MICHAEL"Perhaps not, but we'll keep looking."She blows on the milk, takes a slow mouthful. "What I'm meaning is, it's about continuity, isn't it. As long as I'm here, there's a bit of her too. And my father. It's not all gone. And if...""If what?"She chokes up. "He's so unhappy. He's usually so full of life; so full of... of take-it-in-big-bites... He's... It's just not him.""He? Who? James? I thought we were talking about you?""Yes... No... Yes...""Charlotte, you're not making a lot of sense."Looking away, she drinks more of the milk, but moonlight reflects from the tears trailing down her cheeks.I lay an arm over shoulders, kiss her face. She's chilled, tasting salty. "You want to find your mother. He wants his daughter back." I rub at my forehead. "I hate seeing him like this too. I wish there was something I could do to help him, but he'll get over it."She turns to look at me. "You think so?""Time's a great healer. Georgie turning up like that might
Has she been hasty?Over-reacted?Mitch wanders the lovely apartment. Light and airy. Just what she would have chosen for herself once she'd earned the money.He's taken notice of her tastes.In the one bedroom, the double, clean white linen. In the other, the same but on the twin beds.He volunteered to sleep alone...He gave her choices...She makes herself tea, sits on the window seat looking out over the marina...That wonderful Christmas...That beautiful ship...Another harbour...His love-making...She sets down the teacup, placing it carefully on the saucer. A finger stroking the line of her jaw, she watches as a rowing eight makes its way between pleasure-boats, the hull slicing through the water with surprising speed. Sailing yachts and motor cruisers line this side of the harbour wall, some with proud owners waxing decks or touching up paintwork.To the far side, fishing boats bob in their moorings beside stacks of nets, coiled ropes, hydrants and h
MICHAEL"Think he'll be talkative?"James shrugs. "Who can guess with that bastard?" He casts down. "Charlotte?"She's tight, controlled, hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans. "It's okay. I'm alright."Mmmm...The guard at the counter goes through the usual rigmarole...Got to have their procedures I suppose...... sliding the daybook across the counter. He taps a cracked fingernail on the bottom row. "Name and signature there, sir. And some ID, please."I hand over my driving license. "I'll just be a moment." The guard scans the license, stapling the copy to the rest of his paperwork, passes it back then turns to James. "Now you, sir."He repeats the performance with James and Charlotte, then "And your car keys, please." I hand them over and he hangs them on a keyboard at the back of the reception area. "Thank you, sir. You can go through now."The interview room is as dismal as ever...Can't they ever give these places some fresh paint?And a couple of ext
MICHAELJames sucks air through his teeth.Klempner leans forward again, folded arms resting on the counter. "She knew I had you. She knew where you would be. But she never came for you. I believed she would. But she didn't."Charlotte, white-faced, could be carved in stone. I take her hand again, curling warm fingers around her cold ones. "You don't believe in softening the blow do you?"Klempner inhales. "I thought you came to talk; to ask me what happened. Do you want the truth or do you want a fairy tale?"Charlotte whispers. "I want the truth to be a fairy tale."The aggression seems to drain from him. "And whatever led you to think life is like that?"There's a shudder running through her fingers to mine. "It can be.""Yes?" He picks at his teeth, extracting a morsel of something. "Is that why you married Eye-Candy here...?" He nods to me... "And him too?" He jerks a thumb at James.She tugs her fingers from mine again, hissing, "What turns a man into something
JAMES"You're not my father!" Pushing herself backwards against the wall, Charlotte shrieks the words at him. Close to hysterical, almost frenzied with denial, utterly distraught, she screams, struggling against Michael when he tries to hold her, tries to calm her.The guard, Hartland looks increasingly alarmed. "You want me to...?"No, it's alright. We need to deal with this."But he's already talking into his phone, satisfaction etched on his face as more guards burst in, bundling the passive Klempner out. He looks over his shoulder as they hustle him away, his expression shell-shocked.Charlotte is still fighting against Michael, refusing to be held. "Let's get her out of here," I say. "I'll get her out. You get the car keys.""We all need to sign out.""Just take her out," interrupts Hartland. "I'll clear it at the counter."As Michael heads for the reception, I have to drag Charlotte, resisting me all the way, to the car. Red-faced, wild-eyed and screaming, she fi
MICHAEL"How is she?"James props himself, both hands knuckled on the kitchen table, head bowed. "The same. Not good. I'd say she's gotten past denial, but I almost wish she'd cry... Get it out of her system. Instead, she behaves as though she's in shock."He's mourning the loss of a daughter... She's panicking over gaining a father...Both bereft......What a fucking mess."Shock is probably the right word..." I say. "... Discovering she has a psychopath for a parent. It's going to take time and support to get her past it."He rubs the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezing closed for a moment. "I think," he says, "part of the problem is that not knowing much about him, she's cooked up some idealised vision of Conners in her imagination...""The perfect father who never was?""As it turns out, yes." He rubs at the back of his head. "How the hell do we deal with this?""Time may be the only thing that deals with it. We simply wait for her to come out of her funk.
MICHAELShe has her bath, returning an hour or so later scented of lavender and rose. We drink, but not too much. We eat, sharing Charlotte's favourite treats; cheese, bread, olives, strawberries and cream. She sits on the rug by the fire, not hitting the food the way she normally does, but nonetheless, she eats.Then she sits, inert, leaning back against my legs as I stroke her hair.Over her head, James cocks a brow to me, tilts his head. I nod.He rises, takes Charlotte's hand and pulls her upright, then kisses the fingers. "You are going to go downstairs now, undress and wait for us. Michael and I will join you in a few minutes..." She hesitates... "And the next words I expect to hear from you are 'Yes, Master'."She bows her head. "Yes, Master.""Good." I pass her a glass of Rioja... "Now, drink your wine... And I want you to have another glass after that."*****Downstairs, in the basement, James' 'playroom', the demesnes of a Master, she's waiting for us. As he
JAMESI've often tested her before; tested her limits, tested how far I can take her before pain-pleasure simply becomes pain. But I've never before set out to take her completely to the edge and, perhaps, just a little beyond.But this time, on this occasion, I want her to travel out from the real world and into that heady space where pain and pleasure merge into sensation and where the mind and body ride the whirlwind together.Michael has relaxed her. And he's right. She's arousing. Her perfume is rising and there's that sheen to her skin she gets; the flush over her breasts which rises over her pale swan neck to blush her cheeks.She's ready...From behind, I lick at her with the falls; soft and suede-like, the best kind. Supple and elastic, the leather kisses skin and bites at muscle. She mewls, but it's not in distress. I know her better than that. At the same moment, her pelvis twitches...How does that feel to you, Green-Eyes?Is it a kind of penetration...?...
A sound... Charlotte clearing her throat. "Ummm...""Yes, Charlotte." Richard swings around. "I believe that makes it your turn. James... Together or separately?""You're the guest, Richard. You choose.""In that case, I think together. Heads or tails?""Oh, tails I think, if that suits you?""Absolutely."As I withdraw from Beth, tucking away my subsiding erection, I help her upright.Richard and James both stand, side by side, towering over Charlotte. I back away from the action, giving them space, but take Beth with me, pulling her down onto my lap as I sit, nuzzling into her neck. "Thank you. You have no idea how much..."She twists back, kisses me on the mouth. "I think I did know."James and Richard are both stripping off jackets, ties and shirts, kicking off shoes. "I think Charlotte's about to get it big time," she murmurs."I'd say so, yes."James drops to his knees, settles between her thighs.Richard unzips, releases himself, then stroking his erectio
MICHAELheading south, I tug at the ties of the thong, pulling away about a square inch of satin as the flimsy thing falls away.Richard sucks in air. "So, James, where would you like me to start?""I'm sure you don't need instructions from me..." James drops eyes to Beth's smooth pubis. "... An old hand like you." His gaze shifts to Charlotte... "But I think we'll adjust the furniture a little." Rising, he takes a stand-mirror from the corner of the bedroom, moves it to the side of the bed, adjusts the angle, then stands back to gauge the results. He adjusts it a little, measures it by eye again and then nods. Charlotte has an excellent view of her own sex."Would you like her opened a little further, Richard? I imagine you'll want to reach everything easily.""Excellent idea, James. The knees wider I think, and we'll lift her hips."It's a game they play, the pair of them, torturing her with anticipation, but Charlotte's eyes tell a tale. The two Doms work as a team, J
MICHAELI sit, staring at nothing, thinking about...... Nothing...Maybe I should get something to eat?My gut's griping. I've not eaten all day. Sally brought me one of her usual offerings for lunch; a plate-sized bacon and egg sandwich and a can of beer, but the smell turned my stomach.Scruffy ate well though along with Kirstie's tribe, running wild around the gardens in hairy, waggy, excitable enthusiasm.The pint-sized rag-tag lies by my feet. Occasionally he looks up at me, whining. I scratch his ear and he settles again.There's no sign of James and Charlotte other than James' tablet on his armchair and a book, marker inserted, on Charlotte's favourite spot on the settee. With no real interest, I look at the cover. 'A Song of Ice and Fire - A Dance with Dragons.'The scent of something is drifting in, James' cooking I assume. A part of me says it smells rich and savoury, winey and herby, but my gut recoils.Just a coffee maybe...I head for the kitchen, but
MICHAELI don't much feel like breakfast, but for the sake of form, I join Mitch, James and Charlotte in the kitchen, downing a coffee, then pouring another.James is on his usual 'toast and coffee only' breakfast. Mitch works her way through yoghurt and muesli, eating tidily and sipping at a cup of peppermint tea.Charlotte's standing on tiptoe, rummaging at the top shelf of the store cupboard. James stands, walks across. "What are you looking for?""Pickled onions.""You don't like pickled onions.""I felt like one sliced up on my sandwich."I've already seen the other items laid out on the worktop for Charlotte's 'sandwich', along with the expression flitting across James' face as he saw them too.Hmmm...But he snakes up a long arm to the top shelf and takes down a jar.In some fascination we sit, watching Charlotte assemble a peanut butter, avocado and pickled onion sandwich, on crusty bread cut thick enough to use as a draught excluder. In a final flourish, sh
JAMESIt's a nice area. A pretty area. And it's a day for seeing it at its best.Yachts and pleasure boats float in bobbing ranks on sparkling water. Tourists walk by with ice creams, tossing coins to cross-legged artists sitting by pavement chalkings. Shops sell souvenirs, art and holiday wear.The apartment block is clean and well-maintained. The hallway as we approach the door smells of new carpet and fresh paint.Mitch stands outside the door, seeming to gather herself together, then taking a breath, she inserts the key, turns it, opens the door and we step inside.It's... lovely...Sunlight dances over walls painted in soft neutral colours. They complement the furnishings, made from some pale golden timber, perhaps beech."Can't fault his taste," comments Michael.Paintings dot the walls, abstract mainly, except for a single striking piece taking the centre of one wall; an image of ice and broken water in astonishing rainbow hues."Amazing painting," I say, looki
RICHARDJames steps out of the elevator looking...What?Harassed?Worried?"James?"He looks to me then jerks his head towards his office. I follow him in. Silently, he offers me a small, padded envelope, still sealed. "This was waiting for me down in the lobby. Special delivery.""A packet?""Look at the addressee."I look, extract spectacles from my top pocket and look again.And the hair rises on the back of my neck.Michelle Kimberley, c/o James Alexanders."Klempner?""Who else could it be? Conners wouldn't know where to find her. Michelle's brothers would probably send it to her direct. So, who else?""James, before anyone opens that envelope, could it be a letter-bomb?"He blows out air, rubs his forehead. "I wouldn't have thought that was Klempner's style... If he wanted her, he come after her himself..." He paces the room. "And why would he send it through me?""You parted... amicably... from Klempner? After the shooting?"He huffs. "I'm not
MICHAELJames interrupts my gardening. "You seen Charlotte?""She said she was going for a walk." I nod along the road. "She went that-a-way." I straighten up, pressing hands into my lower spine. "Actually, now I think about it, her tone was a bit odd.""You look as if you've done enough for a while. Want to take a break and stretch your legs?""Good idea. I'll just tell Chad we're going out."I find him inside, paint bucket in hand, slapping emulsion on a bedroom wall. "James and I are just going for a walk. I don't think we'll be long."He cocks an eye at me, his expression assessing. "You might like to know that Mr Kalkowski is buried nearby, in the churchyard.""He is? I thought...""He had no traceable family, so he stayed here. Some of the holier-than-thou churchy types tried to kick up a fuss about it, but Mrs Collier kicked up a bigger fuss and they found a space for him.""Gotcha."He moves to the window and points a long finger along the road; the same dir
MICHAELThe lawns might have been mown, but the shrubs and borders are heading for the sky. A quick exploration of a small back shed produces saw and secateurs, so I set to, getting the garden back under control."Hello."I turn to see a woman, standing by the garden gate. Wearing jeans and a shirt, her hair tied tightly back in a ponytail, she has a prim, pleasant face. "Hello, I'm Eleanor Collier. I've been keeping an eye on the house. I saw something was happening...?" I stand, wiping muck and sap off my hands and onto my pants, then stride forward to offer my hand. "Michael Summerford." My brain connects the dots. "Collier, was it? Charlo... Jennifer's foster mother?"Her face lights up. "That's right. You know Jenny? She's here?""I'm her husband. And yes, she's here." I yell towards the upstairs window. "Charlotte! Friend of yours here." I gesture to the gate. "You'd better come in."From above, a movement at the window, then a clatter down the stairs and Charlotte
JAMESMichael...He's depressed...What can I do?Change of scene maybe?*****"Charlotte, I was thinking, we're about due for your road-trip."She pauses, half a sausage impaled on a fork midway to her mouth. "Road-trip, Master? What road-trip?""Have you forgotten that you were bequeathed a house? And everything in it. Perhaps it is time to make good your claim?"The half-a-sausage drops back to her plate. "Go back to the farm you mean? The last time I was there, they... they weren't very welcoming."Michael is listening, chewing on toast and marmalade, suddenly looking more animated than he has for days.Thank God..."Things have changed since then, haven't they," he says. "You've spoken with your friend Tom. He knows the truth of what happened. And of course, there's Chad."Still she stares at the sausage and the fried egg congealing by it. "I'm not sure..."I pour myself more coffee. "Even if all you decide to do is sell the house, you'll need to visit