Chapter 98

EPOV

Shutting the lid to the grill and adjusting the flame to allow the pork skewers to remain warm; I checked my watch. Noting there was only ten minutes until Isabella was due to make her appearance had my heart beating with anticipation of her arrival. It seemed like forever since we have had a normal session in the playroom. Our regular daily life has been such a distraction that we have not been able to spend any meaningful time down there. Lately we've been either been interrupted, used the allotted time for corrective measures or simply had other obligations. So yes I was indeed looking forward to a night of playing, pushing and progressing with my submissive.

My day had been anything but ordinary and I was glad I had taken the time earlier in the week to set up the playroom for our session because there was no way I could have done it with Vinny around. I enjoyed spending the day with my nephew. It wasn't something I'd ever had the opportunity to do and his natural innocence was endearing. His five year old inquisitiveness was a different matter, after a full day of how, what, where, when and why I had to admit I was worn out. The boy was smarter and more intuitive then I would have thought possible.

By the time I'd taken him home my respect for Alice had increased exceptionally, yet that didn't mean I ignored the opportunity to have a frank discussion with my sister. I had originally planned on taking Vinny home immediately after lunch, however a late morning phone call from Emmett had me changing my mind.

My brother was a little bit more then dejected over the prospect of not being allowed to accompany Rose into The Center. In all honesty when he told me the previous day of his plans to go along I was surprised he would be permitted to attend. It seemed to me from the very first time Bella had escorted me onto the property that the location along with the activities of the The Center were a monumental secret.

In fact she had even gone so far as to say it was a place I needed to forget existed and could not tell anyone of it's whereabouts. At the time I had known her for less then twenty-four hours and yet she was relying on me to not only keep her safe but also the other women who lived and worked there. It was the first time Bella put her trust in me and I wasn't going to let her down.

I didn't know all the ins and outs of how they kept the location from the general public. The building itself was tucked in amongst other residential dwellings in the Delridge neighbor and there was absolutely nothing to make it stand out. However the neighbors must have known there was something special about the dwelling. After all I couldn’t can't imagine there wasn't a few nosey residents who wouldn't have questioned at least one of the odd occurrences surrounding the it.

The front entrance that's never utilized instead access was gained from the street through the highly secured and monitored breezeway. Windows remain closed with blinds that are never opened, negating the possibility of anyone seeing in or out for that matter. It gives the appearance of abandonment yet anyone who had a view of the rear court yard could plainly see people lived there. The area was filled with swing-sets, sand boxes and patio furniture. Of course the surrounding impenetrable ten foot cement wall certainly didn't invite visitors. The most telling sign the building was something other then normal, had to be the parking area entrance. A large steel door in the rear alley with a security system to rival the Hope diamond.

With all the oddities it sort of baffled my mind how the location was kept secret or maybe it's not a complete mystery. Perhaps the anonymity of The Center is just a hopeful wish and the lengths taken to keep it that way are nothing more then a diversion from the truth. After all Bella herself told me the women who seek refuge there are free to come and go. It would stand to reason that they know the location and upon returning to their dysfunctional lives, I'm sure at least a few of them have disclosed where they had been.

That thought made me think of something Emmett had recently suggested, he had questioned all the happenstances going on around us wondering if it couldn't be the work of a disgruntled husband. I hadn't gotten a chance to speak to Bella about the past threatening letters Kim had mentioned. The overlook on my part made me even more uneasy because that was delving too much into the unknown for my comfort or sanity. It was hard enough to deal with known persons causing the harassment, nonetheless some nameless, faceless irate asshole who was looking to get even.

Once again Bella's words from that first day came to mind 'there are a lot of men in this city who would love to know where this building is.'

I imagine over the years there would be quite a few men who have grievance with the work that occurs in that seemingly ordinary house. It made perfect sense to me that the male species would not be readily welcomed. The atmosphere was set up to give the women seeking shelter a place away from prying eyes. It also seemed totally feasible that any male presence, especially one in the form of my brother - who let's face it was intimidating in size alone - could be detrimental to the women there. All these things were something Emmett had not taken into consideration when he asked me to call Bella on his behalf in hopes she could 'pull some strings'

“I'm sorry Emmett I can't do that”

“Why not? I'd do it for you”

At first thought I had no doubt he would however after running through all my reasons his only comment was “They let you in”

“They did” admitting the truth before once again trying to make him see the logic “But I told you, only for a few minutes because Bella was missing and they were worried about her. You're presence could put a lot of others in jeopardy, is your own satisfaction worth the risk? You need to think about all the women and children who are counting on the staff to keep them safe.”

“My only thought is about Rosie and what she'll be going through”

Thinking it best to lighten his anxiety I took a completely different route “I understand that and believe me when I say I'd feel the same way. But you have to consider all the others. Rose will be safe, nothing is going to happen to her. You already said dad was going to be escorting her there so you know he'll be with her and Bella will be there”

At his silence a thought occurred to me “Does Rose want you to go?”

It must have been a point of contention because Emmett yelled through the phone “I want to go! Don't you get it? She's my fucking wife...I can't let her go through this alone...not again”

And I had my answer – No Rose did not want him there.

I truly felt his pain but he was thinking of his own role in the situation and dismissing the power of healing that comes from the understanding of shared experiences.

“Listen...remember the morning in the hotel when the news broke and how much support Rose gained from Bella?”

At his disgruntled 'yeah' I continued “That common bond is something you and I can never understand. We want to shelter, protect and defend, it's what we do out of love. Yet what I consider a sense of sympathy is sometimes viewed as pity. And if there is one thing I've learned, the last thing any victim wants is to be pitied. Rose doesn't need that, she doesn't need you standing over her cringing or getting upset at what you hear. What she needs is someone who has been in her shoes, who knows what it feels like and can empathize. Think about it, you're already on edge and loosing your compose, is that something you want to express to Rose or the people who are there to help her?”

Complete silence on the other end of the phone had me continuing “Look at the way Bella and Rose talked it out the other morning at the Marina. It was only a few minutes of standing in the rain yet by the end of it they were laughing together.”

“I just feel so damn helpless and I want to be there for her” the powerlessness coming out as defeat made my own feelings surface.

“You are there for her. Rose came to you, told you what they talked about, she's not shutting you out. Allow those who know what their doing to help her and let her come to you with what she is willing to share. You told me not to push Bella into talking about something she's not ready to discuss, I'm going to say the same thing to you. You want to take it all away, I get that...but you can't.”

I was sure Emmett already knew all of this yet his state of mind had him not thinking very clearly and I tried to come up with a way to make him understand. Not sure if he would completely see what I was trying to get at I drew on my medical training.

“When I was in Med School the first thing we learned was 'do no harm'. The next was a realization that as a physician we could not to restore the patient to perfection. Instead our goal was to make sure they were repaired to their optimal level of health. There were some scars and damage from the disease process that no matter how much skill we had would never go away. As much as we would have liked to erase all the nasty things which occurred to our patient, we can't. There are ramifications which will always be there, all we can do correct what we're able to and set them up to the best they can be. That's what you have to do with Rose”

More silence had me moving on “ don't take her need to be strong for herself as a personal attack. She might be really uncomfortable having you there, give her the space so the experts can help her deal and give her the weapons she'll need to fight the demons inside her own mind. And you be there in whatever capacity she needs at the time, even if all you can do is shut your mouth and hold her while she cries”

“That's easy for you to say”

He was right, it was easier said then done yet I did have experience with the exact thing I was expecting of him. The day Bella admitted to me what happened in her kitchen. She was a total mess and as much as I wanted to fix it for her I realized there was nothing that could be done. Instead I held her while she clung to me, listened and shed tears right along with her.

“You can't make her forget, all you can do is support her decisions”

Emmett chuckled dryly “So says the man that locks his women up”

“She's not locked up, she's just being...supervised” I smiled at the word before growing serious “and you can't fault me for that”

“You're right, I can't...” groaning out a sigh he wondered aloud “I'm going to go freaking insane sitting around here waiting”

“I'm taking Vinny to Taco Bell, why don't you join us”

If there was one thing my brother was always up for it was food and he did come along with us. He was on edge as was evident by his constant checking of his phone but he did somewhat calm down. After lunch the three of us ended up back at Emmett's house where he let me borrow some of the baseball equipment and around three got the call he had been waiting for. He said Rose sounded fine and told him whatever information she had received was a big relief to her.

By three-thirty I needed to stop by the house to check on the plumbers who would be getting ready to leave for the day. Vinny was watching the men with ramp fascination, inquiring information from them the same way he had with me all day. As they were packing up their van he stood there watching them place everything inside.

Glancing in his head moved around in a nosey fashion. “Where are the seats at?”

Larry was more then willing to answer his question. “This kind of van doesn't have seats.”

“Where do people sit at?”

“People don't sit in the back, this is a utility van, men use it for working, so they can haul stuff around”

“Oh..” thinking he was done Larry shut the rear doors giving Vinny yet another question “Why don’t it have windows?”

Larry chuckled “So no one can see in”

“Why don't you want people to see in?”

Giving Larry a break I fielded the question “There are a lot of tools and equipment in the van. Larry has to keep people from seeing inside so that no one tries to steal it.”

The answer was enough to cure his natural five year old curiosity, still on the less then mile ride home he pointed out two other white utility vans and wondered what was inside they didn't want people to steal.

“Do only plumbers have those kinds of vans Uncle Eddie?” he wondered from the back seat as we turned onto Alice's street.

“No, not only plumbers lots of other kinds of people do to, anyone who has to move lots of stuff or carry lots of things with them so they can do their work. Repairmen, electricians, plumbers, they all need lots of different tools and parts to do their work so a utility van works best to keep everything in.”

“Oh...why are they white?”

Something about my answer and his resulting question struck a cord of a distant memory which I couldn't exactly grasp. It wasn't really anything of great importance yet it still made me uneasy as if the elusive thought held some kind of significance.

Frustrated at my inability to recall the answer I was glad to have pulled into the driveway, looking into the rear-view mirror at his expectant face I said the first thing that came to my mind “I guess they use white so that the other cars on the road see them and don't cause an accident'.”

Alice was waiting for us when I dropped Vinny off with all his stuff, both what he had brought with him along with a few baseballs and a catchers mitt from Emmett. He went to put all his toys away giving me a chance to speak with my sister when she wasn't an emotional wreck, at least I didn't think she was.

After giving her a run down of our day I brought up the subject that had been eating at me.

“Can I ask you what you have against Bella?”

“I don't have anything against Bella, I told you she's my friend and I like her.”

That wasn't exactly correct, my sister had said some rather harsh statements which did not come out of thin air.

“If that's true why did you make it sound like she's so kind of social climbing tramp? Because I can guarantee Bella has no aspirations to be part of high society.”

Alice sighed and turned to go into the kitchen making me follow her. Once there she got out a bottle of orange juice, opening the cabinet for a glass she asked if I wanted some. Her obvious avoidance was making me angry.

“No...i don't want juice. What I want is for you to stop taking digs at Bella. I don't want you to belittle her upbringing, make insinuations about her motives or act like she's beneath you because of her choices.”

“Why are you yelling at me?”

Was I yelling?

“I haven't even raised my voice yet Alice”

“Yet?” questioning my choice of words

“That's right yet, because I’m slightly more then agitated at the way your condescending attitude keeps coming off as an attack against Bella. And I can guaranteed you if it continues, yelling is going to be the definite outcome”

“I'm not being condescending and I’ve never attacked Bella so you can yell all you want. I only brought up things you should be thinking about, if the truth hurts...”

“See there you go again with the patronizing attitude acting all holier then thou.”

Alice gave me a disbelieving expression“That's not patronizing, that's looking out for my brother. Listen I know Bella for a lot longer then you do...”

I couldn't let it go and just had to ask “Really Alice, and before that night at New Moon, when was the last time you spoke with her?”

All I got was a blank expression and I asked smugly “Did you have long phone conversations?”

Still getting nothing except a harsh glare I continued probing “Did you send semi annual emails? Was she on your Christmas card list? I know she wasn't there but did she send her condolences for not being able to attend your wedding?”

Alice had a monstrosity of a wedding, filling the church and The Tower's ballroom to capacity with absolutely everyone she ever knew, so it surprised me with her and Bella being such good friends...

As if reading my mind Alice answered “I said I knew her, not that we necessarily hung out together and why would I have invited her to my wedding?”

“I'm just wondering how well you actually know Bella because if you think any of what you were saying about her is true...then you have absolutely no clue about the type of person she is.”

“I never said she was a bad person...just she's not like us” she said with a shrug before taking a leisurely swallow of juice.

“See there you go again...”

“Wh-at?” saying the word as if I was exasperating her.

Staring in disbelief I had to know once and for all “What do you mean by 'not like us'... do you think Bella some kind of mutated sub-species? Because I can damn well guarantee you she eats, sleeps and shits the same way you do”

“Oh that's nice Edward, can you be a little bit more crass...”the sarcasm coming out before Alice sighed heavily and told me something I really didn't want to hear “...look I'm glad for you and I can see that right now Bella is is making you happy.” her face lite up for a moment “hell I even told you what kind of ring to get her. But her family is not like ours...and that's not going to change, she's not going to change.”

Why should Bella change

Two seconds later the answer to my thought came “She's always going to be middle class with a clearance rack mentality who shammed her way in.”

I was completely dumb founded, these were not hasty remarks made by an overly emotional pregnant woman. They were mean, vindictive words of scorn and malice that are made against someone you disdain. I stared at my sister unable to believe the words that had just come out of her mouth all I could think was - this is a woman Bella defended.

How could Alice have that much disregard for the feelings of someone she calls a friend? Where did all the animosity come from?

Having no answer to either of the questions there was one thing I was absolutely positive of. “I'm not going to allow you to treat Bella the way mom treats Jane”

“What the hell does Jane have to do with this!” She said slamming the glass down on the counter

“You know damn well mom thinks Jane is lower then pond scum and has no business being part of our family. She puts up with Jane and is outwardly polite but inside she's seething with contempt.” The grip on my temper having vanished as my voice raised “You think Jane doesn't know that or Aro!”

“I don't know what your talking about! Mom has her own reasons for the way she feels but I’ve been nothing but nice to Bella. I've made her clothes, invited her for lunch, hell I even had asked my husband to remove the scar on her...” giving me a stern glare she added “which did you notice she turned down? Why would she want to keep that ugly thing on her body?”

I knew why. I had told her to keep it because the scar didn't matter to me, I didn't see it as part of her weakness, I saw it as an outward sign of her continued strength. Something that made her who and what she is, a woman who can overcome all the ugliness in her life to persevere.

Alice's haughtiness came through as she announced proudly “All I’ve ever done was try to help Bella”

“Help her do what!” my aggravation coming out as anger

“Help her be a better person...help her move up in the world. Get rid of that small town, small minded ideas and see there's something more then what she knows”

It didn't really make any sense it was almost like Alice was trying to turn Bella into a carbon copy of her. With the clothes and the materialism, to be the kind of woman my sister thought all women should be.

“Did Bella ask you to help her along?”

My sister gave me look of total condemnation “Who in their right mind wouldn't want to rise above Edward. To make themselves better then what they are?”

And there I had it. My sister who I always knew to be a spoiled princess showed me a side of her that I had never wanted to see. She was a self absorbed snob and somewhere in the back of my mind I understood that seeing Bella for what she is rather then what Alice would like her to be, was a reflection in the mirror my sister didn't care to see.

Everyone loved my Bella, she had an easy going personality that screamed acceptance and understanding. There was nothing fake about the woman I loved, she had a genuine quality that couldn't be taught or instilled in a person. She was totally unselfish and unconditionally giving to everyone she came in contact with. In a nut shell Bella was everything my sister was not and probably wished she was.

With the new understanding the edge in my voice waned “Bella has nothing to rise above Alice, she is utterly perfect – for me – exactly the way she is. I love her not for what she can be but for what she is and the happiness she brings to my life.”

“Well of course she makes you happy...” her face crinkled up in disgust as she bobbed her head “...yes sir, no sir, whatever you say sir...how long do you think that's going to last? How long before Bella wakes up and is sick of you telling her what to do all the time?”

She was suggesting something I was sure would never happen and all I could do was give the one example we could both associate with.

“I'll bet you thirty years ago mom asked Aro the same thing. The only difference is I will tell you straight out sister dear...” saying the words through pursed lips “...i will take Bella any way I can get her. So make up your mind if you're going to behave in the refined upstanding social standards you seem to think is our legacy and have some decorum towards the woman I love. Or are you going to continue with the disdainful attitude until the family is ripped apart”

“You don't mean that..”

“I do” assuring her with a firm nod “...if you think I’m going to bring Bella around knowing she's going to be uncomfortable or insulted, then you're out of your mind. This is the third time we've had the same discussion and I don't want to ever have it again. So do me a favor, if you have an opinion, keep it to yourself. If you have a comment to make, get yourself a journal. And if you feel the need to improve someone's life, then sponsor a child from Africa .”

The relationship with my sister was forever changed, I left her house that day with a small fissure in my heart. There was nothing I could do about it, I had given Alice enough leeway to stop what she was doing. I had even taken into consideration Bella's belief that she was hormonally charged due to a surprised pregnancy. However as I had told Bella it didn't excuse her actions, besides after speaking with my sister it was very clear she had hidden resentment. Why I didn't know and frankly I didn't care, that was Alice's problem.

My problem or rather my salvation had just come through the sliding door and was standing behind me in her presentation position. She had been up in her room for the past hour preparing herself both mentally and physically for our evening. Turning to address Isabella I was pleased to see she had followed my instructions. She was a vision standing before me with her chin straight and eyes focused on the ground. Her hair hanging loosely down her back in soft waves over the short pink silk robe and judging from the way her nipples stood at attention, the band were securely in place.

I'd soon be giving them a visual inspection as my little exhibitionist was going to be taking another step towards public nudity but first I needed to officially start our session.

“Good evening Isabella”

Keeping her eyes down all she said by way of a flat greeting was “Master”

That was not exactly the enthusiasm I was hoping for, giving the signal for her to look at me I questioned with the same remote tone she had used.

“Master? That doesn't sound very enthusiastic Isabella. Perhaps you are not in the right frame of mind or maybe you are too fatigued to continue...”

I didn't even get to finish when she blurt out a resounding “No”

Raising my eyes in surprise at the outburst I watched her quickly clamp down on her bottom lip then fixated my glare on her “Excuse me?” she remained quiet and I warned “I would suggest you contain your outburst or this evening will end before it starts”

Bella continued to chew on her lip as she struggled to maintain eye contact “Now can you control yourself or do I need to change my plans in lieu of a having a refresher course?”

Met with only her quite gaze I demanded “Answer me, do I need to alter the direction of our evening?”

“No Master”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes Master”

Continuing to watch her grow uncomfortable under my glare; rather then let her squirm I offered her a reprieve “Then offer me your sincere apologies, go back inside and approach me again. This time make sure your attitude is one of appreciation at being in my presence and you are in full command of your emotions”

Bella didn't hesitate “Master your girl is sor...”

Not sure if the hesitation was due to Bella catching herself of my raised eyebrow from the beginning of the word I was sure would have been 'sorry', I prompted sternly “Go on, my girl is what?”

Swallowing hard at the empathized word she shuttered until finding the correct phase to use “Your girl is...s..s..sure she does not need a review. She has been looking forward to serving you all day and should have expressed that in her greeting. Thank you for allowing this one the chance to show how much she loves being with her Master”

Eying her critically I let her stew for a long moment in uncertainly until conceding “Very well, go back inside, we'll start again” As she turned to leave I stopped her progress to add another element to our basic protocol.

“Isabella” hearing me she halted and gave me her full attention “When I am directly facing you it is improper for you to turn your back to me and leave. Instead you should keep eye contact and back way until I drop my gaze or you can no longer see me.” giving her a second to take in the new instuctions I asked “Do you understand?”

“Yes Sir”

Offering her a chance to try out the added rule of etiquette I once again dismissed her then held her gaze while she eased towards the patio door. After a few steps I turned back to the grill allowing Bella to move freely. It was a new aspect of our relationship and like anything else would require patience on my part and practice on hers. Once she had returned I was pleased that the second time around was a much better reply. The resounding “good evening Master” combined with a warm smile caused my own grin to form.

“That is much better Isabella, a little zeal goes along way” glancing at my watch I informed her “However your poor response has caused you to be tarty by four minutes”

Bella's eyes narrowed as if she was contemplating a difficult math equation and I knew damn well what she was thinking. It was true she was there by six and I had been the one to send her away. However we had already had a similar situation where the response I had gotten wasn't not up to an acceptable standard. I had done the same thing then that I had done this night – sent her away to gather herself and then allowed her reappear. She was reprimanded that time for being tarty and she will be again. However if the behavior continues then a whole new approach will have to be taken. As for the present moment the look of uncertainty I was receiving called for an explanation.

“I have told you before Isabella, when you come before me you are to be totally and completely ready for service. That includes your body, your attitudes and your words. It would stand to reason if I have to send you away from my presence then obviously you were inadequately prepared. The extra time it took for you to gather your senses caused you to be late. So I will ask, how do you intend to repay me for the misuse of my time?”

“Could we add the minutes on to the end time?”

Ah...that's the easy way out

“No we can not. My night is already planned those minutes are lost, so there will have to be some other way.”

I was waiting for truly the only answer that would have been acceptable and thankfully I didn't have to wait very long. Squaring her shoulders Bella held my gaze while she spoke with complete confidence “Master your girl will comply with whatever you see fit”

That's my girl

Inside I was reeling with the possibilities, outside I continued to appear unfazed “So be it. Right now we need to eat, so please retrieve the bowls of pasta salad and melon from the refrigerator.”

“Yes sir” she said and caught herself before turning away from me. Proud she remembered I kept eye contact until she reached the patio doors before looking away towards the table. Noticing Bella's journal sitting there I figured it was safe to say she would have seen there was only one place setting and her mat rested on the floor next to my chair.

Checking the grill I brushed the last of the glaze over the skewers and turned off the heat before closing the lid just as Bella returned. Not wanting to go through the whole retrieval process I had her set the bowls down without any ceremony and was rather pleased at the reaction from seeing only my plate. The small gleam in her eye along with the hint of a smile told me what I already knew.

“Isabella is pleased” she tried harder to fringe indifference but it was impossible for her to hide the happiness. I knew damn well Bella enjoyed being hand fed, I could only hope that delight would carry through with the rest of my plan.

“Since she is so gratified, it's only fair that I should be just as contented”

Reaching out to tug on the sash holding her robe closed I watched her eyes for a reaction. This was nothing new, Bella had already been on the patio with the robe gaping open. That time I had tied the belt into a tight knot at her back, this time I completely removed it and draped it around my neck. The first sign of nervousness came when my hands slipped under the lapels and started gliding the robe off her shoulders. Bella's eyes widened as the garment slid from her body to pool at her feet and she bit her lip in anxiety as her eyes shifted out into the yard.

The wooden fence and trees made us completely obscured from the street and the positioning of the patio provided us with complete privacy. Still it would take a few moments for her to gain the confidence she needed to be comfortable. Wanting to reassure her I placed my hand under her chin so she'd focus on me.

“Whose pleasure are you here for Isabella?”

Her voice sounded slightly troubled yet Bella answered “Yours Master”

“That's right. Mine and only mine and it's my pleasure to spend the dinner hour with my property unencumbered by clothing.”

Letting go of her chin I stepped behind Bella and skimming my hands down her arms to bring her hands back where I used the sash to bind them together in a slip knot. Making sure the improvised restraint could be easily removed I stepped in closer to her until her shoulders rested against my chest. With her hands tied behind her, Bella needed to arch her back and that gave me the perfect opportunity to start working.

My hands that had been braced on her hips traveled up her ribs to the swell of her breast and I marveled in the way her body responded. There was not one bit of anxiety in her as small goosebumps formed on her skin while she thrust her chest out to meet my hands.

Chuckling wickedly I growled by her ear “What does my slut desire?”

All I got was a slight whimper as my thumbs drew circles around the band encased nipples and I asked a different question “Does my slut enjoy my hands on her?”

Flicking the hard nubs a few times caused a small moan and Bella gasped out a 'yes sir' as I started rolling her nipples between thumbs and forefingers. With every breath, panting whimpers started to escape her mouth and her hips started moving in an attempt to find some friction as her need began to build.

Twisting her nipples caused a loud cry and I gave a hushed yet stern warning against her ear “Quiet Isabella. The neighbors might not be able to see you but they certainly can hear”

Her gyrating hips were doing a number on my already throbbing dick which I rubbed against her side causing yet another moan that was not helping with my control. Letting my right hand drift down over her stomach I held Bella still while my other hand continued to squeezed her nipple. Bella trembled and I felt the muscles in her stomach tighten from the suppressed scream.

While I continued to tug her nipple harshly the hand on her stomach slid down the smoothness until it came in contact with her slick core. “My oh my, some body is more then a little wet”

I wasn't lying, she was soaked and as my middle finger began to draw circles around her clit the quiet she had been fighting so hard to contain was gone. The moans grew louder as my finger applied more pressure to the hardening bundle of nerves. With each circle her hips bucked froward while the pressure I used on her nipple increased. There was no keeping quiet, Isabella's inhibitions were completely lost as she moaned loudly in wantonly desire.

Using my knee I tapped the inside of her thighs “Spread your legs Isabella”

As she complied my fingers left their warm moist home and came down on her outer lips with a quick slap. The jolt registered in Bella and a deep moan escaped her throat as she instinctual drew away from the pain.

Tightening my hold over her chest and my fingers on her nipple I growled “Offer it to me”

Sucking in a deep raspy breath she opened her legs and thrust her hips out to receive another one. Rather then pull away from each my hand Bella thrust her hips out, meeting the strike with a wanton moan. I The panting breaths growing so loud I had to abandon the attention I was giving her nipple to stifle the sounds.

With my hand in place over her mouth it was easy to tilt her head back so I could see her face. She had a wild look in her eyes that made me consider fucking her right then and there. Instead I held in my own desire by focusing solely on her.

“What's the magic number Isabella?” I wasn’t sure if she knew the answer and even if she did there was no way she could have answered so I said it for her.

Staring down into her wide desire filled eyes I snarled “Ten” then preceded to reign them down in quick rapid secession while her muffled cries drowned out the sounds of my slaps. By the last one Bella was trembling and when my fingers once again found her clit she screamed out into my hand and practically begged me with her eyes for release.

“Do you want to cum?” I asked, knowing damn well she did.

Panting heavily around my hand all Bella could do was stare at me while nodding out a yes – and I had her right where I wanted her.

Staring down into her eyes I gave the answer through my own heavy pant “Not yet” and removed my hand from where it had been pleasuring her. Bella shuttered at the loss and let out a whimper that could only be described as frustrated pain.

That's one...three more to go.

It took a good long minute before she – and I - had calmed down enough for me to guide Bella to the mat. Once she was situated I fed her a few pieces of melon. The cold fruit had enough juice in it to quench her thirst and the act of chewing would continue to bring her body back to a semi-normal state. However watching her tongue dart out of her open mouth to accept what I was giving her had the exact opposite effect on me.

Using the napkin I wiped off her mouth from where a few dribbles of juice had escaped and uncomfortably stood to got the food off the grill. Sitting down I gave Bella a drink, made up our plate of food and began to the erotic dance of hand feeding my slut.

Half way through the meal that was filled with sounds of pleasure and wishful looks I picked up her journal to read through and concentrated more on my own dinner. Scanning through the pages it was fairly clear Bella hadn't written anything new since the weekend. The daily log was dutifully filled in, telling me what I already knew – the weeks exercise routines had been lacked. It was partially my fault so I couldn't really blame her, still it required mentioning.

“Do you have something you wish to confess?”

I wasn't exactly sure what her preparation routine involved, that was all on Bella. Whatever rituals she went through to reach the point where she was completely immersed in the role was fine with me. If there was a problem or she couldn't get into the right frame of mind, then I could – and would – make suggestions. My inquiry of a confession would tell me just how much she prepared herself, because if it was me; analyzing my journal would be a definite part of the procedure.

Looking down at Bella I raised one eyebrow in expectation of an answer and didn't have to wait very long. Her posture alone would have told me the truth, her tell signs coming through loud and clear. Her shoulders stiffened, her eyes narrowed, her chin lowered and her teeth bit into that bottom lip like she was gnaw it off – her tell signs.

“Yes..Sir”

With her head down it was impossible to see her eyes “Isabella look at me”

Squaring her shoulders again Bella brought her eyes to mine and I nodded in assent “Now, speak”

“Your girl hasn't done very well with her exercising and she also had neglected to begin working on one of the goals she set for herself. It's not that she forgot...” blurting out the begging of an excuse which I quickly cut off with an icy glare.

“Did I ask you for justification?”

“No Sir” she said dropping her chin again and I barked out “Look at me”

Snapping her head back into position her eyes told me everything I needed to know – my girl was slightly annoyed. Not sure if it was with herself or me I figured it best to test the waters and maybe give a small piece of advice.

“I wasn't asking for an excuse, so if you feel the need to bare your soul or come up with some sort of justification for your actions, don't worry the time for that will come. Right now all I want from from you is a list of transgressions. ” taking a deep breath I gave my warning “That is the second time this evening you have spoken out of turn, I would suggest you not make it three. Because the next time will not be met with words but rather a swift punishment.” lifting her chin I made sure there was no misunderstanding on the matter by speaking deliberately slow “Do I Make Myself Clear?”

“Yes Sir” The flat tone of her voice telling me all I needed to know

oh yeah the annoyance was definitely with me

That was ok, a little bit of irritation can make for an interesting evening.

Releasing her chin I sat back in my chair to take another bit of food after swallowing I started again “Now if I can continue without anymore rudeness” picking up the glass I took a long drink before offering the ice water to Bella while I continued “We were on the confession part, not vindication”

Removing the glass from her lips a small splash of water dropped from her chin onto her chest making her gasp as I watched the bead of moisture disappear in the valley between her breast. Liking the small reaction she gave, my mind came up with an idea for me to be able to see it again.

Putting the glass down I rotated my finger in a half circle; Bella complied with the direction turning around on the mat. With her back to me I freed her hands by releasing the knot in the sash then guided until she was sitting on the mat with her back directly in contact with my legs.

“Now look at me Isabella” having no alternative she arched her back and tilted her head until it rested on my thigh, giving her a direct view of my face.

“I believe my slut was confessing” I stated while smoothing out her hair with my fingers. “Is that all there was?”

“Yes Master”

“Hmmmm....” I hummed while reaching to pick up the glass to take a sip, then watched the contentment in Bella's eyes disappear as I held the moisture covered glass over her body. One hand still stroking her hair while the other tilted the glass ever so slightly as I warned “Stay still”

Holding it there I admired Bella's attempt to win at my little game of 'red light', looking up at me like a deer caught in the headlight. She was actually very good at it and when she wanted to be was more obedient then I could ever hope for. However there was no fun in total compliance, my girl was going to need a push.

Letting my hand move from her hair to her shoulders I once again began to tease her breast, letting my finger tips run lightly over the fullness. Using the lightest of touches and barely making contact with the sensitive nipple. Her body responding with deep breaths as she thrust out her chest and looking down at her I grinned evilly.

“I told you to stay still” letting a splash of cold water roll over the brim to land on the slope of her other breast. The sudden coldness causing Bella to react with a flinch as the small stream flowed over her flesh.

“Now you said there was nothing else, only lack of keeping your exercise schedule” speaking as my hand became more intent with the nipple it was playing with. “With all the disruptions to your daily schedule I can understand just see that you keep up with the yoga. My concern is with something far more important. What were your three goals Isabella?”

Shifting her shoulders caused me to spill more water, this time landing in the middle of her chest and running down over her belly into the junction between her thighs. At her quick intake of air along with the small shiver I let another splash land on the breast I was playing with. As the water hit her skin I tugged hard on her nipple making her whimper in pleasurable pain.

Setting the glass down, I set about playing with both nipples, simultaneously tugging, twisting and pinching them. Bella has a one tract mind with a tendency to get lost in the sensations and I needed to remind her.

“The goals Isabella, what were they?” as I asked my finger squeezed hard on both nipples causing Bella to both gasp and cry out her answer. “To call my father!”

“Who's father!” I questioned with authority while twisting the nubs in my fingers

“Your sluts...your sluts father!” glassy, lust induced eyes fluttered open to stare into mine as she begged “Please Master...please...”

I was so busy watching the reaction my hands were causing to her face that I totally neglected what she was doing with the rest of her body. Her thighs which should have been spread open where clamped shut as she squirmed around looking for any kind of relief.

A quick slap under her left breast caused another gasp from her and a demand from me “Bend your knees and spread your thighs”

As she complied I demanded “What were the other two goals Isabella?”

Her breathing was growing raspy as was her talking yet she still managed to pant out “To always...remember...mas...Master's ...point ...of view”

That was the one I was interested in, Bella kind of shuddered as her eyes closed when my thumbs went back to soothingly stroking her nipples with my thumbs. “I want to know how you feel you are doing with respect to that particular task”

Calming herself Bella let a deep cleansing breath before her eyes drifted open “This one is trying hard Master. When something comes up, she ask herself, how does it effect Master and that helps her to put in in perspective”

Nodding at the answer my fingers started to kick up the level of attention they were giving her nipples while I responded “I see, so can I ask how the terms of our bet play into that philosophy?” her eyes widened but I couldn't tell if the reaction was from the tight hold I had on her nipples or the question so I continued “I agreed with the terms and will abide by the outcome. Yet the way I see it you manipulated the situation in hopes of getting you want. Now I ask you...” squeezing just a little bit tighter “...how was that putting my point of view in the forefront of your mind?”

Easing up on my grip I allowed Bella a moment to get her thoughts together before once again tugging hard and demanding “Answer me”

“Master...” she squealed before taking in a fresh lung full of air to start again “Master, your girl is ashamed to say in that instance she completely disregarded your opinion. Had she thought about it, the suggestion never would have come up. If you would rather call the whole bet off...”

It took everything I had not to burst out laughing at the antics she was trying to pull. I don't know who the hell she thought she was talking to but my girl was not playing me for a fool. She wanted those damn Fruity Pebbles and wanted them on her terms – quickly and guilt free.

However there was something she had not taken into account and cutting her off mid sentence I reminded her “No I said I'd abide by the terms and I will.” twisting the nipples again until she sucked air in through her teeth “Because for all your attempts to get what you want...” tugging them away from her body “....there is something you have not considered...” pinching them tightly between my fingers “...first you have to win”

A shiver went though her body as her eyes grew hazy as a long drawn out moan escaped her throat. I knew that look of longing and I warned through pursed lips “Don't even ask”

Holding her suspended half way between letting the pain take hold or the pleasure of it over power her I could see Bella struggling to keep herself in check. I knew the slightest little bit of added pressure on her nipples would cause her to loose the hold she had. Part of me wanted to push her in that direction, just to see how much she could take. But the bigger more reasonable side of me wanted to keep her frustratedly needy. That was the part I listened to especially since she still owed me.

And as I watched Bella get herself back in command of her senses my own body was screaming for attention. The control I yielded over Bella along with her reactions from the breast play had my dick straining to get out of it's painful confines. I was going to need release, and soon because as much as I enjoy pushing Bella and testing myself there was only so much a man can take.

“Sit up Isabella”

I needed to get myself under control and there was no way in hell I would be able to accomplish that with her in the position she was in. Handing her the glass of water so she could take a drink I wondered “Are you still bleeding Isabella?”

“Yes Sir” replying as she gave back the glass

The previous night as I helped her unpack all the stuff she had brought from her house Bella had produced a box of cervical cups. When I questioned what they were for, I was informed they acted as a reverse diaphragm. Being that instead of creating a barrier to keep sperm out these small round rings are inserted to keep menstrual flow in. They act as tampon by capturing the fluid yet leaving the vagina unobstructed.

I had no frame of reference to know if she was correct or not so I was going on blind faith when I asked if she was wearing one. Telling me 'no' I instructed Bella to retrieve one from upstairs and bring it down to me. While she was gone I started gathering the dishes, taking them inside just as Bella was returning. After presenting herself to me I took in beauty of her, she truly was exquisite and having Bella standing there in all her naked glory just made me all the more glad I was a man.

Not only a man but her man, The Man, the one who loved her, who cared for her, the one who owned her. That ownership required there be no hindrances in our relationship, there could be nothing between us. Not her emotions, her inhibitions, or even her self-consciences, nothing should get in the way of her following my directions. Sometimes that will require Bella to 'think about my point of view', sometimes she will need to remember that there is a 'purpose' to everything I do, and still other times she will simply comply because I demanded it of her.

It didn't really matter to me what reason she used to obey, just so she did.

And that included the directive that seemed to tax Bella's resolve more then anything ever had.

“Come we'll go to the bathroom so you can rid yourself of the tampon and show me how that cup works”