Assumed Master (20 page)

"Julie Marie Hayden Chelsea
Stevens-Seidler," she blurted before taking an enormous breath and blowing
it out, a smile quirking her lips in a triumphant gesture.

Keegan looked dumbfounded. "I won’t ask
you to repeat that, but damn."

"Julie was a bit out of sorts a few years
back. She makes sure to let everyone know upfront now exactly who she is,"
Allen offered, cocking his head to one side as he watched Nicki who was obviously
distracted by a couple walking by in drag.

"I can fully understand why she’d be out
of sorts," Keegan mumbled, sitting back down on the bench. "Is there
a story behind all those names?"

"Yes."

"Okay?"

"Keegan D’Amato? I don’t think I’m the
only one who should be out of sorts. You should really try the crab balls,"
Julie said, twisting her legs in an effort to relieve the beginnings of a
cramp. No way in hell was she sharing such intimate details with this man that
made her pulse jump a bit. "Granted they aren’t colcannon or pasta alle
sarde, but you haven’t really lived until you’ve had one of Delilah’s."

"Touché, and while I enjoy a good Irish potato
or well put together anchovy sauce any day, I’m third generation, sweets. I’ve
lived along the ocean, American side, my entire life. And now I’m intrigued. If
I’ve not lived until Delilah’s crab balls, I’d say I’m definitely missing out."
Keegan stood and offered his hand. "Would you be interested in showing me
these can’t live without creations?"

"Sir, I don’t think my Master…"
Julie said, ignoring his hand and turning to Allen. This man made her nervous
in a way that was
borderline
scary and she had no
desire to go off alone with him.

"Although I do trust Keegan, I believe
you’re right. I think Dante would remove his head and mine for letting you
wander away with another Dom. I’m sorry
Keegan,
I have
to deny you that much access to Julie. However, Nicki’s free now. In fact, I
think that’s an excellent idea," Allen said, putting a hand on one of Nicki’s
elbows, urging her to stand. "Grab some more snacks, go for a walk."

Julie twisted her nose a bit and looked at Allen
like he’d lost his mind. "Anxious to be rid of her, Sir?"

"No. I’m not. Just thought she might
enjoy the walk, the fresh air,
the
stars. Now go."
Allen made a shooing motion with his hands and before Keegan even had her
pointed in the direction of the French doors, his attention was once again
turned to the young girl Julie rescued from her own Dom.

"I think you’re afraid of her, Sir,"
Julie accused, watching his eyes follow Nicki before dropping back to her.

"Maybe.
But she reminds me an awful lot of you at
that age. I lost that fight once. I'm not willing to stick my neck out for
another go at the reaper’s scythe."

"I tried, you know."

"We both did. It didn’t work and I’m
pretty sure it wouldn’t with her, either."

They sat in comfortable silence a few minutes
and Julie enjoyed the ease at which they could do that. Sit without talking. Allen
was as much one of her old shoes as a Dante and Blake were now or Mason had
been.

"Sir, my knees are giving out,"
Julie said, standing. "I don’t really want to piss off my Master by not
being able to do much more than hobble around the rest of the evening."

"Wise decision," Dante’s voice spoke
over her left shoulder. "How long have you been down there, love?"

"Long enough to know better," she
answered, seeing Keegan and Nicki returning.
"Master."

Although Keegan and Nicki were chatting
amicably, neither really looked particularly interested in the other. When they
reached the end of the patio, Nicki once again took a chair near Allen and
Keegan remained standing.

"Are you this fine woman’s Master?"
he asked Dante. Julie swallowed hard at his forward manner. Just who the hell
did he think he was?

"I am," Dante returned, eyeing the
man up and down with a critical glare. "Who the
fuck are
you to be asking like you have the right?"

"I’m Keegan," he said, sticking his
free hand out which Dante ignored. "We were talking a bit. She’s very well
behaved. I asked for her help with the buffet and she denied me and turned to Allen
for advice. Wish I could find a woman that yielding."

"Keep looking," Dante said flatly,
pulling Julie and Blake a bit closer. "We have a closed relationship."

"I understand," Keegan went on as if
he was oblivious to Dante’s subtle warnings. "I’d keep her close, too. Are
y’all from Savannah?"

"No," Dante said. "And you’re
not either, are you?"

"No."

"Allen, I think we’re ready to venture inside,"
Dante said, turning Julie behind him and moving toward the house. "I’d
appreciate a safety.
If you’re inclined."

"Gladly, my friend."
Alan stood with a wicked smile on his face
that told Julie she was in for a marking and he and Dante were pressing for this
Keegan fellow to watch so he would know under no uncertain terms that Julie
belonged to Dante.
Period.
"Keegan, Dante is an
expert with the four-foot. Bring your plate. It wears a person out just
watching him.
Nicki.
How about you, doll? Ever see a
whipping before?"

"No, but I’d like to," Nicki said,
popping up. "Linn usually just brings me and abandons me and I end up
leaving before anything really exciting happens."

"I don’t think you’ll have to worry about
that anymore," Julie said, shivering with fear at the look in Dante’s
eyes.

Dante stopped on his way past the stairs
before going down the long hall that led to Allen’s sound proof dungeon in the
east wing of the house. "Slave, go get my bag," he told Blake.

Without hesitation, Blake shot up the stairs
not looking back as Dante continued his path toward the room Julie had seen
every day since arriving at Camelia Downs. Her introduction to the world of
pain, as Dante had so eloquently put it, started off with paddling and
progressed from there through floggers, crops, and canes. Last night he’d even
let her have a small, if not satisfying, taste of the violet wand she’d been so
keen to try. That was something she wanted to do more of and had expressed as
much through a bit of pouty begging when he wouldn’t go further with her than
he thought she was ready for. But something told Julie no amount of electricity
would compare to what Dante had in mind for this display of ownership he was
getting ready to inflict on her for the sake of some young
 
Dom who'd shown an interest in her even though
it appeared they were years apart in age. If she were honest, Julie had to admit
the thought of someone looking at her like men had years ago
gave
her a measure of thrill. It was nice to know she was still considered attractive
with her stretch marks from so many failed pregnancies, gray hair, and crow’s
feet.

Too bad Dante didn’t see it for what it really
was. It was an innocent flirtation that made her feel vainly pretty, although
she’d be lying if she ignored the guilt that came along with that. Julie didn’t
think he had a thing to prove. She knew who she belonged to. He didn’t need to
beat his chest and bellow over her. Of course, her head told her this was
another aspect of the male ego thing. But as much as her heart tried to grasp
the concept, the gleam in his eyes had her a bit rattled. Although she looked
forward to the bite of the whip, for him to take her to task in anger was a kind
of scary that didn’t sit well with her and as they entered the dungeon, a cold
chill settled over her and sank like a rock to the pit of her stomach.

There were only two other couples taking
advantage of Allen’s play room at present. One couple was happily enjoying his
suspension equipment with the sub strung up in a bright purple rope sling, her
Dom noisily lapping at her pussy. The other couple had claims on a spanking
horse. The Domme in that relationship was so intent on the caning she was
administering to her sub, she didn’t even seem to sense the people that
streamed in behind Dante while he brought Julie to stand between the two heavy
wooden posts that stood floor to ceiling at the far end of the room.

"Do me proud, love," Dante whispered
in her ear as he loosed her laces then reached around to unclasp the hooks in
front, her corset falling to the floor. He kicked it to the side as he unzipped
her skirt and it, too, fell in a pool around her feet. She stepped out of it
and it soon joined the corset to the side of the station.

"Yes, Master," Julie said over a
quiver in her voice as Dante took her left wrist and secured it in the metal
cuff hanging from the black chain that ran through an eye bolt secured at the
top of the post.

Once he was sure her wrist was immobile, Dante
walked to the post, took the end of the chain, and tugged it through the bolt
until Julie’s arm was taut above her head then he lashed the free end to
another eye bolt in the floor rendering her frozen. He repeated the process
with her other hand then proceeded to secure her ankles in the same manner,
thoroughly spreading her legs, exposing every inch of pouting flesh between her
legs.

Until that moment, Julie had been focused on
Dante alone, but now that he was finished with the initial task of restraining
her and securing her hair on top of her head, she looked around to find Allen
watching with a critical eye, Keegan was seated in a metal chair a few feet
away eating crab balls like he was at the movie with a bucket of popcorn, and
Nicki was in the corner, hugging herself with a look of horror on her face. Clearly
she hadn’t been lying when she said she’d never witnessed any of the good
stuff. Although Julie could turn her head, she didn’t dare to see how many had
gathered behind them for fear Dante would put her in a stiff collar to keep her
eyes to the front.

"Master?" she asked, hoping her
concern for Nicki didn’t further infuriate him. "I think someone needs to see
about Nicki. Please, master?"

"Who does she belong to?" Dante
asked
,
looking the direction in which Julie’s eyes
fell.

"Well, Sir, she did belong to Linn
Dabney, but I sort of took it upon myself to relieve him of his duties. He’s a
poor Master and I…"

"You did what?" Dante demanded.

Oh dear. Julie really wondered if she should
just call Orchid right now and hide in Allen’s quarters until Dante calmed back
down.

"I said he’s a poor Master," she
said over clenched teeth. "Please, Master, would you ask Allen to see to
her. She’s afraid."

Actually, at this point Julie had no idea who
was more afraid, Nicki or her. If she looked anything like Nicki did, they both
resembled ghosts…green ghosts that were feeling queasy to be exact. Deciding
the risk was worth the
cost,
Julie turned her gaze to
Allen and pleaded with her eyes for him to pay attention. Whether he understood
her concern about Nicki or saw the real fear in her eyes over
her own
situation, his brow crinkled and he walked over.

Never uttering a word or asking permission,
Allen took her chin between his fingers and raised her eyes.

"Oh no you don’t," he said when she
tried to avert them from his examination. "Dante, you have a bit of a
problem. You’re not touching Julie until you get a lid on your fury."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"
Dante said, only proving Allen’s point further. Rarely did Dante raise his
voice or use such harsh words unless he was in a mood.

"I’m talking about your attitude right
now. I knew you were a bit miffed at our new friend over there, but you’re a
tad past pegged and you’re not touching her until you tone it down. She’s
terrified right now and I won’t allow it." Allen turned loose of her chin
and bracketed her face with his palms. "Julie, look at me. You’re alright.
I won’t let him touch you in anger. Understand me?" He leaned and spoke too
low for Dante to hear. "He needs to piss on his fence, but I won’t let him
tear the fence down doing it. Can you reel in your fear?"

"Yes, Master Allen," Julie told him,
her breath coming in quickly drawn bursts. Allen realized something even she
hadn’t. She was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Okay. You’re okay. Take a few deep
breaths. This is what I’m here for. The safety, remember? This is why Dante
asked for help." Allen stroked the back of her head, never wavering from
his stance, eyes always locked. "He’ll come down here in a minute. You
want to do this for your Master, don’t you?"

"Yes, Master Allen," Julie said, the
initial panic easing.

"That’s good, because he needs it.
Probably more than you do right now. He’s as insecure as you are sometimes. You
know that, right? He doesn’t want to lose you. He sees Keegan as a threat."

"I know that." Julie’s eyes wandered
to the chair where Keegan sat, a smug look on his face as if he knew things
were deteriorating and might fall apart at any second, giving him a chance to
swoop in and pick up the pieces. "Turn my Master loose on me, Sir. I’m
ready." As good as her ego felt being stroked by the young
man,
it sort of pissed her off that he was so willing to
treat her like a piece of meat. She wasn't property. She was a person first. "See
about Nicki, though. I think this is freaking her out just a little bit."