Ch 4: Going With the Flow

"It would be just us," r said. "So I might be more clearly -- I mean, he might make my status more explicit."

"How so?" Chloe asked, concern in her voice, thinking, not again.

"In a celebratory way," r said. "Not anything that would make you uncomfortable."

"Okay," Chloe said, uncertainly.

"I talked to him about this, and he gets it," r said. "I'll have the freedom to take care of you, and I will."

"Okay," Chloe said again, but with more confidence. "Maybe it will be nice."

"He's making you part of it," r said.

"And you like it," Chloe said.

"I want you to see me like that, and I want you to know that you still have me," r said. "Robert offered to take off my collar before he left today but I asked him not to."

Chloe turned in r's arms, stroked the leather, hooked a finger through the ring, and kissed her. "You look so hot, with that on, and nothing else," she said. The slave returned the kiss, pressing against Chloe, who ground into her, then began kissing her neck below the collar, running her tongue along it, and then continued kissing down r's body. She reached r's shaved mons, kissed her clit, and then lay her head on r's thigh, her face inches away from the slave's pussy. She stroked r's clit, moving the hood back and forth.

"I want to remember it this way," she said. Concerned again, r raised her head, but Chloe lowered hers, and r fell back with a moan as Chloe's expert tongue took over. Chloe knew her body so well, had spent how many hours licking her like this, learning her most subtle signals, knowing exactly when to tease and when to push. Her tongue was moving faster, circling and flicking her clit. She took it all into her mouth and swirled her tongue on it as her fingers pushed into r's pussy. r's hips came off the bed and she cried out and twisted, turning over, Chloe's head following, her tongue not letting up. On top now, she ground herself into Chloe's face, a second wave hitting and then increasing as one of Chloe's fingers pressed her anus.

Finally she fell back, and pulled Chloe close, kissing and licking her face.

"Chloe, he's going to put his ring there, but your mark is there already," she said. "Nobody else could do me like that."

Chloe snuggled closer, murmuring indistinctly into r's breast.

"Hmm?" she asked, but Chloe didn't answer. What she'd said had sounded a lot like "It won't be the same." She held her more tightly, but didn't know what to say.

5

Rather than the elaborate catered dinner he'd set up for the two of them, Robert decided to cook for Kevin and Chloe. He and r worked in the kitchen as they often did together, r naked, silver flashing at her wrists and throat.

That morning, when she'd knelt for her collar, he lifted her head off his cock and said, "Wait here." She remained on her knees, eyes down, until he returned holding several boxes. He held the largest out and lifted the lid. Inside was a silver necklace, a heavy chain, with a capital R hanging from it.

"This is the collar you will wear in public," he said, placing it around her neck. It was not quite a choker, but his initial hung at the hollow of her throat. He closed the clasp in the back and took from the box a small screwdriver.

"This doesn't lock," he said, "But it takes a jeweler's screwdriver to remove." He removed it to show her the clasp, a longer, solid link. He bent it and it opened, showing a small screw.

"Bend your head," he said. She felt him working at the nape of her neck for a moment, and then he raised her chin and turned her to face the mirror.

"It's beautiful," she said. "Nobody's going to know that's my owner's mark. But I will."

"Yes," he said. "You'll always be collared. And you may be cuffed in public as well." He opened the second box. Inside was a small Apple Watch on a solid silver bracelet, along with a matching bracelet for her other wrist. He put them on, again closing them with the screwdriver. They were thick but lightweight; the watchband on her left wrist wasn't that much narrower than the watch, and the bracelet on her right wrist matched.

"They're titanium," he said. "And so is this." From the box he took out a short light chain that he slid under each bracelet, bringing her hands behind her back and connecting them.

She pulled against them. "The cuffs are strong enough to hang you from," he said. "Although that would be too hard on your wrists."

"Are there ankle bracelets too?" she asked.

"No," he said, opening the third box, the largest. Inside was a pair of medium-height black heels with a thick ankle strap. He showed her that they closed with the same screw, and had what looked like a decorative loop in the back that was actually a leather-covered steel loop. She remained on her knees as he moved behind her, and put them on. The straps locked around her ankles firmly, much like her cuffs did.

"There are boots too," he said. "But they're still being made." He uncuffed her hands and stood her up. She walked to the mirror and looked at herself, naked but for the heels and the shiny metal at her throat and wrists.

"These are so beautiful," she said.

"I'd like you to wear them for dinner tonight," he said.

"Is this what we talked about?"

"Yes, for Chloe to see," he said. "And Kevin, obviously."

"I would like that," she said.

--

It had been a busy work-at-home day, and she was on camera for much of it, so she wore the new necklace, receiving several compliments on it, and the new cuffs as well. She glowed with the congratulations and the happiness she saw in people as she gave them the news. The time went quickly, and in the afternoon she signed off a little early, went into Robert's office, and knelt at his feet out of camera range. He gestured, and she took off the long black sweater that was all she'd been wearing other than a red thong. He gestured again and she took that off too, holding it out to him. He pointed at her mouth, so she inserted it there instead. She settled back on her knees, her hands at her side, her eyes down, the waistband of her underwear hanging from her lips. Her heels could feel how wet her pussy was. She squirmed, stimulating her clit and moving the steel plug inside her ass.

Robert finished his call, closed his laptop, and pushed his chair away from his desk. She crawled between his legs and put her face in his crotch. He stroked her hair, took the underwear out of her mouth, and asked if she'd had a good day.

"I did, Master, thank you," she said, pressing her lips against his erection. "May I?"

"Yes, love," he said. She unzipped his fly. Generally, she was allowed to use her hands for this as long as they were not restrained. His pants were loose and he was not wearing a belt, so she was able to open them fully and pull his underwear down. He moved so that his cock came completely free; she was not allowed to touch that with her hands. She bent her head to catch its tip in her mouth, and took it in. When it reached the back of her throat she paused and worked for a few moments, swallowing, and then took him the rest of the way in.

"Good girl," he said, stroking he hair and holding her down. She moved her tongue on him.

"I'm going to take a quick shower and then start dinner," he said. She nodded, her mouth opening around the base of his cock to breathe. "Do you want to shower too?" She shook her head, feeling his cock moving in her throat as she did.

He lifted her head and she managed not to drool too much. He wiped her chin with his handkerchief.

"I'd like to neaten up a bit," she said. "And then I'll give you a hand with dinner. What should I wear?"

"Stay like that for now," he said. "But go ahead."

"Yes, Sir," she said, getting to her feet, picking up the sweater, and opening her mouth for the underwear. She went to the bedroom, folded the sweater and put it in the drawer, and dropped the panties in the laundry hamper.

--

When Kevin and Chloe arrived, she and Robert met them at the door. She wore a simple black dress with a belt, over a black camisole and g-string, while Robert wore jeans and a jacket. Kevin was dressed as always in black jeans and an oversized shirt, while Chloe wore tight faded blue jeans and a white shirt that made it clear she was not wearing a bra.

"I can't hug you," r said. "But look at these." She turned to show Chloe the new cuffs, which were chained together behind her.

"Oh, r," Chloe said, admiringly. The slave turned and raised her chin. Chloe lifted the necklace.

"It's beautiful," she said. "But heavy. That's your R, isn't it," she added, turning to Robert.

"Of course," he said with a smile.

"I think that's the most elegant public collar I've ever seen," Kevin said. "You look beautiful, r."

"Thank you," she said.

"Come, have a seat," Robert said. He held r's elbow as the four of them went into the living room. He turned r and released her wrists.

"Kevin, help me with drinks," he said. The two men went to the bar in the corner while Chloe and r sat on the couch.

"You look so nice," r said. "I'm so glad you're here. Was it okay, me being like that when you came in?"

"It was beautiful," Chloe said. "It felt like you were excited to show me, not that Robert was restraining you."

"That's exactly what it was," she said. "He chose what I'm wearing but I asked him to lock my wrists."

Chloe took her hands, turning them over to examine the bracelets.

"These are locked on?"

"You need a Torx screwdriver to take them off," r said. "It's in the same box with the key for my other collar."

"The necklace too?"

r bent her head. "See the link in the back, the solid one? Bend it."

Chloe did so, exposing the screw. She released it, and lifted r's hair. The slave remained with her head bowed and Chloe pressed her face into the nape of r's neck. She inhaled deeply and kissed her. r sighed softly, then raised her head and touched Chloe's face.

--

Kevin looked over his shoulder, then turned back to Robert, who was behind the bar mixing drinks.

"She looks happy," he said. "They both do."

Robert looked up, nodded. "I think so. I hope so."

"And you're okay with it all?" Kevin asked. "You were always so ... monogamous."

"I trust r," Robert said. "And Chloe. I'm not saying I'm completely comfortable with it, but I understand it now. I'm sorry if I was ever judgmental about you and Chloe."

"I appreciate that," Kevin said. "This is a new side of you. You're learning again. Being open to things."

"I have to be," Robert said. "I love her so much. And she is giving me so much. I need to take good care of her, and this -- Chloe -- is very important to her. More, I think, than she realized."

"It has changed for Chloe too, I think for the better," Kevin said. "She used to talk about it as 'fooling around' but she doesn't say things like that anymore."

"Really?" Robert said. "r never talked like that."

"I don't think Chloe realized how r felt. I think she was protecting herself."

Their eyes were both on the women now, whose eyes were on each other.

"Will it bother you if they kiss?" Kevin asked. "Or did you give r rules about that?"

"I gave her no rules," Robert said. "She's asked me not to extend my authority over Chloe, even secondhand. It makes Chloe very uncomfortable."

"She's in a tough spot," Kevin said. "We've never had an exclusive relationship. She doesn't have anyone like r has you."

"Maybe you should think about that," Robert said.

"I am," Kevin said. "It's hard, being in the scene like I am. I never thought things with Chloe would last this long. But we've talked about her moving in, since she's here so much she almost has three places."

"That would change things," Robert said. "She'd hang out upstairs while you had someone in the dungeon? Or would you ask her to join in?"

"Maybe," Kevin said. "She might like that. It would be hot. But it changes things. Maybe she'd rather be here."

"I'm not opposed to her being here when I'm here," Robert said. "I'm not sure she'd be OK going to bed in the guest room by herself though, while I had r with me. I think r and I would need to talk about it."

"There's a lot to think about," Kevin said. "But you are very lucky, Robert. I did not expect to see you like this."

"I didn't either," Robert said. "I was tired of feeling like I had to choose between someone who satisfied me sexually and someone who felt like a partner. Honestly I had given up."

"So do we interrupt them now?" Kevin said. "What if r wanted to take Chloe into the bedroom for a bit?"

"She won't ask me that," Robert said. "She wouldn't surprise me with something she'd know would make me uncomfortable. That's part of the reason this works. That's part of the trust. I wouldn't surprise her like that either."

"You talk about everything?" Kevin asked.

"Don't you?"

"No, not always," Kevin said. "I mean, I know Chloe's boundaries, and you know, you never start with the volume on 10. But I do what I want when I want and trust her to safe-word. She likes being taken like that. And I love it."

"We talk about everything," Robert said. "r is not nearly as experienced and I think she's had a bad history of people going too far or acting without thought. We talk and we write. She likes that, and so do I."

"Be careful with her," Kevin said. "I've known her a while now and I would not have believed she'd do any of these things. She's way out of her depth."

"No, she's not," Robert said. "She knows exactly where she is. That collar would not be around her neck otherwise. She's wanted that for a while but I wanted to be very sure she knew what it meant for me to collar her."

"She's been asking you for it?"

"Oh yes," Robert said. "She's been moving faster than I have, or trying to. She talks about things and thinks about things, but once she knows what she wants, she is very direct in asking."

"And that's okay with you?"

"More than okay," Robert said. "She learned the language very quickly, I think it's natural to her somehow, so she doesn't challenge or demand. She's not a brat at all. So I like it. I like that she wants these things and talks about them so explicitly -- things I haven't done before. I like the conversations, I like making her wait and talking to her about what I will do. Making her write about it."

Kevin shook his head. "I'm glad you found someone who likes to think as much as you do."

Robert lifted his drink and they touched glasses. Then he handed Chloe's drink to Kevin and picked up the one he'd made for r. "Let's not abandon them," he said.

Chloe and r had been quiet, holding hands. Chloe looked up at r, wondering if she could kiss her, but not wanting to push it. She was surprised and happy to be invited like this. She looked over r's shoulder as the men returned, and r turned to face Robert, dropping Chloe's hands. He handed her the drink, and they stood.

"To the happy couple," Kevin said. "To all of us." They lifted their glasses, and Chloe noticed that r waited for a small nod from Robert before drinking.

She did the same thing at dinner. She and Robert brought in the plates while Kevin and Chloe sat, then Robert held out her chair and she sat. Robert took his place, lifted his glass and said, "To valuable and dear friends." The others toasted and then picked up their utensils, while r sat with her hands in her lap until Robert nodded to her.

"Robert made me salmon like this the first time he cooked for me," r said. Chloe glanced at her with a smile, remembering being half awake that night, staying up waiting for r's text to see how the date had went, then sitting wrapped in a blanket on the couch, whispering so as not to wake Kevin, asking for the details and getting wet and worried hearing them.

r took her hand, remembering as well, how she had told the story in a rush, excited, then realized what Chloe was feeling, then talking into her friend's silence, trying to reassure her. Chloe squeezed her hand, held tight, looked her in the eyes.

"I am so glad you are here," r said. Chloe wiped her eyes quickly.

"We both are," Robert said. "Thank you very much, Chloe. It means a lot."

"It does," Chloe said. "It really does."

6

The next day, at the clinic, r took off her skirt and the plain cotton panties her owner had instructed her to wear, and lay back on the table with her feet in the stirrups. Her owner held her hand as the technician's gloved hands gently lifted the hood of her clitoris. "We're going to pierce right here," she said, "and we'll put in an 18-gauge ring." She held up the plain silver ring.

r looked down and nodded.

"You can change that ring for something else later, but wait at least a month, and stick with a light gauge." With an alcohol pad, she cleaned the clit and the area around it, and then with another one, more carefully swabbed inside and outside her hood, then inserted a small needle guide inside.

"I need you to relax," she said. "Take deep breaths and try to relax your muscles. You have to stay still while I do this."

"Should I hold her?" Robert asked?

"No, you'll just get in the way," the technician said. "And you can't hold her as still as I need her to be."

"OK, hon, look at me," she said. "It'll be very quick, okay? Just lay back now and breathe deep."

She positioned the needle, and then with a quick confident motion, pushed it through. r gasped but didn't scream, and Robert squeezed her hand. The technician smoothly followed the needle with the ring, and r felt another twinge as it was closed.

"Perfect," the tech said, applying a cloth for a moment. "Use one of the panty liners for today, because there will probably be some bleeding but it shouldn't be much. If it's more than spotting, get it looked at.

"It'll probably swell, and you can ice it, but gently and not directly. Clean it with saline every hour or two especially for the first few days.

"And no sex, guys, sorry," she said. "The recommendation is to wait four to six weeks. Some people are ready to do it sooner, but basically wait until it doesn't hurt too much and any swelling has gone down. At first use a condom and use the saline afterwards. And wear underwear like that. You're better off keeping it covered as you move around."

"Thank you," r said. She sat up without closing her legs, and her owner helped her to her feet. He held her as she walked carefully to the waiting car, and once they were seated, asked, "How do you feel?"

"It wasn't as bad as I thought," she said. "But it hurts right now and it feels so big."

She lifted her skirt and pulled out her underwear to look.

"You had me pierced," she said.

He squeezed her hand. "Don't get yourself too excited," he said. "You won't be able to masturbate either for a little while."

"I know," she said, leaning against him. "But my owner had me pierced."

--

It was uncomfortable, and still hurt, and it was hard to sleep. She tried not to think too much about it, or get herself too excited, but it was hard to think about anything else. She wanted to cross or stretch her legs but she knew it would hurt too much. She'd laid here the whole day, moved to the couch with Robert's help, mostly naked, her legs spread, asking for help when she needed to pee, dreading the need to get up and use the bathroom for a bowel movement.

She watched tv and tried to read, wrote some in her journal but it was difficult to find a comfortable position for the notebook. Mostly, she thought. She was naked, collared, largely helpless, wounded in her most intimate area at her owner's orders. This was now her most basic self. She was property to be cared for, and she let herself settle into that feeling.

She was more than that, she would be, she could be, but for the moment she'd put everything else aside. When everything else was taken away, at her core, this was what she was, what she had always wanted to be. She'd exposed it too soon in the past, or to people who she should not have trusted, but now it was safe for her to be stripped down to the ground like this, and despite the pain she felt more relaxed than she ever had.