"Come on, I'll give you a tour, Anastasia." I tell her, opening the office door. "I'll start with your room."
Anastasia follows me out, picking up a small backpack that is resting against the wall outside of the office. She hugs it to her chest and keeps her head bowed as she stands there, waiting for me to move. A part of me wants to tell her to stand up straight, but from experience, I know that bowing her head makes her feel safe, so I won't demand for her to raise it just yet.
I start towards the stairs and she follows me up and to the right, where her room will be. The guest bedroom is gray with white linens and furniture.
"This will be your room. There is a walk in closet and in suite bathroom. You'll find everything you need in the drawers. If there's something we've missed, just let me know, alright?" I explain, watching her move slowly over to the large window that takes up most of the wall. I'm not even sure she's listening. Something about the window has her complete attention. I cock my head to the side and watch her, curious. She reaches out with her hand, and her index finger touches the glass first, before the rest of her fingertips follow. She steps closer and her forehead meets the glass as she looks down, amazed. I doubt she has ever even seen the skyline before.
"The view is beautiful, isn't it?"
She gasps at my voice and steps back quickly, using the bottom of her shirt to wipe off the finger print smudges she left.
"Anastasia is sorry, sir. She will clean it."
"No, it's okay, Anastasia. I'm not worried about it."
She's still furiously trying to wipe the window and I step closer to her, trying to get her to stop. I'm halfway to her when I see something that makes my feet stop in their tracks. Her shirt has lifted enough to bare her abdomen and it is marred with pink and white scars, some still raised, some still fresh.
"Anastasia. Stop."
She stills, lowering her shirt slowly.
"Good girl." I take a few steps closer to her, but she doesn't move. I reach out and place my hand on the small of her back, rubbing it in a small circle, trying to comfort her. She tenses at first, but I am patient and continue on, showing her that I'm not going to hurt her. Her body finally relaxes and I lean in and kiss the top of her head. It looks and smells oily and I know she probably hasn't had a bath lately. That'll be one of the first things on the to do list.
"I am giving you permission to look out any window whenever you want. Do not worry about fingerprints or smudges. Do you understand, Anastasia?" I try to be as thorough as I can when explaining, hoping to ease her worry.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, why don't you get a shower and refresh before we continue downstairs?" She can't be comfortable so dirty.
She gives me a slight nod and I leave my hand on the small of her back and turn us towards the bathroom to get her shower started.
"The towels are hanging up next to the shower and there is already shampoo and body wash in the stall for you." I explain while I turn on the water and check the temperature.
When I turn back around, Anastasia is nude with her head bowed and her arms crossed over her chest, her shoulders folded inward. I'm surprised that she willingly disrobed so quickly. I can see that she's uncomfortable. I turn and try not to stare, hoping that it will help ease her.
"The water is the right temperature, Anastasia. Come." The command comes out of my mouth automatically and I mentally chastise myself for slipping back into the role of dominant so easily.
She makes her way towards me and I open the shower door for her as she steps in. She stands under the spray, but doesn't move. Her arms are still crossed over her chest and her head is still down.
Confused by her lack of movement, I decide a different route. "Do you need a washrag, Anastasia, or will the sponge suffice?"
Her head turns away from me as she looks at the sponge hanging on the hook and one arm leaves her chest to reach for it. She turns towards me and hands it to me before reaching for the soap and doing the same.
"Would you like me to wash you, Anastasia?" When she doesn't move or respond, I ask her to look at me. When she does, I reach up to wipe the wet hair sticking to her face and she winces, causing me to stop an inch from her face. I slow my movement and caress her cheek.
"I will never hurt you, Anastasia. Do you understand?" She nods slowly and I give her an encouraging smile as I push the hair away from her face. "There's that pretty face. Now, do you want to wash yourself or do you want me to?"
She blinks a few times at me and her eyebrows knit together. "Anastasia can wash herself?"
"Yes, Anastasia. Of course you can."
I watch her chew on her lip as she thinks it over. Her cheeks tinge pink. "Sir wash Anastasia?"
I give her a soft smile. "Is that what you want?"
After a beat, she nods slowly.
"Alright, Anastasia. I'll wash you." I place the items I am holding on the shower floor and take a step back, undressing to my boxer briefs. I don't want to scare her or give her the wrong idea by being nude.
I slip into the shower and stand in front of her. She keeps her eyes on me and I'm glad I don't have to remind her to look at me.
"Take a step back and wet your hair, Anastasia. I'll wash it."
She does as I request and I take advantage of her closed eyes and do a quick sweep of her body with my eyes. Bruises and scars have marred her small, alabaster body and I can feel the bile rising in my throat. If she would have gotten passed to a real dominant, he might have been angry with the fact that her body was marked by another man. He would have likely taken it out on her instead of her keeper. Luckily, this abused woman in front of me is safe and will always be that way.
She turns away from me, but her arm stays glued to her chest. I know she lacks any form of self confidence and we'll have to work on that. I take my time, working her long hair into a lather, massaging her scalp with my fingertips and I keep hearing her sigh as I go. I'm hoping that this helps build her trust in me.
As I work my way down towards the ends, her arms suddenly fall away from her chest and I feel triumphant. A small step in the right direction. She's beginning to feel comfortable with me.
"Alright, Anastasia. You may rinse your hair." She turns towards me and backs up to the spray and I force myself to keep my eyes above her chest. In my periphery, I can tell that they're perky and supple, but I turn to get the conditioner before I think too long about it.
When I turn back around, her back is to me, waiting for me to apply the conditioner. I rub the thick cream throughout her hair and she rinses once more before I lather up the sponge.
"I'll start on your shoulders and work my way down, alright?"
She looks up at me and gives me a nod.
I begin to scrub her body down and can't help, but notice that she keeps tensing as I move along her body. I'm not sure if she's ever had a gentle hand, but I'm determined to show her one. I'm tempted to hurry along so that we can get out of the shower, but I force myself to stay slow and gentle, coaxing her body to relax and trust my touch. I know it won't happen immediately, but we've got to start somewhere.
When we're finished, I wrap her in a towel before grabbing one for myself. She wanders over to the vanity and I watch her pick up the hair brush. Instead of brushing her hair, she turns back towards me and I see her clutching the brush to her chest with her eyes cast downward. She begins to walk back to me, but then stops and it looks like she's not sure what to do. She's worrying her bottom lip between her teeth and is gripping the hairbrush so tightly, that her knuckles are white.
"Would you like for me to brush your hair, Anastasia?"
Her eyes are glued to the floor, but she gives a soft nod.
"Alright. Have a seat at the vanity and I'll fix it for you." I can't deny that I miss this part of being a dom. I miss being able to take care of another. I haven't had this type of intimacy in a long while and I'd be lying if I said I didn't find enjoyment in it. She takes a seat and I begin to brush her long, brunette hair.
"You've got beautiful hair, Anastasia. Would you mind if I braided it?"
"No, sir." She answers quietly.
I work in silence while she sits patiently and I reach into the top drawer of the vanity to grab a tie when I'm finished. After I secure it, I kiss the top of her head.
"There. Let's get you dressed before you catch cold."
I offer her my hand and she stares at it for a second before taking it. Her hand is small, soft and warm in mine and I find myself smiling at the connection. The tingle is back and is slowly radiating up my arm.
"Do you have something to change into?" I haven't had Caroline shop for her yet, because I wasn't sure of her size or stature. Now that I know, I'll have her team bring in clothes tomorrow for her. I wonder if she wears heels... Perhaps I should be safe and ask for mostly flats. I definitely don't want her hurting herself.
"Yes, sir." She guides me to her backpack and she kneels down in front of it. She rifles through it and pulls out an old, washed out, light blue long sleeve shirt. There are holes worn through the fabric in a couple of places and the fabric is extremely thin. She's either had it for awhile or her keeper got it from a second hand store. She pulls out a faded pair of blue jeans, some cotton briefs and a cotton sports bra. She definitely needs clothes...and some real underwear. I wonder if she's ever owned a real bra before. If she keeps wearing those sports bras, gravity isn't going to be kind to her chest.
When she stands and drops her towel, I force myself to turn towards the window and give her some privacy as she dresses. I feel a tug at the bottom of my shirt and I turn to see her dressed, her head bowed, behind me.
"All set, Anastasia?"
She nods at the ground.
"You may look at me."
Her chin lifts and her blue eyes find my gray ones. I give her a small, encouraging smile. "You never need permission to look at me, alright, Anastasia?"
She gives me another nod.
I know that bowing her head gives her a small sense of security, so I don't plan on admonishing her if she needs that comfort, but I want her to know she can look at me whenever she'd like.
"Are you ready for the rest of the tour?"
She blinks up at me and I give her another smile, enforcing the fact that I'm not angry with her, and offer her my hand again. This time she immediately takes it and steps close to me. This reaction from her is definitely a good sign. She seems to enjoy the connection as much as I do. I'm sure she didn't get any affection from her parents or her keeper.
I walk her down the hall and we stop at the door that use to house my playroom. I have changed it into a theater room with a giant screen and big comfortable couches, deep enough to lay on.
"This is my theater room. We can watch TV or movies in here."
Her eyes are wide as she takes in the room. "TV? Anastasia can watch TV?"
I'm surprised by her sudden question. She hasn't spoken much, but I'm glad she asked. It means she's interested in it and it's something we can enjoy together.
"Yes, Anastasia. You may watch TV whenever you'd like. Would you like me to show you how to turn it on?"
Her lips twitch and just for a fraction of a second I think I see a ghost of a smile, but I blink and it's gone.
"Yes, sir."
I show her where I house the remotes and explain what button does what and I hand it to her. "Try it."
Her eyebrows raise as she chews her lips and she presses the power button. The screen comes on, showing some news, but the surround sound scares her when the sound comes on and she jumps and hides behind me before she realizes what it is.
I have to keep myself from chuckling; I don't want her to be embarrassed. She reappears from behind me and she stares up at the screen with big, blue eyes. She's completely captivated by the big screen and she slowly makes her way closer to it. I slip my hand in hers, effectively stopping her from getting too close.
"Don't get too close, Anastasia. It will strain your eyes. It's easier to see the screen from further back."
She looks over at me and her cheeks redden. "Anastasia is sorry, sir."
"No need to be, Anastasia. You hadn't known. Let's finish the tour and then we can come back here if you'd like and watch some more television, alright?"
She nods slowly, but doesn't take her eyes away from the screen. "Yes, sir."
I hit the power button and the screen goes black again. She blinks a few times and looks up at me, waiting for me to make the first move. I offer her my hand again and she takes it. I'm hoping that this movement shows her consistency and comfort, causing her to trust me quicker. I show her the gym, explaining that there is no need for her to use it unless she wants to. By the look of her, she needs fattened up a bit. She definitely has no reason to use it for the next month or two. I would like her to maybe do some weights and the balance beam to build up her muscles a bit. The stronger she is, the better she'll feel. She has probably always felt powerless, and I want her to begin to feel powerful.
We head downstairs and I show her the bathroom and then the games room that is also a library. She wanders over to the books as she takes in the room and I watch her finger caress the spine of one.
"Books." I hear her whisper to herself.
"Yes, sweetheart. Books. I'll teach you to read and we'll read a few of them, okay?"
I see her shoulders raise slightly and I wonder if she's smiling. I hate that she's turned away from me and I can't see her expression.
"Yes, sir." Her voice is a little louder, but not by much. It's headway though, and I'll take any headway I can.
"Let's continue, alright? We should eat dinner and then we'll watch some TV."
"Yes, sir." She turns and makes her way back over to me, her eyes falling on my hand. She won't reach for it, but it's obvious she wants to take it again. I reach for hers and escort her into the other room to show her the great room before heading to the kitchen to meet Gail and to have dinner.
"This is the main living space, you've already seen my office. You are welcome to come find me whenever you need to, alright? There is no need to knock when I'm in my office."
She nods. "Yes, sir."
I'm going to do the best I can at leaving the door open, but I sometimes have the habit of closing it while I'm on a video call.
"This is my baby grand piano." I show her one of my pride and joys, playing a few notes for her. I hear her gasp and her fingers flex at her sides. "Do you want to try?"
I move to the side and take her hand, placing it on the keys. "Go ahead, sweetheart."
She presses on the first key and I watch her face closely. This time, I do see a small smile appear on her face and she hits another key. She continues to hit keys, playing and I reach for the low keys hitting a few. The sound of both the notes together must delight her, because I hear her giggle quietly and it's the sweetest sound I think I've ever heard. It causes my whole body to light up and I'm determined to make her do it again.
Realizing her own response, she gasps and her playing stops, her hands immediately coming up to cover her mouth.
"Anastasia is sorry, sir." She sounds horrified with herself and it makes my chest ache for her.
"There is no reason to be sorry, Anastasia. I like hearing you giggle."
She suddenly becomes bashful and her eyes find the floor, her cheeks reddening again. I choose to ignore it, not wanting to embarrass her further.
"Are you ready for dinner, Anastasia?"
She nods and I reach out my hand to her once more. We make our way into the kitchen, where Gail is just plating our food.
"Gail, this is Anastasia. Anastasia, this is Gail. She is my cook, my housekeeper, and a good friend of mine. She'll help you with anything you need, alright? Don't be afraid to ask for anything."
Anastasia nods with her head bowed.
"Hello, Anastasia. It's nice to meet you. May I shake your hand?"
Anastasia looks up at her through her eyelashes, before her eyes drop down to Gail's outstretched hand. She gives a subtle nod and slowly reaches up to shake Gail's. Gail takes her small hand between both of hers comfortingly.
"I'm so glad you'll be staying with us, Anastasia. I look forward to getting to know you."
Anastasia's chin lifts a little and she blinks up at Gail. "Thank you, Ma'am."
"You may call me Gail, Anastasia. No need for formalities."
Anastasia just blinks up at her in response.
"Let's eat." I state, escorting Anastasia over to the breakfast bar. "Can you climb onto the seat?" She's a petite little thing and I'm not sure if she's ever been on such a high stool.
She gives me a small nod and climbs up, sitting on her knees. A smile forms on my lips as I watch her. There are definitely parts of her that are child like. I'm sure she was never demanded to act like an adult or shown how to act like one. I have a feeling that her parents weren't that nice to her since they handed her to such a terrible keeper. He probably paid for her and I'm assuming they gladly took the money in exchange for their daughter.
Gail places our plates in front of us with a glass of milk for each of us. When Anastasia sees her plate, her eyes pop. "This is Anastasia's?"
I grin. "Yes, sweetheart. It's all yours."
A small smile forms on her lips as she takes in her plate. Carved turkey, mashed potatoes, carrots with brown sugar, asparagus, and a homemade roll sits on her plate and she looks like she's in heaven. I feel pride in my chest growing as I watch her. I love that I can make her this happy...that I get to be the one that feeds her.
I watch her out of the corner of my eye as we tuck into our meal and I keep hearing her make soft noises as she eats. She definitely enjoys the food that Gail has made. I see her begin to slow down halfway through her meal and her fork rests against her plate as she gulps down some milk.
"Good?" I ask, grinning at her.
She places her glass down and smiles bashfully up at me, and my grin widens as I see her milk mustache.
"Yes, sir."
I reach up and she flinches, so I slow and softly wipe the milk off her top lip.
"Glad you like it, Anastasia." I finish the rest of my milk and stand, taking my plate. "Are you full?"
"Yes, sir." I see a 'V' form on her forehead as she looks at her half empty plate. I reach for it and she snatches up the uneaten roll before I take the plate, holding it to her chest. "May Anastasia have it for later?"
My heart aches for her and I find myself holding back tears. This hits too close to home. Hoarding food is something I use to do when I was first adopted, worried that I wouldn't get to eat again for awhile. She wants to keep the bread so she knows she has something to eat.
"Yes, Anastasia. And there are plenty of leftovers you can have if you get hungry later, too, alright? We'll put plastic wrap over your plate and I'll put it in the fridge for you. You can have it whenever you want."
Her eyes widen and she gives me another soft smile, nodding. "Yes, sir."
"Ready to go watch television?" I ask. She looks down at her roll as I make my way to her. "You can bring your roll."
I hear a small giggle come from her again, making me smile. I love making her happy. She was worth every cent I paid that asshole. I am so glad I saved her from the world of sex trafficking. She's too pure for something so insidious. She deserves a good life and I'll spend every ounce of energy to give her that.
We make our way up to the theater room and get comfortable on one of the big couches before I turn the screen on. I throw a blanket over both of us and she curls up under her half, leaving the roll sitting on the table beside her. Her head is resting against the arm rest and her eyes are wide, her smile bigger than earlier. Flipping through the pay-per-view, I find Grown-Ups and decide that it's lighthearted enough for both of us to watch. Throughout the movie, I watch her react to the big scenes, listen to her giggle through the funny parts, and enjoy the experience with her. With only twenty minutes left of the movie, she begins to fall asleep and when the credits roll, she's out cold.
Turning the screen off and dimming the lights, I scoop her up in my arms and carry her back to her bedroom, where I deposit her into the queen bed. She looks so small in the large bed, but it's comfortable and she might like all the room. I tuck her in and kiss her forehead, making her stir. She makes a bit of a whimpering sound and I smooth the stray strands of hair away from her face.
"Shh, it's alright. Go back to sleep."
I watch her take a deep breath, and as she lets it out, her whole body relaxes and she looks at peace. I find myself watching her for a couple minutes before making my way out of the room, closing her door halfway, and heading down to my office to get some work done before bed.
