The Anniversary Gift

We sat in silence watching the sun paint the horizon with brilliant brushstrokes of purple, orange and rosy red; its hues reflecting in the waters of the bay outside the window. It was a silence bourne of contentment and a comfortableness in one another's presence that transcended the need for words. It was a gesture of respect for the glorious display outside the window.

Silently and unobtrusively, the waiter filled our wine glasses again. Reaching for mine, I glanced across the table at my Guardian and smiled, lowering my eyes as I did so. It seemed nearly impossible that an entire year had passed since I had first given this man the gift of my submission. We had known each other and been best friends, soul mates and lovers for years, but with the gift of my submission, a fullness and sense of completion entered our relationship. I could barely remember a time when we were not united in this way. Setting my wineglass on the table, I instinctively raised my hand to my throat, feeling for the collar that should have been there. There was none. A small, audible sigh escaped my lips.

"Is there something troubling you, princess?" asked my Guardian.

"Yes sir," came my reply.

He reached across the table and took my hand. "Princess, tonight is a celebration, a festive occasion. There is to be no pouting. Are we understood?"

"Yes, sir..."

My Guardian smiled. He knew me well. "But ..." he prompted. "Go ahead, princess. Tell me what it is that is bothering you. Remember one of the first rules is no secrets."

My words tumbled out in a rush. "Guardian, it was a year ago today that I knelt before you and presented my neck for your collar. I gave you the gift of my submission. I gave myself to you mind, body and spirit to do with as you saw fit. I have served you as best as I know how. Your pleasure has been my pleasure. Rarely has a day gone by when your collar has not adorned my neck, either the leather one in the privacy of our home or the silver in public. They have been worn with pleasure and pride. Yet today of all days, when we celebrate the first anniversary of my collaring, you have ordered me not to wear my collar. I do not understand it. Have I disappointed or offended you in some way?"

"Princess," my Guardian chided, "hush. You should know that I could not be disappointed in you."

"But ..."

"You should also TRUST me to have your best interests at heart. Your failure to do so is a punishable offense, princess. However, we will deal with that tomorrow. Tonight we are celebrating and you are without a collar at my discretion for a reason. And I will reveal it to you all in good time. Now, I shall order and we will enjoy the rest of our evening as planned."

Just then, there arose a commotion from the other side of the restaurant. Another patron was complaining loudly to his dinner companion that the service was atrocious and generally making a scene. Guardian and I had been coming here for years and we were always treated well and had found the service exemplary. It was one of the reasons we returned so frequently. Of course, the fact that the owner, Nick Gianelli, was a childhood friend of my Guardian and they were close enough to be brothers may have had something to do with both the frequency of our visits and the red carpet treatment we received from the staff. Still, I knew that if Guiseppe's staff had, indeed, slighted this man there must have been a very good reason for it. I watched the scene unfolding and smiled to myself.

He appeared to be a man in his early 40's, slightly older than my Guardian was. He was not particularly attractive. It was apparent that he spent a great deal of time in the gym. His body was well muscled and he had that look of the year-round tan that came from too much time at a tanner rather than time spent labouring or playing in the sun. It was the body of a man who understood that he was not handsome and that women would never find him attractive by virtue of his mind and character and so did what he could to build up his physique as a way of compensating. It had been my experience that is was very poor compensation, indeed. Men like that never did learn how to please a woman and drive them mad with the desire to please their master. He should take a lesson or two from my Guardian. I smiled wickedly at the thought.

My Guardian did not fail to notice the smile that flitted across my face. "Tell me, princess," he asked. "Do you find him attractive?"

I laughed aloud at the prospect. "Oh no, Guardian, quite the contrary, actually. He is not at all attractive and his behaviour is disgusting and obnoxious."

"But you must admit that his physique is well-developed."

I shook my head and smiled. It was a conversation we had had before numerous times. "Guardian, you know full well that I have never been impressed by an over-developed physique. That is not what attracts me to a man."

My Guardian laughed softly. "Ah princess, and to think I worked so hard to train you to notice and appreciate a man's physique and yet still you are 'unimpressed'. So tell me, princess. What is it that attracts you?"

"Mmmm.... I love a man with intelligence. A good mind and lively conversation. I love a man who is passionate about life. A man of integrity and character and compassion."

"What is it that arouses you about a man, princess?" he asked.

"Bedroom eyes, a nice ass and strength and power. Power arouses me, Guardian. Not blatant, boastful power, but the quiet power that exudes from a man's very essence and commands respect the minute he enters a room." I licked my lips seductively, let my voice become husky and looked across the table. "You arouse me, Guardian."

He looked into my eyes and held my gaze. "Now, princess!" he demanded.

He waited and watched my face as the orgasm swept over me. It had been a year of training, but my Guardian had developed my awareness of my sexuality and my desire for him to a point where the mere sound of his voice aroused me. The word 'now' was the trigger that released my sexual energy and orgasm.

"Very, very good princess. You have come a long way in the last year. I am pleased with your progress."

I blushed as the waiter approached with our entrees, aware of the fact that the aroma of my arousal scented the air.

After the meal was over and the dishes cleared away, my Guardian gave the waiter the signal that we were not to be disturbed for a while. I knew that my Guardian had something on his mind.

"Tonight is a special occasion, princess. I brought you here to our favourite restaurant as a celebration. Later, we will dance. Your body will become one with the music; alive and moving for me to enjoy. First, I have a very special surprise for you. I know that it has bothered you that I did not allow you to wear my collar tonight. You are not accustomed to being without the sign of my ownership. But it was not without reason, princess."

He reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and removed a small gift-wrapped box, placing it on the table in front of me. His eyes twinkled with delight.

"Go ahead, princess. Open it."

I reached tentatively for the box. Slowly, deliberately I untied the silk ribbon and began to unwrap it. As the foil gift-wrap fell away, I drew a sharp, inward breath. In my hands was a velvet box from a local jeweler.

"Open it, princess," my Guardian repeated firmly.

I did so and found within a solid gold bangle a half-inch wide. It was simple and elegant and unmistakably a collar, large enough to encircle my throat and contoured to rest just inside the collarbone. It had a hidden clasp and so appeared to be a continuous circle of gold.

"It is beautiful, Guardian, but it is far too extravagant for me."

"Nonsense," he exclaimed. "I have been saving for this for some time now. I wanted you to have a public collar that was as elegant and beautiful as you are."

I thought of how long it must have taken him to save for such an extravagance on a firefighter's salary and I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love. "Guardian, I don't know what to say. Thank you. It is lovely. I will cherish it always and wear it with pride as the public sign of my submission to you and your ownership of me."

He reached out his hand. "Allow me to place it on my princess' neck."

I placed the collar in his hand and waited as he stood and walked around behind me. I was uncertain how to accept the collar in such a public setting.

"You may remain seated, princess, but you must present your neck for collaring."

I grasped my long, auburn hair in my hand, pulling it up off my neck and bowed my head forward as my Guardian slid his collar around my neck and fastened the clasp. I released my hair and started to raise my head. My Guardian slid one hand in my hair and gently, but firmly tilted my head back so that my throat was exposed and our eyes met. Then he cupped my chin with his other hand.

"Who owns you, princess?"

"You do, sir," I replied.

"Whose body is this?

"Yours, sir."

"Who owns your heart?"

"You do, sir."

"Do you wish for it to be any other way, princess?

"No sir."

He released my hair and turned my chair to face him. "Stand, please. Submission position."

I rose and stood in front of him, my eyes directed down towards the floor.

"Now, princess, because I know how much you love it, we are going to dance. I want you to enjoy yourself fully, giving yourself over completely to the music and dancing with wanton abandon. You are to look only at me and every move, every turn, every undulation of your body is to be for my pleasure. I will touch you and tease you and enjoy you. Then I am taking you home and we will spend the rest of the night 'celebrating' your first year of submission as is befitting your position as my princess."

He cupped a hand beneath my chin again and kissed me discreetly. "I hope you weren't planning on getting any sleep tonight, my dear," he said wickedly. I shivered with desire and delight. Then he took my arm and led me towards the ballroom.

The evening was magical. I love to dance and the melding of the music and my spirit and my body is an almost sexual experience. The diaphanous material of my dress floated over my curves accentuating without revealing completely. As I swayed and undulated and lost myself in the music, I knew that the sheerness of the fabric allowed the occasional hint that there might be nothing on underneath, the cut of the bodice revealed the swell of rounded breasts and the simple skirt caressed slim hips and what has been referred to as a 'sweet little ass'. My Guardian would use the word 'spankable'. It was one of those times when I was completely assured of my beauty and desirability and was reveling in the thought that many of the men in the room wished that they would be taking me home. My Guardian knew it as well. Each time the music slowed and we danced with bodies close together, he would slide a hand up the back of my neck. Let his fingers linger on my new collar and then grasp my hair.

"Who owns you, princess?" he would ask.

My reply was always the same. "You do, sir."

It was a small ritual we allowed ourselves to heighten the sexual tension for later in the evening when we would return home and he would claim me once again. I relished every moment of it.

It was just such a moment when the obnoxious stranger from the dining room chose to intrude upon our evening. He was standing beside my Guardian. I didn't know where his dinner companion had disappeared to. Most likely, she had gotten tired of his behaviour and deserted him. Whatever the case, he had decided to turn his attentions to us.

"Step aside, buddy, and let a real man show her a good time," he said as he rudely grabbed my Guardian's shoulder.

It was a credit to my Guardian's discretion and decorum that he didn't immediately threaten to do serious injury to the jerk. I think he knew that I was still just a little frightened by his temper and hoped to avoid a scene for my sake. Instead, he pulled away and said coldly, "The lady is with me. Now get out of my face and off of this dance floor before things turn ugly."

The stranger was not to be deterred. "What's the matter? You afraid she might feel a real man pressing up against her and want to go home with me instead?" He turned to look at me. "Come on, baby, let me show you what you've been missing all your life."

I could have told him that I was familiar with men like him. That what I had been missing all my life was someone like my Guardian. I could have told him how obnoxious and disgusting I found him to be. Instead, I remained silent. It would have been disrespectful to my Guardian to embarrass him by displaying such a lack of manners. I looked at my Guardian and then lowered my eyes. The situation was his to handle.

My Guardian took a step back, gritted his teeth and faced the stranger. His voice was malevolent and I could tell that he was fighting to maintain his composure. "I will tell you once again. The LADY is with me. There is a ring on her finger and a collar around her neck that say quite clearly that she is owned. Now take your overblown ego and steroid-induced physique and get out of this restaurant - NOW."

In his anger, my Guardian did not think about what his choice of words would do. I tried to stop the orgasm before it got rolling, but under the circumstances, the word 'now' caught me utterly off-guard. The orgasm washed over me and my body shuddered and my breath caught in my throat. As discreet as I was, no one would have known except my Guardian - and the jerk standing next to us. It was all the excuse he needed.

He laughed. "Just look at the slut. She wants me so badly, she can't control herself. I'll bet ..."

He never had a chance to finish. My Guardian had him by the throat and up against the wall before he knew what had happened. His fist was raised to beat the stranger to a bloody pulp when someone grabbed it and stopped him. Nick Gianelli was standing beside my Guardian, mildly restraining him to avoid a public scene.

"Matthew, perhaps you and I should take our friend outside and discuss this like gentlemen, yes?" Nick asked.

My Guardian took a deep breath and said, "Nicky no one calls my princess a slut and gets away with it. You should know better."

Nick looked at my Guardian, gave a slight nod, and said, "Matthew, I have known Erin a long time. She is like my sister. No one calls my sister a slut and gets away with it. Now, shall we take our friend, here, outside and 'discuss' the situation?'

My Guardian smiled slightly. "Like the old days, eh Nick?"

Nick grinned, "Like the old days."

With that, they motioned to one of the staff who escorted me to Nick's office and led the stranger outside.

I waited in Nick's office for what seemed like an eternity. I knew Nick and my Guardian well enough to know that the stranger would be sorry he had ever crossed paths with them. I only hoped that they would do nothing too foolish, although I was certain that between the two of them they had enough 'connections' to keep themselves out of jail. Finally, I heard voices approaching in the hallway. Nick and my Guardian walked into the office and were immediately silent. I looked at my Guardian and could see from his eyes that he was still angry.

"Matthew," I used his name since I was not certain whether Nick knew the full dynamics of our relationship. "I am so sorry that our evening was ruined. I feel like it was my fault. I didn't intend to invite the attentions of a stranger, though. He just appeared out of nowhere."

Nick spoke before Matthew had a chance to respond. "Erin, cara mia, it is impossible for one as lovely and alive as you to avoid the unwanted attentions of such pigs. Matthew is not angry with you. We were simply discussing some minor business details."

My Guardian came over and stood beside me. "Erin, I promise you that it was not your fault. You were behaving most appropriately. And I promise you that our evening has not been ruined. As a matter of fact, thanks to our friend, I have a very special treat for you this evening, princess. Nick is helping me arrange it."

Nick turned and took a bottle of wine from a rack on his credenza. "We'll share a bottle of wine while we wait for everything to be ready. It has been too long since the three of us sat and visited."

As Nick and my Guardian caught up on what was going on in one another's lives, I found my mind drifting away. My Guardian's presence was like an energy field that set my entire body tingling. His scent filled my senses. I was aroused and longing to go home and learn what it was that he had planned for the rest of our celebration. Still, I would not embarrass him by allowing my desire to show. Instead, I resorted to one of the signals that we had agreed upon if ever I should want to let him know that I desired him when we were in public. I rose from my chair.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," I said politely, "but that chair is getting uncomfortable. I just need to switch positions for a few minutes."

I sat on the floor in front of my Guardian's chair at his feet, my long legs curled up beside me, hands folded demurely in my lap. I suspect that had I dared to be bold enough to look at my Guardian, I would have seen the corners of his mouth lift in a smile and the erection filling his trousers. I did not look, but waited submissively for his signal to leave. I did not have to wait long.

"Well, Nick," he said. "Thank you for the wine and the assistance. But we have detained you long enough this evening. Besides, I promised Erin a very special evening and the night is young."

"Go on. Get out of here, you two. I have work to do," replied Nick. "Enjoy the rest of your evening. Erin, I am sure you will have a wonderful night."

We left the restaurant and headed to the car. I was dying to ask, but knew better. My Guardian would tell me when he was good and ready. The ride home was filled with playful banter, until finally; I could take it no longer.

"Guardian," I began tentatively.

"Yes, princess."

"I want you."

"Do you, really, princess?"

"I want you so badly. I want to kneel before you and take your cock in my mouth. I want to feel you hands in my hair as I lick and suck and savour the taste of you. I want to devour you. I want..."

"PRINCESS!" my Guardian interrupted sharply. "Who owns you?"

"You do, sir."

"Who is it that has made the plans for this evening, princess?"

"You have, sir."

"I am very glad that you desire me, princess, and I am always glad to hear you say so. However, I will decide how you shall please me and when. You are almost being impertinent and I would hate to have to discipline you for that this evening, princess. I have promised you that you will not be disappointed this evening and that I have a very special surprise for you. You must trust me and leave it at that. Are we understood?"

"Yes, sir."

We rode in silence for a few minutes before I heard rather than felt my seat belt being unbuckled.

"Princess, I want you to turn and sit facing me with your back up against the door."

As I moved to obey, my Guardian nodded. "Good. Feet on the seat, legs spread wide. Slide your skirt up around your waist, princess. I want to see you."

My Guardian smiled in approval. "Beautiful, my dear, beautiful."

He glanced over at me briefly before turning to his attention to the road again. "And the straps tied so prettily at your shoulders, princess, untie them."

My surprise must have registered on my face. "Yes, my dear, I do know that will leave your lovely breasts exposed. Untie them."

I obeyed without any further hesitation. As I sat in the front seat of my Guardian's car, fully exposed, I felt both mildly uncomfortable and incredibly aroused. I knew that he enjoyed both the sight of my body and the combination of my arousal and discomfiture.