Freedom, part 2
"There is something I want to show you," Heather said, causing Grissom's eyes to rise from their study of her lower body and the lingerie in which it was partially clad. His smile and raised brows indicated to her that he was amused and curious about what else she might be willing to display for his viewing pleasure. She knew the question before he could ask it and replied "No, not that, something else." She took a step back, sliding her hands down his arms until his right hand was joined to her left, and she led him towards the large walk-in closet on the other side of her room.
She turned on the light with a tap on the circular dimmer switch just inside the door, and adjusted the bright track lights above them to a more subdued level of illumination. Her companion was taking in both the well organized lay-out and the contents of the windowless room, momentarily fascinated by the rush of intimacy he felt, surrounded by her personal belongings.
On their left was a collection of her "work clothes"; leather jeans, chiffon gowns, silk robes, and more. On the right, what he assumed constituted her "street clothes", mostly solid colors and simple designs one might see on any number of stylishly attired business women. At the end of the closet was a honeycomb of cubical wooden shelves which held shoes in a wide variety of styles and colors, everything from plain white Nikes to jeweled metallic sandals and red patent leather pumps with sky-high heels. Heather turned to glance at her guest and caught him perusing the footwear collection before them. "You like my tribute to Imelda Marcos?" she asked, with a smile.
"Very complete collection, I would think," he replied, pretending to study the wall of shoes even more carefully, "But didn't she have several hundred pairs?"
Not missing a beat, Heather replied "You have only seen one of my closets, Gil." Before he could reply, she released his hand and reached into a cube which housed a pair of Victorian style black lace boots. He heard a latch click, and she pulled open the hidden door on which the shoe shelves had been mounted. Behind the door was a small room, apparently another closet. She flipped the room's light switch and his eyes opened a bit wider upon seeing the contents.
Like the more accessible part of the closet, this annex was organized by style and purpose. A tall bureau with numerous shallow drawers on top and two larger drawers at the bottom was on the left side of the room. To the right, Gil saw a floor to ceiling bookshelf containing a small library of oversize paperbacks and bound books, several unlabeled binders, and a shelf of magazine holders, also unlabeled. Curious about Heather's literary interests, he glanced at the shelves for a moment, but before he could read any titles off the spines, his attention was drawn to the wall directly in front of them. A wire grid of one inch squares was attached to the wall, with hooks, hangers attached to one side and narrow shelves protruding from the other. An array of exotic power exchange accessories hung from the hooks or were neatly positioned on the shelves.
Grissom's eyes were immediately drawn to the array of floggers, hanging from the top row of hooks like decorative oversized tassels in a Victorian parlor. He knew he had seen enough at the Dominion to know their purpose, but he was surprised by the variety of colors, textures and sizes on display. Smooth leather, velvety suede, and even fur was represented in the collection.
Hanging next to the floggers was a collection of wide leather straps of varied lengths, a short signal whip, a braided snake whip and two riding crops, one short and one long. He took it all in while Heather watched his expression change from surprise to fascination. Before he had a chance to ask, she said "These are only for my personal use, not work." She could see a look of relief cross Gil's face. She removed a red suede flogger from the wall and dragged the soft falls over her breasts as he watched, transfixed by the sight. "Would you like to feel this on your skin, Gil," she asked, "just like I am feeling it?"
"Yes, show me" he replied before he felt the thin strips of suede caress his bare skin. She began by pulling them up his right arm, wrist to shoulder. The sensation was delicious, like a caress by soft and light fingertips. She paused for a second, then brushed the falls against his chest, watching his reaction. He shivered and closed his eyes for a moment when the tips of the falls grazed his nipples, making them hard. Heather smiled and moved the leather ribbons down his left arm. His eyes were open again and he spoke, barely above a whisper "Very nice."
"Yes, these are more versatile than one might think. Any one of them," she said, with a glance back to the selection on the wall, " can be used to create a variety of erotic sensations, and they can give both pleasure and pain. They are one of my favorite accessories." Grissom was focused on the remaining floggers on the wall, wondering if she had any particular favorites among them. She saw him start to form the question and waited patiently for it to emerge.
"And which ones do you find most pleasing?" he began, then looked unsure of himself before adding "When you are not in the Dominant role, I mean."
Heather smiled at his unnecessary discomfort, turned away, and placed the flogger back on the hook from which she had removed it. "I am most pleased when I am with a partner who makes me want to give up that role for a time, as I am now." She turned to face him again and reached up to encircle his neck with her arms. Gil's arms wrapped around her waist, and he kissed her again, starting soft, and then building the passion, gauging her response to this first level of intimacy. He could feel her body relax against him, even as she returned the kiss with an enthusiasm equal to his own. When the kiss ended, they stood silent, with her head resting on his shoulder. She was the first to speak.
"We can try some of the things here, or none of them, as you wish, Gil." she said, barely above a whisper. "I want it to be your choices tonight."
The sound of her words of surrender sent a current of excitement all over his body, and he pulled her closer. She could feel his erection against the thin material of her lace thong. If she had chosen to take charge of the evening, she would have been on top of him by now, riding until they were both exhausted, but she was prepared to follow his lead.
"Come with me," he said, releasing her from his arms, and taking one of her hands to lead her back into the bedroom. When they were in the middle of the room, he turned toward her and continued. "Look at me." Their eyes met, and she waited for his next instruction. "I want you to submit to me tonight, Heather, to trust me and to help me make the experience all you want it to be. Will you do that? Do you want that?" he asked.
"Yes, I want all of that, Gil. I trust you and want you to feel free to be in control of me tonight. I know you need this as much as I do," she replied.
He kissed her lightly on the forehead before taking a few steps back, giving her a long head to toe visual examination, and starting their scene with one word. "Strip!"