She knelt on the floor, her hair dragging onto the linoleum slightly. She straightened her back, tried to keep her head up; Master didn't like it if she got herself too dirty.
Speaking of...She turned her gaze cautiously to the handsome back facing her. Master wasn't wearing a shirt, but then, he rarely did when it was just her around.
Master was cooking something. Maybe it was dinner? Dinner for Master, unless something was different about tonight. Usually she waited until he was finished eating, and then ate after, from the floor of course.
She sniffed the air. Whatever it was, it smelled good. Maybe something was special about tonight. Maybe she would be allowed to sit at the table tonight...
Hurriedly, she banished such thoughts from her mind. Master would feed her when he decided to, and she would eat then. She had a good Master, and did not need to be thinking such disrespectful thoughts.
Master turned, his eyes meeting hers in the split second before she dropped her gaze to the floor.
He spoke, his voice cold. "You were looking at me again."
She didn't speak, only nodded sorrowfully. She had been disobeying orders again; he had specifically told her that she was not to look at him, or speak to him, without his permission.
"You know what that means." Another statement, just as cold as the first. She only nodded again.
"Then go prepare yourself." As she turned to scurry into the next room, his voice stopped her.
"You are not to make any noise. If you do, it will be twice as bad."
A slight twinge of trepidation touched her as she went and sat on the floor of the den, waiting. The punishment for disobeying one of Master's orders was usually a strapping, but it might be worse this time; she had been very bad lately. If she continued being so rebellious, he might even send her to obedience school...She shuddered at the thought.
Although she would endure it, if her Master wanted her to.
She heard his footsteps approach, and felt his gaze upon her back.
"Look at me," he commanded. She timidly turned her face up, almost flinching back from the inevitable. He placed his hand under her chin and lifted upwards.
"Stand."
For a moment she was confused. Stand? In the presence of Master? That was simply not done. But she had no chouce but to obey her Master, and so she gathered her legs under her and stood.
His hand ran comfortingly down her hair, stroking her gently. "Good girl," he said soothingly. Gradually, she relaxed.
And just as she let her guard down, his came across, surprisingly fast, striking her face to the side. She gasped, but made no other noise.
"That is all your punishment for now. I am feeling generous." Her eyes lit. Master was feeling generous. This was a rare thing; although he was usually gentle, Master was also very strict, especially about his orders.
"Speak." And being given leave to speak...Her voice could barely find its way out of her throat.
"Thank you, Master," she fumbled. "What do you wish of me?"
"I'm sure you wish to take what advantage you can of my mood," he commented. A stricken look crossed her face, but she could not deny. That would be arguing, something Master did not tolerate. And yet, to agree...She didn't speak.
"You have permission to touch me."
She could scarcely believe her ears. Carte blanche to touch Master? She mustered her courage, and tentatively put voice to her thought.
"M-may I kiss you, Master?"
Perhaps she imagined the amusement in his voice when he said, "You may."
Slowly, she leaned forward and placed her arms around his neck, drawing her bare torso closer to his, searching for his mouth with her lips. Finally she found it, and settled herself more closely to him, breathing in his scent, tasting his tongue.
One of Master's hands came and caressed her bare breast, sending shivers up her spine. His thumb played over and around her nipple, causing it to harden even further.
In a momentary lapse, she moaned into Master's mouth, then stopped herself, horrified. She was taking too many liberties.
But she had nothing to fear. Master's hands moved so that they could brace her as he lowered both of them to the floor. His mouth left hers, and began kissing its way down her neck, causing her to squirm with pleasure. She felt it when his lips opened so that his teeth could graze that one special spot on her shoulder, and could not stop herself from crying out when he bit, gently at first, then harder.
Then Master's hands came up and did something even more surprising. They reached and opened the collar around her neck, removing it.
At this, she lost all sense of what had been happening. She sat up and scrambled backwards, frightened by what this might mean. She belonged to Master, and if Master didn't want her anymore...
"Don't worry, girl," he said, trying to calm her. "I've noticed your tendencies lately, and I think the time has come for you to be without this." He indicated the collar.
"But, Master--"
"Are you arguing with me?"
"No, Master...But what will I do? Am I not your slave anymore, Master?" The thought that Master might be letting her go terrified her. "Master, I'll be obedient, I promise...Just please...Don't make me go...!"
"Do you think that's what I meant to do? Get rid of you? Goodness no, child. Don't be silly. I simply feel that the time has come for you to become of a higher level, as a reward for your obedience. And that starts tonight. You shall eat with me, at the table. Is that understood?"
She lowered her head and nodded, numbed by the new thoughts rushing through her mind. The only thing she could think of to say was "Yes, Master."
