Only Consenting Adults Ch. 21

[Author's note: Eve has accompanied Aidan to Sanctuary Point to help him find his wife. When things went wrong, Eve acted on her own initiative, despite Adam's warnings not to get involved. Meanwhile, Cassie has talked Syn into going to Billie and Morgan's (WWD07) house for dinner. will she be able to bring both of her worlds together?

Warning: the latter part of this chapter contains strong non-consent themes.]

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A LESSON ON SUBMISSION

Billie cackled with glee as she dropped the ace of clubs onto the table.

"Suck it," she exclaimed happily.

Cassie groaned, following with a Jack, looking despondently at the rest of her hand. Across the table from her, Morgan dropped a six of diamonds. Syn deposited the ten of clubs neatly on top of the others and pushed the hand across the table to Billie.

Billie gathered the cards, tapping them on the sides to straighten them up, and added the latest round to her collection. She took a generous mouthful of red wine and dropped her last cards on the table.

"King of hearts," she announced, "And then this lady. If I'm right, you can't beat them with what you're holding."

Reverently, she placed the Queen of Hearts onto the table.

Morgan dropped her cards with a snort of disgust and took a swig of her wine. Cassie and Syn conceded too.

"Mine, I think," Billie said.

"You're a terrible loser," Morgan replied, "But an even worse winner, especially after drinking."

Billie fixed her wife with a little knowing look and pouted, "I guess it brings out my inner alpha male, sweetheart."

"Refill?" Morgan asked.

"Of course. You need to slow me down somehow."

Billie began to gather the cards and shuffle them, dealing out the next round. Morgan sighed and let it happen, giving in to her wife, swirling the red wine absently in her glass. Morgan was fighting a losing battle, both trying to pace her drinking against her wife, and also against Billie's increasingly ebullient behaviour. Cassie didn't mind. She'd seen Billie stone cold sober and roaring drunk. This was pretty tame, and besides, after the last few weeks, it was nice to have been able to offload the kids, go to friends for dinner, open the wine, and for a moment just forget about everything else.

Syn was watching the proceedings carefully, sipping her wine. It didn't feel awkward, but she wasn't as relaxed as Billie. At least Billie hadn't opened her mouth and put her foot in it yet, though looking across at Morgan's face, Cassie got the impression that her wife was just waiting for the inevitable. Cassie knew that Billie was itching with curiosity about Cassie's new friend, and when the questions came, she hoped that Syn would take it all with good grace.

Syn had taken some convincing. She had suggested a postponement, that she was still exhausted from the party, then from bailing Aidan out of jail, and the underlying trauma of closing the doors on the Lost and Found. Eve's silence was also weighing heavily on her. When Aidan had told them about Eve booking herself into the spa in Aidan's place, they had expected a report back that evening. It had been two days now, and still no word. Stranger still, Adam was uncontactable too; Cassie had left him numerous messages but had received no reply.

On top of that, Cassie was worried about Syn again, and had talked her into staying with Cassie in the suburbs while it was Damian's turn to have the boys. She had also ended up accommodating Aidan too: Syn was adamant that she wanted him in sight at all times, especially since Syn had been the one who had put up the bond money to bail him out. To Cassie, a quiet dinner with close friends had seemed like the perfect respite from the bedlam.

They all picked up their cards and Billie called hearts again as trumps, grinning to herself. They began to play their hands, but Cassie could see Billie's sly glances. She braced herself for the inevitable broadside.

"So, Cassie, sounds like you got a full house at the moment," Billie commented.

"I guess."

Billie rolled her eyes. "Aidan of the abs. He's not wandering around in just a towel is he?"

"Yeah, he's staying for a few days and no, he's not naked. He's just gotta sort a few things out."

"For him or for you?"

"Billie," Morgan interjected, "Leave it."

Syn dropped an ace without comment, taking control of the game. She flashed Cassie a quick look. Cassie tensed. Yes, she thought, Syn was right. It was about time.

"Actually," Cassie began, "About that."

Billie paused, the card still in her fingers.

"I suppose I need to tell you something."

Cassie met Syn's gaze, and suddenly Billie slapped her card down onto the table, gasping.

"Cassidy Hayes, you dark horse," Billie chortled, "Have we gone on a trip to the Greek island?"

Cassie looked at her friend. Billie was beaming, cheeks flushed with the wine, but her eyes were sparkling with something else: mischief.

"Greek?" Cassie managed, before Billie launched into it.

"Or joined us on the Greek island, more to the point. Fuck, babe, remember in the bathroom at that bar, when Morgan fixed you up that time, and we sent you out? Remember what we said about more than men? Fucking hell. You dark horse."

She looked from Cassie to Syn. "So, tell me, come on, how did you meet?"

Cassie gaped, unprepared for the speed at which Billie turned the conversation. She realised too late that she hadn't thought it through: she didn't know what to say.

"Cynthia, you said you owned a nightclub," Billie continued, "I'm guessing there?"

"How about you let the woman get a word in?" Morgan chided, putting a warning hand on her wife's arm.

Syn drew herself straighter, fixing her attention on Cassie. "Billie wants the story. Shall I?"

The grey-blue eyes were searching her face, asking a much more profound question. Syn had never hidden who she was, had never pretended to be just another person in the shoe store or at the post office. Syn was, Cassie conceded, utterly remarkable. She didn't do ordinary, and now she was asking whether Cassie was ready to never do ordinary either, ever again.

Cassie nodded. Syn laid her cards on the table.

"I'm afraid I'm no longer in the club business. We had to close. There are laws coming into effect that would prevent us operating in the manner we wanted."

Billie frowned. "Oh," she said, "I'm sorry, what was the place?"

"It was called the Lost and Found. We, my husband and I, my late husband, had been running it for nearly twenty years."

"I imagine it's a big loss," Morgan interjected, sympathetically, "And now, I guess you're at a loose end?"

"Something like that," Syn agreed.

"Do you have anything to fall back on?", Billie asked, "What were you doing before?"

Syn laughed, "Oh, I couldn't do that again. I was in the hospitality business, let's say, but the lifestyle was relentless. Still, I did meet my husband, so it worked out in the end."

"You must have other skills?"

Syn's smile tightened fractionally, giving Cassie a subtle warning. She found that she was holding her breath.

"Oh, I do," Syn replied, "I'm a dominatrix."

Billie froze in shock. Morgan's eyes widened. Cassie felt a surge of panic as Syn revealed her secrets in front of the two women.

"As in...?" Billie fumbled, "Uh, how long?"

"Ah, that's probably more than a quick conversation," Syn continued, smoothly, "But the abridged version is that I was introduced to the lifestyle by my husband, Harvey. We discussed it, and he sent me away to Zurich, to a finishing school, to learn."

"There's a school?"

"Several, but the Institute is the finest. Harvey wanted me to experience the best."

Billie's mouth opened and closed, then she seemed to pull herself together. "So, you were trained? Like, with whips and stuff?"

Syn's lips curled into a wry smile. "Ah, not quite, Billie. It was a complete education. I emerged as a fully-rounded individual. There is so much more to it than whips."

"Really?" Billie gasped, reaching for her wine again, a look of fascination creeping over her face as the initial shock subsided. "What else did you learn?"

"Contemporary literature, geopolitics, economics," Syn replied, ticking items off on her fingers, "Sexual arousal response patterns, human biology, psychology, pain thresholds."

She leaned back in her chair, fixing Billie with a peculiar look. "Denial," she continued, "Teasing, bondage, control, enslavement."

At that last word, Billie's eyes shifted, a little unfocused from the wine but suddenly intense, staring at Cassie. A silence descended on the table. Then, Billie's expression changed, telling Cassie that the conversation was turning again.

"Is that what happened, Cassie?" she asked, her attention only on Cassie now, ignoring the other women at the table.

Billie was holding it in, with an effort, struggling against the wine to retain her composure, but it was like they were back in the schoolyard again, as Billy, the boy who faced the mean girls on her behalf, who didn't do such a thing as backing down when his friend was in trouble.

"What did she do to you?"

In the corner of her eye, Cassie saw how still Syn had become, sensing the tension. She could read Billie's thoughts, almost, could read the narrative unwinding in her friend's head.

"It's not like that, Billie," Cassie replied, "I didn't, uh, I'm not. I...."

Cassie ground to a halt, looking to Syn for direction.

"It's okay," Syn replied carefully, "You can tell them. You can show them if you like."

Cassie's heart was racing, burning away the effects of the wine as the adrenaline spiked. This was way more than showing hers behind the shed at school with Billy had revealed his. She wasn't trading a look at boy bits for girl bits. This was baring her soul to her oldest friend.

Cassie leaned towards Syn, cupping the back of the other woman's head with her hand, pulling Syn towards her. Instead of leaning in for the kiss, she gently directed Syn off the chair and down onto her knees. Cassie stroked her cheek and then lifted her chin.

"Strip," she said.

In utter silence, Syn unbuttoned her blouse and let it fall to the floor, revealing a cream satin bra underneath. She reached behind herself to unclasp it.

"Stop," Cassie told her, "That's enough. Sit back on the chair."

Syn resumed her position at the table, meeting the astonished looks of their companions, sitting in just her bra, making no attempt to hide herself. There was a fierce gleam in her eyes.

"You see," Cassie said, "It's not what you think, Billie. She didn't turn me into her slave, I turned her into mine."

"Okay," Morgan interjected, flustered, "You can probably put your top back on now."

"Actually," Syn told her, "I can't."

"Why?"

"I've not been allowed."

Morgan frowned, incredulous. "So, who makes your decision for you?"

"I do," Cassie replied, "I'm her owner, Morgan. That's what I'm trying to tell you."

Cassie reached out and stroked Syn's naked arm, telling her, "That's enough, put your top back on."

Syn retrieved her blouse and began to button herself back up.

Billie looked around the table, wide eyed. "Fucking hell," she breathed, "I did not see that coming."

She took another mouthful of wine, then directed her attention at Cassie.

"So, how long have you been, uh, a whatever this is?"

"A mistress? About a year."

"So, you whip people? Tie them up?"

"No and yes."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't go around whipping people. I'm not into that. But yes, I do tie them up."

"Fuck, so that time with Damian, the ropes, when you told me about that, even back then?"

"Yeah, that was the start of it."

Billie gave a quick laugh, "So, fuck, were you his mistress? Damian? Is that what you two were doing?"

"What do you think?" Cassie replied, trying to keep her voice steady at the memory of her ex-husband on their bed, laughing at her attempt to tie him up.

"I think that Damian would never have gone for that. You need to be a certain type, am I right? He wasn't was he?"

"No," Cassie conceded, her voice soft.

Suddenly the wine seemed to be catching up with her, and she felt a wave of tiredness. Billie had more questions, she could see, but Cassie wasn't up to it. The drama of the last few weeks had taken its toll on her as well as Syn, she realised. She held up a hand to postpone further inquisition.

"Actually, you don't have to be," Syn said.

Billie turned to her. "What?"

"A certain type, you said, but I disagree."

"You mean everyone's into it? Is that what you're saying?"

"I believe it's more about context."

"Such as?"

Syn crossed her legs, taking a sip of wine, suddenly composed and in control after her display of obedience.

"An example, then," she began, "Let's ask the question. Billie, do you think you're the type of person that would enjoy being tied up?"

Billie fidgeted in her seat. "No," she replied.

"Why is that?"

"I just don't see the point."

"Let me ask you a more personal question, and you don't have to answer, I'll understand. Have you ever tried it?"

Billie shook her head.

"If you did, if, for example, you had your hands tied, something as simple as that, how would it make you feel do you think?"

"I dunno."

Syn was watching Billie's face carefully. Cassie had seen her do this many times, looking for the subtle tell-tales. Cassie found herself drawn into it, fascinated.

"I think you do," Syn insisted.

"It would, uh, I guess I would feel a little helpless."

"Quite possibly. But, this is where it gets interesting. Female and male psychology diverges at this point. For a woman to feel helpless, it's not out of the norm. After all, we are the weaker sex."

Syn smiled wryly at her own comment.

"But," she continued, "For a man, it undermines his manhood. Men are built to be in charge, right?"

"Not necessarily," Billie countered, but there was uncertainty in her voice now.

"Do you like to be in control?"

Billie didn't respond.

"I like being in control," Syn said, "It gives me such a thrill, and I have had no shortage of people who want me to take control of them. But, it means that I never had anyone to take control of me, to make me submit to their will. I lost that when Harvey died."

Unexpectedly, Syn leaned across and gave Cassie a kiss.

"Then I found someone. I'm able to let go again, to surrender. The thrill of that is more powerful than anything."

She turned back to Billie.

"Do you want to try something, Billie? I know the talk of slaves and mistresses can be a little daunting, but just only for a little fun."

"Like what?"

"Something simple. You're with people you trust, aren't you?"

"I guess."

Morgan snorted, breaking her silence, "You guess? Seriously? That's your answer?"

"Okay, yeah. I know."

"What does it entail?" Morgan asked.

"The both of you," Syn replied, "Oh and a belt, or a length of cord."

Morgan and Billie exchanged looks. Billie began to grin.

"Fuck it," she said, "I'm game. Just for fun, right?"

"Uh, I don't know," Morgan replied.

"Get the sash cord from your dressing gown."

Morgan hesitated, then got up from the table, leaving the room.

"So, what's next. How's this work?" Billie asked.

"Simple really, you just need to sit there," Syn replied, "This works equally well on men and women."

"How about me? I'm either, I guess."

"If you want it to."

Billie emptied her glass and looked down at herself.

"What about the dress? On or off?"

"That doesn't matter for the exercise, but...."

"Oh, here comes the catch. Come on then."

"But," Syn continued, "The dress is Morgan's decision now, not yours."

Billie stopped: Syn's words had penetrated the bravado. Just then, Morgan reappeared with a fluffy, soft cotton belt in bright pink. She held it up awkwardly.

"I got this. It doesn't feel particularly, uh, sexy."

"Nah, babe," Billie retorted, "That just screams bondage dominatrix. It's the pink."

"Are you ready?" Syn asked.

It was the way she said it: calm, in a low voice. Billie's amusement evaporated.

Syn took the cord from Morgan and stood behind Billie, taking hold of one arm and pulling it behind the chair back. Syn began to wrap the cord around Billie's wrist, pulling her other arm back and tying it in position too.

"Now, how does that feel?" Syn asked.

Billie flexed her arms, but the cord held.

"Pretty secure," Billie conceded, "You did a good job."

"I should," Syn purred, placing a hand on Billie's shoulder for a moment before walking around the table to retake her seat, "I've been doing it a while."

There was no snappy retort from Billie now. Her gaze flitted between Syn and Morgan, unsure.

"What next?" Billie asked.

"Morgan," Syn said, "Would you place your hand on your wife's leg please?"

Morgan did as instructed, grasping Billie's knee.

"Ah," Syn murmured, "A little higher. Yes, almost. Higher please, and slightly to the inside. There."

Morgan moved her hand as directed, settling it at the top of Billie's thigh, her fingers resting in the fold of her crotch.

"Now what?" Morgan asked, her attention focused on her wife's leg.

"That's it."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"So, I don't move my hand?"

"You can move your hand wherever you want, but maybe just leave it there for a minute. Tell me Billie, are you tucked?"

"Uh, no. Not at the moment, what...?"

"Cassidy let me know. She informed me that you went through the process, but you didn't go for gender reassignment."

"No."

"So you're all man down there, with your arms tied behind your back and your wife's hand on your thigh. How do you feel now? A little helpless?"

Morgan's little finger shifted slightly, brushing against a growing shape under Billie's dress.

"Morgan, why don't you slide your hand under the dress?"

Morgan did as she was asked, her eyes locked solemnly on her wife's.

"Cassidy," Syn said, "I think it's time to leave, before we outstay our welcome."

She got up, and Cassie found herself following her.

"Thanks for a lovely dinner," Cassie said, but Morgan just nodded, her hand now motionless under the folds of Billie's dress.

Cassie joined Syn in the doorway, and looked back at the dinner table. Morgan was staring at her, a strange expression on her face. Slowly, Morgan got to her feet and began to tug Billie's dress up over her hips, revealing Billie's swelling erection. She settled herself down astride her wife's bare legs, taking Billie's face in her hands and kissing her deeply. Morgan then pulled her own dress up and positioned herself over Billie's engorged tip. She sank down and closed her eyes.

Cassie felt a hand on her arm.

"Let's give them some privacy," Syn whispered into her ear.

Cassie stared at the vision of Morgan rising and falling on her lover's solid erection, the way she was kissing Billie as she completed each stroke, then she turned, following Syn down the hallway to the front door.

Outside, in the night air, Syn turned to her, smiling.

"You were right, Cassidy, as usual," she said, "It turns out that I enjoy dinner parties in the suburbs much more than I expected I would."

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Eve was blindfolded and naked. The stirrups kept her legs up, with straps securing her ankles to the metal frame. There was also a strap around her waist and another securing her neck. Her hands were secured by leather wrist cuffs to the sides of the examination chair, leaving her helpless. Once again, she summoned up all her reserves and tugged mightily at her restraints, her muscles locking rigid with the effort, but the chair didn't yield. She slumped back down into the firm padding.

As before, she calmed her breathing, straining her ears to catch any sounds in the room. There it was again, a faint susurration coming from her right, telling her she wasn't alone. She called out again, but it hurt her throat. Eve had been screaming off and on for what felt like hours, trying to raise the alarm. If there really was someone else in the room, they were either deaf, or drugged, or simply not on her side.