Chapter Eight

Note to self: Thank Master for knowing exactly what to do, and for taking care of all the details so well.

To Do List:

Give deposition Don’t forget to pack laptop Tell landlord about extended absence Stop mail delivery Call Becca and ask her to water plants Try and recall exactly what you are supposed to do when you get to Master’s house The leather of the limo seat was cold against Grace’s behind. The driver had been polite and efficient as he collected Grace and her luggage and loaded them both into the limo. While he put the luggage in the trunk, Grace took advantage of the privacy and shimmied out of her panties.

It had been a long morning. Her deposition had gone well, and she’d been happy that, other than the clerks, the only people there were herself, Preston, Frank Medina, and the school’s lawyer, an older man named Carlton Bunch, who was polite and well-organized.

His questions had been succinct and kept on point. The only painful questions were about Watson, and his repeated advances toward her. Bunch suggested that she was making the whole thing up. Grace said Watson’s advances were numerous, and made her very uncomfortable. She hadn’t reported them earlier, because she’d wanted to handle it by herself.

She tried to refocus her mind as the car pulled into Los Angeles traffic. Grace had never been very thrilled about being in LA. The crowds and smog had always dampened the charm of the city to her. She knew that Peter and Lindsey lived in Brentwood, and assumed that Toffer did, also. But she didn’t know enough about LA geography to decide which direction they were heading.

While the car made its way onto the freeway, Grace dialed Toffer’s cell number.

“How was your flight, Lolly?”

His pet name for her brought a smile to her face. “Fine. No turbulence and it was on time.”

“Good. And is the leather cold against your behind?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Tweak your clitty for me, just enough to make you hum for me.”

Grace spread her legs, resting her head against the leather of the limo seat. How was it that yesterday she’d been sure that her life was over, and right now she felt as if it was just beginning? She rubbed her clit and moaned out Toffer’s name.

“I hope you remember what you’re supposed to do.”

“Could we clear up a point or two? I know that…”

“Missed instructions bring punishments, so you need to learn to listen better. I’ll be home around eight and I’ll see you then. I’m so very glad that you’re here, Lolly.”

The phone went dead and Grace frowned. He had a habit of doing that, giving instructions and saying things before hanging up without a response. She pulled her fingers out from between her legs and watched as the city sped by. Well, sped by was overstating it. The traffic made it seem like it was crawling by.

Was this really happening? Was she going to spend a week and a half with a man she’d only met on the phone and over the internet? Was she really going to give him total control over her body? It was a fantasy come true, but Grace knew that if Toffer wasn’t friends with Peter, she wouldn’t be here.

She hadn’t told Peter and Lindsey about the suspension. She didn’t want to ruin Lindsey’s party. After it was over, she would tell them what was going on. At least in her public life. Would she tell them about her relationship with Toffer? She doubted it. Nothing would probably come from this. How could it? He lived in LA, which Grace detested, and she lived in Boulder. But if she lost her job, she wouldn’t have a reason to stay in Boulder. Still, Grace doubted that she could ever live in California. It was way too crowded.

An hour and a half later, the car turned into a lavish neighborhood and Grace scooted across the seat to look at the houses. This wasn’t the Brentwood area that she remembered from her last visit. She frowned as she tried to figure out which button to push to lower the privacy screen.

“Where are we?”

“On our way to Mr. Shelley’s house.”

“Does he not live in Brentwood?”

The driver’s laugh sounded more like a snort. “No, ma’am. He lives in the Hills.”

“And the Hills are, what?” Alive with the sound of music?

“The Hollywood Hills is a very affluent residential area, ma’am. Mr. Shelley’s house is an architectural marvel, four stories that sits on four acres of land. Lots of steel and glass, with two swimming pools. You’re going to love it.”

The calm feeling that had built in Grace’s stomach went south. Four stories? Two swimming pools? He’d told her that he was forty-three years old. What sort of forty-three-year-old writer could afford a house in the Hollywood Hills with four stories and two swimming pools?

If she asked the driver about Toffer, the man would probably think he had the wrong person in his car. Something told her, however, that Toffer Shelley was more than he’d made himself out to be. From what’d he’d said, she knew that he worked at the studio. But she thought he was a writer. He must be a big shot to be able to afford a house that large, and in this area.

He’d given her permission to explore the house until the housekeeper left at seven. She would try and figure out then what his job was, because she doubted that he wrote scripts with Peter and Lindsey.

The limo stopped at a gate, which the driver opened with a code. When the car started its windy ascent, Grace marveled at the scenery. The lush foliage molded itself against the driveway and hid all but the top level of the house from view. She could see floor to ceiling windows, surrounded by steel beams. A deck looked to wrap around the entire building on the top level.

And if Grace thought that little peek prepared her for the rest of the house, she was wrong. When the car stopped next to the house, Grace thought her jaw would drop off. This house wasn’t a house. It was a palace. A woman in her mid-forties was bounding down the stairs with a man about the same age on her heels.

“Welcome, welcome,” she said as she opened the door. “I’m Millie, Toffer’s housekeeper and this is my husband, Rafe. He’s the main groundskeeper. We’re so happy to see Toffer have guests, especially a beautiful woman like yourself.”

Grace smiled and tried to get a word in edgewise as Millie propelled her toward the stairs. Her husband and the limo driver, who finally identified himself as Steve, lifted her luggage from the trunk.

“Now, you have the full run of the house and Toffer told me to unpack your luggage in his room.” Millie gave her a knowing wink and Grace blushed. “He won’t be home until eight or so and we leave around seven. I’ve made a salad for dinner and it’s chilling in the fridge. Now, let me show you around.”

Grace stopped in the entryway and stared. The house had a homey feeling, even though it was decorated to the nines.

“The first two floors are mainly for show,” Millie said. “Two living rooms, a den and two bathrooms on this first floor. The second floor has two guest bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living area and the dining room.”

“Now the top two floors are where most of the actual ‘living’ is done. The third floor has the kitchen, the den, the library, the theater room, and another bedroom and bathroom, and Toffer’s work-out room. The top floor is Toffer’s bedroom and bath.”

Grace turned her stunned gaze away from the glass-enclosed room.

“An entire floor for his bedroom?”

Millie laughed. “Yup. The top floor is huge, the bedroom and baths take up most of the space. There are two baths, his and hers, on either side of the bedroom. A small staircase leads to an enclosed room that no one goes in but Toffer. The previous owners used it as a work-out room, but Toffer calls it his private sanctuary. He doesn’t even let me clean it, and it’s the only room in the house that’s not totally open with windows.”

Grace nodded and surveyed the living area on the bottom floor again. She knew what was in the ‘private sanctuary’. Toffer had told her that he’d set up a mini-dungeon in there, and that he was looking forward to showing her around it, and trying out his new toys on her.

“Now, there are staircases at the front of the house, and another set in the back. There are decks on each level so you can enjoy the view. One swimming pool is further down the property, and one nearer the house. And there is a dumb-waiter system to move things from one floor to another. I’ll show you how it works.”

“No elevator?” Grace laughed.

“Of course there is,” Millie said with a grin. “But we don’t ever use it.”

She guided Grace through each room, stopping to point out different works of art, or views of star’s houses. When they finally reached the fourth floor Grace, who thought she was prepared for anything, stopped short. The room was huge. Against a large bank of windows rested a bed that looked to be more than a king. It was covered in a black quilted bedspread, with more than eight pillows lined up to the edges and on top of each other. The his and hers bathrooms were also decorated in black, this time in marble and chrome. And off to the end, against a wall filled with a flat-screen TV and shelves stuffed with DVDs was the staircase that led to the dungeon.

Grace gulped as she thought about what she would be doing in that room.

“This is unbelievable. I never expected something so spectacular.”

“Mr. Shelley likes his privacy,” Millie said. “Although this whole house is full of glass, there is hardly space outside for the, um, well, for anyone to look in. And the curtains in this room are mechanical and cover the entire side. There’s a control for them on both nightstands. Now, you just make yourself at home and, if you need anything, there is an intercom system on the nightstand.”

Grace had turned down Millie’s offer to unpack her suitcases, not wanting the housekeeper to see her toys. After being shown where to put things in ‘her’ bathroom, Grace unpacked quickly, tucking the sex toys into the nightstand drawer nearer the sliding glass doors. She figured that would be ‘her’ side of the bed since the drawer was empty.

Or would it be? Grace had read about some Masters who had their submissives sleep on the floor next to the bed, or in another room entirely. Since her trip to California had literally happened overnight, the sleeping arrangements hadn’t been discussed. Although Toffer had told Millie that he and Grace would be sharing his bedroom.

She crossed to the sliding glass doors and opened it to the warm California sun. Even though it was February it was still beautiful outside. Too cold, though, for a swim. She went onto the deck and smiled at the hot tub that took up the far wall. Too cold to swim, but not to soak.

A glance at her watch showed her that she had a half-hour before Millie and Rafe left, and she had to prepare for Master’s arrival. She racked her brain to make sure she had the right instructions. Crossing to her bathroom she looked around until she saw the box sitting on the dresser. She’d overlooked it earlier.

She opened the carton, shivers running up and down her spine as she took out wrist and ankle cuffs. A blindfold rested under the cuffs. She was to bathe, and put on the cuffs, and then what? Wait downstairs? No, that wasn’t right. She was to wait up here. Master had said he’d honk the horn when he arrived, and at that point she was to put on the blindfold and wait.

Was she supposed to kneel? Or stand? She couldn’t remember. She would kneel. That was the most submissive position known to man, right? That’s what she would do. She just hoped that she did the right thing.

She put the cuffs back into the box and went downstairs. On the third floor she found the library, which had obviously been a bedroom before Toffer had converted it. The floor to ceiling shelves were lined with fiction books, both modern and classic and Grace smiled. Two large reclining chairs sat with a round table in the middle. Perfect for a couple.

She explored the other rooms, laughing at pictures that she found of Peter and Lindsey. Mixed in with those were pictures of Peter and Drake Dawson laughing and drinking a beer on the deck of this house.

Grace stared at the wall of photos. There seemed to be a lot of photos of Drake Dawson. Grace shook her head and wondered which of these men in the group photos was Toffer. No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept wandering back to the pictures of the handsome actor, and she wondered how close he and Toffer were. The pictures showed Drake with many different Hollywood stars and starlets, and Grace thought it was strange for Toffer to have so many photos of the man in his house.

Was Toffer bi? Did he and Drake Dawson have a relationship and that’s why there were so many pictures of the actor around? It could be, Grace realized. It wasn’t unheard of for a bi-man, or a bi-woman, to want a relationship with a person of the opposite sex. Toffer hadn’t mentioned anything about it but the idea had merit. And if they had a relationship, would he share her with Drake? The idea made her shiver. Drake Dawson was the most sought-after bachelor in Hollywood. She was sure that he wouldn’t look twice at her. And if he was bi, then it was a well-hidden secret.

At seven on the dot, Millie informed Grace that she and her husband were leaving.

“We’ve already locked up and we don’t usually come in until around ten in the morning, so we’ll see you then. Have a good time!” Millie winked at her and Rafe laughed.

When they were gone, Grace walked the three flights of stairs to Toffer’s bedroom. She stripped and took a long soak in a bubble bath. It felt wonderful to be so far away from the worries of her suspension and the lies about her accepting bribes. She dried off and liberally applied lotion to her entire body. Her fingers shook as she fastened the wrist and ankle cuffs. A look at the clock showed that she had fifteen minutes before Toffer was due home.

Her heart was already beating a mile a minute. When he got here, she was sure it would fall out of her chest and bounce around on the floor. She wrapped herself in a large terrycloth robe and walked out on the deck. In the darkness, the lights of Los Angeles looked beautiful. She leaned on the railing and closed her eyes.

How had something this wonderful happened to her, Grace Kinison, schoolteacher and wanna-be writer? She allowed her mind to wander to the idea that she and Toffer were married and that this house was hers, that she actually lived here instead of just visiting. She was so far gone in her thoughts that when the horn sounded she jumped.

He was here. He was here. Oh Lord, what was she supposed to do? The blindfold. Grace ran back inside, paused to close the curtains, and ran into the bathroom to grab the blindfold. She could hear his footsteps on the stairs as she fastened it over her eyes and knelt in front of the bed.

Wait, wait, this wasn’t right. She was supposed to be on the bed. That’s what it was. She dropped the robe on a chair and scrambled onto the soft comforter, knelt with her legs spread and her ass to the room and clasped her hands behind her back. She turned her head to rest it against the mattress.

“You were listening. Very good, Lolly-girl.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Grace tried to get a handle on her breathing. It wouldn’t do for him to have to call rescue because she’d passed out. She could hear him moving around behind her, the clink of keys catching her attention.

“You’re as beautiful as I thought you’d be,” Toffer said. He molded each ass cheek with a hand and gently kneaded her soft skin. Grace bit her lip to keep from crying out in pleasure as his fingers moved down to explore her wet folds.

“Thank you, again, Master.”

“I’ve been hard all day just thinking about this. I was going to punish you first, for all those times you forgot and called me Toffer. Lay my flogger across your ass until you begged for mercy. But now, I think I just have to fuck you first. Would you like that, Lolly?”

“Yes, Master.”

Her heart was beating wildly. This was really happening. She was being submissive. She was calling a man Master.

“No more talking without permission, unless you’re answering a question. Stand up, Lolly.” Grace was grateful for Toffer’s help as she stood, her arms still clasped behind her back. She bit back a gasp as Master locked the wrist cuffs together.

When he knelt behind her and she felt cold metal against her legs, she gasped.

“Easy, Lolly. It’s just a spreader bar, to keep you open for me. Move your legs a little farther apart.”

Grace almost lost her balance when she moved. Master put his arm around her to steady her, and then used both hands to lock the bar into place on the ankle cuffs.

“There we go. All trussed up for me.” He ran his hands up and down her sides, and then caressed her breasts, twisting and pulling on her nipples, until Grace thought she would scream out for him to fuck her.

She felt very vulnerable. And very sexy. When his fingers began to explore her pussy, Grace whimpered. His index finger traced a path from her opening to her clit and back before pushing inside. Grace fought to stay upright. He was exploring, and she was dying.

“Please.” The word came out before she could stop it and he answered with a sharp slap to her ass.

“Master, I…” Another sharp slap to the other ass cheek caused her to gasp. Then two more landed on each buttock. Without saying anything, or admonishing her for breaking the rules, Master went back to feeling her folds. She wished he would say something. The silence was making her nervous.

His hands were gentle as he explored and Grace relaxed into the spreader bar, getting used to the feeling of standing with her legs so far apart. When he pinched her clit, she gasped and her knees gave out, and she was thankful that he reached out to steady her.

Master pinched it again and again and again as she bucked into his hands. She could feel an orgasm building. Just a few more pinches was all it would take.

“Hold still,” he said sharply, as he slapped her ass again. “And don’t you dare come, not until I give you permission. You know that rule.”

It wasn’t a question, per se, but Grace still felt the need to answer.

“Yes, Master.”

“Good girl.”

He stood and pulled her into him, his hard cock pushing against her ass. He put his fingers, dripping with her wetness on her lips.

“Taste.”

Grace bit down the urge to say, “hell, no,” before she began licking his fingers as he murmured his approval in her ear.

“I’m going to fuck you now, Lolly. I’m going to help you kneel on the bed. When you’re there and you feel me kneeling behind you, the order not to speak is rescinded until we are done. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Master.”

Grace felt as if she was moving in baby steps as Master turned her toward the bed and helped her kneel, positioning her so that he could mount her. When her nipples rubbed against the spread she moaned. How in the world was she going to keep from coming before Master told her she could?

***

Toffer stepped back and looked at his beautiful submissive. She was more perfect than he could ever have imagined. So beautiful, so plush and soft, so willing. He caressed her thighs and smiled as he watched her bite her lip to keep from crying out.

He quickly shed his clothes and retrieved a condom from the nightstand. His cock had been rock hard all day and he didn’t know how long he was going to last. When it was over, after he’d claimed her in the most primitive of ways, he’d show her that he was Drake Dawson. He’d worried about her reaction all day. He should have told her at some point, but Toffer was having too much fun playing. It was a fantastic feeling to have a woman want him as Toffer. Drake got his share of hotties, but after a while, he wondered if the women were attracted to the man, or the name. With Grace, he knew that she wanted him for himself.

Besides, in this house he was Toffer. He’d made sure Steve, Millie, and Rafe knew not to refer to him as Drake in front of Grace.

He knelt behind her, putting his legs on either side of hers, the spreader bar still in place. He wanted her to get used to the bar because he planned on using it a lot. It was his favorite bondage apparatus, keeping a submissive very vulnerable and in position to be fucked, either in front or back, whenever he wanted.

“Do you want my cock, Lolly?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Louder. Tell me where you want it.”

“I want your cock in my pussy, Master. Please.”

“Beg me.”

Toffer bit his lip. Beg me? Crap, at this point, he would beg her.

“Please, Master, please. Fuck me.”

“You’re not convincing me.”

“Please.” She drew the word out and bucked her hips toward him as he sheathed his cock in the condom.

“Master, please. I’ll be good. I need you. I want you. Please fuck me!” She punctuated her words with hard thrusts as she fought to break free of the bar and cuffs and she yelled “please,” over and over again.

Toffer pulled her head up until his mouth was on her ear. He could feel her shivering beneath him and he knew that all it would take was one little pull on her clit, one long thrust of his cock and she would come.

“You belong to me now. All of you. Every last inch. Your pussy. Your ass. Your mouth. Your tits. They’re all mine.” And he plunged inside her. He felt her orgasm spread through her body as she screamed out, “Master,” her pussy clenching him like a vise.

When her muscles relaxed, he pushed her shoulders down and rode her, slamming in and out of her.

“You’re a bad girl, Lolly. You came without permission. That means you’ll meet the flogger tonight, after all. And it’ll be much harder than the spanking I made you give yourself.”

Her whimpers were more sighs of delight as he continued to fuck her. God. He’d never been inside a woman as tight and warm and welcoming as Grace. He’d never felt more at home inside a woman than he did inside Grace’s pussy.

“Who do you belong to?” His thrusts increased as his orgasm neared.

“I’m yours, Master. All of me. Fuck me, make me yours.”

Toffer collapsed on top of her, the cuffs and spreader bar pushing into him as he pounded out his orgasm. When he finally steadied himself on shaking hands and knees he whispered, “Did I hurt you, Lolly-girl?”

“No, Master.” Her words were soft. He stood and walked to the bathroom to discard the condom. He looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. It was time to face the music.

Once in the bedroom, he looked at the bound woman on his bed. He could see wetness against her thighs and his cock twitched. Damn, how did she do that? He’d just come and he was ready for more. He helped Grace to stand. Then he kissed her gently, his mouth becoming more and more demanding as their lips danced together. After a few minutes he gently caressed her cheeks.

“Close your eyes and keep them closed until I say so.” He released her from the spreader bar. The blindfold came off easily and Toffer kissed each eyelid. “Open.”

He stepped back and watched as she became accustomed to being able to see again. Then her eyes widened and her mouth opened.

“No, no. It can’t be.”

“Yes, Grace.” He grabbed her as she tried to hobble away.

“You lied to me! Pig! Jerk! Let me go! Oh my God!” Tears were streaming down her face.

Toffer turned her and slapped her ass repeatedly. “Is that any way to speak to your Master?”

“Is this some sort of joke you two play? Let me go!”

Toffer pushed her back onto the bed. She came to rest on her bound hands and he moved her so that she was lying on her side.

“I’m Toffer Shelly, Grace. That’s my birth name. I’m the man you’ve talked to all this time. I’m your Master. Take deep breaths and relax. Deep breaths.”

“Get away from me! Don’t touch me. Let me go, now!”

Grace struggled to get away from him, inching as far as her binding would allow.

“I want you to calm down. Stop it right now.”

Tears of anger streaked her face and Toffer felt sick to his stomach. He’d underestimated how this would affect her. He’d brought her to the height of pleasure, and then pulled her into a hole, one that she was already part of, thanks to that asshole Joe Watson.

He retrieved his wallet and stretched out next to her. “Look at my driver’s license. Christopher Shelley, next to my picture. I’m not lying to you, Grace. I want you to listen to me and hear my reasons for this. This doesn’t change anything between us.”

“No, Toffer, it changes everything.”