Possessing Bella Ch. 15

"Bella spoke to me before she went to Kolton's about her growing feelings and also her confusion given her situation," Rob admitted.

"Come and sit with me, little one. I am old, and I like to see your eyes when we speak of such things," Bella stood and went to take the chair beside Charles. Instead, she found herself pulled into the old man's lap. "There much better, don't you think?"

"Yes, Master Charles," she said quietly.

"So you wish to alter the terms of the agreement that you made in good faith?" He asked, eyeing her critically. Bella chewed her lip knowing she was about to say the wrong thing.

"Charles, I believe she has a point about the others, Josie and Leon. What she asked for and what we enforced with Jack was Mel's training schedule of which the other two were not a part of," Rob interjected.

"Your Daddy thinks I will spank you for being a brat," Charles chuckled. "I can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind from time to time but not, in this case," he winked at her. "I would like you to listen to what I have to say very carefully though, you won't like it but you must listen," he looked at the three men around the table. "I have been around so long I make Methuselah look like a spring chicken, and I have seen good men and girls come and go because of broken agreements and damaged reputations. I would not like our baby Bella to be one of those girls." There was a murmur of agreement around the table as Charles held her in his lap.

"This is the way I see the situation," he cleared his throat. "Firstly if word of you wanting to break the agreement gets out, people will ask why and inevitably the relationship you seek will become well known. For any other girl, this would not be an issue. No more than a small problem that she could recover from easily, with the right Master," he nodded his head at Stephen, acknowledging he was such a man.

"This is not a run of mill, ordinary little slut from the club or one of the training houses. This girl's reputation goes before her and gets bigger every week," he shook his head in wonder. "To believe all of the rumours, which are founded in truth I have no doubt, she is the most exquisite submissive that can take the gentlest Dominant and make him feel like a king and yet still submit to the devil himself, who would rain pain on her like the most evil of sadists."

"She is the only girl Mel ever wanted to own completely. I knew him more years than either of us liked to admit to owning, and I had never seen him as he was with Bella," Rob admitted.

"Nor I," Charles agreed. "Add to that her wealth and her fortune, her good name and reputation, not to mention her outright youth and beauty. There are many who would cry foul to know that she had taken a collar in less than a year of her Master's death. They would say it was his proximity to her, that she had no other choice, that she was shielded from any others who might desire her company or the chance to know her. Even if that is something you are prepared to live with Stephen, would you put her in such a position. A position where it would be so easy for people to judge her, pity her, covet and perhaps worse..." He paused letting that final word sink in.

"The three of you have kept her hidden all year. She went nowhere of note and nowhere without an escort of two or more. You have to let her be seen to live a little. Date a little, take some movie star to a gala charity event to which she can make a donation and get some cachet among the wheelers and dealers of the world and, more importantly, our community. The naysayers may die down over time but, for this sensitive little petal, the damage may already be done by then," Charles stopped talking and hugged Bella to him.

"She could grow to resent you all for caging her like a bird, if she hasn't already. She could end up resenting you even more for letting her be collared before she could enjoy this life she has been given. Not just by one but two Marino men," he seemed about to cease his lecture and looked up at Stephen one last time.

"You have known many women and have a great wealth of knowledge to compare the jewel against, yet when has she had the chance to compare you? You even went with her to her last training agreement, did you not?" Charles's voice was accusing, and Stephen had to admit he was right, but he didn't like where this whole conversation led.

"After you and your Daddys have thought about everything I have said for a few days, and if you are still determined and have their backing, I will tear up the agreement myself. I will even go to Jack on your behalf, but I urge you to think carefully about this. Has there not been one other man that a fleeting thought of wanting to know him better has crossed your mind? I would guess not as you have not had many opportunities," Charles smiled sadly.

"There is one or two, but I would not know how to find them, even if I did want to see them again," Bella said softly. "That doesn't mean that the feelings I have for Stephen are any less real," she said in a stronger voice.

"No, it doesn't. Those feelings are strong in both of you, I can see it. That love will still be there in six months of dating each other without a collar, as well as being open to everything and everyone else around you. Mel knew he had wanted you for years before he found his perfect time to make you his own. This rush will only produce rumours and innuendo. Stephen could be seen as a gold digger. Or there could be rumours of being a caged beauty who was held and shielded against her will from the many suitors who would have been better than the man you chose because of proximity or coercion." He could see Stephen stiffen at his words. "Rumours like that have been started with a lot less to go on and you know it," Charles soothed the angry bear of a man.

"That was a nice speech and I, for one, am inclined to agree with a lot of it. Unlike the indulgent Daddy over here," Kurt indicated Rob, "I tend to be more cautious when it comes to our baby Bella," he chuckled indulging Charles's Daddy Dom status. "Can I take it from what you have said that the news of her most recent inheritance has hit the business world already?"

"It has in some circles," Charles nodded.

"I was afraid of that. She's going to need a publicist. Things could get murky for a while I think. At the very least, we will need someone media savvy to help out Andrew. For a whileI imagine. Or at least until we have judged what the fall out will be to having one of the richest young women in the country as part of our family," Kurt seemed to be thinking on his feet.

"Dad said there would be publicity and he is prepared. We have discussed some patronage of specific charities, but not in great detail yet except one. My parents will be the public face of that particular patronage rather than me though," Bella offered.

"Yeah, Joe's an incredible lawyer. He sees all the loopholes and pitfalls before they become apparent to anyone else. I'll give him a call tomorrow," Kurt was suddenly all business.

"As the designated indulgent Daddy, I will take my little girl back now," Rob said, watching Charles stroke his hand tenderly over her hip and thigh. "We'll think about what you said Charles, but I believe we need to postpone the time she was meant to spend with Jack until next year. Vince's death has thrown a spanner in the works big time. Not just publically but personally too."

"I'll see when Jack is next in town and set up a meeting," Charles agreed.

Rob picked Bella up from Charles lap and walked around the table to deposit her on Stephen's lap, "I, for one, will be glad to see you two dating." It was said with an odd tone in his voice, and he looked down into her face for a long moment. Then he chuckled and turned back to Charles. "That little brat of yours has been awfully quiet. I bet there is mischief brewing somewhere in this apartment.

They found Dianne and Sera sitting in the bottom of Bella's walk in wardrobe with her Tinkerbelle costume. Dianne had been telling her a very detailed version of the enchanted party that had happened so long ago.

"Uncle Kurt, did you really punch that mean boy on the nose?" Sera asked as if awestruck.

"Sure did, knocked him out cold," Kurt chuckled. "He was a very silly boy and mean to our Bella."

"Then I am glad you did," Sera said with conviction.

"Boy, have I got a story for you, Daddy," Sera said as she took Charles's hand and he led her towards the door.

"I can't wait to hear it, but first thank Bella for dinner and say goodbye to everyone," Charles instructed and dutifully the curly haired angel went around kissing and cuddling everyone.

Kurt and Dianne left with them. Rob spoke quietly to Stephen, "Maybe leave her with her thoughts tonight. It seems you have much to think about as well." Then he walked to where Bella had begun clearing the table and tidying the kitchen.

"Let the girls do this tomorrow. We pay them for a reason you know," Rob chuckled.

"I'm so tired," Bella admitted.

"Then let me put you to bed for a change, and Stephen can go down and check that the club hasn't disintegrated without me at the helm," Rob grinned.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful," Stephen kissed her briefly and left wishing he could have spoken to her alone to find out what was going on in her head after the conversation with Charles.

"Come and change so I can tuck you in," Rob let her lead the way into her bedroom and then lounged on the bed as she changed. "Ooh, a corset very nice," he put a pillow behind his head, so he had a better view.

Bella had long since lost that sense of embarrassment when naked in front of the men in her life, and she stripped right down before donning a small nightgown. She crawled up onto the bed and snuggled into Rob's arms for a hug.

"We haven't done this for a while have we?" he asked.

"I miss it," she murmured sleepily.

"It was only a few months ago that you asked me to take you and train you. Are you sure about this thing with Stephen? It seems things in your life change often. Especially the people surrounding you," he squeezed her tightly.

"I have not been sure about anything in my life for the longest time. I meant it that day though. I would have loved you as I loved Mel, but I realise now why you said no, we were both still grieving in our different ways. We could have been good for each other maybe, like a stable anchor to hold us in one place while the world threw stuff at us. It could have saved me from all this drama. Still I love you, and that will never change." Her voice faded.

"I love you too," Rob said softly holding the young woman he doted on. "Things do change though and were you to ask again..." he felt her breathing change into that slow deep rhythm of sleep. It was just as well, he thought, the poor girl didn't need the added complication of a stupid old man who changed his mind about so many things in the past few months. He had not realised until tonight, when he placed her on Stephen's lap that he had wanted to explore the possibility of a deeper relationship with her. He had assumed they had all the time in the world to work it out. He realised now, that was no longer true. She was gaining confidence in herself, and her contacts within the lifestyle grew exponentially whenever she went to one of the training assignments. He looked down at her sleeping face and wondered if he could ever let her go. She was his little brat.

*****

The following day at work, Bella was hunched over some designs from Louise, the jeweller they had hired. She was still brooding about the conversations last night and that she had not been able to say all she had wanted to. Particularly about the easing of the restrictions on her movements. She needed some freedom to live her life. Andrew entered, interrupting her brooding and announced a visitor who did not have an appointment

"That's fine I could use the break, who is it?" She smiled.

"He said his name is Arak Bourke, and he met you on your last trip." The smile froze on her face as Andrew ushered the big man into her office.

"And here I was thinking you were just being nice agreeing with my love of rocks and asking so many questions," he slid his hand over one of the marble fixtures and smiled. "Seems we have more in common than I thought. Tell me, do they give you lunch breaks here?"

Bella nodded dumbly. She couldn't believe this man was standing in her office, in her real world. He was as dark and handsome in a button up shirt and tie as he was in all of his bare-chested glory in Gor, and she blushed as she realised she had been staring at him.