Possessing Bella Ch. 22

Returning to her team, she sat on a chaise and said, "Okay wow me." Bella smiled as Chelsea stood first and presented what she believed held the essence of what they were working toward as a team. Andrew, who had helped with her original design for this office, had his take on what he thought would work, and Natalie came forward with a new fresh approach. It was based on both of the other designs and strongly rooted in the fact that she was a woman, so there were more feminine touches to make the overall effect softer.

"That one," Owen said from over her shoulder.

"Why?" Bella asked, chewing her lip.

"That one is too much of a power player. Too masculine. People will think you are trying too hard and write you off as fake," he had pointed at Andrew's choice. "You are powerful, no need to rub it in people's faces, but you are also the only woman in a position of power and you don't want to come across as masculine and having to conform to what the company says an executive is supposed to be." He indicated Chelsea's choice.

"There are a lot of people who, like me, will meet you and see a little girl and think it's a joke," he said with a hint of regret in his voice. "Better to have your own style. You need an office that is unapologetically you. Not a girl trying to fit into a mould of what people think she is or should be."

"Thank you, everyone, I can see the work you have put into the ideas," Bella looked at the three designs again, and she could see merit in all of them as well as in what Owen said. "Natalie, as always, you are a life saver. Could you give me another day tomorrow?" She got up as she spoke and took up her tablet to check her schedule. She stepped over a style board that had been discarded in the rush to do the presentations and she stopped to pick it up. One photo, in particular, had caught her eye.

"This," she said, pointing to a photo of a light and airy office. "It has elements of all your ideas and could work well if we put some slim glass display cases here and here," she nodded as she thought out loud. Natalie tilted her head and nodded. "Right, Natalie, let's have another look at the boards." She took her tablet and came back to sit with Natalie.

"Andrew, can you find the manifest and show Owen the pieces we have here? Chelsea, can you see if you can get Kurt on the phone without interrupting anything too serious? I have a couple of quick questions for him. Then can you find some time in my schedule tomorrow or Thursday for us to go to the workshop, at least an hour, though it would be better to have two," she said, hope colouring her voice even though she knew it was a tight schedule.

"Mr White is unavailable until later this afternoon," Chelsea interrupted her conversation with Natalie. "If we can move your lunch meeting on Thursday to a slightly earlier time, we may be able to squeeze in a trip to the workshop," she reported after having spoken to Andrew about the travel time between the office and the workshop site.

"Thanks," Bella said, "I'll see what I can do about the lunch, leave that one with me and I will let you know in the morning." She realised that Chelsea was being respectful of her relationship with Rob by not trying to move the lunch meeting herself, and she was grateful for that.

Now that she had a reasonably clear picture of what she wanted in her mind and buoyed up by Natalie's enthusiasm for the project, the decisions were made reasonably quickly. "I just don't have the time to choose every piece and colour myself, this time, around," Bella said after some time. "Could you and Andrew put together all of the fixtures and fittings for each room so I can, at least, give the renovation team the basics to start with. The furniture and accessories are secondary at this point. Break it down as much as you can to give us some time to make final decisions on the big pieces."

"Great, I'll get on that and try to have some figures for you by tomorrow lunch time?" Natalie said.

"You're fabulous," Bella smiled.

"Oh my invoice will tell you how fabulous I am," Natalie laughed. She enjoyed working with Bella. She thrived on the urgency and the quick decision making. It gave her a bit of a thrill to try and second guess the young woman's needs and find that her taste was superb. In the end, all the work they had done this morning was valuable only in that she knew the layout well, and she had met the expanding team. The fact that this original layout would need to be relocated to a shop front meant that she would be working with Bella and her team for some time, and she was excited by the prospect.

"You're worth every cent," Bella laughed with her. "I have a million other things to get to, so if you'll excuse me." Bella stood and went to her desk. Her team went on with their tasks and left her to work on tasks Kurt had set for her.

When Rob and Kurt walked into her office later that afternoon, Bella looked at the time and realised she would have to be more organised if she was going to accomplish what she needed to each day. She straightened and smiled, moving toward them as they entered with a smile. Rob pulled her to him and kissed her.

"How has your afternoon been?" Rob asked, looking at her critically. She looked a little tired, and he once again considered his earlier conversation with Kurt.

"It's been productive," she said easily. "How was your shopping trip?"

"Productive and educational," he said with a grin, making her laugh softly.

"You wanted to talk to me before Rob took you home?" Kurt interrupted the chatter.

Bella disentangled herself from Rob's arms and smoothed over her skirt. "You mentioned this morning about a shop space you thought might be available for a soft opening," she replied quickly. "I would like to be able to tell Natalie where that is so we can look at whether all of this is suitable and what adjustments may need to be made to make it workable."

"Ah yes," Kurt looked around. "You know this is wholly uncomfortable as an office to meet in, I am glad you have decided to change things for your new office." Giving up trying to find a comfortable space in the room, he looked at Rob, "Why don't you both come to my office for a quick meeting before you leave and we can negotiate some floor space and a shop front?"

Bella was confused but, after gathering her bag and tablet, allowed herself to be guided from the office without asking any further questions. Rob seemed to be unsurprised by the question and walked with his hand resting between her ass and the small of her back.

Once they had taken a seat on the couches provided by Kurt's office, he turned her, "The clientele you are hoping to service with your business are the same clientele that the club services, correct?"

"Yes, Master?" Bella nodded, still not sure where this was going.

"It would stand to reason that the best placement for your business is in direct contact or at least in the line of sight of those who frequent the club," Kurt prompted further. "The workshop is already taking up part of the first floor, wouldn't it make sense to also have her first outlet there as well?"

"Makes perfect sense to me," Rob said as if it was already decided.

"You both own the building so you can negotiate the details, but I would strongly suggest the shop that is on the corner of the street and the arcade in which the foyer and elevators are situated for the best possible exposure to the club members." Kurt was speaking as if this had been something he had given more than a little thought to. "You could extend the rear of the business to make space for a small workshop for on the spot mending and adjustments and still keep the larger workshop where it is on the same level, so it's close at hand but not so close that customers can demand instant results."

"What will happen to the business that is there now?" Bella asked, knowing that a small business was situated along the street side of the building on the ground floor.

"It's a flight centre and can easily be relocated. We have that arcade that was part of that buyout package for Frankie in the city that has space open at the moment. Give them a discount on the rent, and I am sure they will be happy to move on," Rob said, considering the easiest solution. He could see the worried look in Bella's eyes and the lip that was once again caught between her teeth. "You will not be pushing them out, trust me this is a much better proposition for them."

"I could take the space in town," Bella said, concern evident in her voice.

"You need the traffic generated by the club. You won't have access to the same sort of customer in the city," Kurt said.

"They will probably feel the same way," Bella said worriedly. "What if they don't want to relocate?"

"We will make them an offer they can't refuse," Rob said with a sly grin, but at Bella's look of horror he explained. "A month of free rent on the new place or something. Though I think they may jump at the chance to move, the arcade we are offering space in is quite exclusive."

"Let Rob handle the Flight Centre, that building is his business in addition to his part in running this company," Kurt said easily. "I'll have a rental agreement drawn up once you two have negotiated how much space she needs and the street and arcade frontage."

"We'll head home and have a look at what you need," Rob said, ending the conversation.

"Yes Master," Bella smiled. "Thank you, Master," she said to Kurt and then frowned and looked at them. "It doesn't feel right to call one of you by name, but it may get confusing calling you both Master."

"You will get used to it," Rob waved away the concern. "Go and let your team go home. They need the rest as much as you do." He watched as Bella turned and left the room, closing the door behind her.

"You'd already made up your mind. Why not just tell me and I could have had it cleared out within a week," Rob grumbled at Kurt.

"This isn't the club or home. She can't be so submissive here nor I think does she want to be treated as one when it comes to her own business. Yes, I had already made the decision, but she needed to feel part of that decision to be able to own it and work with it as part of her plan. Not my plan or your plan, her plan," Kurt explained.

"This business is one of the only things that's hers alone. The company, the club, even where she lives were given to her by Mel, even our roles in her life. She believes she has this and her family, the rest is just what everyone else has given her or how they expect her to be." He paused. "They are her words, by the way, not just my impression." He didn't say they had come via Dorothea.

"I see," Rob said thoughtfully. "She is, however, submissive. You can see how relaxed she is in the last day or two despite all the changes we have forced upon her. She thrives on it and blossoms under the domination of men who offer her structure in her life."

"We all have to adjust our thinking now. She is a partner here, an executive and she needs to be able to take some control here, on her terms. She can't be bowing down to every dominant in the company. She needs confidence in her knowledge and skills, and that starts with this business," Kurt said with conviction.

"Another reason you do not want me using her here," Rob nodded.

"I never said that. I just said go easy," Kurt shrugged. Without the friendship and support he enjoyed from Rob, his life would be infinitely more difficult as CEO of this company.

"No, but if what you say is true, then she needs to keep personal and professional separate," Rob could see once again why Mel had chosen Kurt as his successor. He wasn't often seen to compromise, he stood up and told people exactly what he wanted and when, and would kick asses if he didn't get the desired outcome. Rob respected that the man had a way of seeing difficult situations from all angles and chose to go about getting the outcome he desired by convincing others they were making the decisions when ultimately Kurt had subtly changed their thinking or pushed them down the pathway that led to his desired outcome.

"That little charade was as much for my benefit as hers wasn't it?" Rob chuckled. "Wait, don't answer that. I get what you're saying. I still want her diet regulated, but I will consider some alternatives to coming in and enjoying her submission here." He continued to chuckle.

"That was for her benefit," Kurt said, "If I got the desired result from you as well, then that is a bonus," he said with a perfectly straight face.

"Yeah don't push it. You're the boss here. Just tell me this stuff straight, and we won't have a problem to get the results you want," Rob said it lightly, but his meaning was clear. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a beautiful young woman who lets me do naughty things to her to take home and play with." He grinned and went in search of Bella.

Kurt shook his head and laughed. For a man with a hands off, laid back attitude to business, in general, Rob read every report and quite possibly knew more about the company than he did. In the year since Mel had taken Bella as his own and been at the company less often then been murdered in unthinkable circumstances, the two had become close friends. Leaning on each other to fill the void that Mel had left in their lives and despite the respect they had for each other, they were still defining the boundaries between business and friendship.

*****

They walked into Bella's apartment together, but she stopped at the door, noting a new solid looking polished wood box that matched the furniture in her living room had appeared beside the door. She began to strip, placing her clothes in the box, closing it once she was done. Watching from the chair that he had decided was his within her apartment, he considered her in light of everything he had learned about what was expected of her at the company.

"Crawl to me," he said seriously, watching her drop to her knees and lean forward onto her hands. She crawled slowly, her hips swaying as she kept her head high, looking at him. She climbed his body from the floor, pressing her body between his legs and against his cock as she kissed the bare skin of his neck before reaching his lips. His arms wrapped around her tightly and he pulled her up into his lap, kissing her deeply for a long moment.

"Seeing you at the company today has made me realise that it will be hard for you to be who you need to be in both situations," he said after breaking the kiss and looking down into her eyes. "When you are with me I expect full submission, I want your obedience, honesty, trust and love. I want and expect that no matter where we are."

"I understand, Master," Bella said, worriedly thinking she had done something to upset him at the company. "I am sorry, I get carried away with the work I am doing. It has been some time since I had a Master to please there. I have been trying to learn from many Masters and still maintain a focus on my business plan."

"You did nothing wrong today, little one," Rob said gently, tilting her head up to look into her eyes. "I believe it will help you separate what you need to do at the company from what I expect from you outside of the company if I give you your time there uninterrupted. At least, until you become accustomed to this new agreement you have with Kurt and me."

Bella tilted her head but said nothing, pulling her lip between her teeth as she listened to what he was saying.

"Having said that, I will need to know that you are still living the way I wish even when you are there. I am concerned about your health and fitness and had planned to be there this week to ensure you stopped and took the time to eat a healthy lunch, not a snack you pick up between meetings," his voice was serious. "I do not want to delegate this to anyone in your team and the only man there you should be answerable to now should be Kurt, who will not have time."

"I will stop to eat, Master," Bella said equally seriously. "I have made a concerted effort to make the time for the food I enjoy since returning to work."

"My concern is that the food you like is not always what is best for you, little brat," Rob chuckled. "Also, there have been several times, including the incident at the ranch, where your tendency not to eat at all when you are anxious or upset have affected your overall health."

Bella blushed and lowered her eyes, knowing that what he said was true. She didn't know how to reassure him that she would do as he instructed and take the time to eat something for lunch.

"I need you to start looking after this sexy little body so I can abuse it in the nicest possible way for both of us," Rob stroked a hand over her breasts to her cunt and wedged it between her legs. Before he would go any further, though, there was a discreet knock on the door and with a groan, he picked her up and placed her on the floor to kneel near the chair.

Bella was surprised to see the doctor who had cared for her when she returned from Italy walk into the apartment. He had a large case in his hand that he set on the floor. He shook hands with Rob, "I'm glad you called. A check-up is way past due," he smiled and turned to Bella. "Hello lovely girl, you are looking healthy and happy, so that is a good sign."

"Hello Doctor," Bella had straightened her posture and tried not to chew her lip.

"I've set up the study for you," Rob said, picking up the doctor's case and carrying it for him into Bella's home office.

"Thank you," he went to follow Rob into the room, waving Bella into the room with them.

Bella endured over an hour of poking and prodding, accompanied by in-depth personal questions. The check-up Bella realised was more in the way of a thorough physical examination as she was given a pap smear test, along with having several vials of blood drawn. He checked the Implanon rods in her arm, asked about any side effects she may have experienced. Often he would direct his questions to Rob as her new Master.

"Are you planning to do anything about this?" he poked the tattoo Mel had left to brand her as his forever. "Laser therapy is quite painful but bearable for a girl like this. It would take several treatments over a year or so."

"It's not an issue for us," Rob said easily." I may even add to it if she remains mine," he said thoughtfully. "This is a probationary period," he explained at the curious look from the doctor.

"Well aren't you a lucky girl, being looked after so well during your probation," the doctor patted her thigh.

"It's me who is on probation." Rob laughed and, when both Bella and the doctor's eyes widened, he only laughed louder. "She's a popular girl, and I am fortunate that she has agreed to be mine for a short time."

"In that case, you should seriously consider a man who is so attentive to your overall well-being," the doctor lectured Bella. "You may get up now," he patted her thigh again. "The results should take at least a week to come back, so shall we make an appointment for next Wednesday?" he directed his question to Rob. "I will call earlier if anything of concern arises."

"Wednesday evening will be fine," Rob said agreeably, pulling out his phone and making note of the appointment. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"I am glad you called," the doctor began to pack up his case, safely storing the samples and specimens. "I have often wondered how she was recovering. It was a dreadful trauma she suffered, and I expected that the after effects would have lingered much longer, but she is strong of mind and body it seems."

It took several minutes, and Bella sat listening to the men talk about her recovery and the hurdles she had overcome to get to where she currently was. Rob spoke with pride about her strength and resilience. She blushed as the doctor seemed impressed by what she had accomplished in such a short amount of time. He wished them both well before he left with a smile and a confirmation of their future appointment.