convention so that they can watch you while you're dressed so beautifully. Or we could film it, if you prefer. Give you something to take home and show them later."

Lucy hadn't thought that Danny could become even pinker, but she had been wrong. "That's so not going to happen. Not in this lifetime, anyway."

People started to gather around the front of the booth, and though they hadn't started trying to get Natasha's attention yet, Lucy was sure that would happen soon enough. The recognition Natasha and Lillian got for their costumes was what had driven the demonstration in the first place, and it wouldn't do to keep them from making sales. Lucy put her fingers on the outside of Danny's elbow. "Natasha, Lillian, we'll see you later."

Natasha gave them both soft smiles. "Sure thing, ladies. Enjoy your time."

"You really think I did well?" Danny asked as they moved through the throng of people gathered to see the various vendors that had come to show their wares.

"I wouldn't have said it otherwise," Lucy replied. She lightened her hold on Danny's arm, not wanting to drag her along as she led her through the crowd. Some of the people who had watched the demonstration waved to her and Danny as they passed by. Lucy gave them quick nods, acknowledging their interest before continuing on their way.

When Danny turned to look at a display, Lucy went with her. "I saw these in a porno once," Danny said, lifting her finger and placing it on the glass in front of a ball gag.

"And what did you think of its use?" Lucy asked her, genuinely curious in Danny's opinion of the lifestyle, good or bad.

"Well, there was a guy in it, so ..." Danny made a face and Lucy chuckled, knowing what she meant.

"Imagine he hadn't been there. What did you think about the way it was used? Were you intrigued or repulsed?"

Danny gave her a little shrug and turned away from the display. She led the way and Lucy let her, wondering what she would take an interest in next. "It was kind of overdone, to me at least," Danny said after a minute.

Lucy tilted her head to the side as she looked across to Danny. "How so?"

"Well ... the woman was tied up—which, not my thing, but whatever—but there was no lead up or anything like that. Just a bunch of whipping and then random sex stuff and some more whipping, and she really didn't look like she enjoyed it," Danny said, her hissed whisper barely loud enough to hear in the crowded room.

Lucy could understand not liking something, especially something more hardcore, but she didn't like the edge of fear in Danny's voice and wanted to allay it. "While there are many people that take part in the lifestyle, with many different tastes and therefore no definite rules, porn is quite a bit different from your average scene. Porn is usually nothing but entertainment, and not the best place to derive ideas on what actually constitutes domination and submission," Lucy said, hoping to reassure her. Even if Danny never went near the idea of submission again after this conference, Lucy still felt responsible for making sure that her first experiences and impressions of the lifestyle were positive.

Danny gave her a small, almost hesitant smile. "I get that," she said, and Lucy nodded. "So, uh … how did you get started in all of this?" Danny waved her hand in front of her, indicating everything around them.

Lucy wanted to answer Danny's question, but didn't care to shout in order to be heard above the crowd. She steered her to a quieter corner of the ballroom where they could talk amongst themselves without prying eyes and eager ears catching their conversation. "When I was in secondary school, I had a maths teacher who, though she said nothing at that time, must have taken an interest in me, because when I later entered university I received a letter from her. It said that I was invited to a play group to be held later that month."

Danny raised her eyebrows. "Did you go? And wasn't that creepy of her? She was your teacher, after all, when you were really young. Bit skeevy, there."

Lucy couldn't help the smile that came to her lips as she saw Danny's concerned expression. "I didn't go. My curiosity was certainly piqued, but I was far too nervous to seriously consider it. I wrote back to her, thanking her, but letting her know my reservations. We stayed in touch during my four years, and after I got out, I …" Lucy shook her head. "I was at loose ends, with no idea of what to do with my life. I had hoped my years at university would answer that question for me, but I was as rootless as ever, and I thought, well, what could be the harm? I contacted her, and she welcomed me into her group.

"I had no experience with the lifestyle at that point, but she let me find my footing in a controlled, and most of all safe, environment. I was always a quick study, and learning what the women under my hands wanted and needed came naturally. I won't say that I was perfect at it, certainly not in the beginning, but the women I discovered my nature with were very patient. They taught me almost as much as my teacher did."

Lucy didn't miss the soft sigh that escaped Danny, or the way she shifted her weight. "So ..." Danny licked her lips.

There was a sudden disturbance behind Danny, and Lucy saw the galumphing approach of a masked Puppy nosing his way toward them through the crowd. She wasn't surprised to see him, as there were quite a few of them around today, but his lack of manners was a bit unnerving as he stopped behind Danny, who hadn't yet realized he was there.

A thick, studded collar hugged the Puppy's neck, a chain hanging down from the center of it. Lucy followed the silvery line to its other end and found it wrapped around another man's hand. Unlike the Pup, this one was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. Lucy met the trainer's gaze, glad his Pup wasn't off on his own, as she waited for the man to do the right thing and bring his Pup back under control.

"Danielle, there's someone behind you. Turn around, but don't be alarmed," Lucy said softly.

"Uh ..." Danny turned and quickly backed up as the Pup moved toward her, making sniffing noises and shaking his hips. A long black tail swayed back and forth behind him.

Lucy stepped between them, partially blocking Danny when it was clear the Trainer wasn't going to regain control of his Puppy. "While your pup is beautiful and I'm sure quite good, please refrain from letting him come up to people who aren't expecting it while you're here. Not everyone is a dog person, as I'm sure you're aware."

Lucy stared at the Pup as he backed up and dropped his head. He even added some whining noises as he came back to his Trainer's side. "A dog?" she hissed at Lucy, who held up a hand to forestall her questions.

The Trainer looked a bit embarrassed, his face going red as he looked between them. "Sorry. It's our first time out at something like this. I'm George." He offered Lucy his hand, which she took, giving him a quick shake before moving back. "And this is Bruno. He's a good boy, just energetic. He didn't mean to scare you. You can pet him if you want. He likes a bit of a chin rub." He gently scratched Bruno along the line of his jaw.

Lucy nodded. "Thank you, George. I'm Lucy, and this Danielle. I appreciate the apology. Danielle, do you wish to pet him, now that you know he's friendly?"

Danny stared at her, clearly unsure of what she was supposed to do.

"What kind is he?" Lucy asked as she moved forward. Danny went with her, staying close to her back. Lucy wasn't surprised at her hesitation; it wasn't every day that she was met with someone dressed in all leather and wearing a dog mask.

George gave them both big smiles, looking proud, but still a bit uncertain. "A Siberian Husky. He's three. A little crazy still sometimes, but he's getting better with obedience."

Lucy gave him a slight smile, just the barest lifting of the corners of her lips. "They're all crazy at that age." Danny stared at her as she offered Bruno her palm and he sniffed it, pressing his mask against her skin. More hip swaying, and his tail wagged. Lucy moved her hand to pet his face, and he leaned into it. "Danielle, if you wish to pet him, you can. He seems friendly enough."

Danny offered Bruno her hand as well. He sniffed it as he had done with Lucy, and she rubbed his chin, just as George had said he liked. She pulled her hand back when Lucy did, though. "Are you here with a group?" Lucy asked him.

George nodded eagerly and pulled a card out of his pocket. "Pups and Trainers. It's a local club just formed last year. We get together with other Trainers and let our Pups out to play with each other."

"I'm the owner of Camellia, a specialty tea shop downtown," Lucy said, handing him her own business card, which George took. "Danielle will be demonstrating a traditional Japanese tea ceremony later today after we have some lunch, and I hope you'll be able to stop by. Have someone from your group contact me if you're interested in having a little get-together at my shop. I have a back room that I host tea classes and parties in. I haven't hosted a Trainer party before, but the room has plenty of space for your Pups to play, and there's an entrance in the back for privacy if you'd care to utilize it."

Before they could go, George said, "Thank you for this. I'm sure my group would be interested. Also, I was hoping to talk to you a bit about your tea and ask you a few questions."

Lucy straightened up and put on her business face: calm and friendly. "Of course, George, what would you like to know?"

"I actually saw your first performance, and I wanted to know what kind of tea you used for it," George began.

Well, at least he'd started with an easy question. Lucy got this a lot—most Westerners weren't used to tea that didn't come in little prepackaged bags. "It was matcha, a traditional Japanese tea that comes in powdered form. It has a bit of an earthy taste, but it's gentle enough that it can be drunk with a variety of lighter meals. Mild fish, for instance, creates a beautiful pairing. As are shortbread cookies, if you're in the mood for something sweeter."

The Pup whined a bit and pulled on his leash, clearly anxious to get going and explore. Lucy ignored him. She wasn't his Trainer and so she was not responsible for him or his enjoyment of the convention.

"And where did you get the whip?" George continued.

This question also wasn't a surprise, and Lucy always took every opportunity to promote Natasha's shop that she could. The tools she stocked were the highest quality, and a beautiful submissive shouldn't be trained with an inferior instrument. "The owner of the booth to the left of the stage is a woman named Natasha, who will be eager to help you should you wish to acquire a crop for yourself. Her shop is where this one came from."

George looked relieved, possibly that it could be so easy to get a crop like hers, possibly because she didn't laugh at him for his lack of knowledge on the difference between a riding crop, such as the one in her hand, or a whip. Lucy knew better than to judge someone by what they didn't know. There were literally dozens of different types of floggers and whips and crops, and it had taken her a long time to settle on the crop as her favorite.

"And," here George licked his lips and swayed on his feet as his Pup pulled on his leash, "could you do a bit of something to correct my Pup's behavior with your crop there? He's got this terrible habit of jumping on people, as you saw. It's embarrassing having the least trained Pup of the group."

Oh, dear. There was a fine line between inexperience and stupidity, and George had just crossed it. Lucy's desire to give him the benefit of the doubt plummeted, but she kept her voice even instead of yelling at him like she was suddenly tempted to do. "I suggest you seek the counsel of a more experienced Trainer, as people in a position of dominance often must. You don't know me, and what you've asked for is inappropriate. Were I less scrupulous, I could do serious damage to your Pup, and I doubt you want that."

George was quick to shake his head as his face reddened.

Lucy gave him a slow nod as she considered her words carefully. "Good. Your submissive isn't someone to idly pass off to people you've just met, as much as being a dominant isn't something to play at when you're bored. Don't you agree?"

He mumbled out a quick apology and left quickly, unfortunately dragging his Pup along with him as George hadn't signaled to him that it was time to go. Lucy tightened her grip on the hand of her crop and resisted the impulse to go after George and continue the lecture.

"What was that all about?" Danny whispered.

Lucy took a calming breath, squared her shoulders, and looked over at her. Danny was so beautiful, and so incredibly naive about all of this. If someone like that idiot ever got the chance to damage her with their carelessness...

No. Lucy wouldn't let herself dwell on the bad things that could happen to subs that ended up with unworthy dommes. It would only dredge up bad memories, and she didn't need that right now, not with Danny here.

"Some people don't have the compassion or presence of mind to be dominant over another person," Lucy said as she forced herself to relax her grip on the crop and began to steer them out of the ballroom. "Would you care for a bit of lunch?"

"Love it," Danny said immediately, and Lucy was already in the elevator and halfway back to the room before she realized that Danny's quick agreement didn't just come from her sense of hunger. She'd just taken care of Lucy in her own way by agreeing to something that got them away from the crowd and an uncomfortable situation seemingly out of pure instinct. Lucy's personal assessment of Danny climbed another notch, which was a little unnerving, considering how much she enjoyed her company already.

Lucy shook her head minutely and led them back into their room. She needed to keep her head in all of this. Lucy resolved to maintain her distance, to keep her own emotions in reserve as best she could. It was business first, pleasure later, and they still had another ceremony to get through today.

It was a resolution that made her heart ache, but better an ache than a break.

Lunch wasn't what Danny had expected.

First off, it was tiny. Danny took the lid off the tray that the busboy had brought up, then lifted her eyebrows as she glanced over. Lucy sat in the chair beside the bed with her legs crossed, leaning one elbow against the table as she picked at her own plate. "Fruit and cheese? Really?"

"What would you have preferred?" Lucy asked as she plucked up a grape. Her lips closed over the ripe bite of fruit, distracting Danny from the thread of their conversation.

"Oh, I don't know, a cheeseburger?" It was the first thing that came to mind, and while Danny didn't eat them often, they were a guilty pleasure for her.

"Do you think you could eat something heavy like that and then feel confident in your ability to perform this afternoon?" Lucy asked. It was the sort of question Danny hated, semi-rhetorical with an almost zero percent chance of saying the right thing, but she knew that Lucy wasn't asking to be cruel.

"Maybe," Danny answered, just to be difficult. Lucy looked directly at her, quiet but firm, and Danny sighed. "Okay, maybe not. But I had nothing for breakfast, and I'm so hungry right now."

"A heavy meal would just leave you feeling bloated and lethargic," Lucy said. "You'd want to sleep it off, which under normal circumstances isn't a problem, but given your schedule for the day, it would be. This sort of food is light enough that you should be able to enjoy it without the corresponding languor."

"I guess." Danny picked up a piece of melon off her plate and ate it. It was cool and fresh—very tasty, actually, just not what she was used to. "I bet you eat this sort of thing all the time. I'm more of a meat and potatoes kind of girl myself." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Danny could have smacked herself. Did she really need to highlight the differences between them any further?

Lucy actually laughed, though, and the strict and straight line of her back relaxed as much as it could with her still encased in the corset. "My dear, I'm British. Every cliché you've heard about our traditional cuisine has more than a kernel of truth to it, and I grew up eating pies and puddings without a qualm. I delight in the occasional decadent meal, but given my chosen profession I've needed to expand my palette over the years."

"For the teas."

"For the teas," Lucy agreed. "Each one has a unique flavor that can be complimented in different ways, and in order to understand how to properly enhance my products, I needed to learn a great deal about cooking. The year I spent dating a chef was personally productive."

Danny's first impulse was irritation. Chef? What chef? But it wasn't her place to be irritated, she reminded herself. She didn't have any claim on Lucy other than their current association, no matter how much she liked it. Danny opted to shelve the jealousy and take a chance to learn more about Lucy. "You dated a chef, huh?"

"Yes. She was a sous chef at the time, actually, and now runs her own wonderful restaurant in Tangiers." Lucy smiled.

"Is that a casino?"

"Possibly, but I was referring to the city in Morocco."

Holy Jesus fuck. Lucy had exes who ran exquisite fucking restaurants in fucking Morocco. Because she wasn't untouchable enough already. Danny stuffed a grape into her mouth angrily.

"Of course, Malika was never a long term option for me," Lucy continued. "We were wonderful companions, but rather unfulfilled lovers. She was never completely happy in her submission to me, and I could never let go enough to submit to her, so in a sense, it was rather doomed from the start. We're much better friends than anything else."

Suddenly, the grape tasted a lot better. Danny swallowed and asked, "Is that something you have to have, then? In a relationship, I mean. Um, that it has to include this kind of thing."

"Dominance and submission?" Lucy clarified. Danny nodded. "Yes. I've tried to be satisfied with one or the other in the past, but it inevitably isn't sufficient. Meeting for scenes is fine in the short term, but it loses its satisfaction over time. And being lovers without having the ability to truly be myself, well. I refer you to the situation with Malika." Lucy sat back in her chair and looked at Danny. "Has your experience been different, then?"

"Oh, I've never had a relationship," Danny said. And wow, didn't that sound pathetic? "I mean, not since high school, but that was with a guy." Doomed to failure.

"You haven't dated another woman since you came out?"

"No. I go to clubs, meet a girl, and go home with her. It's kind of hard to bring people back to my place, since I live with my dad and brothers." Danny felt her face heat, but she refused to look away. She wasn't ashamed of how she lived.

"Surely your family knows your orientation, though."

"Yeah." Danny hadn't been ashamed of that either, although it hadn't been easy to tell them. Zach's support had gotten her through the uncomfortable period with her family, and she was grateful for him.

"Well." Lucy smiled a little. "That's something, then."

"How about you?" Danny asked her, taking a bite of some funky-smelling cheese and nearly gagging on it. She set that one aside and washed her mouth out with a long gulp of water before going back for a bite of something that looked much safer, like cheddar. Orange was usually cheddar, right?

Lucy looked up from the strawberry she'd been slicing small sections off of before popping them into her mouth. "To what are you referring?"

Danny gave her a little shrug and grabbed another grape from the bowl of mixed fruit on her plate. "How'd your family take you coming out?"

Something dark moved across Lucy's fine features, and Danny almost regretted asking. But she answered the question anyway. "My parents had a great deal of trouble with my orientation. I was in boarding school when the dean sent home a letter telling them that I was unnaturally attached to a female classmate. They were asked to come to the school for a conference and took a train through the countryside to confront me, only to find us lying in my bed in the dorm. That precipitated a rift that's continued to this day. We converse, occasionally, but I haven't been home in close to a decade."

Danny stopped eating and stared at Lucy, a piece of fruit hanging a few inches from her mouth. "Holy shit."

"Quite," Lucy agreed.

The food in front of them slowly disappeared as they ate in silence. Though Danny was hungry, after Lucy's revelation she didn't have all that much interest in eating. She couldn't believe someone could do that to their own child. Of course she'd heard horror stories, but Lucy was the first person she'd known that had experienced a really negative reaction to them coming out from their parents.

"You need to eat," Lucy chided her when Danny hadn't touched the food on her plate for a good two minutes straight.

Danny lifted her shoulder in a little shrug. "Not that hungry. Do you hate your parents? For what they did, I mean."

Lucy appeared a bit surprised at the question. "No. Why do you ask?"

"I think I would. I can't imagine being able to forgive them for doing that," Danny replied, her anger seeping into her voice.

Lucy slid her empty plate away and rose from the table to take another water bottle from the mini fridge. "At first I was hurt, of course. I couldn't get over their lack of acceptance and they couldn't bring themselves to change their minds, but after a few years I lost the energy to maintain my indignation. Anger is a festering wound, and my anger hurt me far more than it affected them. After realizing that, I did the only thing I could and forgave them for their ignorance, and wished them peace. I did it for myself, not because they deserved to hear the words from me, but because I needed to let it go. And Danny?"

"Yes?" Danny replied, wondering how this beautiful, incredibly strong woman managed to achieve something like that.

"Finish the food on your plate."

Lucy's words had the air of a command. "Or?" Danny countered, both dreading and anxiously excited for the answer.

Lucy gave her a cool smile, and Danny straightened up, wondering what the expression meant for her. "Let's make a deal, if you're interested."

Ooh, that sounded promising. She didn't know what Lucy had in mind, but really wanted to find out. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"

"I want you to finish eating your lunch. You'll need your strength as the afternoon progresses. Fatigue is common for performers at these conventions, and I want you to be well-prepared. The deal is this:  for every bite you take, I'll reward you with my crop across your bum. You may feed yourself or be fed, but either way you have to finish the food on your plate. I do hope that you agree to my terms, Danielle," Lucy said, giving her a little wink and the slightest curve of her lips.

Heat flared in Danny's cheeks, and she swallowed thickly as she stared at Lucy. She wouldn't really … would she? Use her crop on Danny in exchange for eating lunch? Only she probably wouldn't have said it if she didn't mean it, and the thought of those elegant fingers brushing Danny's lips as she fed her ...

Finally, with her heart racing and her hands balled into nervous fists at her side, Danny said, "Yes. And no."

Lucy arched an eyebrow. "Be more precise, Danielle."

Danny squared her shoulders and tried to quiet the tremble that ran through her as Lucy's attention speared her to her seat. "Yes, I want that, but I don't want to finish eating by myself."

Lucy hummed knowingly. "Then you wish for me to feed you?"

Holy fuck, what had she just gotten herself into? Danny resisted the sudden urge to shovel as much food in her mouth as possible as Lucy stepped up to her and pressed the tip of her crop under her chin. She forced Danny's head up so that she had to look into Lucy's steady gaze. Danny was embarrassed of her own desires and regretted asking the question, but she wasn't about to go back on it now.

"Yes," Danny whispered, her heart racing as warmth flared to life inside of her.

The crop was taken out from under her chin, and Lucy nodded swiftly. "On your knees, then. Feet together, hands behind your back. Now." There was no change in Lucy's voice, which surprised Danny. She'd expected ... something more commanding, maybe. Something more like when they performed the tea ceremony earlier. Lucy had been louder then, firmer… but maybe that was just for the sake of the crowd. She didn't have to intimidate Danny into doing what she wanted, not like this.

Danny went to the floor next to the table, trying not to let her nerves get the better of her. It felt strange to be like this, especially without the tea to act as a buffer between them, but Danny wasn't going to back out. She was curious, and this might be the only time she got to be curious with someone like Lucy, someone Danny trusted to know what she was doing.

"What is your favorite fruit?" Lucy asked as she stepped up to Danny, the tips of her boots coming to rest against Danny's bare knees.

Danny frowned but answered the question. "Apples. I guess. I'm not all that big on fruit, so ..." She finished with a little shrug.

Lucy put a gentle but steady hand on the top of Danny's head. "If at any time you no longer feel safe, say 'apple' and this will be over with no recriminations. Do not use that word if you simply feel uncomfortable or bored. Doing so will end this completely, and I won't do it again with you. Trust me to treat you correctly, and you'll enjoy this, I promise."

She glanced at Danny's abandoned plate. "You will receive five touches with the tip of my crop, one for each piece of food you left behind. Does this sound acceptable to you?"

Danny was surprised to be asked the question since she hadn't thought Lucy would be open to negotiating with her, but she slowly nodded anyway. "Why ask my opinion of it? I thought the whole point was for you to do what you wanted with me."

The hand in Danny's hair moved down until Lucy cupped her chin with strong fingers. "I'm asking because you've never done this before, and I want to make sure you understand it. I know you're curious, I know that you want to try it, but you need to know that this goes two ways. I'm not a dictator and you're not a victim. Nothing in this scene is meant to make you feel abused, and if you do feel that way, then you need to use your word. Now, do you understand?"

Danny nodded, though the motion was hindered by Lucy's hand under her chin.

"And what word is that?" Lucy continued.

"Apple," Danny replied automatically as she stared up into Lucy's steady gaze.

Lucy gave her a small smile. "That is correct. Now, to begin. When I offer you food, I expect you to eat it. You're also expected to count the strokes out. Stay as you are until I release you." She positioned the crop above Danny's shoulder, and she winced, expected the sting, but instead Lucy trailed the soft leather flap between her shoulders and over her joined hands behind her back until it rested on the curve of her ass. It stayed there as Lucy reached over to Danny's plate, then came back with a piece of melon between two of her perfectly manicured fingers.

Danny took the fruit carefully, chewing slowly as she waited for her promised reward. After a few moments of waiting, Danny began to wonder whether Lucy would actually go through with it, or if her words were all just a bluff.

Danny's skepticism vanished as Lucy lifted the crop and the first stinging bite came down on her left cheek. Lucy's expression didn't change from one moment to the next, but Danny gasped and rocked forward from surprise.

"One," she whispered, shock coursing through her. That strike was harder than it had been back at the shop, or even during the first ceremony. It hurt, but it felt so good, too, nothing like the occasional spankings Danny received as a child. She took the grape she was offered next without thinking.

"Two." The second stroke came across her other cheek, warming it instantly. Danny closed her eyes as a deep blush covered her face. She could feel something growing in her belly, a pleasurable anticipation that she couldn't control. She flicked her tongue out to lick her lips.

Lucy pressed a piece of cheese to her lips and Danny took it, eating slowly as warmth spread over the cheeks of her ass and up her spine.

The next time the crop came down it was in nearly the same spot as the first, and Danny muttered a barely audible, "Three." But this time Lucy didn't remove the crop. At least, not right away. Instead she let it linger, the softness of the leather soothing the hurt it had caused. Warmth swirled through her chest, and this time Danny knew that it was pleasure that caused her to gasp out as Lucy lifted the crop and brought down on the other cheek of her ass once Danny finished a strawberry. She squirmed, a little embarrassed but not surprised by the wetness she felt growing between her legs. "Four."

Danny knew that there was only one stroke left, and she was alarmed to realize that she wasn't ready for this to come to an end. It wasn't a game anymore, not to Danny, and clearly it was never a simple game to Lucy. Though her face didn't change in any obvious way, Danny could see the little lines around Lucy's mouth soften a bit as she looked at Danny on her knees. Each strike of the crop brought a soft, almost delicate, smile to Lucy's lips, and Danny felt good knowing she'd helped put it there.

When the crop came down on her ass for the final time, Danny said, "Five," and smiled back at Lucy as she rubbed her thumb over Danny's cheek.

Lucy put the crop aside and said, "You may stand."

Danny slowly got to her feet, surprised to find that her legs were unsteady. Lucy took her into her arms, hugging her tightly. "You did very well, Danielle," Lucy whispered warmly in her ear. "Better than I expected a novice to do. You were lovely."

Danny rested her head against Lucy's collarbone, shutting her eyes as she fought the urge to shiver. "Okay," she said, unsure of what else she was supposed to say now, how she could possibly express how turned on she was by what they'd done. Her arms hung loosely at her sides—was she allowed to touch back? She didn't know, and she didn't have a chance to ask before Lucy pulled back a bit, running her hands up and down Danny's arms.

"Do you need a moment to collect yourself?" Lucy asked her in soft, soothing tones.

Danny wasn't really sure. Did she?

"Take a moment anyway," Lucy said after the silence stretched. "I'm going to freshen up." She turned and walked into the bathroom, closing the door with a little click that sounded oddly final.

Danny fell back onto the bed, almost pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes before she remembered her makeup. Fuck. Fuck, that was hot. There was something about being on her knees and obeying that was so satisfying, even beyond being the focus of a beautiful woman, beyond the stinging pleasure of the crop on her skin. Danny knew she wouldn't feel this way with everyone, but with Lucy she could acknowledge how the attention made her feel. It was powerful, and sexy, and …

And she wanted more of it.

Lucy had seemed … reserved. Not as if she hadn't liked it, more that she wasn't really willing to express her preferences beyond "Fine, let's try this." Danny, maybe selfishly, wanted Lucy to really want this. She wanted her to want Danny, not just some random person's submission. She wanted Lucy to look at her the way she had during the ceremony, to speak to her like she wanted nothing more than to make Danny as perfect for her as possible.

Danny had to figure out how to get Lucy's attention and keep it. The tea ceremonies couldn't be the only times. She had to control the situation, control Lucy's attention, all of her focus. Then maybe Lucy would see how much Danny really, genuinely wanted this. At least for now.

Lucy exited the bathroom, and Danny sat up quickly. She let herself lean back a little, not enough to look coy, just enough to lengthen her torso and put her breasts on display. Careful, she'd have to be careful, not too obvious.

"Either Lillian or Natasha should be up shortly with our next round of costumes," Lucy said as she came over to stand next to the bed. "Or yours, I should say. Our next performance is in half an hour, so—" There was a knock on the door, and Lucy smiled. "Ah. Come in!"

It was Lillian, carrying an outfit of turquoise and amethyst in her arms. She gestured at Danny, then at the bathroom.

"Oh, I don't think I need to change in there—" Danny began, but Lillian immediately blushed and looked at the ground.

"Lillian prefers the privacy," Lucy said gently. "Go on, I'll be right here waiting for you." Then she moved over to her purse and pulled out her … phone! Shit, Lucy was so bored she was going to play around with her phone while Danny got naked in front of the wrong person?

"Really, I—"

"Danielle." There was no mistaking the steel in Lucy's tone. "Go and get changed."

Danny's mind spun, but she couldn't think of a way to turn this situation to her advantage, not without acting like a bitch. She headed into the bathroom, Lillian following behind her, and shut the door with a huff.

Lillian looked at her and arched one eyebrow.

"What?"

She arched the other one, then nodded her head back toward the door as if to say, Really?

"I'm still working all this out," Danny muttered, trying to undo the clasps on her corset without much luck. Lillian pushed her hands away and took over. In less than fifteen minutes, Danny went from a leather and bone corset to an Asian-inspired silk dress, tied high on her waist like a kimono but with only one sleeve. Her left shoulder and arm were completely bare. The skirt was short in front but cascaded in flowery crenellations down the backs of her legs to the floor. She had new shoes: low, delicate sandals that tied up to her knees, and a few swipes with a cloth cleaned off the remnants of her red lipstick, which Lillian replaced with shining pink. Lillian pulled a few long locks of her hair down in the front, redid the bun in the back, and then nodded.

"Thanks," Danny said. She looked in the mirror—wow, sex on a stick was gone. This was something different, not the costume of a perfect geisha or a sultry goddess. Somewhere in between, and gorgeous to boot. "Really, thanks."

Lillian shrugged modestly, then opened the door and shooed Danny out of the bathroom. Lucy smiled when she saw her.

"Lovely. You look very fresh, very sweet."

"Like an apple?" Danny asked cheekily, wanting to turn Lucy's attention back to what they'd done before. Lucy didn't take the bait.

"Hmm, no. Perhaps a plum," Lucy said thoughtfully as she briefly tugged on one of Danny's loose locks of hair framing her face. "Come on. We don't want to be late."

Eyes followed them from the moment they left the elevator. Last time the looks had been heated, assessing, like people were picturing fucking Danny with every step she took. Danny could handle that kind of attention—she was used to it. This time there was some of that, but more people looked at her like she was a work of art, with distant appreciation that wasn't likely to make Lucy jealous.

Not that Danny was trying to make Lucy jealous or anything. Still, she kept the sway in her walk and held her head high, refusing to pretend to be demure. Danny didn't do demure.

They reached the booth before long, people parting for them almost unconsciously when Lucy led the way. The stage was prepared just the same as before, the only difference being the color of the tablecloth:  amethyst, to match Danny's dress. Danny eyed the setup speculatively, ignoring the swell of conversation by the growing crowd. She was going to own the ceremony this time around. She would show Lucy that she could be perfect, as perfect as she chose to be. If that meant getting fewer smacks, well, Danny wanted to show Lucy that she really could be good. Then maybe she could negotiate for a reward once they were done.

"Danielle." Danny started and glanced over at Lucy, who looked at her with a faint smile on her face. Natasha wore the same expression, oddly enough. Had they been talking? What had she missed? "Are you ready?"

"Yeah," Danny said confidently. She was so ready.

"Then let's begin."

Danny unlaced and stepped out of her sandals, then climbed up the steps. She walked to the table and knelt down in front of it, careful to keep her skirts tucked up close to her body so Lucy wouldn't have to step around them. She was ready to start. Ready and waiting.

And waiting. And waiting … where the hell was Lucy? What, had she been distracted somehow? Did Natasha have to speak with her? How long was she going to just leave Danny up here? Was there a time limit Danny needed to know about before she could turn around and find out what was going on? She resisted the urge to bite her lip and fidget and kept kneeling, but she couldn't help curling her toes tight against each other beneath the satin shield of her skirts.

A soft hand caressed the back of Danny's neck, and she sighed deeply with relief. In the crowd, someone laughed—he was silenced immediately, but Danny felt mortified. She could feel her blush threatening again. She felt like she had never been this red in her whole life, not even during the vacation her family took to the Jersey Shore when she was ten that left her sunburnt for weeks.

"Focus," Lucy said, her voice calm and carrying. "Prepare the tea, Danielle."

Finally. Danny reached for the box of matcha, but before she could reach it Lucy's crop snapped down on her right forearm. Danny jerked her hand back in surprise. What the …

"With your left hand, Danielle," Lucy said.

Danny wasn't left-handed. She was nowhere close to ambidextrous, either. She could tie a knot or stir a pot with her left, but her right hand was the one she was confident with.

Which … oh. Oh. This is what happens when you try to be clever, Danny berated herself. Of course, Lucy had seen right through her plan. She was sharp; sharp enough that Danny might get cut if she pushed too hard. Danny took a deep breath, then reached for the box of tea with her left hand.

It was harder to work the top free, but she managed it after a bit of fumbling. She picked up the bamboo scoop, dipped it into the box, and picked up the tea all right, but clipped the edge on her way up and spilled half of the powder.

No, no, no… No, this was going all wrong. It was like her first interview again, except Danny was supposed to be better than this now. She had promised to be better. Now she was fucking it up in front of all these people.

The crop landed firmly across her upper back, a bright flash of pain that pulled Danny out of her own mind. "Concentrate on the task at hand, Danielle, and try again," Lucy said, with no recrimination in her voice, just the expectation of obedience. Danny could do that. She could do what Lucy said. Try again, that was all she had to do. Just keep trying.

She managed to get the tea into the drinking bowl smoothly enough the next time, capped the box and set down the scoop next to the bright blue silk cloth she'd grabbed it off of. Danny used the cloth to uncover the iron pot without incident, then picked up the ladle. She dipped it into the hot water and lifted it out with no problem, but getting the water into the bowl was harder than it should have been. Danny tilted the ladle carefully, but when she poured too slowly, the water dripped down the side, and when she sped up she almost overshot the bowl. By the time she got it right, there was more than enough water for tea, so Danny pulled back and replaced the lid and the ladle. She reached for the whisk.

The tip of the crop slammed down on the table an inch away from Danny's hand. She froze. "How do I want this tea blended, Danielle?"

Danny's throat clicked uncomfortably. She sat, still and quiet, as the leather tab trailed up her bare arm—it felt so naked, more naked than when Danny had been wearing a damn corset. There was something vulnerable about leaving bits and pieces of herself undone when other parts were covered up. The leather brushed her shoulder, then the side of her neck before it tapped her gently beneath the chin. Danny looked up at Lucy, tall and stern and heartbreakingly lovely. "Answer me," Lucy said. "How have I told you I want my tea blended?"

Danny swallowed. "With … with vigor …" Lucy didn't move the crop, just waited. "Mistress," Danny added.

"Very good," Lucy purred. "And not another drop spilled, Danielle." She removed the crop and stepped back.

Not a … hah, right. Danny picked up the whisk in her left hand, holding back her grimace with pure willpower, before lowering it into the bowl and beginning to stir. Vigor, vigor. It felt so awkward, her wrist bending and moving in a way it wasn't used to, her right hand twitching uselessly on top of her thighs. Still, Danny managed to get the tea looking fairly frothy after thirty seconds of focused work. She kept going until Lucy called a stop, and even then, she didn't spill a drop. Fuck yeah! Danny lifted the whisk out of the tea and set it aside, but forgot to let the liquid drain before tilting it over the tablecloth. Three dark green drops stained the amethyst silk, and Lucy tsked loudly. "Look at that, Danielle," she said. "Three drops spilled. Hold out your left arm."

She was really going to … like this, in front of all these people? Oh, boy. Lucy had tapped Danny with the crop when she messed up in the first tea ceremony, but with the memory of their lunch experiment still stark and shining in her head, Danny felt especially sensitized to Lucy's touch now. Was this a punishment or a gift?

Danny extended her left arm straight out from her body over the table, palm down. Lucy nodded. "Very good. Count each stroke." She lifted the crop above her head, then brought it down hard on Danny's forearm, and Danny shut her eyes and shivered with the sting and swift, hot pleasure that followed it. Oh God, that felt so good. This had to be a reward. "One, Mistress," she managed.

The next landed just below the first. "Two, Mistress." The third was another inch down, well away from the delicate skin of her wrist. "Three, Mistress." Danny opened her eyes and looked at her arm. Three bright red lines marked her, vivid and perfect. She wanted to lick the skin, to taste the evidence of Lucy's crop.

"Hand me the tea, Danielle," Lucy said, and Danny was glad she wasn't making Danny crawl this time, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to cross the stage the way her legs were trembling. She picked up the tea with her left hand and lifted it up to Lucy, who moved in close enough to brush against Danny from shoulder to calf with her skirts. She tugged Danny closer with a lock of hair, until her head rested against Lucy's thigh, before taking the tea and drinking. Danny let her eyes close as Lucy played with her hair, still shaky and full of emotions she couldn't figure out.

She was ready for the kiss this time, and leaned into it gratefully as Lucy touched her lips to Danny's forehead, soft and sweet. "Very good, Danielle," she said, and Danny smiled up at her.

She'd gotten what she wanted after all.

Lucy heard the click-click of approaching high heels, not unusual in a convention like this, but she would have known those confident strides anywhere. She looked up to see Natasha approaching with Lillian in tow, and Natasha's features gave off a clear look of annoyance. Lucy assisted Danny to her feet as the onlookers slowly moved away from the stage. She knew that Natasha wouldn't say anything to her in front of them, but whatever she was waiting to unload on them looked to be serious.

"I thought Danny wasn't part of the scene! Where do you get off punishing her?" Natasha hissed as soon as the last of them were gone.

Well, this was an interesting intrusion. Partly, Lucy was warmed by her concern for Danny, which meant she liked her enough to get involved. Still, Lucy felt the need to correct Natasha's assumption. "I said that Danny was outside our circle, and she said that she was new to this, not that she wasn't interested. This was hardly a punishment, Natasha. Though Lillian is perfect in nearly every way, I'd still think you'd be able to recognize the reality of the situation. You know me. I would never punish someone under my control in such a public and humiliating way."

Natasha's anger seemed to dissipate more with each word that Lucy whispered in her ear. "It wasn't a punishment to strike her?"

Lucy gave her a tight smile and trailed her hand up Danny's bare arm as she walked away from Natasha. Her fingertips lingered on the smooth curve of Danny's neck and she held Danny there, enjoying the feel of her pulse under her fingertips as Danny leaned into her touch. The slight motion wouldn't have been noticeable to anyone else, but Lucy was warmed by the trust Danny obviously placed in her.

"Danielle, did you feel punished when I put my crop to your arm?" Lucy asked her, knowing the answer but wanting both Danny and Natasha to hear it as well. Lucy wasn't a strict domme, but she was a correct one. She'd never expected the kind of obedience in a sub that Natasha required from Lillian, and perhaps that was the difference between their definitions. Lucy expected that any reprimand would look like punishment to a mistress as tightly controlled as Natasha was.

Danny shrugged and Lucy lightly tapped the tip of her crop against Danny's upper thigh.

"Words are required to answer," Lucy told her as she held the soft leather against Danny's skin.

Danny cleared her throat and stood a little straighter. "No. I didn't feel anything like that."

Lucy glanced over her shoulder at Natasha and gave her a sharp nod, closing the discussion. Though Danny was naturally submissive, she wasn't formally Lucy's sub, and that drew a distinct line between what Lucy could and couldn't do with her. Lucy would reward Danny how she wanted, would bring her almost any pleasure she desired, but didn’t want to put a hand or any physical extension of herself on Danny as anything more than a simple correction.

"Well, all right, then. Are you two done for the day?" Natasha asked them.

Lucy answered for them both. "Yes. I have a massage booked. Enjoy your evening, ladies. We'll see you both tomorrow."

Pleasantries over, Lucy took Danny's hand in hers and led her from the stage. "Do you wish to see anything before we retire to the room?" she asked Danny without looking at her. She was far too busy trying not to trip over someone's whips that had spilled out of a plastic tub to be distracted by the face that had held her fascination all day.

Danny shook her head. "No, thanks. I think I saw most of it during lunch. You mentioned getting a massage?"

"I did. Would you like to join me in the spa here?" Lucy was glad Danny nodded. A massage would probably do them both some good. Adding a treatment for Danny was a simple matter of stopping by the front desk of the spa center, a set of rooms off the main lobby decorated with tall bamboo stalks to give those waiting to be seen a bit of privacy.

They were greeted quickly and taken back to separate rooms to change into lightweight green robes. "If you need assistance with your clothes, don't hesitate to ask," Lucy called to Danny before she was whisked away into the room across from her. Lucy saw Danny nod before the door closed between them.

Lucy had her own assistant, a young woman with small hands and sure fingers that worked carefully to get her out of the corset, shirt, and skirt until finally Lucy stood in front of her in just her underthings. "I believe I can handle it from here," she told the woman, who had yet to leave the room despite Lucy's state of near undress.

Blushing, the girl excused herself, and Lucy removed the thin shell she'd been wearing under her lace shirt, along with her pale silk stockings. Lucy was left in a simple lace bra and matching pair of panties. They were expensive, as she appreciated nice things, and Lucy stared down at herself and sighed. No one else had appreciated them since she first purchased the set four months ago, which seemed a terrible shame.

Lucy took her lingerie off and hung it on the back of the door next to Natasha's clothes, then wrapped the robe around herself before stepping into the hallway. Danny's own changing room lay abandoned, so Lucy followed the sounds of voices down the hall through an open door, where she was greeted with soft candlelight and the smell of sandalwood oil, along with a half-dozen more potted bamboo plants. There were two tables in the center of the room, and one was occupied with Danny, already stretched out face down on the sheets.

"Miss Culpepper?" the masseuse in front of an empty table asked as she entered.

Lucy nodded. "I am."

Danny rolled her head to the side to look at her, and though Lucy was aware that she now had an audience, she didn't mind so much that it was Danny whom she heard quickly draw in a breath as Lucy disrobed before climbing onto the massage table. The room was dimly lit, but Lucy was satisfied that Danny had gotten a good look at Lucy's assets, so to speak. It was only fair, considering that Danny had been on display for Lucy—and everyone else—all day.

"I didn't know you'd booked a couple's massage," Danny said once she found her voice again.

Lucy made sure she was facing Danny as the massage began, pleased with how convenient the setup was for conversation. "Given our shared experiences today, I didn't see it as being an issue. Do you disagree?"

"Not at all. I'm just glad to be getting a massage. This isn't something I do all that often. Or, well, ever, really."

"You should. It's exceptionally relaxing. After a long day, there are few things I find better than a good massage," Lucy said. Her own masseuse quickly earned Lucy's respect as she found a particularly troubling knot on her shoulder and worked into it as much as possible before moving on.

She heard Danny's low moans and smiled, glad that Danny was enjoying this treatment but wishing those sounds were brought on by something else entirely.

Their hour on the massage table passed far too quickly, and soon Lucy and Danny headed back to their hotel room, their clothes in bags hanging over their arms and Lucy's boots dangling from her fingers. They'd opted to keep the robes on instead of re-dressing, since Natasha's clothes were too nice to risk spoiling with oil. Even Lucy could only take a corset for so many hours a day.

"I'm going to rinse off and change into something," Danny said as they entered the room, looking incredibly relaxed if the sway in her step and the droop of her eyelids were anything to judge by.

"All right. Have you decided on whether you're staying here tonight or if you'd rather I drive you home?" Lucy asked her as she watched her go.

Danny's voice was muffled by the bathroom door and the sudden spray of water, but Lucy still heard her reply well enough. "I think I'll stay. It makes more sense, right? That way neither of us has to drive until tomorrow afternoon once the convention is over."

Lucy had her sudden smile under control by the time Danny shut off the shower and emerged from the bathroom in tiny shorts and a tank top that did nothing to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra. Her breasts were full and heavy, and Lucy tightened her hands into fists to remind herself that she wasn't free to touch.

"Bathroom's free if you want it," Danny said as she flopped down onto one of the beds. She spread out with a sigh and curled her fingers into the sheets. "Wow, that massage felt amazing." With sure, quick movements she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Lucy was curious to know what she was doing as her fingertips flew over the keyboard, but seconds later, her phone beeped and it was put away again. "Sent a text to my dad letting him know I was staying," Danny explained.

"We wouldn't want him to worry," Lucy said as she got to her feet and went to her suitcase. She'd brought something to sleep in, and it wouldn't do to be nude under a robe for the rest of the evening. She stole away into the bathroom, rinsed the oil off quickly, then slipped on a pair of silk pants and a fitted shirt. She considered putting on her dressing gown, but really, it was warm in the room, and Lucy liked the thought of Danny getting a closer look at her. She headed back into the room, sat in the chair next to Danny's bed, and pulled the room service menu over.

"I could eat. Would you like something?" Lucy asked Danny as she began flipping through the menu.

Danny made a face. "Is it going to be more cheese and fruit?"

"You may not have had the food you wanted for lunch, but did you find that you felt exhausted afterward?" Lucy asked her without looking away from the menu.

"No," Danny replied, sounding contrite.

Lucy nodded. That much of an admission was enough. "Order whatever you want for dinner. There seems to be plenty to choose from." Danny sat up and Lucy handed her the menu, then waited while Danny quickly made her selection—a bacon cheeseburger and double order of French fries, naturally. It sounded heavy and greasy, two things Lucy tried to avoid, but Danny looked delighted when, half an hour later, their food was delivered.

Lucy's entrée, a delicate blackened Mahi Mahi with mango salsa, was about half the size of Danny's, but they both finished at about the same time. Lucy couldn't deny that Danny certainly enjoyed her meal, if the sounds she made were anything to go by. Danny made a few soft moans and each put Lucy more on edge until, blessedly, Danny finished her dinner. They were left in a comfortable silence as they cleared away their plates.

"Why was Natasha so upset by the idea of you punishing me?" Danny asked Lucy once the area had been cleaned.

For a long moment, Lucy considered brushing the question off. It wasn't likely to be information that would be useful to Danny, but since it involved her, Lucy supposed that Danny deserved to know the answer. "Reward is usually a simple exercise. Correction is slightly more complicated. I can use my crop to alter your position without any lasting consequences. But for there to be punishment between a dominant and submissive pair, there must be mutual respect and understanding of boundaries and expectations. These are things that the two of us could not have possibly accomplished in the short time we've known each other, which Natasha knew, and so she thought I had crossed a line and punished someone with no knowledge of such a thing."

Danny's face tightened as she pulled her feet under her on the bed. "I do understand it, though."

Lucy quickly shook her head. "You understand the concept, I'm sure. But a dominant person wields physical and emotional power over a submissive. Punishments aren't something to be taken lightly or given out without just cause. When a parent spanks a child, they have to be careful not to do it without being fully in control of all their faculties, or things can get out of hand. In the same way, a dominant person must never let themselves be emotionally tied to a punishment. It would be far too easy to do damage to their submissive otherwise, and that is something that should never be acceptable."

"What about rewards?" Danny asked her. As Lucy watched, Danny touched her tongue to her lips. Her shoulders rounded and she leaned forward over her knees, causing her tank top to slip down and expose some of the raven tattoo on her chest. Lucy forced herself to look away from that enticing display.

"I reward you because I want to, because it's the right thing, and because you've done well. There are some things we, as competent human beings, are expected to do simply because we know that we should. We do our laundry, clean our dishes, and pay for our groceries. These aren't actions that require rewards. But accepting a touch, doing well at a tea ceremony, opening yourself up to learning a new skill—that kind of initiative and caring should always be rewarded. I prefer to do so with my crop, for those who get pleasure out of it. As long as the reward or punishment matches the action, there is always a balance."

It felt good to share her knowledge and ideas with someone as eager to learn and understand as Danny appeared to be, especially with regards to the crop. Pain didn't have to equal wrong, and though Lucy didn't enjoy the hardest forms of physical domination, she understood them and welcomed those that enjoyed them responsibly into her life with open arms.

"What about you? Do you enjoy giving the rewards?" Danny asked the question hesitantly, and was blushing pink before she had a chance to turn away.

Lucy considered how to best answer this question. She could take a fair guess at Danny's reasons for asking it, but people didn't always ask questions they were ready to hear the answers to. In the end, honesty and a desire to be open with Danny won out. "I do," she said, letting that declaration linger between them. She would not indulge Danny's interest any further without her asking for what she really wanted to.

Danny looked surprised. "So ... uh ... you get ... turned on when you use the crop?"

Lucy gave her a slight smile. Unlike Danny, she felt no need to look away when she answered the question. "I find pleasure in bringing it forth from others."

"With your crop?"

Lucy took a sip from the bottle of water in front of her, buying some time. Danny was fixating on Lucy's favorite thing, and it was hard to remember just how little they really knew about each other when Danny seemed so eager. But far more was required for a successful scene than simply an eager sub, and Lucy wouldn't be the person to damage Danny's delicate skin or heart. "With my crop, with my hand, or with other instruments that I keep in my bedroom at home."

Danny leaned forward a little, putting her cleavage back on display. Damn it. "And using them on someone gets you off?"

It was the same question as before, slightly altered. Clearly Danny was stuck on the idea, although whether it was because she wanted it or was curious as to why Lucy wanted it, Lucy wasn't sure yet. "It isn't as simple as that, though for some people it might be. I enjoy bringing pleasure out in the people I find attractive. Red marks on tender skin, watching a beautiful woman struggle against silk ties ... Can you imagine it?" That was a dangerous question, Lucy knew, and as soon as it left her lips she thought she might have been better off not uttering those words at all.

But then Danny nodded and softly sighed. "Yes."

A full smile blossomed across Lucy's face. "I believe you can." Dangerous questions became even more complicated actions as Lucy took a chance she rarely allowed herself to indulge in. "Do you wish to see?"

Danny stopped breathing for an instant as she met Lucy's gaze. "See? As in ...?"

Lucy hesitated, unsure whether she should really go through with it or not. Beautiful women were easy to find. Submissive on top of that narrowed the pool somewhat, but not dramatically. There were a dozen women in the hotel that Lucy could have without risking any part of herself to get them.

While that would interest Lucy for an evening, she knew that Danny was different. There was something about her, more than just beauty, willingness, and that particular ability to transform pain into pleasure. Danny was a gift, one Lucy wanted to savor.

"Do you wish to engage in a scene?" Lucy asked her, her words clipped in an effort to hide her eagerness. If Danny said no, she would accept that without question.

"What would we do?" Danny asked as she got to her knees on the bed. Lucy didn't miss the hardness of her nipples or the way her pupils had expanded while they'd been talking.

Lucy had a dozen things she wanted to try with Danny, and even more ways that she wanted to see Danny laid out before her like a tray of delicate sweets, just ripe for the taking. She was a woman to be indulged in, to be caressed and lovingly petted. But she was also a woman that Lucy wanted to see bound with the black silk ties that hung from her bedposts as Lucy whipped her back and butt. There was a delicate balance between the two ideas for Lucy, both equally appealing and even better in concert.

Any more time spent considering and Lucy would be stalling. She had to come up with an answer. With limited supplies on her and no desire to go back down to the convention and buy something else right now, her choice was simple. "I would use my crop on you. With or without clothing—that would be your choice. You'd cry out, you would be sore tonight, you might be shocked at the marks across your skin. But you would enjoy it."

Danny squirmed a bit on the bed, and Lucy didn't have to guess at her level of interest. "What if I didn't?"

"Then we stop," Lucy said. "Of course. Do you remember the word that I told you to say if something became too much for you?"

"Apple," Danny answered instantly.

Lucy gave her a soft smile. "Yes, apple. Your favorite fruit. So, now you know what would happen. Take few minutes, decide what you'd like to do and how far you're willing to go right now. Whatever you decide tonight, should you ever come to me seeking such a thing in the future, I promise that I'll never do anything more to you than you want and have given me permission to do."

Lucy saw Danny swallow. "So how do you want me?"

"Are you going to continue wearing your clothes?" Lucy asked.

Danny looked down at herself and curled her fingers under the hem of her shirt. "I think so. Yes. For right now."

Nodding, Lucy got to her feet. "Come stand in front of me. Here." Lucy took her crop and pointed to a space on the carpet in front of her. Danny moved more eagerly than gracefully, but she stood obediently in front of Lucy a few seconds later.

Lucy examined Danny, looking at the flush of her cheeks and the wideness of her eyes before she cupped Danny's cheek in her hand. "You're safe here," she repeated. "You know the word that will stop this instantly. I won't touch you anywhere that you don't wish me to. You will address me as Mistress, and for this you are Danielle. If you like something you may ask for more. If I ask you a question, you will answer me. If you want something, you may ask for it. Are the rules clear, Danielle?"

"Yes, Mistress." The title was a whispered caress falling from her lips, and it made Lucy shiver.

"Now, before we begin, do you want anything? A glass of water? Something else to eat?" Lucy offered her. A sub Lucy had a comfortable relationship with wouldn't be asked such questions. Lucy would have known what Danny wanted before they started. Tonight was just a whim, though, a pleasurable indulgence that Danny wanted and Lucy was more than willing to give her.

"I'd like a kiss," Danny said softly, staring straight at Lucy.

"You'd like a kiss, what?" Lucy countered, trying to stay focused despite her heart skipping a beat.

Danny shifted her weight. "I'd like a kiss, Mistress."

Lucy leaned forward and gave her what she asked for. Danny's mouth was soft and warm as Lucy brushed their lips together. She felt Danny sigh and wanted to do the same as she held the caress for a moment longer before pulling away.

With the memory of Danny's lips still warming hers, Lucy took hold of the crop in her hand and trailed it over Danny's back between her shoulder blades and along the curve of her spine. Because her hand was still on Danny's cheek, she felt Danny's shiver as the crop rested at the small of her back.

"I believe you'll enjoy this, Danielle," Lucy whispered to her.

"Yes. But will you ... Mistress?" Danny replied, her voice just as soft.

Lucy nodded, already knowing that she would. "Get on your knees at the edge of the bed. Arms stretched out in front of you or bent for your head to rest on, but either way they must never leave the bed. Feet together. Quickly now, Danielle, I'm waiting."

Oh, this was a lovely position for Danny. Her bottom, perfectly rounded and hugged by her tight little shorts, stuck out in the air, tempting Lucy without saying a word.

Lucy moved up beside her and brought the end of the crop down against Danny's left cheek. She made a noise of surprise, and Lucy felt a rush of warmth go through her at hearing that sound. It was beautiful and delicate, a sound of pleasure and expectation. Lucy itched to see the mark on Danny's skin, to see how her crop changed the color of her bottom, to see the flush of red that came with such a strike.

"Do you wish for another?" Lucy asked her.

Danny nodded and mumbled something into the comforter.

"I can't hear you, Danielle. If you want to feel the bite of my crop again, you'll have to speak up a bit," Lucy said brightly.

Danny lifted her head away from the comforter. "Yes, please, Mistress."

Tilting her head to the side, Lucy considered her. "How many do you think you deserve?"

Danny seemed to fumble over the answer to that question and bit her bottom lip as she thought about it. "Ten?"

"Are you sure about that?"

Danny seemed a bit surer of herself as she slowly nodded. "Yes, ten. Mistress."

The title was tacked on, a clear afterthought in light of a much more interesting question. But Lucy let it slide this time. "I think you've been good enough to earn you ten strikes. As before, I want you to count these out. Now, that was one. We'll begin the count on two. Are you ready?"

Danny's fingers curled into the mattress. "Yes, Mistress."

Lucy twirled the crop in her hand and ran it over the outside of Danny's hip before sliding it into the seam of her cheeks. Danny turned her head and watched her, her mouth opening with her sigh when Lucy dipped the tip of the crop between her legs. She teased Danny, bringing her a hint of pleasure before the sting of pain. Maintaining the balance was important. More pain than pleasure would be cruel. Too long between a strike, Lucy knew, would be boring for nearly any submissive. Delicate lines existed within each person, so Lucy tested Danny with her timing before she gave Danny another stinging smack against the same cheek. It made Danny gasp and arch her back, but her hands didn't move from the bed. Lucy was pleased with that.

"Two," Danny sighed.

Smiling to herself, Lucy ran the tip of the crop over the backs of Danny's thighs and down her legs. Danny shivered. "I want to touch your hair. Would you like that?" Lucy asked her.

Danny bit her lip. "You ask before you do?"

"I promised not to touch you anywhere that you didn't want me to. I want to feel your skin and hair under my fingertips. Do I have your permission?" Lucy clarified.

Danny gave her a slow nod, and Lucy lowered herself to sit next to Danny on the bed. It was a more casual pose than she preferred, but it did allow her to have one leg pressed completely against Danny's side as Lucy's hand went to the thick locks of Danny's hair. She ran the crop over Danny's far side. "And Danielle?"

"Yes, Mistress?"

"You didn't call me Mistress earlier. You've lost a strike."

Danny's face instantly tightened. "Sorry, Mistress. Can I get it back?"

Danny's willingness to work for what she wanted was a pleasant surprise. "You may. Get to five without removing your hands from the bed and you'll earn it again."

The next time the end of the crop landed against Danny's unmarked cheek, it was without warning. Lucy watched intently as Danny gasped and released a barely audible, "Three." Her hands fisted in the sheets, and for a brief moment her bare feet came apart, but she quickly recovered. Lucy wrapped a lock of Danny's long hair around her hand, and Danny leaned into her touch.

"You have the most beautiful hair, Danielle," Lucy complimented her.

"Thank you, Mistress." The titled was whispered and sounded almost loving. On a hunch, Lucy dragged the tip of the crop against Danny's center and gave the most tender part of her a gentle tap. It wasn't enough to cause her pain, but Lucy knew the warmth that Danny now felt rushing to those swollen lips.

Danny jumped, just generally startled or genuinely shocked at being touched in such an intimate way, Lucy didn't know which. Watching Danny recover herself enough to arch her back and offer herself up to Lucy for another strike was beautifully gratifying.

The fourth time the crop smacked across her bottom, Lucy smoothed Danny's hair away from her face as Danny counted it out loud. "This next one," Lucy told her soothingly, "will be harder. You've been enjoying this, I can tell, but we don't want you to be bored. Correct?"

Danny licked her lips and gave a little pant. "Yes, Mistress."

With a smile, Lucy gave her the promised hit. The pain was more than Danny had experienced at her hand, but less than Lucy was sure she could endure. Patience, like tranquility, could be learned, and Lucy saw no reason to rush this experience for either of them. For Danny it was an introduction, a lesson in the balance that Lucy had built her life around. For Lucy it was an experience to treasure, being Danny's first, if not only, teacher in BDSM.

"Five," Danny ground out, sounding strained. Lucy released her hair and moved her hand down Danny's back, stroking down the length of Danny's spine and imagining how it would feel without the cloth between them.

"You've done well. Five strikes without removing your hands from the sheet. You've earned the tenth strike back."

Six, seven, and eight came much the same way, but by nine, Danny was barely able to stay on the bed. She squirmed with each new touch, though Lucy doubted she even realized what she was doing. It was a subconscious movement, a show of her anticipation as the crop was raised above her each time and of her pleasure as the tip was brought down against her. "Nine!" Danny groaned, arching under Lucy's hand.

"Do you want to stop?" Lucy asked her, knowing the answer but delighting in the way Danny turned to practically glare up at Lucy.

"No, Mistress," Danny neatly bit out.

Lucy gave her a bright smile and one final strike against her right cheek. The strike rocked Danny forward and she moaned a soft "Ten," as she stretched her arms out in front of her. Lucy smoothed her hand over Danny's warm bottom soothingly.

"Well done, Danielle. You may get up, if you like. I suggest that you sleep on your belly tonight, however," Lucy told her, a grin slipping in as Danny pressed the curve of her bum against Lucy's hand.

"Mmm, what if I don't want to get up, Mistress?" Danny asked, tilting her head at Lucy so she could see Danny's wide, dizzy grin. "What if I want to do something else instead?"

Well. Lucy wasn't entirely shocked. Danny was a beautiful, sensual woman who clearly loved the touch of the crop. That it had turned her on was almost a given. But to be propositioned, if that was what this was … that was surprising.

"What did you have in mind?" Lucy asked.

"Well, we're here on this big bed in this nice hotel room, all alone, and you've already got your hands on me," Danny coaxed. "You could put them somewhere else, Mistress."

Ah, so it was a come-on. But Danny was deliberately still using the term "mistress" as opposed to Lucy's name, so this could simply be construed as her wanting to continue the scene. She felt good now, it was obvious. Danny reveled in the attention, in the care Lucy paid to her body. Danny wasn't ready for it to be over, but Lucy wasn't ready to give any more of herself yet.

Enjoying a scene was one thing. Letting another person see Lucy with her guard completely down, sharing the intimacies of her pleasure, the closeness that came from those kinds of touches … Lucy had never been good at dissociating herself from sex. A scene she could enjoy on an intellectual level, relishing the power and responsibility of her position, feeling pride in what she could do for her submissive. Sex had to be emotional as well as physical for Lucy if she were going to honestly enjoy it, though, and she was too experienced to make the mistakes of her youth again.

Clearly she'd been silent for too long, because now Danny was chewing on her lower lip and rolling away from Lucy, onto her side. "It's fine, I shouldn't have asked, I'm sorry—"

"Don't be sorry for telling me what you want," Lucy said quickly, cutting off that line of self-recrimination before it could poison what they'd just done together. "Honest communication is the most important thing between people in a scene, Danielle." There, call her by her full name, let her know that this isn't over, make her feel secure. Lucy lifted her crop again, let it trail beneath the hem of Danny's shorts. "You enjoyed this."

"Yes, Mistress." Danny's pupils were so wide they swallowed the ochre of her irises. "Did you?"

"Very much so," Lucy assured her. "You were so good for me, Danielle. I think you deserve a final reward." She smiled at Danny. "I want you to touch yourself for me, Danielle. I want you to get yourself off in front of me. But," she interjected as Danny started to tug off her shirt, "I want you to leave your clothes on." She ignored Danny's whine of frustration. "Lay down on your back and keep your eyes on me. No closing them, or this…" She slid the crop's leather tab down to Danny's ankle, then lifted it away entirely. "Stops. No speaking, no begging, no words. Keep your hands on yourself and your eyes on me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress." Danny sounded breathy, almost faint with desire as she quickly resettled on her back, wincing slightly as her ass came into contact with the mattress.

"Begin, Danielle." Lucy met Danny's eyes for a moment before she lifted the crop to the base of Danny's throat and stroked a long, slow line down the center of her body. Both of Danny's hands were tucked inside her shorts, moving desperately, and Lucy could smell the heady scent of sex in the air. Danny had to be dripping, judging from the sounds her body made as she fucked herself with her fingers. She was so wet, so eager, perfectly submissive and full of desire, and Lucy …

Lucy shifted up onto her knees so she couldn't feel the wet spot forming between her own legs as easily, and rubbed the crop against one of Danny's nipples. She circled the hard bump with the sleek leather, and barely kept in a smile when she heard Danny's cut-off cry. "Fu—!" Good girl. No words. Lucy glanced up and saw Danny's eyes still fixed on her, even if they were now a little glassy.

Very good girl.

No words didn't mean that Danny didn't make noise. Her sounds were inarticulate and honest as she chased her pleasure, moans and little catches of breath that clearly coincided with the brush of the crop against bare skin. What would it be like to mark Danny, to really take her, to bare her body and watch the lines appear at Lucy's whim? To embellish her tattoos, accentuate her curves? The idea was intoxicating.

Lucy couldn't afford to be intoxicated. She needed to draw things to a close before she was tempted to ask for things she feared being rejected for.

Lucy traced a sinuous curving line down Danny's body with the crop, circling over her ribs, down across her quivering abdomen until she touched the V where Danny's arms drew together beneath her shorts. Danny's breaths got shorter. Lucy glanced at Danny's face, saw her biting her lip again and said, "Now, now, none of that, Danielle. Are you close?" She didn't need to ask, but she wanted to see how Danny responded.

"Mmhmm!" That, plus the vigorous nodding, made things more than clear.

"You just need a little push, don't you?" Lucy asked, and she turned the crop so that the tip pointed down, then slowly slid it inside Danny's shorts, following the V all the way down until she knew she was hovering right above Danny's clit. Danny's wrists brushed the leather tab as she worked herself, confined within the cloth, everything so close that it all melded together, and suddenly Danny planted her feet on the bed and arched her back, crying out "Ah-ah-ah," as she orgasmed.

Lucy imagined the feel of Danny's pussy, tight and pulsing around her fingers, how incredible it would feel against Lucy's own hand, whether Danny tasted as sweet as Lucy thought, how warm, how good … Bloody hell. She pulled the crop back and put it aside, then scooted up to Danny's head and stroked her hair gently. They both needed to come down together, after an experience like that.

"That was lovely, Danielle," Lucy praised her, knowing that Danny would be sensitive right now, maybe a little emotional. "So beautiful. Your pleasure is so beautiful." She kissed her on the forehead, then added, "Feel free to use your words again."

"Oh, god," Danny groaned. "That was so fucking … oh my god, I haven't come like that in so long."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Lucy said, reminding herself that it was only natural to feel a hint of prurient curiosity when Danny referred to sex with other partners.

"Did you enjoy it?" Danny asked, her bitten lip red and luscious, her whole body flushed with exertion. She glowed under the dim lights, positively glowed, and Lucy smiled at her.

"I said so, didn't I? I enjoy giving my submissives the pleasure they've earned, and you were very good for the whole scene. Delightful, I promise." Lucy kissed her again, then sat up. "Now, I'm sure you'd like a shower before bed. I'll just take care of my toilette first, if you don't mind."

"No problem," Danny said with a grin, stretching her arms above her head. Her hands were glistening and damp, Lucy couldn't look at them without wanting to paint Danny's body with them. Well, at least Danny seemed to be coming out of the scene well. "Or you could just shower with me."

"I'm afraid I have to decline," Lucy replied. Danny's grin dimmed, but this had to be clear. "We'll need a good night's rest to be ready for tomorrow," she continued, offering an explanation even though her rational mind didn't think it was necessary. She didn't like seeing Danny look distressed. "I'll be out soon." Lucy headed into the bathroom and shut the door behind her, then leaned her back against it and exhaled long and slow. That had affected her far more than she'd thought it would.

She'd have to be careful, or Danny might become someone Lucy wouldn't be able to keep from wanting for herself.

Danny woke up from her unexpectedly deep sleep wrapped in warmth that had nothing to do with the blankets. She opened her eyes and looked at her bedmate, who was currently using Danny like a body pillow, and sighed. Weird that Lucy seemed to feel more comfortable touching Danny when she was asleep than when she was awake.

Don't be bitchy, she scolded herself. What did she have to complain about, really? Danny flexed her butt and suppressed a moan. It was sore today, but the ache was a nice one. Really nice. Really, really fucking nice. The kind of thing that Danny wanted more of, honestly. She'd wanted more last night, and Lucy …

Lucy gave her more. Kind of. Danny had gotten off, and she'd been desperate for that, so turned on after those ten strikes with the crop that she thought she might spontaneously combust if she didn't do something. And then Lucy had played things out and made Danny get herself off, all while staring at Lucy, all while feeling that firm, whippy crop caressing her body, and it was perfect.

It made Danny want more, and she hadn't been shy about asking. But then Lucy turned her down, and then a half hour later they were in bed and Lucy was asleep and Danny was left to wonder what, if anything, Lucy had really gotten out of that. Was she just playing? Was none of this serious to her?

Why should it be serious? You're working a job, you're not girlfriends. That dropped Lucy into the category of a one-night stand:  fun, exciting, but not someone where you went back for seconds or thirds.

The thought made Danny's stomach curdle. It wasn't just the BDSM stuff, and it wasn't just the sex, although that—yeah, she could go for a lot more of that. It was Lucy. Lucy the prim and proper goddess, Lucy who looked like something out of a fashion magazine, Lucy who taught barely curious hipsters about the difference between white and green tea. Lucy who smiled unexpectedly and hummed her ABCs while brushing her teeth and who wrapped Danny up like a present in the night, as though she couldn't bear to be a bed's width away from her.

Well, fuck.

She must have shifted, because Lucy woke up a moment later, her blue eyes still cloudy with sleep. "Danny?" she murmured. "What time is it?"

"Still early," Danny promised her, hoping against hope. Don't pull away, don't pull away … Her hopes were dashed a moment later when Lucy seemed to realize how closely they were tangled together.

"Oh, lord … I apologize, I've always tended to spread out when I sleep." Lucy pulled her arms and legs back around her own center, leaving Danny feeling far colder than the room actually was.

"I didn't mind," she said, and she must have sounded as miserable as she felt, because Lucy pushed up onto an elbow and looked Danny up and down searchingly.

"Why are you unhappy?" she asked.

"I'm okay."

"Danny," Lucy said, and it wasn't chiding. It was concerned. "Honest communication, remember?"

"You said it was important during a scene," Danny snapped back, hating herself for it but feeling stupidly fragile right now. "What, are we back in a scene again? Did we ever leave the last one?"

"Did we … ah, I see." Her expression softened a bit, and she touched Danny's arm. "I should have been clearer last night. Yes, the scene is over. It was over when I suggested you go and shower. I apologize for my lack of precision, I thought the transition was clear enough from my actions. I won't leave you so uncertain again."

Really? Is that what Lucy thought this was about? Her fucking precision? With an aggravated sigh, Danny tossed the blankets to the side and well away from her. But then she stopped, not really ready to leave the bed, but not completely wanting to be in it either.

"Did I do something wrong?" Danny asked her, her shoulders slumping forward as she looked across the bed to Lucy.

Lucy's fine mouth pulled down into a delicate frown. "No, of course not. What gave you that impression?" She moved her hand up Danny's arm to her shoulder and then along her collarbone until she was at her neck, her long fingers caressing the fine hairs at Danny's nape. Lucy's touch, those soothing motions and light pressure, had Danny leaning forward in easy bliss.

"You didn't want me last night," Danny whispered, her voice coming out somewhere between as sigh and a moan. Though, given what Lucy was doing to her neck, it was probably a lot closer to a moan. She didn't mind.

Lucy chuckled and Danny turned her head to look at her. "Because I didn't have sex with you?" Not looking away from her, Danny nodded. "My dear, Danny. Last night was about you, about exploring your own desires, not about my own pleasure. I admit, I was tempted. But how could I not be when you were so stunningly laid out for me, ready to be taken?"

Danny blushed at the compliment. "So ... it wasn't that you aren't attracted to me?"

Lucy gave her a smile, a real one this time and not the half-assed ones that made Danny think she was missing something completely. "No. Far from it."

Danny's hands tightened on the sheets as she continued to look over at Lucy. "Do you think that could change? That you could enjoy me as well?" Her cheeks heated even as she said it, but there it was, the words were out, and Danny forced herself to meet Lucy's gaze, determined not to let this drop.

Lucy moved her hand from the nape of Danny's neck, over the curve of her ear, and along the line of her chin until a single finger lifted her chin, turning her head even more toward Lucy. Just one finger was enough to hold Danny in place, captivated by Lucy even when she was sleep-rumpled and without makeup.

"I think it's possible," she said at last. "Will that do for now?"

Danny grinned, feeling like she had won something important. "Sure. For now."

Lucy released Danny's chin and stood up. "Good. Now, I suggest we start getting ready. We've delayed long enough."

Resisting the urge to call Lucy "mistress," Danny got to her feet and headed toward the bathroom. She didn't know what the hurry was, since they didn't have a presentation until that afternoon, but she'd get ready all the same because that was what Lucy wanted her to do. There was a certain pleasure in obeying a command, even when the crop wasn't on her. Maybe because Danny figured that if she was good enough, Lucy might give her an encore of last night. Maybe just because she wanted to.

Half an hour later, Danny emerged from the bathroom in her stolen spa robe, clean, dry, and ready to play dress up. Lucy gave her a little wave of her fingers and pointed at a tray on the table. "Breakfast," she announced before heading into the bathroom.

Breakfast, excellent. Hopefully it was more than fruit. Danny sat down, lifted the lid off the tray and rolled her eyes. Right on, fruit and yogurt, and a little bowl of granola. At least there was also coffee too. That was like the equivalent of a huge present wrapped with a big red bow from Lucy. Danny sat down and took a bracing sip of caffeine before starting on the health food.

After Danny was done with breakfast, but before Lucy had reemerged, there was a knock on the door. Once Danny confirmed that it was Natasha and Lillian, Danny let them in.

"Hey," she said, smiling brightly at them both.

Natasha gave her a shrewd look and Danny resisted the urge to smirk. What she'd done with Lucy, while awesome, wasn't any of Natasha's business. "Good morning," Natasha said, coming fully into the room. Lillian followed carrying something that was bright purple and silky.

"Today I thought we'd go a bit more burlesque," Natasha said as she stepped into the middle of the room. "Is Lucy in the shower?"

Danny nodded and went to see the clothing that Lillian laid down on the messy bed. "Is the purple one for me?" she asked Natasha, knowing Lillian wasn't likely to answer her.

"Greedy girl, wait your turn," Natasha admonished her. "Hands to yourself."

Trying very hard not to pout, Danny found a place on the bed and smoothed the robe out over her thighs. "What are we waiting for, then?"

"Me, I'd imagine," Lucy said, stepping out of the bathroom with her own dressing gown wrapped around her. "You mentioned something about burlesque?" she continued, going to Natasha and touching her shoulder in greeting.

Danny took advantage of Lucy's distraction to look at her. The robe was huge, damn it, but she still got a good look at some of the skin Lucy had been hiding away. Yesterday's glimpse in the massage room had been a painful tease. Lucy was perfection in smooth muscles and subtle curves. Danny had to remember to close her mouth when Lucy glanced her way.

"You know how I love burlesque, honey," Natasha said with a grin, and motioned for Lillian to display the outfits for them. The purple one was barely more than a corset attached to an extremely short, poufy skirt, that was freaking gorgeous with all kinds of black lace and silver details. The other was far more refined and nearly all black except for a few small green pinstripes that ran down the corset and ended on gold chains. Danny didn't need to guess to know which one she was going to be wearing, and she got to her feet to make it easier for Lillian to help her into it.

Danny guessed this was what it felt like to wear a tutu as Lillian helped her out of her robe and then wrapped the gauzy material around her waist. Danny took the opportunity of dressing in the same room as Lucy to try and catch another glimpse of her naked, because honestly, she was starting to feel a little desperate. Each time she glanced over at Lucy and Natasha, though, Lillian would put something new on her, stealing her attention back to what she was doing and away from where Danny wanted it to be. It was jaw-clenchingly frustrating.

Naturally, Lucy ended up fully dressed while Danny was still being laced into the new corset. Of course, Lucy looked stunning. She always did. It was unnatural for someone to look that good all the time. Danny was slightly jealous, but more than that she wanted to take Lucy into her arms and haul her back to bed. She'd start with kissing her, then she'd slowly undo Lucy's corset, opening those little gold clips on the front. Her breasts would spill out and Danny would—

"Ouch!" Danny yelped, putting a hand to her ass as she turned to look at Lucy.

"No more daydreaming," Lucy chided her, the crop swinging from her fingertips. "It's important to stay in the present, to focus on the here and now."

Danny barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes when she caught sight of the slight curve of Lucy's lips and the crinkling of the lines around her eyes. This felt like foreplay, and Danny was the queen of foreplay. She dipped her chin and looked up at Lucy demurely. "Sorry, it won't happen again. I promise." She wanted to call her Mistress—it was on the tip of her tongue to do so, but it felt too intimate to say in front of Natasha and Lillian in light of what they'd done on that bed last night.

"Yes, well, very well, then," Lucy said, stepping around the bed toward her. Danny saw the slight blush in her cheeks and felt like cheering. Ha! Danny could get to her. "Lillian, let me do that part."

What par—oh, wow. Lucy had a garter in her hand. "Which of your thighs would you like this on?" she asked Danny.

"I can ... I can do it ..." Danny mumbled. It was unfair, so unfair that Lucy had decided to tease back, but to be better at it.

Lucy shook her head. "No, no. I insist. Take a seat on the bed."

As if her body no longer obeyed her own wishes, Danny instantly found herself sitting down at the edge of the bed as Lucy stepped in front of her and took Danny's right foot in her hand. Getting it over the foot wasn't so bad, and Danny thought she might have a chance of getting through this without her body betraying her.

Lucy slowed her progression and kept one hand cupped under Danny's knee as the other slid the bit of black lace up her thigh. Her fingers lingered on Danny's sensitive skin, and Danny couldn't help the blush that covered her face and neck as Lucy's hand stopped high on her inner thigh, only inches from where Danny had wanted her last night.

"How's this, Danielle?" Lucy whispered into her ear. Her breath was warm, but it wasn't what made heat rise in Danny's belly as she slowly spread her thighs, offering herself up to Lucy.

"Natasha, I think we're quite good here. We'll see you at the convention," Lucy said without looking away from Danny.

Within a minute they were alone, and Danny silently begged for the promise of what she saw in Lucy's steady gaze. "You are a temptress," Lucy told her.

Danny didn't deny it. She knew what she was doing, and apparently so did Lucy. She reached down and covered Lucy's hand with her own on her thigh, pulling her closer to the heat waiting between her legs. "There's time," Danny said breathlessly.

"There really isn't," Lucy protested.

Danny was about to lose hope when Lucy moved her free hand behind Danny's neck and tangled it in Danny's hair, taking control of her head and tilting it back. Danny parted her lips, welcoming Lucy's kiss before it ever came. Lucy's hand tightened on Danny's thigh as her tongue slipped between Danny's lips, and Danny hoped that there would be marks there. She wanted proof, something there to remind her that this weekend with Lucy hadn't been some random fluke. Proof that this beautiful, cunning woman actually desired her, too. Danny was used to being wanted, but not cherished, and what Lucy promised in her hot, wet kiss was so much more.

The kiss was over far too soon, and Lucy straightened up while Danny struggled to catch her breath. "You look radiant like this," Lucy said, taking a step back from her.

Danny snickered. Jeez, radiant—who said that kind of stuff? "I can't work like this. I'm really needy. Won't you help?"

Lucy lifted the corner of her mouth into a wicked half-smile that made Danny's heart race. "No, I don't think I will. Instead, I want you to remember this moment, the cusp of pleasure you rest on. Think about my hand in your hair and the tip of my crop against the curve of your bum. Think about it sliding between your legs and resting against your clit."

Danny didn't have to do much to think about that, and soon she was pressing her thighs together as warmth teased over her core. "And then?" she asked Lucy, her voice hopeful.

One perfect arched brow rose as Lucy looked down at her. "And then you get a chance to earn your pleasure, Danielle. Rewards don't come for free."

Danny groaned. "I could just go finish myself off in the bathroom right now."

Lucy gave her a little shrug and twirled the crop between her fingertips. "I'm sure you could. But what would you prefer—something quick now, or something more like last night?"

Danny didn't even have to think about the question to know which answer was right. "Last night," she grumbled.

Lucy nodded. "Good. Come along. There are some presentations today that I think might be interesting." She walked toward the door and Danny followed, trying to keep her thighs from brushing together and tormenting her more.

"Here, this one could prove worthwhile," Lucy said about ten minutes later as she pulled Danny into a darkened room. They found a place in the back row, well away from the stage. There were people a few rows in front of them, but no one nearby.

"What's this about?" Danny asked her, leaning forward. She wasn't slouching, the corset wouldn't allow her to, but she could be more comfortable than Lucy's prim posture allowed her to be. Danny noticed a few posters with warning labels on them, but she couldn't make out what they were saying as the lights slowly dimmed. "It's supposed to be a demonstration of discipline with a whip. The idea is the same as what I do with my crop, although the method can be more exacting. I like my crop, though. Don't you?"

She pressed her lips together before she let everyone in the small room in on just how much she liked that slender bit of wrapped leather hanging from Lucy's hand, as if it was nothing more than an umbrella and not a tool that drove Danny from pleasure to pain and back again. Danny still wasn't sure how the two sensations had blended so seamlessly, becoming something she wanted instead of something she cringed from. She kind of wanted to ask Lucy about it, but right now a man in a leather mask was leading a woman with what looked like tape crisscrossed over her nipples onto the stage. Her hands were tied behind her back, and apart from the tape, all she had on was a thong.

Danny shifted in her seat, and this time it had nothing to do with pleasure as an uncomfortable feeling bubbled up in her gut. There was just something about this man and the woman, something that seemed … well. Danny knew next to nothing about BDSM, so who was she to judge. Still, it felt off. Uneven, somehow. The woman stood alone in the middle of the platform and the man moved back, his body almost completely hidden by a set of dark curtains that had come down to drape one edge of the stage. After a long, tense minute of waiting that made the woman, and Danny, tremble with anticipation, a whip came out of the darkness and landed squarely across the woman's back. She cried out, and Danny gasped as her hands went to her mouth. That didn't sound good. Even from the distance that she was at, Danny could see the angry red line that marked the woman's pale skin. Nothing comforting was said, not like when Lucy used the crop on her, before the whip came down on the woman again.

The woman flinched as the whip struck her again, but other than that, she didn't move. Her eyes were open but not focused, and her mouth was pinched shut. Every new blow made her whimper, and she swayed on her feet but managed to stay up. The audience murmured around them, but Danny didn't hear anything they said. She couldn't take her eyes off the woman, who seemed dissociated from what was happening to her. Did she have a word, like Danny had? She had to, wasn't that a rule? Why didn't she say it? Why wouldn't she, how could this in any way be good for her?

"Breathe, Danielle," she heard Lucy say against her ear. The command, so sharp and clear, worked its way into her head, and Danny shuddered and inhaled. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath. But it was Lucy's fingers around her arm, forcing her to her feet, which really freed her from that moment. "Get up, we're leaving."

Danny stumbled as she approached the doors, but by the time they cleared them and then walked across the hallway to an empty salon, she was able to walk normally. She hadn't realized how bothered she'd been until Lucy shut the door for privacy, then pulled a chair up behind Danny and made her sit. Her hands were shaking, and she still felt a little light-headed.

"I don't understand that," Danny said, babbled, really, as Lucy pulled a chair over to sit across from her. "I don't get how that was a good thing, I just don't. Why didn't she say anything? How could he do that do her, why didn't she make him stop?"

"It was a little more extreme than I had expected," Lucy said, reaching out and cradling Danny's hands in her own. "That level of play between a dominant and submissive can be pleasurable for some people, but it certainly isn't for everyone."

"You … you don't like it like that, do you?" Danny asked warily. It was something she had to know, because if Lucy wanted that, it didn't matter how sexy she was, Danny was out. Period. "You wouldn't—I mean, to me, you wouldn't want to do that."

"Not at all," Lucy assured her. "I don't care to go beyond what we've already done, as it pertains to pain. My enjoyment is more task-oriented, watching my submissive get pleasure out of obeying me, not out of taking whatever I feel I can dish out. I promise you, though, that there are those who genuinely enjoy a more intense dynamic, and I'm sure that the people demonstrating were both getting what they wanted out of it. Now, take a deep breath, Danielle."

"I'm fine," Danny protested.

Lucy shook her head. "Honest communication, remember? Your hands are still shaking, and I can see the whites of your eyes. I can help you relax, if you'll let me. And," she added, "I don't recall making it a question, Danielle." Lucy looked at her expectantly.

Danny knew she could say no and Lucy wouldn't push it. If she did, though … that might be the end of this, this whatever that was growing between them. Lucy was asking for Danny to trust her, to let her help. And, in the interest of honest communication, Danny did kind of feel like she needed some help. She inhaled, expanding her diaphragm as far as she could, before slowly exhaling.

Lucy's expression was as composed as ever, but her eyes shined with approval. "Lovely. Again."

Danny repeated it, over and over, and with each breath Lucy's hands moved further up her arms, squeezing her skin lightly, taking away her goose bumps. It could have been one minute, it could have been ten, but by the time Lucy's hands were squeezing the tension out of Danny's shoulders, her hands were steady as a rock, and she felt the calmest she'd been all morning.

"Very good, Danielle," Lucy said, removing her hands at last.

"Thank you, Mistress."

Lucy smiled and stood up. "I don't think we'll be returning to that particular demonstration. Dalton is at Camellia, I'll have him bring us over a thermos of my ginseng blend." She removed her phone from a hidden pocket of her outfit and sent a quick text.

"You're gonna ask him to drive all the way over here just to bring us tea?" Danny asked, a little surprised. It seemed like a lot of effort to go to for a drink, and not for the first time she wondered exactly what the deal was between Lucy and Dalton. "We could just get some tea here."

"Dalton had planned to come back this afternoon to assist in taking down Natasha's booth anyhow, a bit earlier won't inconvenience him," Lucy replied. "And my tea is infinitely better than anything a hotel is going to be able to offer us. Ginseng and mint, chamomile and a hint of licorice … it's very soothing, but keeps your energy up. Now." She held out her hand and assisted Danny to her feet. "We'll rendezvous with Natasha and Lillian and pass the time before our next tea ceremony more pleasantly."

Once Lucy seemed assured that Danny could stand on her own without any issues, she let her go. So, that little scene was over, then. It had been nice. Really nice. Honestly, Danny could have gone for a lot more of Lucy touching her, but she wasn't going to complain. She didn't feel like she had the right to, not quite.

How would it feel if I could just ask for more? Danny thought she knew the answer to that. She'd get greedy. She'd never been tempted to cling to anyone before, but with Lucy it was a compulsion she was barely holding off. And clinging was so endearing, Danny thought as she rolled her eyes and trailed after Lucy, trying not to feel too much like a duckling.

"Well, here they are!" Natasha said as Lucy and Danny approached. "You have a nice morning, ladies?"

"An enlightening one," Lucy replied. "But now we're looking for something a bit less challenging. Would you care for some assistance?"

"Always," Natasha said, pointing at the line of four ladies and one man waiting to the right of the booth. Lillian was working with the first one with a tape measure in her hands, holding out swatches of fabric and making notes on a piece of paper. "Those folks need to be measured for custom corsets, and I've got a dozen order details to input into my spreadsheet. My Lillian's good, but she can't be everywhere at once, and I'm trying to keep people from passing us by."

"I'll help Lillian," Lucy said. "Danny, are you comfortable with Excel?"

"Um … a little bit?" They used it at the garage, but Danny had always been more comfortable working on the cars than in the office. Since her dad's accident, he'd been doing a much better job of keeping up with the books, and so her help there was rarely needed.

"It's easy," Natasha promised her. "Everything's labeled, you just have to hit enter after each new number, and it'll take you right down the list."

"Got it." Danny sat down on a sturdy cardboard box, took the orders and the laptop Natasha handed her, and got to work.

It was relaxing, actually. Normal, mundane, exactly the kind of thing that Danny needed after being so damn unsure all morning. This was just business stuff, data entry: boring but simple. There were no surprises here, even if there were a lot more measurements needed for a corset than Danny had expected. Over the bust, at the bust, from nipple to nipple, and that was just for the top to fit right, it didn't even go into how long the actual corset itself needed to be. There was plenty to keep Danny busy, and she didn't even notice how much time had passed before Lucy was standing in front of her.

"It's time for a break, Danny. Dalton brought tea and sandwiches."

"Sweet," Danny said, rolling her neck from side to side to crack it. She was actually kind of hungry now.

Of course, the "sandwiches" were actually tiny little finger foods, lemon pepper turkey or sweet teriyaki salmon pressed between two pretentious seeded crackers. There weren't enough of them to be really filling, not between four people (Dalton abstained), but they went well with the tea, and Lucy seemed to love them.

Before long, it was time for their last demonstration. Lucy pulled Danny aside and gently tweaked her clothes here and there while Dalton readied the table. "How do you feel?" Lucy murmured.

"Fine," Danny assured her. "Ready to do this." The last demonstration, the last tea ceremony, the last—oh. It was the last one. Her job was pretty much over after this.

It wasn't an end, though. Danny wasn't going to let it be an end. She wasn't ready to let go of Lucy. She looked at Lucy calmly, and after a moment of searching, Lucy smiled.

"Good, Danielle. Shoes off."

"Yes, Mistress." Danny took the heels off and handed them to Lillian.

"Go up onto the stage and kneel in front of the table."

Just like before, only Danny knew better than to have any expectations this time around. She left the booth and walked slowly onto the stage. The crowd was bigger today, much larger than either of the other times. She ignored them, settled gracefully onto her knees in front of the low table, and started breathing like she'd done before. Slow in, slow out, pretending that Lucy's hands were on her shoulders, firm and reassuring. She could do this. She was good.

After all, her mistress had said so.

Waiting for Lucy wasn't the anxious thing today that it had been last time. When she finally felt a light touch on the crown of her head, Danny suppressed a smile.

"Lift your arms over your head," Lucy said.

Danny immediately complied. Something incredibly soft wrapped around both of her wrists, looping and curving until it was suddenly drawn tight, binding her hands together so that they faced in, palm to palm. The tip of the crop traced a path up one of Danny's extended arms, then down the other, and she had to fight hard against the urge to writhe, trying not to let on just how wet her pussy suddenly was.

"Lower them down," Lucy said, and Danny put her hands back in her lap. They were bound together with smooth black cloth and a simple knot. The rope looked so silky and felt so good. Danny wanted to rub it over her cheeks, her breasts, all her tender places. It would probably feel incredible between her legs … the brisk rap of the crop on her right shoulder brought Danny back into the moment.

"I evaluated your proficiency," Lucy said, tapping all the way down Danny's right arm. "I assessed your willingness," she continued, this time touching the left. "Now I want to see how well you can cooperate, Danielle. Don't let me distract you," she added, sliding the crop down to the small of Danny's back and crumpling the tulle of her skirt with it.

Danny took one deep breath, then another, then reached slowly for the box of tea. She knew all the steps, she had this down cold, and at least she could use her right hand this time. Every move was done with care and precision, Danny's brain fighting her libido for control as Lucy just kept touching her, sometimes no more than the delicate slide of a finger along the back of Danny's neck, sometimes a brief, stinging strike from the crop that always left a warm haze in Danny's mind as Lucy corrected something. A tap to her thigh—Danny adjusted her legs. Another snap across her upper back—posture, she had to remember her posture. Lucy didn't speak and Danny didn't need her to. She remembered the corrections, and she complied as best she could while trying to coordinate both of her hands to do the work of one.

The matcha went into the bowl smoothly, the water followed without losing a drop, and when the time came to mix them together, Danny managed to whisk it vigorously enough that when she was done, she got an actual smile from Lucy. It was small, but real. Danny smiled back and held out the bowl to her mistress.

Lucy bent over at the waist like she had the first time, and wrapped her hands tightly around the ropes on Danny's wrists. They weren't stiff enough to hurt, but Danny loved the extra pressure, the feeling of being tied to Lucy even though she was only really tied to herself.

"You first, Danielle," Lucy directed, and tilted the steaming bowl toward her face. She moved slowly enough that Danny was ready for it, though, and Danny let Lucy set the pace, swallowing the frothy tea with a sense of deep satisfaction. It wasn't that the matcha tasted any better than Danny ever found it, but it was so much nicer to drink it from Lucy's hands.

Nothing spilled and Danny didn't have to back off to keep from getting drenched with hot tea, so she considered it a success when Lucy moved the bowl away and drank the rest of it herself. She set the bowl aside, still holding onto Danny's wrists, then pulled Danny forward. "Beautifully done, Danielle," Lucy said. Praise, that was nice, did that mean Danny got a reward? A kiss on the forehead, maybe another few strokes of the crop—

Lucy's mouth against hers completely derailed Danny's musings, cut off her thoughts and focused everything she was on the feel of Lucy's lips and tongue. Not a soft, chaste kiss this time; this one was carnal, open mouthed and penetrating, bitter and sweet like the matcha. It was fierce and claiming and Danny heard herself moan, and she couldn't have stopped it even if she'd tried. This, this—it was perfect, it was everything she wanted. Her hands grasped for Lucy fruitlessly, but Lucy was stronger than she looked, and didn't even waver until she finally ended the kiss and stood up straight.

"I believe we're done here."

With that, Lucy helped Danny get to her feet and led her off of the stage by her bound wrists. There was applause behind them, something that hadn't happened before, and Danny thought giddily that if she could she'd turn around and take a bow right now, because damn right, that show had been hot. But Lucy probably thought that bows were improper or something like that, and so instead it was down the steps and back into Natasha's booth.

Danny looked around and saw Natasha, Lillian, and Dalton starting to pack up the outfits with careful precision, all the clothes and shoes put away in tidy suitcases. Looking at them work, Danny realized the finality of the moment. Her giddy joy drained away, leaving something that felt a little bit sad. "Can we help you guys?"

Natasha lifted her head and waved a hand at them. "Nah, you two go, you've already done a lot of work today. We're good here. Have fun. Oh," she added, straightening up and extending her hand to Danny, chuckling as Danny did her best to shake with her hands still tied together. "It was a pleasure to see my clothes on you. You did a great job, thanks for that. Everything should be handled with your agency, but I'm throwing in the outfit you're wearing as a tip." She winked. "You never know when you're gonna want to play dress up." Lillian didn't offer a hand, but at a nod from Natasha she smiled and waved once before going back to the packing.

Lucy untied Danny's hands with gentle movements, and she shivered as Lucy's fingertips caressed the inside of her wrists. Danny was free, but she had no intention of going anywhere. Too bad the convention seemed to be closing down and they couldn't stand like that all afternoon, or even, by the looks of things, for the next hour.

"We'll retrieve our things and then I'll take you home," Lucy said, letting go of Danny's wrists once she seemed satisfied that they looked okay. Danny wanted to push them back at her and demand Lucy tie her up again, but that probably wouldn't go over very well. "You did very well this weekend, Danielle. You should be proud of everything you accomplished and learned. I hope the work has been enlightening, if nothing else."

Danny blushed brightly and followed Lucy out of the ballroom and to the elevator. She brushed past people wearing collars and codpieces and leather and latex and didn't bat an eye, which Danny thought was kind of a lot of enlightenment, all things considered. "It's been that and a lot more," she admitted, the heat never leaving her cheeks.

Lucy gave Danny what Danny hoped was a knowing smile, but stayed quiet. They packed their things in a comfortable silence. Danny changed into a pair of jeans and a thick sweater, and folded the corset and skirt as best she could manage into her duffel bag. Corsets couldn't wrinkle and the tutu was nothing but wrinkles, so it would probably be okay. Twenty minutes later, they walked out to Lucy's car after checking out of the hotel.

"Would you like to drive it?" Lucy asked her as they stood in front of the Aston Martin.

"You don't mind?" Danny replied, her mood instantly brightening as she looked down at the gorgeous machine.

Lucy tossed Danny the keys and put her things in the back. Danny wasted no time doing the same, and soon she was behind the wheel of car that cost more than all the vehicles she'd ever owned put together. Probably more than the ones all her brothers had owned too. Her family had good taste, but they were practical people, and bought used, reliable cars that didn't turn heads. Danny didn't mind and never had, but she could appreciate beauty when she saw it. Or in this case, was able to drive it. She'd have to get Lucy to take a picture of her behind the wheel. Clint was gonna be so jealous.

Danny was beyond careful as she backed the car out of the parking space and left the garage. As her confidence increased, though, so did her speed, until after a few miles, she was barreling down the highway. She wished it were warmer so she could drop the windows and turn the sound system further up, because damn. If you couldn't be flamboyant in a car like this, when could you?

"To get back to your house, take the next exit," Lucy said as she turned down the radio so she could talk without shouting.

"I know." Danny had been driving in this city for years, she could find her way around, but her house wasn't really the place she wanted to go. Danny drummed her fingers over the steering wheel, indecision warring within her. "And if I didn't?" She didn't look at Lucy as she asked the question and let the implications lay between them.

"Being vague isn't that charming, Danny. If you want to have something, ask for it. Where would you like to go?"

Lucy's words were clipped, but her tone wasn't harsh. Danny took a breath and chanced a quick glance at her. "To your house."

"Mm. Why is that?"

Danny felt like she might hyperventilate, she was so anxious. The conference was over, everything was changing, it was different now, but Danny wasn't ready to let go. "You said if I earned my pleasure, I'd get a reward. I'd like to… do that."

She caught Lucy's warm smile out of the corner of her eye. "I wondered if you would take me up on that," Lucy said speculatively. "I'm glad that you are. In that case, go two exits up and then take an immediate left. Try not to get us pulled over before we get there, Danielle."

Danny smirked, feeling very much like she'd won the lottery as she floored the gas and raced to Lucy's house. Excitement and anticipation warred within her belly, but on top of them, overriding everything else, Danny was looking forward to proving to Lucy that she could earn a place in Lucy's life, and that Lucy would be more than welcome in Danny's. Not just for the night, Danny wanted more than that, but for now… for now, tonight would do.

Fin

About the Authors

Cari Z. is a Colorado girl who loves snow and sunshine. She has a wonderful relationship with her husband, a complex relationship with the characters in her head and a sadomasochistic relationship with her exercise routine. She feels like Halloween should be every day, and hopes that you enjoy reading her stories as much as she enjoyed writing them in the first place. Find out more about Cari and her books here:

www.carizerotica.blogspot.com, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2989189.Cari_Z_
twitter: @author_cariz.

Caitlin Ricci was fortunate growing up to be surrounded by family and teachers that encouraged her love of reading. She has always been a voracious reader and that love of the written word easily morphed into a passion for writing. If she isn’t writing, she can usually be found studying as she works toward her counseling degree. She comes from a military family and the men and women of the armed forces are close to her heart. She also enjoys gardening, hiking, and horseback riding in the Colorado Rockies where she calls home with her wonderful fiancé and their two dogs. Her belief that there is no one true path to happily ever after runs deeply through all of her stories.

Website: www.CaitlinRicci.com