The House of V Volume 01: Katie

The black envelope was lying under the mass of letters at her feet when Katie James went to pick up her mail from the front door. It was velvety to the touch and had a wax seal on the back. A Victorian-style V was pressed into the red wax.

Katie flipped the envelope over a few times. It merely had her name scripted in gold ink on the front. She dropped the other mail on the side table and took the envelope into the kitchen. Placing it on the counter, she picked up her coffee.

Katie eyed it dubiously as she sipped the dark, richly creamed brew. She knew what it was but she wasn't sure she wanted to open it. Inside lay a doorway to a place she feared, a place she couldn't imagine herself ever going.

Katie James had an orderly life. The owner of a popular photography business, she didn't want or need anyone to tell her how to spend her time. When the handsome gentleman at the gallery had started talking to her, she didn't think it would go anywhere but she'd agreed to a coffee date to discuss a possible art installment.

It started as a simple business proposal. He'd asked if she would be willing to photograph an erotic series at the House of V. She had done boudoir sessions before but he hinted that this would be a little more than that. When she asked for more information, he stated that the House of V was a private estate that held events for the sexually adventurous. It was a place of fantasy and deepest desires fulfilled. The very notion filled her with a simultaneous sense of curiosity and fear.

Though he'd extended the invitation to join him, she'd politely declined. She was not some idiot that just went to strangers' homes. He made no apologies but bid her a good afternoon and left her sitting at the coffeehouse table.

When she returned to the office later that day, she ran an internet search for the House of V, but no results were forthcoming. Big surprise there, he was probably just some pervert looking to get off on smutty photos that she most certainly was not going to take. Still, she couldn't help that niggling curiosity gnawing at the back of her brain.

Putting down her mug, Katie toyed with the seal on the envelope. Her need to know finally got the better of her, and she slid her finger under the edge of the flap. The seal snapped free, and she released the card from its velvety cover.

Friday the 26th

8:00 pm

1645 Violet Trace

Bring your key

What key? The rest of the envelope was empty, the back of the card blank. She raised it to her nose and inhaled the fragrance of something dark and heavy—a smell she couldn't quite place. Katie shivered even though the room was warm, and the coffee now coursing through her veins piping hot.

The 26th was this Friday. Only four days away. Of course, she wasn't going to go. It was the last thing she wanted to do, the last thing she should do.

Nevertheless, as the week passed she thought about it more and more. The gentleman, John Hanson, had come back to her gallery and had produced some artwork that she was interested in putting in a show.

The more she dealt with him the more comfortable she became. He didn't seem at all like the pervert type. John was elegant and had a graceful way about him. He made no mention of the black envelope and she wasn't about to bring it up.

Then, suddenly, Friday was upon her. Katie went into the gallery as usual where a bouquet of black irises met her. There was no note but the small envelope held a black plastic card with a gold key embossed on it. Bring your key. She shuddered at the implications running through her mind.

Focusing on work became impossible. Katie stared at the key on her desk for the better part of the day until finally, she decided to leave early. Her assistant could handle the rest.

Her car seemed to make its way to the boutique shops of its own accord, and Katie decided to get her hair trimmed and styled. On a whim, she had her nails cleaned up and even got a pedicure. She felt all shiny and new as she made her way home. Somewhere between the blowout and the nail polish, she'd given up trying to convince herself she wasn't going to the House of V.

* * * * *

That night, Katie made a light supper before combing her closet for something to wear. She wanted something casual yet professional. It was only photos, after all. John was just a client, charming as he was, and she intended to treat this like any other job. After perusing her wardrobe for far too long, she chose a black pinstripe suit and comfortable heels.

The drive was short and the evening warm. Katie found herself at the address at a quarter to eight. The black iron gates stood before her, their presence imposing. A large Victorian V, the same emblem that was on the wax seal, was inset into the hard metal.

There was a small call box beside the driveway but it had no buttons. Just a small square with the golden key on it. Two security cameras focused on her.

On a hunch, Katie touched her plastic key to the call box and watched breathless as the gates swung silently open. Her hands gripped the steering wheel. Her heart beat faster in her chest. Her only chance to turn back was now. Two whole minutes passed before she drudged up the courage to continue guiding the car up the drive. It's only photos, she reminded herself, letting out a long breath.

At the end of the road was a large brick house. A slim man stood waiting at the steps. When she pulled up, he walked over to her car and opened the door for her. With white-gloved hands, he motioned toward the large double doors before retreating behind another doorway nearby.

The heavy red doors carried the now familiar seal in black. Definitely the right place. They opened as she approached, and a woman dressed in a black and white tailored suit waited for her to enter.

"Good evening Miss. James," she smiled, warmly. "Please follow me."

Instead of seeing Mr. Hanson, she was greeted by a dark-haired woman in a red suit seated at a large desk.

"Sit, please," the woman gestured to the soft leather armchair in front of the desk. "Welcome to the House of V," she said with a smile as she spread her arms widely to encompass the grand hall. "I'm Victoria, I'll be helping you with the paperwork."

"Paperwork?"

"Yes," the woman called Victoria waved her hand absentmindedly before dumping a stack of papers onto the desk. "Non-disclosures. I'm sure you're familiar with these kinds of business forms?"

"I am," Katie answered, unsteadily. "But I thought I was here to photograph a session." The nervous twinge in her stomach was starting to set in again.

Victoria flashed a patient smile. "You are, but privacy is of the utmost importance to our clients."

"I see." Katie muttered, leafing through the five pages of fine print. It looked like a standard NDA, albeit much longer than most.

It stated that she would not speak of the House or anything that happened within it. All images were the property of the House and she would not be able to use them.

"This is all very strange." Katie said, looking up. Doubt rang in her mind. She shouldn't be here.

Victoria's serene professional veneer remained unchanged. "I understand your hesitance. It's not the usual procedure for your business, but I assure you, we provide generous compensation as well as the use of all of our equipment. All you have to do is capture the images and we'll do the rest."

"Your equipment?"

"Yes, everything is ready in the studio. Mr. Hanson made a list of your requirements."

Katie shrugged, "Well, it seems you have it all figured out."

"Then there's nothing left for you to do but sign." Victoria gestured toward the pen in Katie's motionless hand.

Still she hesitated, hovering the pen above the paper. Her curiosity was overwhelming.

"What does the V stand for?"

"It can mean many things depending on the client. We tailor experiences to fit their desires. Use your imagination. And have fun," she added, smiling like a cat with a bowl full of cream.

A red flush crept rapidly up Katie's pale cheeks. Ready to be done with this conversation, she quickly signed on the line and pushed back her chair.

"Vivian will show you to the studio," Victoria said then pushed a button on the intercom. A door behind her opened and another female in a black and white suit stepped through.

"This way Miss. James. I'll take your things."

Katie handed her camera bag to Vivian and watched her lock it in a locker in the wall. "Your key will open it once you've finished."

The polished young woman opened the door and Katie stepped through, following Vivian down a long hallway. Katie glanced right and left at the closed doors lining the length of the hall, wondering what tantalizing mysteries lay beyond.

At the end of the corridor was an elevator, all lacquered gold and pristine mirrors, which they took to the second floor. The doors chimed open into a large studio full of every possible piece of photography equipment she could imagine or desire.

She turned to talk to Vivian but she was already gone and the doors had closed once again. There were no other doors in the room and no windows. There was some quiet music playing and the light was perfect for shooting indoors. Along the wall stood a long table that held cameras and other accessories.

Katie noticed that all of the gear was the same as her own. She picked up the first one and fiddled with the settings. It didn't take long for her to get set up.

Katie was still testing some of the more complicated features of the camera when a quiet voice startled her from her task. "Hello, Miss. James."

She whirled around to see a dark-haired man dressed in a white button-down and black pants but no shoes. He made no sound as he closed the distance between them.

"Please, call me Katie," she said, extending her hand to shake.

"Katie. I'm Vince," his large warm hand enclasped hers in a firm yet gentle grip. "Do you have any questions?"

"Plenty of them." Katie let out an audible sigh. "For one, how did they know what I shoot with?"

"Simple. Mr. Hanson is very detailed in his research. He observes and reports. Is everything to your satisfaction?"

"Yes, it's all very nice, so new. What exactly will I be shooting today? I was told this place is for the sexually adventurous."

"That is the short version. We offer a variety of experiences based on the client's desires. I am a trainer. I'm called 'Master'. My work today is to train this client to be submissive. This is her fifth session and there will be nudity."

Katie's brain was racing, the hair on her arms stood straight up. "How long will you require me to shoot?" She tried to stay professional in her tone but her voice cracked on the last syllable.

Vince had the good decency to not draw more attention to her obvious state of nervousness. "A few hours. I'll be sensitive to the time for you. We should be done by midnight, is that alright with you?"

Katie gulped. "Yes. Fine, thanks," she quickly muttered.

"Good, then let's begin."

Vince turned to the wall and pushed. A hidden door opened with a quiet click, revolving until it revealed an assortment of leather items: paddles, whips, gags, and ties. Katie's eyes spread even wider as the door next to it flipped open the same way. Glittering chrome tools were laid out on red velvet lined beveled shelves. All shapes and sizes. Some things she couldn't identify.

A third door revealed a set of rings and pulleys with piles of silky red ropes. Hooks hung from the ceiling in front of it, defying Katie's imagination as to what they were for.

As the fourth panel turned, Katie could see the bright milky skin of a young woman. She stood motionless with her eyes cast down.

"Slave. Step forward," Vince commanded.

Katie nearly jumped out of her skin, but the girl merely stepped off the platform to wait patiently in front of him. Her hands were tied behind her back with a simple knot of rope. Her long hair, a light golden brown, was tied into a ponytail.

Katie also stood motionless, the camera in her hands. She was suddenly aware of how tightly she was gripping it. After forcing out a long breath, she loosened her grasp. Vince glanced over and nodded—her cue to start shooting.

Katie chose a lens that would give her plenty of distance. Usually, she liked to get up close and personal with her subjects, but the context of this evening's photoshoot made her reticent to say the least.

Vince led his student to a small padded platform and bid her kneel. Katie started shooting. Other than Vince's low voice commands, the whisper of the camera shutter was all you could hear.

The Master knelt next to his slave and stroked her face gently, talking to her in hushed tones. Katie couldn't hear what he was saying but she could see the slight heave in the girl's perky breasts as she inhaled.

"Stand," he said at last. His voice was steady and even.

The young woman stood carefully, keeping her hands interlaced behind her back. The Master walked to the selection of ropes and chose one of the longest on the shelf. He then took a collar with a ring attached and secured it around her neck.

Katie watched carefully as he wove intricate knots through the ring and about her body. It seemed it was less to restrain than to decorate. Almost absently, Katie's finger pressed down on the button—snapping more photos of the erotic scene unveiling itself before her.

Master Vince guided his slave without words. Moving and directing her with strong hands, she seemed to know instinctively what he wanted.

Meanwhile, Katie took close-up shots of the ropes against the woman's almost translucent skin. Through her lens, she could see the subtle pressure of the red rope against white skin as he pulled. A sound escaped Katie's throat and she found that she was inhaling as sharply as the girl every time the rope was jerked into place.

Satisfied, the Master directed the girl to kneel once more. She was straining slightly this time as he'd joined her arms to the rope in back.

"Today's lesson is about patience," he said, taking a long riding crop from the other wall. He began to pace slowly around his slave.

While he did, Katie found herself focusing on the young woman's heart-shaped face. Her cheeks were flushed with anticipation, her lashes fluttering as she kept her eyes downcast. Katie found her own anticipation rising with each click of the shutter.

Master Vince came to a stop behind his slave. With the crop, he traced the outline of her lean legs. Katie's eyes were inevitably drawn to the juncture of her thighs. She was suddenly very aware of her pristine, clean-shaven mound. The crop danced up, teasing it just a bit.

"What are you?" he asked.

"A slave," she answered.

Katie jumped as she heard the crack of the crop hit the girl's bottom.

"What?" He was a little more forceful this time.

"A slave, sir," the girl quickly corrected herself.

"That's better."

The Master walked around to the front of his slave protégée and undid the button on his pants. He stroked the top of her head then tipped her face up to greet him.

"Undo the zipper," he commanded, his voice low.

Obediently, she leaned forward and took the zipper pull in her teeth to guide it down. Katie silently shifted around for a side profile shot. Kneeling to get an eye-level perspective, she watched the girl struggle to grab the tiny pull. Nevertheless, she was able to accomplish the task quickly. With a slight tug, the pants dropped to the ground.

Katie was so focused on the girl she didn't notice that the Master had removed his shirt. To her surprise, he was naked. Kicking away his pants, he hung his cock down in front of the girl's face.

"Very good," he said with a faint smile. "Now, how should I reward you?"

Master Vince circled his slave, taking a few swings at her bottom. Each one brought a moan to the back of her throat. He did this until she couldn't hold it in anymore.

Katie could see the welts starting to rise on the skin. She wasn't sure how this was a reward, but she swallowed her fear and took photos of those as well.

Master Vince made his way back around to the front and stood directly in front of his subject. "Take it in your mouth."

Without looking up, the young woman leaned forward—her deft tongue lifting the tip between her lips. His cock began to expand as she pulled him in. Soon it was fully engorged. Katie had to scoot closer to get the angle perfect for the shot. She wanted to keep her distance so as not to interfere, but she kept wiggling closer and closer to see the details through her viewfinder.

"Keep your head still. Do not move." Master Vince's words came out low, husky, and adamant.

He proceeded to work his cock in and out of the young slave's mouth. Her saliva was starting to puddle around the corners of her suctioned lips. He pulled all the way back and the long strings of shiny spit attached the two.

Katie noted that the girl kept her mouth in a soft O while he shoved himself back in and out a few more times. She gagged as he hit the back of her throat then stopped while he was almost completely in her mouth.

There was a small tweeting noise, and Vince reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Instead of silencing the call, he answered and proceeded to have a conversation about a baseball game—seemingly unaffected by his cock still resting in the young woman's mouth.

Katie stopped shooting for a moment and sat back on her heels, it was the most bizarre thing she had ever seen. He was so casual. Meanwhile, the girl was turning red and gagging, all the while tendrils of drool spilled onto her breasts.

After what felt like an eternity, Master Vince said his goodbyes and put the phone back in his pocket before finally pulling himself back to give her some air. The slave's respite was brief. All too soon, he resumed slowly and deliberately fucking her mouth.

Putting his hand on the back of her head, the Master held it while he pushed all the way in. She was not able to breathe with his whole cock in her windpipe. He pulled away and she expulsed a gasp of air before he repeated the process a half dozen times. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as the young woman struggled to breathe.

The Master stopped and looked at Katie whose attention was on the girl. She hadn't realized she'd stopped taking photos. Katie gave an apologetic grimace, lifted her camera, and resumed shooting.

"Stand," Master Vince's voice boomed.

The girl was still recovering her breath but she stood quickly. He took turns stroking and spanking her bottom as her breathing returned to normal. He would rub it gently then smack it as hard as he could. A cry escaped her lips each time.

He pressed his body to hers then reached around to put his hand between her legs. Touching the curve of her mons, he let a finger slip between the folds, and began gently stroking her clitoris.

The slave girl tried hard not to wiggle as he moved his finger in small circles. With his other hand, he pulled back hard on her ponytail, giving him even greater control of her. Abruptly, he pulled his hand away and put his finger, wet with her juices, in her mouth—fucking it just like he'd done with his cock.

"How do you taste?" he cooed seductively.

He dragged his finger down her neck until he reached her right nipple, giving it a tight pinch.

"Good, sir." She inhaled sharply as she answered, reacting to the pain.

"Are you sweet?"

"Yes, sir." A whimper was all she could manage as he continued to punish her nipple.

Katie forced herself to steal a quick glance at her watch—two hours were already gone. She was so engrossed in the scene playing out before her she'd lost all track of time.

Katie watched as Master Vince pulled another rope off the shelf, looping it into a ring bolted to the ceiling above the girl. He attached it to the cords on her wrists, pulling it up until she was lifted onto her tiptoes.