After the Fall Ch. 08

"You're doing great. It's going to be easier with the leash. I'll be able to give you a little guidance with it. While you were napping, I made a makeshift collar for you to use for practice. Sit down on the bed and I'll get it for you."

She sat and tried to clear her mind of any thoughts at all while he got the collar from his armoire. He brought it back and held it so she could look at it. A thin, nylon rope was already tied to the collar. The collar was made of a man's dress belt, cut to length with holes punched in the new end.

"Are you ready for me to put it on?"

She took one more look at it and nodded.

"Okay. Hold your hair up on top of your head for me. If you start having trouble, say something. I'll stop and we can try again later."

She nodded and gathered her hair on top of her head. He put the collar around her neck and fed the end through the buckle. Before he buckled it, he glanced up at her face. Her gaze was calm and steady, so he buckled the collar and stood back. Even though it was a DIY job, he had to admit that she looked good in it. He realized then that what he would rather see was the emerald dressing gown sash tied loosely around her throat. His cock stirred at the thought. Focus. He needed to focus.

"You can put your hair down, sweetheart. How does it feel?"

Her hand came up to touch the collar. "It feels okay. Not as strange as I expected it to feel."

"Good. Let's practice walking up and down the hall again, but this time, I'm going to try to guide you into random rooms using the leash so we can both get the hang of that. No talking unless you need to."

She stood, and they walked up and down the hall several times. At first, every time the rope tightened, she had to fight the urge to toss her head and pull against it, but it didn't take long to get over the impulse. She was surprised how much easier it was to maintain the right pace with the leash. The amount of tension in the rope made it easy to tell if she needed to speed up or slow down, and she could easily interpret his slight tugs in one direction or another to guide her into different rooms. On the final trip down the hall, he guided her into the lounge and walked over to his usual seat on the sectional.

"Let's go over kneeling and sitting on the floor. I doubt it will be necessary for our first trip, but we should start working on it so that you'll at least be familiar with it." Her eyes shot to his face, and he gave her a few seconds before he continued. "I promise I'm not going to have you kneeling or sitting on the floor unless it's necessary, but we need to cover it. There's room for variation in a lot of things, but there are some things that all the Elites seem to have their girls do, and one of those is kneeling."

Mariah snorted.

"Kitten, you can't do that. You need to practice staying in character now because I promise you, you're going to see a whole lot of things that make you want to snort or roll your eyes or make a smart remark. Do you need a minute before we continue?"

"No."

"No, what?"

"No, Sir."

He could see her cringe when she said it. They were going to have to work on that.

"Whenever you don't have permission to sit on furniture, you have to kneel on the floor. I don't want you to hurt your knees, so if I feel I can, I'll tell you to 'rest.' If I tell you to rest while you're kneeling, it means you can sit on the floor the way I'm going to show you. Any questions so far?"

"No, Sir."

He sat down and took one of the throw pillows from the couch and put it on the floor close to him.

"Kneel on the cushion and I'll talk you through your positioning."

She knelt with her butt resting on her heels and her hands resting on her thighs and looked up at him expectantly.

"That's good. You're already close to being in the basic position. Just turn your hands over and make sure you keep your back straight. You should either keep your eyes on your lap or on me. I've seen both versions. It's important to stay consistent. Whatever rule you're following, make sure it's the same all the time. It's up to you, but I'd prefer it if you kept your eyes on me. We'd be in better communication that way. But, if you don't think you can manage to keep your eyes on me consistently, look down.

"When I tell you to rest, you can shift so that you're sitting on the floor with your legs curled beside you. Try not to get too casual with it, but there's some flexibility. In that position, you can look around, but you should always avoid a lot of eye contact with another Elite unless he's talking to you.

"You can rest now."

Mariah shifted smoothly to sit as he had described.

"Perfect. Go ahead and stand up. Are you ready to stop for the evening?"

"No, I need to practice walking the right distance in front of you."

"Okay, but you need to say, 'No, Sir.'"

He saw the irritation flash over Mariah's face, but he decided not to say anything about after she nodded, and added, "Yes, Sir."

"Good girl." He stood and beckoned her towards the door. "This time, focus on walking more naturally. Earlier, you kept looking like you were about to turn around to see how far I was behind you, and I think it's throwing off your natural gait. Your hips normally sway more when you walk."

After another walk up and down the hall, Michael stopped her. "That's a lot better. Let's go get the highest pair of heels from your closet. You'll be wearing heels when we're there, so let's practice with them on."

In her closet, Michael found the most precarious pair of heels she had. They were three and a half inches—high, but not as high as the girls at The Center typically wore. They would have to do, though. He had Mariah sit on the bench in her closet. She started to take off her shoes. He stopped her.

"You haven't been asked to take your shoes off, and you haven't asked permission, either. Just sit with your hands in your lap. Try to remember to be as passive as possible. Keep in mind that nothing you do is supposed to be your idea. You thought you were cooperating with my intention, but you should still wait."

Mariah nodded.

He waited.

"Oh!" She realized why he was waiting. "Yes, Sir."

He smiled and knelt in front of her to slip off her shoes. He took her right foot in his hand and slipped it into the shoe. His hand slid up the inside of her calf and back down again. The shoes had an ankle strap, and he buckled it, taking time to caress her ankle as he did. When he put the shoe on her left foot and buckled it, his caress started with her ankle and went beneath her dress half-way up her thigh before he slid his hand back down to place her foot on the floor. He stood and stepped back.

"Ready?"

"Yes, Sir." It was becoming easier to say, "Sir." The more she said it, the more it became part of a pattern, and the less she focused on the message it was intended to enforce.

It had been a decade since Mariah had worn heels, but it immediately felt familiar. As she walked down the hall, the light clicking of her heels made it easier to think about the rhythm of a steady pace. Michael began varying his pace to give her practice adjusting to the changes. She learned that she needed to walk at a distance that kept a light tension on the leash so that she could be alert to any changes in Michael's speed. After several more trips up and down the hall, Michael stopped her in front of her bedroom door.

"You're doing great. I need to check your posture, though."

She straightened her back.

"I mean that I need to check your posture while you're walking. You'll be wearing much less than your dress at The Center. Take off your clothes and let's try it that way."

She looked up at him sharply. "You just want to see me parading around naked!"

He grinned. "Of course I do. But I also have a really good excuse. I want to check how you're holding your back and I want to check your gait more carefully. Naturally, I'm going to enjoy the view. You can't blame me for that."

She continued to glare at him.

He shrugged. "I'm not going to make you. It's up to you."

Her frown deepened. He waited.

"I'll wear my underwear. You should be able to see my posture in that."

"That will work fine. As a reminder, you didn't snap your fingers before you started accusing me of being a lech. That means it was a slipup."

Instead of responding, she pulled her dress off quickly. She was wearing a demi bra and Brazilian panty set, both of sheer black mesh with embroidered fern leaves scattered over strategic spots. She leaned into her room to toss the dress on the bed.

"There. Happy now?"

Michael started walking without answering. She took her cue and walked ahead. He stopped her close to the end of the hall.

"Turn around, sweetheart."

She turned, looking sulky and rebellious.

"I think we should stop for the night."

"Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"Even though it was your choice to take off your dress, you're still angry about it. That's affecting the way you carry yourself. You're clicking your heels louder on the floor because of the way you're walking. Your stride is tight instead of fluid. You're even leaning forward a little like you want to pull on the leash. You've already practiced a lot today. We'll try again tomorrow."

"No. I want to get it right."

"You can get it right tomorrow."

"Just give me one more try. I want to get it right."

He sighed. "You can practice on the way back to your bedroom, but after that, we're done."

"Okay. Give me a minute before we start, please."

"Just let me know when you're ready."

Mariah closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. She thought about what the other girls must look like when they walked. They wouldn't be stomping around. They wouldn't be business-like and they wouldn't be careless. They would be seductive. Those girls must spend time learning how to be enticing when they walked. Besides a lot of practice, it probably helped to be in the right frame of mind. She tried to feel seductive, but it just wasn't happening.

She opened her eyes and turned to Michael. "Could you please kiss me first?"

He brought his hand to her cheek and rubbed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip. "Looking for inspiration?"

She nodded.

His fingers slid from her cheek to the back of her neck as he lowered his mouth to hers. He paused before their lips touched, hovering there for a brief moment before he kissed her. His kiss was tantalizing. He pressed his advantage, but when she yielded to him, he retreated, leaving her seeking more. When her hands curled around his biceps, he removed them and brought her wrists behind her back. He held them in one hand and pulled them slightly back and down so that her body arched toward his.

With a hand in her hair, he tilted her head back as he held her in position. The kisses he brushed along her jawline sent a shiver down her back. When he reached the corner of her jaw, he closed his teeth around her earlobe. He sucked it gently as he drew back, letting it slide through his teeth, then bent lower to kiss the side of her neck. When he returned to her mouth, his kiss was more urgent. She responded to his hunger with a needy moan. His hips rocked against her in response. He pulled back abruptly. When she tried to move towards him, he held her in place.

"I think that's enough inspiration, kitten."

Her mouth was open slightly and he could hear her quickened breathing, matched by the rise and fall of her chest.

"Focus, Mariah."

She blinked slowly, then seemed to shake herself. He released her wrists. She was silent for a few moments, lost in her thoughts before she looked up at him.

"I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Sir."

He gathered up the nylon cord he'd let fall. "Okay. Whenever you're ready."

The walk down the hall was marked only by the light clicking of her heels on the floor. Her gait was fluid and her hips swayed in a natural rhythm. Her arms swung subtly in counterpoint to each step. At the end of the hall, he used the tension of the leash to guide her past the corner. She hesitated uncertainly at the end of the hall where his door stood open. When the leash went slack, she realized he meant for her to continue. He stopped her a few feet into the room, then came around in front of her.

"You were amazing." He unfastened the collar and let it fall to the floor. Her bra and panties soon followed. "Practice is over."

He ran his hands over her body, his palms just skimming her skin. Just as she began to lean into his touch, he stepped back. His eyes were dark with an intensity that made her stomach flutter. He eyed her slowly, taking his time, letting her feel his gaze sweeping her from head to toe as she stood naked but for her high-heeled shoes. She fidgeted as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Stay still, kitten. Just let me look at you."

He circled her slowly. Suddenly, she didn't know what she should do with her hands or how she should hold her head. His steady perusal was unnerving. She jumped when he spoke, much closer behind her than she realized.

"Relax."

Shivers chased each other down the back of her neck as he spoke. He gathered her hair and laid it in front of her shoulder, baring her neck. Now she could feel his breath against the back of her neck. Was it her imagination, or could she feel the heat of his body her? She heard him take a step back and she could almost feel the weight of his appraisal. She shifted again. He put a hand on her hip.

"Please be still for me."

It was easier to stay still when he touched her. She felt more connected. He caressed her ass with a light touch that caused her lean subtly back into his touch despite his admonition to stay still. He stepped back again, and she heard him undressing. Resisting the urge to look back over her shoulder wasn't easy, and the unanswered need to see him raised her inner tension.

A few moments later he was right behind her again. The weight of his cock came to rest against the cleft of her ass as his lips brushed the nape of her neck. His hands started on her hips and swept upwards, cupping her breasts. He nuzzled the side of her neck, encouraging her to tilt her head to the side. His soft, sucking kisses made her breath catch and her back arch. She let her breath back out in a moan. His cock throbbed in response where it nestled against the cleft of her ass. He plucked at her nipples, teasing them to stiff, swollen peaks. When she pushed her ass back against his cock, he growled against her ear and palmed her breasts, pulling her back against him.

"I've been needing you so damned bad all day. Then watching you walk like that..." One of his hands slid down her stomach. "Are you wet for me?"

By the time he was done asking the question, his finger was already sliding through her slippery wet pussy. "I think you need something, too, don't you, sweetheart?" His lips brushed her ear as he spoke.

She drew in a breath and let it out with a shaky sigh. "Yes."

"Tell me what you need."

He stroked slowly up and down over her clit as she tried to find the words.

"I need you."

He groaned and rocked his hips, pushing his cock against her backside.

"Tell me what you need from me."

"I need you to fuck me."

He squeezed her pussy. "Believe me, baby, you're not going anywhere before I've fucked you. Tell me what else you need."

"I need your cock."

He thrust against her again. "You'll get it. What else do you need?"

As she tried to figure out what he wanted her to say, he slid his second and third fingers on either side of her clit and slid them up and down, stroking the sides of her clit. "Come on, kitten. What do you need?"

"That is what I need."

His fingers kept moving against her until it dawned on her.

"I need you to make me come?"

He chuckled. "You don't sound very sure of that."

"I'm sure."

"Good girl."

He pressed his fingers towards each other, squeezing her clit between them. She shuddered and her thighs pressed together in response.

"Open your legs for me, baby. Move your feet apart."

Once she was standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, he plunged a finger into her pussy and worked it in and out until she was rocking her hips in counterpoint. When he returned to her clit, her legs began to shake. He wrapped his free arm beneath her rib cage to steady her. He brought her to the brink, then stopped. Panting lightly, she pressed herself into his hand, seeking more.

"That's it. Show me what you want."

He circled her clit until she whimpered and bucked against his hand. Her fingers dug into his arms as he brought her to the brink. Then he slowed his fingers, keeping her there.

"Please..."

"Please what, kitten? Do you want to come for me?" He flicked her clit lightly.

"Yes."

His fingers sped up and didn't slow down. Her hips bucked, but he stayed with her as she came. He coaxed wave after wave of pleasure from her. When he finally let her stop, she was clinging to his arms, barely standing. He steadied her and kept an arm around her waist. When she had recovered, he helped her step out of her shoes and led her to the bed. He laid back against the pillows. Her eyes roamed over him, lingering where his cock jutted. He reached for her, intending to pull her on top of him, but she sat on the edge of the bed instead.

"What are you doing, kitten?"

"I want to touch you." She laid her hand on his chest and spread her fingers wide.

"Don't you want me to fuck you?"

"Yes. Can't I have both?" She looked up from his chest and the hunger in her eyes made his breath catch.

"For as long as I can take it."

She leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips were soft but insistent against his, drawing him deeper and deeper into the kiss. When she started to pull away, his fingers tangled in her hair, holding her in the kiss for another moment before he released her. She ran her hand down his chest, letting her nails drag across his skin. Her fingertips trailed lightly over his stomach, down to wrap around his shaft. She stroked the soft skin there, exploring the contrast as the silky skin slid so smoothly over the hardness of his cock. He groaned when she firmed her grip and began stroking in earnest. Precum welled up at the tip. She watched it gather until a drop rolled down his cockhead. She caught the drip with her finger and brought it to her mouth.

"Baby, please. I need to be inside you."

She moved to kneel on the bed, then crawled over him to straddle his hips. She lowered herself, stopping when the tip of his cock pressed against her entrance. Keeping her eyes locked on his, she reached down to guide the tip of his cock up and down through her slick heat. He sucked his breath in through gritted teeth. As his hands slid up her thighs, she nestled the head of his cock against her entrance and sank down his length. Her eyes closed as she concentrated on the feeling of his cock into her. They opened again when he reached for her hips and pulled her down as he thrust upward, making her gasp as he drove his cock in fully.

"Oh! Do that again."

He obliged, driving himself up into her hard enough that she fell forward. She braced her hands against his chest and rotated her hips, grinding against him. He loosened his hold on her waist and she began to ride him, rolling her hips in a sinuous motion each time she raised herself then clenching her pussy tight around him on the way down.

"Fuck, Mariah..." His voice was strained.

He was torn between watching the pleasure on her face and her swaying breasts. When she began to tire, held her hips and steadied her, supporting and controlling her movement. He thrust up into her each time she sank down on his cock. As he built speed, he began pulling her down harder, driving a series of gasps and moans from her. As his movements grew ragged, he grabbed her ass and held her in place. She leaned forward and braced herself against the force of his deep thrusts. His fingers dug into her buttocks as he came, pumping into her clinging pussy.