Palmistry

"No," she replied even more softly. "No, there isn't."

"So where then is my need to tie you up."

I opened the drawer on the table under the mirror. It contained three pair of handcuffs and a couple short lengths of rope.

"Oh, my," Karen said. "What are those doing in there?"

"They're provided for the convenience of guests."

"You really weren't kidding."

"No, I wasn't."

"Couldn't we just go in anyway? There's nobody home. How would they know?"

"I wouldn't want the owner to find you wandering around loose, so to speak. You don't have

to go in. We can leave now if you want."

"But I really want to see the house."

"Then you'll have to be tied. Would you prefer rope or handcuffs?"

"Rope."

"Cross your wrists behind you." Karen complied and I tied her wrists snugly.

"Bob, this is so weird. Why did you bring me here?"

"You were the one who wanted to see a house. This is the only one I have access to."

"You have some very strange friends."

"Yes, I suppose I do. But then, so do they."

"Huh? Oh, I get it. Yes, they do, don't they."

"Shall we go in?" I opened the doors to the main hall. Karen gasped as we stepped inside.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!"

And so it was. The marble threshold gave way to a thick rose colored runner which extended

down the hall, flanked by the dark oak flooring. Polished brass and crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The walls were covered with antique wallpaper above the waist high mahogany wainscoting.

On the right was a drawing room or library. There was a fireplace in the far wall under a massive mahogany mantle as wide as the room. On either side of the fireplace were bookcases with leaded glass doors. Above the mantle were stained glass windows.

On the left was the living room. Unlike the rest of the house, it had white maple flooring. Ornate plaster crown molding rimmed the ceiling. Also unlike the rest of the house, the woodwork was painted.

Karen was practically spinning in circles, trying to look at everything. She was wearing 4" heels, and with her hands tied behind her, she was tottering a bit.

"Careful," I cautioned. "You don't want to crash into anything expensive. And don't wander into any unauthorized areas."

"Unauthorized areas? What are you talking about?"

"Don't go into any private areas of the house. There's a penalty for intrusion."

"Bob, is there something you're not telling me?"

"I am telling you. If you intrude into private areas of the house, you'll have to be punished."

"Punished how?"

"You'll be spanked."

"Spanked! By who?"

"By me. If you prefer, I could arrange for someone else to do it."

"I don't want to be spanked by anyone, Bob. This is getting way too weird."

"Come on. I'll take you home. Coming in here was a bad idea."

Karen softened when I suggested leaving. "Oh, but it's so gorgeous. I'd like to see the rest of it."

"OK. As long as you behave, you won't have to worry about being spanked anyway. Just don't open any doors."

"Why, what's behind them?"

"That's why they're closed. It's none of your business what's behind them. You can wander freely in the open areas. There's plenty to see there. You might want to take your shoes off before you go roaming around, though."

"I see. Anything else you want me to take off?"

"Much, but this isn't the time or place. Besides, you can't do it with your hands tied. I just thought you might be a little more sure footed without those heels."

Karen slipped her shoes off and I set them out in the entry hall. She padded off to the dining

room in her stocking feet.

The dining room was done in white oak, stained dark. It had shoulder high wainscoting with a

plate rail, beamed ceiling and ornate brass chandelier. On the south was a bay window with stained glass windows and a huge window seat. The west wall had a fireplace with a multi-tiered oak mantle. Above the mantle were windows of leaded bevels. It was mid-summer and the sun was on the western horizon. The sunlight was refracted as it streamed through the bevels, splashing miniature rainbows about the room. Karen was delighted. The rainbows danced over

her body as she moved about.

I had seen it before. I still found it beautiful, but right now I was more interested in looking at Karen than the house. Karen was an attractive woman under any circumstances, but her bound

wrists seemed to magnify her allure. It was all I could do to keep from pouncing on her.

Karen was oblivious to my state of arousal. She meandered about, looking at things. Occasionally, she would forget she was bound and her elbows would jerk as she attempted to pick

up some knickknack or bauble for closer examination.

"I'm beginning to understand why my hands are tied," she commented.

I followed along behind her, admiring the view. She eventually found her way to the staircase.

As in many old houses, there was a grand staircase. This one came down from the side rather

than being on the same axis as the hall. The hall ran east and west, while the staircase was on the

north side of the house. Karen stood in the hall, facing the stairs. There was an intricately

carved newel post on the left, a large mahogany veneered pillar on the right. The stairs went up

between them three steps to a small landing, turned left, up two steps to another small landing,

then right and up eight steps to the main landing. There was a small carved table supporting a

bronze bust of a woman on the first landing. To the right of the pillar was a door which led back

under the stairs.

"What's back there?" Karen wanted to know.

"Perhaps a closet. It's none of our business."

"I was just curious."

I knew what Karen was going to do. I didn't want to be around to stop her.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I announced. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

I went back to the butler's pantry, where a half bath had been added. A few minutes later I

returned to the main hall.

"Bob, look. There's a whole room under here."

It was true. Karen had opened the door next to the stairs, revealing a room which was hidden

under the landing. It was trimmed in oak, with a beamed ceiling and a window of leaded bevels

spanning the north wall. It was being used as an office. A desk with a computer on top sat

against one wall. A couple of filing cabinets and a bookcase stood against another wall. There

was a fax machine and a copier.

"Karen, didn't I warn you not to open any doors?"

"I couldn't help it. I just had to see what was in here. What a cool room for an office! How

many offices have a window like that? Are you going to spank me?"

"Yes, I am."

"Oh, please, Bob. Don't. I won't do it again."

"You won't need to do it again. You've already earned your spanking."

"Bob! No."

"Sorry. After all, you were warned." Karen had a scarf tied in her hair. I untied it and wrapped it around her eyes, blindfolding her.

"Bob, don't. I can't see."

"I know. That's why I'm blindfolding you." I scooped her up in my arms and headed off through the house. Karen waggled her legs and squirmed a bit but didn't really struggle very hard. I carried her down to the basement and set her on her feet. Then I untied her hands and retied them in front. I ran the end of the rope over a small hook in the ceiling and tied it off, pulling her arms overhead. I tied her ankles with another piece of rope.

"This is going to be more than just a few swats over your knee, isn't it," Karen moaned. "I've done it again, haven't I. Most guys at least make love to me a few times before they beat me."

"We'll get to that soon enough," I said as I unhooked her skirt and let it drop around her ankles. I pulled her panties down and picked up a ruler. "Remember, this was your choice. You were warned not to open that door and what the consequences would be if you did. It required some effort on your part to get it open with your hands tied behind you."

I swung the ruler. It produced a loud smack and a louder screech from Karen. I didn't spank her anywhere near as hard as I had Rebecca. Even so, I gave her a thorough and competent spanking. Karen screeched and pleaded throughout. She would know she'd been spanked. I finished and pulled her panties back up.

"Who made these damn rules, anyway," Karen wailed.

"I did," I said. "This is my house."

"You bastard! You tricked me."

"Yes, I did."

"God damn it. I should have known better than to trust you. Looking at beautiful old things in the museum, then driving around these old houses, the whole thing was a setup."

Karen was quick. I hadn't realized she'd figure it all out quite this fast. "Before you get yourself too worked up, let's think about this for a moment. Suppose I hadn't tricked you. Suppose I'd called you and said, 'Karen, let's go to the museum then afterwards I'll take you to my house and tie you up and spank you', what would you have said? Would you have said, 'no, I'd rather stay home' or would you have said 'sounds great, take me away'?"

"I'm not sure."

While I'd been talking I'd been unbuttoning Karen's blouse. I unhooked her bra. "Not sure, huh. That's revealing in itself. Well, let's be sure," I said, kissing her gently. I rubbed my thumbs lightly over her nipples. "Tell me true," I said, kissing her gently again, smoothing her hair back behind her shoulders. "Would you rather be right here right now or at home."

"Here," she whispered. "Definitely here. But even if I said 'no' at first, you could have talked me into it."

"I know that. So let's look at the other side. Suppose you'd said 'Museum! Spanking! How thrilling! I can't wait.'" I had her giggling now. "Wasn't this more fun, more exotic, more romantic? Wasn't it more exciting, walking through this strange house, hands tied behind you, exploring, not really sure if you were even supposed to be here, wondering what was going on, wondering what was behind that door? Would you really have wanted to miss that?"

"No, I guess not."

I untied Karen's wrists, then retied them behind her.

"Wait a minute. I've had my spanking. Don't I get untied now?"

"Certainly not," I said, picking her up and cradling her in my arms. "What makes you think this little adventure is over? Here you are bound and helpless, being carried off to an unknown fate."

"I know very well what fate I'm being carried off to," she laughed. "Carry on."

I set her on her feet in the master bedroom and removed her blindfold. The room was dominated by a huge four poster bed.

"You're going to tie me to that bed, aren't you."

I untied Karen and got her out what clothing she still had on. "OK, wench, on the bed. Assume the position."

Karen hopped onto the bed and lay on her back, spreading her arms and legs toward the bedposts. I tied her down so she was completely immobile then blindfolded her again.

"Hey, don't I get to watch?"

"No, when I take your blindfold off it spoils my surprises."

I slowly undressed, then stood just looking at Karen. The sight of her there was just too wonderful not to demand at least a few moments of rapt contemplation. This was going to take a while. I'd put too much planning and effort into getting her here to let it be over in ten or fifteen minutes. I began slowly exploring her body. I wanted to know all about her. What turned her on? Was she ticklish? What happened if I nibbled her earlobe, nuzzled her neck, gnawed her kneecap? I spent 45 minutes or more stroking, prodding, kissing every part of her body that was exposed in this position. She was extremely ticklish. Finally, I ran my hand up her thigh to her crotch and worked a finger into her. Karen moaned and thrashed. She was more than ready. I climbed on top of her and entered with a sudden thrust. She tossed and screamed, struggling against the ropes. Sated, I rolled off her and untied her. Karen squirmed around for a moment to relieve her cramped muscles, then snuggled up against me.

"Enjoy your evening so far?" I asked, fishing for compliments.

"I liked the museum. At first I was really mad that you tricked me, but now I think it was a pretty good trick. It was fun, except for the spanking. I didn't like that part."

"Then why did you ask for one?"

"I didn't ask you to spank me."

"I told you very explicitly under what conditions you would be spanked. At the first opportunity you fulfilled those requirements."

"Well..."

"I know what you were doing. You were testing me. I drew a line in the sand. You needed to know if I'd really enforce that line, if I'd really spank you if you crossed it."

"You're reading my palm again. Helen told me you'd probably spank me, maybe tie me up, too."

"Meddlesome woman. I must have a little talk with her. But speaking of tying you up, turn over and cross your wrists behind you."

"Again?"

"Have you forgotten the house rules? If I don't get you tied up soon I'll have to spank you again." Karen complied and I bound her wrists and ankles. She snuggled up against me again.

"How did you know I liked being tied up?"

"You do?" (Oh, Karen, you're a dream come true.)

"Yes, ever since I was a little girl. It didn't happen often, though. It makes me feel secure."

"You're certainly secured, but I'm not sure that I see how that makes you feel secure."

"I like the feel of the ropes on my wrists and ankles. It's like you're holding me and I have to stay where you put me until you come for me."

This was the first time since I'd lost Meg that I hadn't slept alone. In the morning, we showered together, then made breakfast. I dropped her at her house early enough for her to get to work.

Another week was dragging by. I would see Karen again Friday evening. It had been a long time since I had looked forward to weekends.

We went to dinner, then a movie. On the way out of the movie, we were in the middle of the crowd bunched up around the exit. I pulled Karen's hands behind her and tied her wrists. Karen looked around nervously, but no one had noticed.

"I know I said I liked to be tied up, but I didn't mean all the time," Karen complained as I opened the car door for her.

"But that's the fun part. You are not the one who gets to choose when you are or aren't tied up."

"Fun for who?"

"Ask me again later."

On the way home, we stopped at a small piano bar for a drink, taking a table in the corner just inside the door. Karen's predicament went unnoticed. I decided to make things more interesting.

"Would you bring a straw for the lady," I asked the waitress when she brought our drinks. "Her hands are tied." This resulted in a really dirty look from Karen. The waitress looked at Karen, trying to decide if it was true or I was putting her on. Karen's back was to the wall and the waitress couldn't see her wrists. She headed off to the bar. I could see her talking to the bartender. They were both eyeing us.

"Please unwrap it and put it in the drink for her," I said when she came back with the straw. The waitress complied and went away. Both she and the bartender were watching us whenever they weren't busy with anything else. I excused myself and went to the bathroom.

"I see you're still tied up," I said when I returned.

"The waitress asked if I was alright and wanted to be untied. I told her I was content as I was."

"I thought it might be a good idea to let her assure herself that you were OK. I also wanted to see if you would choose to remain bound, although I didn't really have any doubts about that."

On the way out, I winked at the waitress. She winked back.

Driving home it finally dawned on me what was going on. I was living out all my unfulfilled fantasies. I had always wanted to take Meg out in public bound but never had. I had always wanted to dress Meg in an outfit like the one I was making the hapless Sharon wear but never had. I think part of it had to do with my age. When I was younger, I had all the time in the world. Meg's passing had made me much more aware of my own mortality. If I was ever going to do any of these things, the time was now. But there was something else. Meg had been the love of my life. She was now gone nearly a year. Her departure had certainly not been her choice; nevertheless, the irrational side of me felt abandoned and angry. I thought perhaps this anger was expressing itself through these fantasies. "What the hell," that side of me seemed to say. "What does it matter what I do to these other lesser women?"

I took Karen to my house. She wanted me to untie her, but I reminded her of the rules. After taking her up to the bedroom, I did untie her long enough to get her undressed. Then I locked leather cuffs on her wrists and ankles.

"What are those for?"

"Convenience. You'll also find them more comfortable over the long term than being bound with rope," I told her as I locked her wrist cuffs behind her. I pulled her into bed and once again began a slow exploration of her body. She moaned and purred as I unhurriedly worked her into a state of intense arousal.

When morning came, I got Karen up, washed her, dressed her, bound her wrists with rope and fed her breakfast. We were just going out the door when the hapless Sharon arrived. (This wasn't Sharon's usual week but the place was a bit of a mess so I'd asked her to make an extra visit.) I introduced Karen and the hapless Sharon and told her to wait for me while I walked Karen to the car.

I returned to the entry hall and locked the hapless Sharon in her collar.

"Who was that?"

"A friend of mine."

"She had rope marks on her wrists."

"Yes, she did. You're very observant. Now please do a good job so you won't have to go home with rope marks on your wrists." I returned to the car and drove Karen home.

When I returned, the hapless Sharon seemed rather pouty and distant. After she finished, I did my usual inspection. She had done the worst job ever.

"Sharon, I just don't understand. Last week you did such a good job and this week it's terrible."

"I'm sorry, but sometimes I have things on my mind and it's harder to concentrate. I just don't know what gets into me but..."

"Sharon, Sharon, hush. Am I going to have to gag you again?"

"No, sir."

"Well, I'm afraid this is going to call for a more severe punishment," I said as I pulled her wrists behind her and tied them. I placed her in her former position in the hall. "Now, nose against the wall until I return." I went into the back yard and cut a stout switch from one of the trees. The hapless Sharon eyed the switch fearfully as I led her into the living room. I knelt her in front of an ottoman, removed her shoes and bound her ankles.

"Now, Sharon, bend over the ottoman." She obeyed and I raised her skirt. "I'm not going to tell you this will hurt me more than it does you. The truth is, it's probably going to hurt you more than a bit." I swung the switch and the hapless Sharon shrieked and burst into tears. By the eighth stroke she was begging me to stop.

"Please, stop it. Please. I want to go home, I want to go home."

I untied her ankles, replaced her shoes and helped her up, then led her into the entry hall. I dried her tears then untied her wrists and removed her collar. I opened the door and kissed her gently on the forehead.

"Goodbye, Sharon. I'm sorry to lose you." The hapless Sharon walked slowly to her car, giving me a last reproachful glance over her shoulder.

On Tuesday, the hapless Sharon called me in the evening and tearfully asked if she could have her job back. I told her to report on Saturday, but cautioned her that she must still undergo the punishment which she had not completed.

On Wednesday, I got a call from Rebecca.

"Bob, you've been avoiding me," she cooed.

"Thank you for informing me, Rebecca. I hadn't known that."

"Don't be coy, Bob. When I call for a delivery, you send one of your drivers."