Working Late

Claudia nodded, exhaling slowly, willing the muscles of her backside to relax. She had long ago learned that tensing up could make things much, much worse.

The air in the office was thick with anticipation. Claudia's heavy breasts heaved with each breath she took. And then came the crack.

What Claudia would later remember most about that initial blow was how the impact spread out across a much wider area than she was used to from her mistress's hands. The first strike of the cane lit up both her cheeks at once. "Eleven!" her tearful voice cried out.

"That's right. Three more to go. I will move down from here."

Claudia nodded. She wasn't sure whether being told where the next three strikes would come was a blessing or not.

She didn't have time to think about it. She could hear the cane swish through the air again and a moment it hit the reddened skin of her backside, sending a fresh jolt of pain running through her body. "Twelve!" Saying the number was more instinctive than conscious at this point.

"Two more. You're halfway Claudia. Just two more." Linda said reassuringly, giving Claudia's shoulder a soft squeeze. She waited, both to let the sub settle down and to check if she was going to use the safe word or not.

Thirteen came after about ten seconds had passed. For a moment Claudia wondered whether she'd been given a reprieve, but as soon as the cane bit into the skin of her backside Claudia remembered - her mistress always gave her exactly what she promised her. "Thirteen..." her voice quivered.

"That's right... thirteen... just... one... more." Linda said, the last word punctuated by the final blow of the cane. The gasped 'fourteen!' was accompanied by a thud as Claudia slipped forward, her elbows hitting the surface of the desk. A moment later the cane clattered against the marble, and Linda's arms wrapped around her sub. "There... that's it... that was four strokes of the cane. Your first four. I'm so proud of you."

Claudia just nodded. She could feel the warmth of Linda's skin against hers and she did her best to focus on her mistress's voice. She leaned into Linda and soon the younger woman was gently stroking her back, kissing at her cheeks, kissing away the tears. "Thank... thank you mistress..." she finally said, her mouth dry.

"Here..." Linda smiled, taking Claudia by the arms. "Kneel down. I'm going to hold you, and then when you're ready for me to let you go I'm going to get the ointment and some water, alright?"

Claudia just nodded, trusting Linda utterly. Her mistress lowered her down, then knelt besides her, hugging her warmly, her arms wrapped around Linda's midsection, just below her breasts. More kisses, more whispered compliments. Claudia focused on those. Her mistress was proud. She had done something she had never done before, and endured.

Claudia never understood how Linda did it. At that moment she had reduced the older woman's world to just the arms around her, their bodies pressing together and the glow of her backside. The DeSanto account, the drycleaning she still had to pick up, her concerns about the future of the company, everything was forgotten for the moment. She leaned into Linda, shifting until her cheeks were rubbing over the younger woman's breasts. Linda just smiled, giving Claudia the comfort she sought.

Finally, after about fifteen minutes had passed, Claudia spoke again. "I think I would like some water now mistress..."

Linda smiled and nodded. "Water first, or the cream?"

Claudia swallowed. She knew she needed both, but right now the dryness of her mouth was worse than the pain in her backside. "Water please, mistress."

Linda nodded, rising to her feet, to the small fridge that sat in the corner of the office. A small detour by the open drawer let her put out the small jar of lotion. She set down the latter, unscrewed the cap of the former and knelt down again, bringing the bottle to Claudia's lips.

The tired sub drank greedily from the small sips her mistress fed her. The cold water felt wonderful as it ran over her tongue and down her throat and she didn't stop swallowing until her mistress had fed her almost half the bottle.

"Now, let's see about your backside, hm?" Linda smiled, taking Claudia's arm and firmly guiding the sub to rise again. Claudia just nodded, shivering a little as she came up from the floor. She let Claudia bend over her desk once more. This time the older woman was allowed to bend all the way forward, and she let herself rest on the desk.

The ointment that Linda began gently rubbing into the reddened skin of her backside immediately drew a sigh of relief from the older woman's lips. She knew it wouldn't last, that she'd probably have to ice herself when she got home and several more times over the next few days but for now it was exactly the kind of relief she was looking for. There was the occasional wince as Linda's fingertips rubbed over something particularly sensitive, perhaps a welt from the cane, but as her skin slowly absorbed the cooling cream Claudia could practically feel herself melt into the surface of her desk.

And all the while Linda was talking down to her gently, about how good she had been, how proud she was. Claudia just smiled and nodded and murred the occasional 'yes mistress' or 'thank you mistress' as she basked in the approval of the woman who spent most of her time running around to answer her every beck and call.

"I think you've earned a special treat..." Linda said after a while. That caused Claudia to perk up immediately.

"A treat mistress?" she asked, proving that in spite of her thoroughly subbed out state she was still paying attention.

Linda smiled and nodded, amused by the tone of Claudia's voice. In that moment she sounded like a child who had just been told there would be a special dessert. She stood up and set down the jar of ointment. "Stand up. Hands behind your head."

Claudia nodded, pushing herself off of the desk's surface and moving back upright. Resting her upper body on the wooden surface had been nice, but not so nice that she wouldn't give it up to enjoy her treat.

As Claudia assumed the position she had been given Linda smiled and moved between the older woman and the desk, sitting down on the edge of it. She softly stroked her sub's cheek. "You look so beautiful right now..."

"Thank you mistress..." Claudia sighed. On a rational level she didn't feel beautiful - she had been crying, she knew, and it was the end of a very long day. But right now the rational level didn't matter much. And she could see in her mistress's eyes that the younger woman truly did admire her.

Slowly Linda's hand stroked loser, along Claudia's slender neck, lightly touching the collar. The pose with her hands behind her head left Claudia's breasts rising higher too, and Linda gently touched all over them, rubbing one nipple, then the other. Claudia bit her lip. It still amazed her how sensitive Linda could make her body feel with just an hour of work.

"Just relax Claudia... enjoy..." Linda said softly as she stroked the older woman's abdomen, up and down her sensitive sides. Claudia nodded, closing her eyes, breathing in and out steadily through her nose as her mistress's touch expertly set the nerve endings of her lower abdomen on fire. Every now and then Claudia's breath hitched in her throat.

Suddenly one of Linda's hands was at the back of her neck, and before Claudia could fully process it she was pulled forward into a kiss. She immediately parted her lips, a soft gasping moan escaping them before they were met by Linda's. Her personal assistant's tongue immediately slipped into her mouth, dancing up against hers. Claudia practically melted into the kiss.

Soon her movements became more frantic, soft gasps, her nostrils flaring. Her mistress had grasped the rope bound up around her waist. The friction against her labia that had always been there as a subtle background noise now seemed to roar to life, causing Claudia's knees to tremble. The tension on the rope also pulled on the metal plug still embedded in her rear, making the older woman much more aware of the weight there.

"It's okay Claudia..." came Linda's hoarse whispers inbetween kisses. "You've earned this, you're allowed to..."

Claudia just nodded, grateful for the implicit permission. Linda's hands felt so strong, both the one at the back of her neck holding into the kiss and the one manipulating her aching slit through the ropes that ran through it. Claudia's own hands were still held firmly at the back of her head, her fingers curling into her thick dark hair. She moaned openly now, although most of those exclamations of pleasure were muffled by the kiss.

And then, just as she thought her sensitive body couldn't be stimulated any further by her mistress, Claudia felt Linda's finger slip under the rope, rubbing her slit directly. Claudia's knees almost buckled as Linda's fingertip grazed her clitoris directly. Her skin tingled as if she had just stepped out of a sauna and into the snow.

"Oh... oh... oh!" Claudia whimpered inbetween kisses, her eyes squeezed shut. She could feel her fingers pressing into the back of her head hard as she rode her mistress's hand, rolling her hips as she tried to match the motions of Linda's fingers pressing into the folds.

And then the dam broke, somewhere deep in ghe pit of her stomach. As soon as it felt like her knees were no longer able to support her Linda's hand shot down from the back of her neck to her lower arm, hugging the older woman against her as she gasped out her climax. If Claudia was capable of rational thought at that moment she would have marvelled at the strength Linda showed at that moment, practically holding Claudia's body weight against her even as she kept rubbing, kept working over Claudia's neatly shaven folds until the last waves of pleasure ebbed away and the older woman was left a gooey, panting mess, leaning heavily against Linda.

"Thank... thank you mistress..." Claudia finally whispered. She wasn't sure how much time had passed between the cresting peak of her climax and her regaining her voice.

Linda just smiled and nodded. "Let's bring you down, hm? You've had a very long night..."

Claudia nodded, she definitely couldn't argue with that. For the last time that night she was lowered down onto her desk. She breathed in and out steadily as Linda moved behind her, carefully peeling away the rope that was trussed up around her waist. In her post-orgasmic haze Claudia's body still felt incredibly sensitive, and occasionally there was a small gasp from the sub as the rope brushed over her outer labia but eventually it was placed ont he desk in front of her.

Getting the plug out took a little bit more effort but the ring behind the base helped. Linda curled the index finger of her left hand into it. With the thumb of her right she gently massaged Claudia's anus. Claudia just focused on relaxing the tight ring of muscle against the pressure of the plug being pulled backwards until it finally slipped out, the older woman's breath catchign in her throat for a moment.

Linda deposited both the rope and the plug in a resealable plastic bag. They would have to be cleaned before they could be used again. Once, with some embarrassment, Claudia had offered to do the cleaning. Since she was the sub, it only felt right. Linda had just smiled and reassured her that as much as she appreciated the offer, some things were a mistress's responsibility.

With the rope and plug dealt with Linda helped the slave back to her feet. She took the older woman with her into the private bathroom, all tasteful marble and chromed steel. Linda dutifully held still as Linda fussed over her like a concerned mother. The private bathroom had a small cupboard for some sanitary necessities that the employee bathrooms didn't have. Linda fished out a washcloth, wetted it under the faucet, then began gently wiping her sub down. She kept one hand on Claudia's collar all the while.

After some firm but gentle cleaning of Claudia's inner thighs and crotch Claudia finally slipped the older woman's panties back in place. "There... all better, hm?"

Claudia blushed and nodded. Normally she'd never allow someone to fuss over her like this but Linda was allowed to... while she was wearing the collar of course.

"I was hoping you'd join me for a drink once we've gotten dressed again." came Linda's voice, pulling her out of her reverie.

"Oh, of course." Claudia said quickly. "It's just..."

"Don't worry." Linda smiled. "I know a place where nobody will bother us."

Claudia blushed and nodded. Normally she might have pressed Linda for more details, or argued in some other way, but she was still wearing the collar, not just physically but mentally as well. "Of course mistress, I'd like that..."

Linda smiled and nodded, leaning in to peck her sub on the cheek. "Awesome, let's get you dressed."

Claudia nodded, following her mistress back into her office. She watched as she picked up the pile of folded clothes that had lain forgotten on the floor while they played. Linda smiled, beckoning her sub over. "Let's get you dressed, hm?" she smiled at Claudia.

The older woman just nodded, moving to stand in front of Linda and holding out her arms so that she could slide her bra back into place. Her blouse came next, and finally Linda stooped down so that Claudia could step into her skirt. She couldn't help but wince a little as it was zipped up, the fabric pulling more taut over her freshly spanked and caned backside. She'd definitely be wearing something a little looser tomorrow.

Linda's own clothes, at least the ones she had taken off, were stacked in a pile on Claudia's desk chair. The older woman looked on as her mistress put on her bra, then a tank top, then the slightly too baggy knitted sweater she had worn that morning. Linda really did cover up her beauty well. As she was standing there fully clothed it was hard to imagine Linda as sexy, let alone as a confident mistress who could read her sub like a book.

"Kneel for me Claudia, one last time." Linda smiled as she walked back to stand in front of her sub. Claudia did so without thinking.

She shivered a little as Linda's fingers slid over her neck, automatically bowing her head. A moment later there was a soft snapping sound as she opened the buckle and lifted the collar up and away. It was held to her lips, Claudia giving it one last kiss before saying 'Thank you Linda.' The tone was much the same as when she had said 'Thank you mistress' so many times, but using her mistress's name in stead of the title had an obvious meaning. Linda placed the collar in the drawer, along with the cane, and locked it again. As a final touch before helping Claudia back to her feet Linda hung the silver pendant with the key to the drawer back around Claudia's neck.

Twenty minutes later the women were sitting across from each other in a small booth in a diner a few blocks away from the office. It was the kind of place Claudia never would have set foot in without her mistress's urging. The linoleum floor had a black and white checker pattern to give the illusion of tiles. The vinyl covering the cushions of the booth's couches was cracked and peeling around the seems. The hot chocolate they were drinking tasted like it was made by simply adding a sachet of powder to a cup of hot water.

But none of that mattered. It was a quiet place where nobody would recognize them, where they could quietly come down from what they had just done together. Claudia was leaning forward in her seat, resting most of her body weight on her lower thighs rather than her backside. It made her look like she was desperately interested in anything Linda had to say.

She knew that playtime was over. That tomorrow morning Linda would be waiting at her desk, a steaming caramel latté waiting for her in her office. But until they went their separate ways, probably once they finished their drinks, she allowed herself to find comfort in the other side of her relationship with her personal assistant.

Linda was smiling, using her fingertip to pull up little bits of the light brown foam that topped her hot chocolate and bringing it to her lips. It was a somewhat childish gesture. It was hard to imagine that this was the woman who endured everything Claudia threw at her, and who could wrap the older woman around her finger in ways that Claudia herself often didn't understand she needed until after it was all over.

It was Claudia who finally broke the silence. "Thank you Linda... that was... it was nice."

Linda just smiled and nodded. She knew Claudia well enough that 'nice' had layers of meaning that a woman in Claudia's position couldn't express out loud. Not to her personal assistant at least. Maybe to her mistress. "You looked like you needed a break... we'll be good to go tomorrow."

"Of course." Claudia nodded, picking up her cup and taking a sip. Her voice sounded firmer now than it had while she was wearing the collar, she was slowly reasserting herself.

Linda didn't mind. Being the only woman who truly knew Claudia was an amazing privilege. And she knew that for the relationship to work their professional relationship needed to be clearly delineated from their personal one. Moments like these were rare moments where that line was blurred. In a few minutes the hot chocolate would be finished. She'd order a taxi for her mistress, wait for it to arrive, then pay for the drinks and take the subway home. Then, in about seven and a half hours, her alarm would be going off, precisely one hour and fifteen minutes before she would step into Claudia's office again, once more taking on the role of her personal assistant. For now, they had the afterglow of a wonderful session and cheap hot chocolate.