Cinderella sat at the table looking out the window. The sun crept up at the ocean's edge, painting the water a soft lavender. She watched absent-mindendly and chewed on her thumbnail. So deep in thought she didn't hear her stepmother get up or come over to her.
"Why are you up so early?" she asked with a yawn.
Cinderella jumped. "I'm sorry! Did I wake you up?"
"No," her stepmother said as she pulled up a chair next to her. "What are you thinking about?"
Cinderella looked away. "Nothing. I just couldn't sleep."
Lady Tremaine looked at her sternly. "Don't start that again. I was watching you and you were very obviously deep in thought. Tell me what is on your pretty little mind."
Cinderella shook her head. "I can't. You'll get angry."
Lady Tremaine's blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm getting angry now, young lady. Tell me what you were thinking about. Now, young lady!"
Cinderella jumped at the sharpness in her stepmother's voice. She looked at her, trying to figure out what to say. Lady Tremaine arched an eyebrow. Cinderella sighed.
"I was thinking...thinking about what is going to happen when we get home. Are you going to treat me like before so Anastasia and Druisela don't find out?"
I think they know I have been treating you differently," Stepmother replied. "But I wouldn't worry too much about them. They are so wrapped up in themselves they barely notice anyone or anything else."
Cinderella sighed again. "All this worrying for nothing?"
"Yes," Lady Tremaine smirked, "but then, you do tend to fret, don't you?"
Cinderella looked up, her dark eyes wide. "I...you…,I guess…."She trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Her stepmother squeezed her arm. "Come back to bed," Lady Tremaine ordered
Cinderella obediently jumped up and followed her stepmother back to the bed. Lady Tremaine took her left arm and began to massage it up and down. Cinderella looked at her questioningly.
"To help with your anxiety," Stepmother explained as she kneaded a bit too hard. Cinderella winced.
"I know it hurts," Stepmother said as she began kneading Cinderella's other arm, "but you will feel better afterwards.
Cinderella lay there, trying not to tremble too much, as her stepmother massaged her arms for a solid fifteen minutes.
At last her stepmother stopped and opened her arms. Still shaking, Cinderella crawled into them. She wrapped her arms around her stepmother's waist and laid her head on the chest. Stepmother reached under her T-shirt and began to massage her back.
"Wow, you're tight!" Stepmother exclaimed.
Cinderella blushed and hid her face against Stepmother's neck as Lady Tremaine's long fingers prodded at her sore back.
"You're shaking too much," Stepmother said. She stopped kneading Cinderella's back and rested one hand between her shoulder blades and the other on her head. "Relax."
"I can't help it," Cinderella said. "These last few days with you alone have been so wonderful. I don't want them to end." Tears streamed down her f face. She tried to brush them away but they fell faster and faster. She buried her face in the crook of her stepmother's neck and sobbed.
Calm down, Ella," Stepmother said as she rubbed her back. "It will be all right. I am going to tell the girls to start treating you better."
Cinderella looked up at her with puffy, red eyes and tried to stop crying. Stepmother took a tissue and dabbed her tears.
"I love you," Cinderella rasped out. "I love you so, so much."
Stepmother kissed the top of her head. "And I love you, sweet girl."
Cinderella smiled up at her Stepmother and rested her head on her chest. Stepmother stroked her hair with one hand and kept the other tightly wrapped around her waist.
"Here," Stepmother said. "I know what will help you relax."
She let go of Cinderella and pushed her on to her stomach. Long fingers reached under her shirt and began massaging her back. "Let's take this off," Stepmother said. "So I have full access to your dos et épaules."
Cinderella heard the smirk in her voice, but knowing she had no choice, she raised her arms above her head so her stepmother could remove her shirt.
Stepmother kneaded her back hard. Cinderella cried out and involuntary jerked away.
Hold still!" Stepmother snapped. "Your back is like an ironing board."
"Sorry," Cinderella murmered.
Stepmother massaged hard and Cinderella tried not wince or move away.
At last, just when Cinderella was sure she could take no more, Stepmother stopped. She lay down on top of Cinderella's back, one arm wrapped around her waist and the other around her chest.
She squeezed Cinderella's left breast and scraped her teeth against the shell of her ear. "Better?" she hissed.
"Yes," whispered Cinderella.
"I think I can get you to relax more," Stepmother said. Her hand traced circles on Cinderella's stomach lower and lower until she reached the waistband of her pajamas.
Cinderella gasped as Stepmother's long fingers reached into the waist of her underwear and began to play with her clitoris. The other hand continued to knead her breast.
Cinderella moaned as her stepmother pressed harder on both breast and clit. She tried to turn over but her stepmother had her on her stomach.
"Don't move. Just let me handle this."
Soft, opened mouth kisses pressed against the back of Cinderella's neck. Cinderella bit down on the pillow and grabbed the hand playing with her clitoris and screamed as she came. Her body bucked up into her stepmother's as she rode out the wave of pleasure.
Her stepmother smirked and rolled off her. Cinderella slowly turned over. She blushed at how wet her stepmother's hand was.
"That," said Stepmother, "is how you defeat an anxiety attack."
Cinderella didn't think that would work in all situations, although it certainly had this time.
She gently brushed Cinderella's disheveled hair off her face and kissed her on the mouth. "Ready to face the world now?"
Cinderella never wanted to leave the hotel. She wanted to stay forever in that room with her stepmother, making love whenever they felt like. But of course they couldn't do that. Nobody could do that forever
She smiled up into the smirking blue eyes. "Yes. Let's go!"
