Chapter 16

I was the first one to wake up the next morning. When I opened my eyes, a wide smile broke out on my face. When we had fallen asleep, Chloe and I had lain on either side of Aubrey, using her shoulder for a pillow. Chloe didn't seem to have moved at all, and Aubrey's arm was wrapped protectively around her. I, however, had moved. Somehow in my sleep, I had moved down the bed and curled around Aubrey's waist, with one leg thrown possessively over hers. But what had made me smile were the fingers my mistress had wrapped around my collar in her sleep. The combination of our unconscious possessiveness filled me with a warm happy glow. I rubbed my cheek against the warm hand that was holding my collar, loving the texture of her skin against my own.

Aubrey's eyes flew open. When her startled eyes saw our position, they turned possessive. She gently tugged on my collar, wanting me closer to her. I smiled and crawled up the bed to my mistress. Aubrey had to shift her grip on my collar in order to pull me all the way up to where she could claim my lips in a deep loving kiss that made my head spin. When she pulled back, I had to blink several times before my brain started working again and I noticed the smug smirk on my mistress' face. I smiled at her and she finally released my collar so I could cuddle up against her side.

As I settled against Aubrey's shoulder, my eyes met Chloe's crystal blue gaze. She smiled and an anxiety I hadn't realized had settled into my gut eased. I smiled back at her and said, "Good morning, Chloe."

Aubrey stiffened slightly under us and Chloe turned to her, her smile going slightly softer as she said, "Good morning, Bre."

Aubrey relaxed and said, "Morning, Chloe. How do you feel?"

She shrugged and said, "I don't know. Good I think."

I smiled, and knowing that Aubrey desperately wanted to know, but would never have the guts to find out, I asked, "Any regrets about last night?"

Chloe turned back to me and smiled mischievously. "Only one."

I lifted an eyebrow at her, but Aubrey cut in before I could answer. "What's that?" she asked nervously.

"That I only got one small taste of Beca," Chloe said with a wink.

I froze immediately struggling to control my rising desire at her lewd suggestion. Feeling me stiffen, Aubrey's arm tightened possessively around me and she snarled, "She's mine!" Instantly, I relaxed against her, forgetting my desire as the thrill of my mistress' claim ran through me.

Chloe's crystal blue eyes danced with amusement as she sat up and held up a placating hand to Aubrey. "I know, Bre. I was just teasing."

Aubrey responded by reaching out to loop a finger through the ring on Chloe's collar and pull her close enough so that their faces were only inches apart. "You are still wearing my collar, Chloe. It's not wise to bait me when I still own you."

A shudder ran through Chloe and she dropped her eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry, Mistress."

Aubrey smirked and released Chloe's collar to pull her back into her arms. "That's ok, besides last night was about you. Regardless of the fact that no one will touch Beca intimately but me, I know you're not a lesbian, Chloe. I didn't want to force you to experience something you weren't interested in. I wanted you to enjoy what we did to you."

"I did enjoy it. Thank you, Bre, for everything," Chloe said. While she responded to Aubrey, I had to bite my lip against the questions I had for my mistress.

"You're welcome, Chloe," Aubrey said, gently kissing her forehead as she unbuckled Chloe's collar.

Chloe smiled and sat up, taking the collar and placing it on the night stand with a small sigh before turning back to Aubrey. "I don't feel any different. I thought I would once the collar is off."

Aubrey smiled, "You're not as submissive as Beca, so freedom from the collar doesn't feel that different for you from your everyday self."

"Geez, how submissive do you have to be to have such a huge reaction to putting on the collar or taking it off?"

Aubrey shrugged, smiling down at me for a moment before turning back to Chloe, "It's different for everyone. I think for Beca, the change is so dramatic because her everyday self is so driven and ambitious. She sets that aside when she puts on the collar."

Chloe studied me for a moment, before saying, "Ok, well I'm gonna go grab a shower." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "Thank you both. That—that was an experience I'll never forget."

I smiled and said, "You're welcome, Chloe. It was special for us too." Aubrey just smiled and nodded. Chloe beamed at us for a moment before spinning around and leaving us alone.

We lay there for a while each lost in our own thoughts before Aubrey asked, "What is it, Beca? You've been dying to ask me something for a while."

I sat up so I wouldn't be distracted by her soft, warm skin. "Since this became a possibility with Chloe, did you always intend for us to touch her, but not have her touch us?"

Aubrey shifted so she was also sitting up, leaning against the headboard. "Yes," she said simply.

"Why?"

Aubrey sighed, "Because, love. You and I are both incredibly possessive when it comes to each other. I knew if you changed your mind about letting Chloe join us, that you would never be able to tolerate her touching me in any intimate way. And I knew that I would have a hard time not destroying my friendship with her if she were to touch you."

"Oh, alright," I said, thinking through what she had said and coming to the realization that she was right.

"If I'm being honest, I knew your jealousies would get the best of you last night. That's why I gagged you and tied you the way I did," Aubrey said, giving me a small sheepish smile.

My eyes narrowed briefly as I remembered my frantic attempts to free myself, but then I remembered the look she had used to make me submit and I shuddered. Aubrey's eyes immediately darkened and turned hungry. "What were you just thinking about?" she asked huskily.

Heat raced through me at the sound of her voice, making my nipples harden in anticipation. "The look you gave me to make me submit to you, Mistress," I panted out.

In an instant, Aubrey had me pinned to the bed, her hands capturing my wrists and pulling them above my head. She lowered her mouth to bite and suck the exposed skin on my neck. I turned my head away, giving her more access to my skin. "Mine," she purred into my ear. I moaned, arching into her.

Before either of us could say or do anything else, Chloe spoke from the doorway. "God, again? You guys are like two little energizer bunnies."

Aubrey and I froze, turning to meet each other's gazes before we both burst out laughing. Aubrey sat back, letting me sit up. "Energizer bunnies?" She asked Chloe.

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you know, you keep going, and going, and going."

I smirked, "You're just jealous."

"Be nice, my pet," Aubrey said, lightly gripping my collar.

"Yes, Mistress," I said, not looking away from Chloe who just watched us affectionately.

After a moment, Chloe said, "So can we go out and get some breakfast? No offense, but I kinda need a day out."

Aubrey's eyes were full of understanding as she said, "Of course, Chloe."

I hesitated then asked, "Do you want some time, just the two of you, Chloe?"

Her eyes widened, and she said, "No, that's not necessary. But can it just be a day with my two friends, not Aubrey and her pet?"

"Of course," Aubrey said immediately, getting up and moving over to Chloe. "Just give us a few minutes to shower and get dressed."

"Alright, but no shower sex," Chloe said, teasingly.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Fine, but you're buying me coffee."

Chloe giggled and as I got up to head for the guest shower, Aubrey reached out and gave me a nice hard slap on my ass. I yelped as the slap reawakened the ache of my fresh bruises. "Behave, Beca," she said in warning.

"Yes, Mistress. I'm sorry," I said, rubbing the tender skin. Aubrey gave me a pleased smile and turned to go into the bathroom.

Chloe gave me a sympathetic smile and said, "Sorry."

I shrugged, "It's cool. It'll just make today more interesting."

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked, obviously forgetting the welts she'd seen last night.

I turned around, lifting my robe to show her the bruises that had replaced the welts. "Aubrey just reminded me about these."

"Ouch. Do you really like that?"

I immediately grinned, "Yeah, it's a great reminder that I'm Aubrey's."

Chloe just smirked, "If you say so, but you better hurry up, I think Bre is about done in the shower."

"Oh, shit," I said, rushing down the hall to take my own shower with Chloe's laughter following me.

I was driving us to Aubrey's favorite brunch place when her phone rang. She looked down at the readout and said, "It's Stacie." I tensed, glancing up in the rearview mirror to glance at Chloe in the backseat. But she didn't seem worried as Aubrey answered the call. "Hello…Hi, Stacie…Chloe's alright…Yeah, she really is…Ok, let me ask, hang on." She turned to face Chloe and ask, "Stacie wants to meet us for brunch to make sure you're ok. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No, that'd be great. I want to apologize to her for freaking out," Chloe said with an eager smile.

Aubrey lifted the phone back to her ear and said, "That's fine, Stacie. She wants to see you too…Yeah, Margaret's on fifth…We're headed there now…Ok, see you then." When she hung up the phone, Aubrey turned back to Chloe, "Are you sure about this?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, Bre. I'm ok. And I'm sure I'll see her again next time I visit. I don't want things to get weird between us."

"Alright," Aubrey said turning back around in her seat. I reached out to squeeze her thigh and she smiled at me.

Twenty minutes later, we were seated at a shaded table on the patio of Margaret's diner. Chloe and Aubrey were bickering over our plans for the afternoon, and I stayed out of it, preferring to drink my coffee in peace. I didn't care what we did, so long as we got to hang out and didn't go to a movie. As the good natured argument went on, I started noticing some of the other customers glancing my way. It was weird, but before I got the chance to mention it, Stacie arrived.

She made a beeline for Chloe and crouched down next to her chair. "Chloe, I'm so sorry."

Chloe smiled and reached out to squeeze the brunette's arm affectionately. "Stacie, it's alright. I'm fine now. I'm sorry I freaked out."

"No, Chloe it's totally my fault. I pushed you too hard and too fast. I'm sorry."

Chloe looked like she was about to argue again, but she gave in. "It's ok. Let's just put it behind us and enjoy a nice meal on this beautiful day."

Stacie seemed to sag in relief as she said, "Ok, thanks, Red."

Chloe just rolled her eyes and Stacie moved to take the last empty seat at the table. "So, where's Jesse?" Chloe asked when Stacie had taken her seat.

"I took him home shortly after you left yesterday. I just didn't have the heart to continue. But we're going to get together again later this week," Stacie said.

"I'm sorry, Stacie. I didn't mean to ruin your fun," Chloe said softly.

"Honey, it's not your fault. It's mine. Besides, I think Jesse had had just about as much as he could deal with," Stacie said matter-of-factly. Then she turned to me and said, "Beca, does it bother you that Jesse and I are hanging out?"

"No, why would it?" I asked confused.

Stacie laughed, "Because you used to date him."

"So? I'm with Aubrey now. Why would I care who he dates? I broke up with him Sophomore year if you remember." I said, still completely at odds with what she was asking.

"I know. I just wanted to make sure. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship," Stacie said with a smile.

I returned the smile and said, "But what about that kid you had on a leash at the fundraiser?"

"Who, Eric? Oh, I dumped him weeks ago," Stacie said, waving him away.

"Why?" Chloe asked.

She chuckled, "Because he was a jealous idiot. He kept getting jealous of anyone I'd even look at, even the other dommes."

I remembered the looks he had given me that night and had to admit I wasn't surprised. I was about to mention it when I felt another pair of eyes gazing at me. I looked over and saw a teenage guy watching me. When he saw me notice, he quickly turned away, blushing. I stared at him for a minute, trying to figure out what was going on.

Aubrey noticed and asked, "What's wrong, Beca?"

"It's weird, but people keep looking at me. Do I have something on my face or anything?"

Stacie started laughing, and said, "No, Becs. You look great; they're staring at you because of this." She pulled out her phone and quickly messed around with it before handing it to me.

She's opened the E! network's website and opened an article about the club opening. Right at the top was a picture of me from Friday night, singing with Danny. The headline read "Genius New DJ Mitchell Rocks with Danny Taylor". I groaned handing Aubrey the phone. "Why did they have to focus on that? The whole point was the club's opening and Danny's new album," I whined.

Stacie chuckled, "They do talk about that later, if you'd taken the time to read the article, but you're the more interesting story. There is a lot of speculation about you, especially after your dinner with Danny last weekend."

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

"Seriously? There are photos. Including a great one of you and Aubrey holding hands. I hope you weren't trying to stay in the closet," Stacie said smugly.

"No, we weren't, Stacie," Aubrey said handing the phone to Chloe, who was bouncing in excitement by this point. Aubrey reached over to take my hand and give it a squeeze. "We'd already talked about it. But I think Beca might not have expected this kind of publicity so quickly."

I smiled weakly, and admitted, "Yeah, I figured maybe I'd get a little blurb about DJing or something, not this."

Chloe giggled and said, "Well, Becs, you better get used to it. Look, you're not just on the E! network." She held out the phone to me. She's done a google search and there was a huge list of articles.

"Oh my God!" I gasped. "This is real, isn't it?"

Aubrey smiled gently and said, "Yes, love. It is."

I returned her smile and pulled out my phone, which I hadn't even looked at since Friday night. I was surprised to see how many missed calls and texts I had. I glanced through the call log first and saw a few from my parents, several from my manager and one from Marcus. I switched to the texts before returning the calls. My parents had both texted with the expected requests for me to call them when I had a chance. The rest of the texts were from the Bellas. They all wanted to congratulate me. But Fat Amy's text made me burst into laughter, drawing the attention of the other girls at the table. Seeing the question on all of their faces, I handed them my phone. They read the text and laughed. It read, "Congrats, short stack. I'd love to take a bite out of Danny Taylor, call me to let me know when you can arrange that."

"God, I miss Fat Amy," Stacie said a little wistfully.

We all agreed and I said, "I'm really sorry guys, but I have to make a few calls. Bre, when our waiter comes back will you order for me?"

"Sure, love," Aubrey said smiling at me. I grinned back at her and moved away from the table, already putting the phone to my ear. As the phone rang, I moved over to the side of the patio, away from the other customers.

As soon as Cheryl picked up she said, "Finally, I've been trying to reach you all weekend."

"I'm sorry, Cheryl. I didn't get a chance to check my phone yesterday," I said apologetically.

She sighed, "That's ok. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about you all weekend. Have you seen the press?"

I chuckled, "Yeah, I just did. It's unbelievable."

She laughed, "Beca, you better get used to it. This is just the beginning."

"So you say. It could just be a novelty. Danny's album could bomb and then everyone would forget about me," I said, patiently, trying not to let my excitement get the better of me.

"You know it's going to go platinum. You did an amazing job, just accept it."

"Thanks, Cheryl." I said, unable to keep the grin off my face.

"Ok, enough ego stroking. I emailed you your schedule for this week. It's a little busier than we anticipated, but Marcus got a lot of requests to work with you after Friday," Cheryl said.

I chuckled again and said, "I had a feeling he might. When I got to mingle, a few people mentioned wanting to work with me. It was surreal."

Cheryl laughed, "I completely understand. Just so you know, you're meeting with Bruno Mars on Thursday. I guess you really impressed him, he wants to work with you on his next album."

"Seriously?" I said, almost dropping the phone.

"Yeah, so, be nice and get used to the publicity. This isn't going away, Beca."

My mind was reeling, but I managed to say, "Ok."

Cheryl laughed again. "You'll be just fine Beca."

"Thanks, Cheryl. Is there anything else you needed to tell me?" I asked.

"Nope, I'll call you later this week."

"Ok, thanks again. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Beca," she said and hung up.

I immediately called Marcus. He picked up before the second ring. "Beca! How's my new favorite employee?"

I laughed, "I'm alright, a little blown away, but otherwise good."

"I'm so glad to hear that. You're going to be a very busy girl for a while," He said, chuckling.

"So, I hear. But what can I do for you?" I asked, hoping he'd get to the point.

"Just keep doing what you're doing. I was just calling to congratulate you. Friday was a huge success, thanks to you," he said.

"I just played the music," I replied.

"That's not true and you know it. You've got a lot of talent and I plan to do everything I can to showcase that," he said honestly.

"Thank you, Marcus," I said, thrilled at his confidence.

"You're welcome. I'll let you get back to your weekend. Tell Ms. Posen I said hello."

"I will. Thanks again," I replied.

After I hung up, I went back to the table grinning. "What's up?" Chloe asked when I had sat back down.

"I'm meeting with Bruno Mars on Thursday!" I said unable to hold back my excitement any longer.

"Oh, Beca. That's amazing. I'm so proud of you!" Aubrey said, leaning in to kiss me.

"Oh, my God!" Chloe and Stacie said at the same time and we all laughed.

"Oh, and Marcus says 'hi', Bre," I said, not wanting to forget.

Aubrey smiled, "Thanks."

I filled them in on the rest of my phone conversations, and we talked about music the rest of the meal, before deciding to take Chloe down to the Santa Monica Pier. Stacie decided to join us and we all had a great time. By the time we'd gotten back to Aubrey's house that night, I'd realized how much had changed between all of us. Aubrey and Stacie had formed a bond in their dominance that neither Chloe nor I could touch. It was subtle, but I realized as I watched my girlfriend relax in a way I had never seen before, that it was something she needed and had been missing. A similar bond had formed between Chloe and me due to what we had shared the previous night in Aubrey's playroom. Chloe had always been open and affectionate, but now there was another layer of openness between us and I'd never felt so close or connected to one of my friends. Even Chloe and Aubrey's friendship had changed. Throughout the day, I noticed Aubrey acting more protective of Chloe, and she was more open with her affection towards the redhead. Two days prior, it would have made me really jealous to see the way Aubrey acted towards Chloe, but now it just made me love her more.

On Monday, I went back to my own apartment for a while to work on some mixes for my shift at Tanssi that week. It was Chloe's last day in town and I figured that I would give her and Aubrey some time alone before she went back to New York. It was the only day I didn't have any meetings scheduled, so I needed to get as much work done on the mixes as possible. At 6pm, Aubrey and Chloe picked me up for dinner. When they walked in, Aubrey was grinning and Chloe was bouncing with excitement.

"What's up?" I asked, quickly saving the mix I was working on.

"Sheila called. They accepted our bid. We're buying a house!" Aubrey said, moving over to pull me into her arms.

"Oh my God! That's—that's amazing," I said, grinning.

"Yeah, we close right after the Fischer party," Aubrey said excitedly.

"Congrats!" Chloe said, wrapping her arms around both of us. "I can't believe you guys are really buying a house together."

I laughed, "Me either. It doesn't seem real."

Aubrey tensed up. "Are you having second thoughts, Beca?" she asked, worry evident in every line of her body.

I squeezed her tighter, trying to reassure her. "No, not at all. It just makes me feel like a grown up, that's all."

She relaxed. "Alright, I just don't want you to feel pressured or anything," She said softly.

I smiled and said, "Bre, it was my idea, remember?"

She returned my smile. "I know. I just want to make sure you're ready."

"I am. I love you."

"I love you too."

Chloe laughed, "I love you both. Now let's go eat and you guys can tell me all about your new house." We both laughed and followed Chloe out to Aubrey's car.

Tuesday was one of the worst days of my life. I had to go into work to meet with one of the new bands Marcus had just signed, so I couldn't go with Aubrey to take Chloe to the airport. Before I left for work, Aubrey removed my collar and Chloe wrapped me into a bear hug.

"Thanks so much, Becs. I'm really going to miss you," Chloe said softly.

I pulled her in tighter, "Me too, Chloe. I'm really glad you came out to visit. Come back soon, ok?"

She nodded, "I will, I promise. Take care of Bre. She needs you."

I smiled and said, "I will. I need her too."

She smiled, "I know."

I hesitated then said, "You take care of yourself. If you need anything, or want someone to talk to, you can call me."

Her eyes shone with pleasure. "I will." Then she hesitated before leaning forward to whisper into my ear, "If I meet someone I trust and have questions, can I call you?"

Surprised, I pulled back to look into her crystal blue eyes. After studying her for a moment, I leaned back to whisper, "Are you sure you're still interested?"

"A little," she admitted. "I'd like to try it with a guy sometime."

I nodded, "Ok, just be safe, and if you want to wait until you come back, Aubrey can introduce you to someone we know you can trust."

"Ok, thanks," she said.

"But you can always call me, Chloe. I'm still figuring this all out myself, but I'll help you if I can."

She smiled, and said, "Thanks."

Chloe lightly kissed my cheek which made Aubrey growl out a quiet, "Chloe…"

Chloe chuckled releasing me so I could go wrap my arms around my girlfriend. "It was just a friendly kiss, Bre. I'm not trying to take your girl."

Aubrey relaxed into my hug and I smiled up at her. "I love you. Bre."

She smiled down at me, "I love you, too. But you better get moving if you don't want to be late for work. I groaned, but gave her a kiss said my good-byes and went to work.

The meeting was horrible. The lead singer for the band was a complete ass-hat. He had no interest in any of my suggestions and kept spouting off misogynistic rants that forced me to clench my jaw against the angry words that wanted to explode out of my mouth. When they finally left, I called Carol, Marcus' assistant and requested a meeting with him for the following day. I knew that if I spoke to him that afternoon, then I would put myself in danger of losing my job. Then I packed up and headed for my car. I was stopped in the lobby of the studio by the receptionist.

"Oh, Beca, are you done already?" She called.

I stopped and turned to her, forcing my face into some semblance of polite interest. "Yeah, Carrie. I'm going to work from home for the rest of the day."

"Alright," she said smiling. "You know, you did an amazing job on Friday night."

"Thanks. It was kinda crazy. I didn't realize you were there," I said, wishing she'd stop talking so I could leave. My temper was too close to the surface for me to hold it in much longer.

"Well, you were pretty busy. Can I take you out to dinner this Friday before your shift, so you'll know what I'm wearing and can keep an eye out for me?" She asked seductively.

"Dude, no!" was out of my mouth before I had time to think. She flinched and I hurried to explain, "Look, I'm sorry, but I have a girlfriend."

Her eyes narrowed, "Is it that blonde who visited you in the booth on Friday? Because she was hitting on practically every girl there when you weren't looking."

And with those words, all of the anger and frustration from the day nearly overwhelmed me. I stalked over to Carrie's desk and snapped, "You're lying. You don't know Aubrey like I do, you—just let it go." I wanted to hurl insults at the girl, but instead I turned on my heel and slammed out the door.

It wasn't until I pulled into Aubrey's driveway that I remembered she wouldn't be there. I glanced at the clock. They had probably only left for the airport about half an hour prior to my arrival. Which meant that it would be several hours before Aubrey would be home. I had two choices, go inside and be alone, or go home and be alone. I turned off the car and let myself into my girlfriend's home. I'd only been here without her once before and that hadn't been for very long. Today was different as I didn't want to do anything but wait for Aubrey to come home and hold me. I buckled on my collar and for the first time, I didn't feel my stress and worries fade away. Instead, a deeper sense of vulnerability settled over me as my anger dissolved. As I felt the first tears track down my neck, I almost ripped the collar off. My hands were even on the buckles, but I stopped myself. That was for my mistress to do, and in that moment there was nothing I wanted more than to curl up in her arms while I cried out the awful day. As more tears spilled down my cheeks, I went into the playroom and crawled onto the bed, curling into as small a ball as I could manage.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I was aware of was the feeling of Aubrey's arms wrapping around me. "Beca? What's going on? Are you alright?" she asked, concern evident in her voice. I didn't answer, I just shifted into her lap and leaned my head on her shoulder so I could breathe in her clean scent. Her arms closed protectively around me and she just held me for a moment before saying, "What's going on, love? I need you to answer me."

I tried to answer, but all I got out was, "I—I—uh." I shrugged, unable to offer any other explanation.

"Honey, you're really starting to scare me. What happened?" She said, tilting my face up so she could meet my gaze.

Her green eyes seemed to see right through me and I whimpered as my feeling of vulnerability increased even further. I knew I needed to answer her, but I had no idea why I was reacting this way and it scared me. I'd had bad days before, but they'd never affected me like this. As I struggled to find the words to answer her, I saw a hint of some darker emotion cross her face and it felt like she'd slapped me. I flinched and pulled away from her to move to the other side of the bed. I wrapped my arms protectively around my knees, and struggled to calm the panic that had raced through me.

Aubrey watched me for a minute before quietly saying, "Are you hurt?" I shook my head. "What's going on, Beca? I've never seen you like this," she said, frustration and worry in her voice.

"I don't know," I managed to get out.

"Ok, can you tell me what happened after you left this morning?" she asked softly.

The soft tone didn't mask the fact that she was quickly losing her patience with me and it made me cringe. I hesitated for a moment before mumbling, "I had a really bad day."

Aubrey sighed, "I had gathered that much. But what happened to make it so bad?"

"I—I don't know," I said, unable to find the right words to explain how an asshole and a pushy bitch could make me feel so vulnerable. I couldn't meet her eyes so I focused my eyes on my feet.

After a moment, Aubrey snapped out, "Beca, look at me!"

I flinched again, but turned and met her gaze. "Yes, Mistress," I whispered.

She smiled gently at me, and I felt even more exposed than ever before, but she didn't see it. "What happened, love?" she asked gently.

As fresh tears began to spill down my cheeks, I managed to say, "I got hit on by our receptionist." It was the least of the things that had happened, but it was the first to come out.

Aubrey's reaction was instantaneous. Her eyes filled with possessive fury and she roared, "WHAT!?" I didn't think, I just reacted to her fury, and I was running across the room for the door before I even registered her question. Aubrey beat me to the door and blocked my escape. "What the hell, Beca?" she asked, her voice cold.

I shook my head, backing across the room. She took a step towards me and suddenly my hands were on the buckles again, trying to rip the collar from my neck. Aubrey was next to me in an instant, reaching out to gently stop my hands. "I—I can't," I said, struggling in her grip.

"Shhh, Beca. It's ok. I've got you. You're safe," she said wrapping her arms around me and pulling me against her. I strained to get away from her, but she just held me and eventually I gave in, sagging against her as I sobbed. She continued to offer soothing words as she rubbed my back. Eventually my sobs quieted and I fell silent in her arms. She was silent for several minutes before she said, "I'm sorry, love. I reacted badly. Are you ok?"

I was finally calm enough to think, so I said, "Not really. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I feel really vulnerable. I'm sorry that I ran."

"It's ok, honey. Do you think you can tell me what happened, now? I promise not to get mad again while you do," Aubrey asked.

"I think so, but can we sit down?" I asked hesitantly.

"Alright, love," she replied, pulling me to the bed. She sat and pulled me onto her lap, wrapping both arms around me.

I took a deep, calming breath before explaining my day to her. I ended with my unusual reaction to putting on the collar. When I was finished, Aubrey was silent for long enough that I twisted in her arms to look at her. I was surprised to see a tear roll down her cheek. I reached out and brushed it away. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I didn't mean to make you cry. I don't know what's wrong with me today," I said, regretfully.

"Oh, love, this isn't your fault. It's mine. I'm sorry you had such a bad day at work, but the rest of it is completely my fault. I'm so sorry, Beca," Aubrey said comfortingly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, having no idea what she was talking about.

She sighed, "Beca, when was the last time we were in this room?"

Her question made me pause and think. We'd spent the last two nights in Aubrey's bed, after hanging out with Chloe. "Not since Saturday," I answered, still not really understanding what she was getting at.

"Exactly. I haven't dominated you since we were with Chloe," she said softly.

"Oh yeah, but why does that matter?"

"I think maybe part of you was worried that I wouldn't want you anymore. And when that bitch said I'd been hitting on other people, it probably fed into your insecurities, and made you feel more vulnerable in the collar," she explained.

Everything she said felt right, but still didn't ease the vulnerability. So, I had to ask, "Do you?"

"Do I what?" she asked, her confusion evident in her eyes.

"Do you still want me, Mistress?" I asked, my voice so quiet it almost came out as a squeak.

The confusion was replaced by that possessive hunger that I had grown used to, and it acted like a balm on my insecurities before she even said, "Oh yes, my pet. I want you very much. Do you still want me to be your mistress?" Her voice was nearly a purr and it sent a shiver through me.

"I'm yours to do with as you please, Mistress Bella," I said formally. As I did, I felt a shift within me and I relaxed, my stress and worries finally falling away, taking most of the vulnerability with it.

Aubrey grinned, "Are you sure, Beca?"

I met her gaze levelly, feeling steadier than I had in hours. "Yes, Bre. Make me yours again."

Her grin turned evil for a split second before she flipped me over and her hand came down hard on my still bruised ass. I yelped and she snarled, "Get up and pull your pants down, pet. I have to punish you for two acts of disobedience before I remind you that you never stopped being mine."

"Yes, Mistress," I said grinning as I did as she asked, and lay back down across her lap. As I settled back over her lap, I asked, "What are my two crimes, Mistress?"

"First you used my name without permission," She said, exasperated and I nodded, I knew that one, but I didn't know what the other was. "Second crime was trying to remove your collar yourself."

"Oh, I'm sorry Mistress. I didn't mean to. I just panicked," I apologized.

"I know love, but it won't go unpunished," she said flatly.

I glanced up at her to see her smiling lovingly down at me. The look warmed my heart, even as anticipation began to race through me. "Eyes down, my pet. You will count out each blow," She ordered sternly.

"Yes, Mistress," I breathed. Once I had lowered my eyes, Aubrey gripped my collar with one hand while the other fell sharply across my exposed backside. "One," I grunted out. As the spanking continued, I felt my body relax further even as heat raced to my core and moisture pooled between my thighs. After I panted out "Ten" my mistress' hand stayed against my heated skin to lightly rub out the sting from my heated flesh. "Thank you, Mistress," I said.

"You're welcome, my pet. Feeling better?" she asked, her tone sounding amused.

"Yes, Mistress. Thank you."

"Are you up for more?"

"Yes, Mistress," I said immediately making her chuckle. "But, I don't think I can handle anything too hardcore tonight," I added honestly.

"I know, love. I won't push you any more than that," she replied.

"Ok, thank you, Mistress."

"You're welcome. Lay on your back," She ordered and I moved to obey. She looked down at me for a moment before asking, "Can you handle a little more vulnerability?"

I nodded, "Yes, Mistress."

She smiled, "Good. Don't move." I smiled, but stayed where I was as she moved to the cabinet to retrieve a pair of wrist cuffs. She came back to the bed and studied me for a moment before buckling them into place, clipping them together and fastening them to the headboard above me. Then she began to stroke my body. I arched into her touch, moaning. Each loving touch heightened my desire and I was soon panting with need. Gradually, her hands made their way down my body and then ran two fingers lazily through my slick folds. I moaned and she turned her attention to my clit. My hips jerked up to meet her fingers and she smiled. I returned the smile and she slowly pressed one long finger into me. By that time I was open and ready for more, but she kept things slow, lightly thrusting into me and slowly encouraging an orgasm to build.

As I neared the edge, she added a second finger and paused, curling them inside me, making me shudder as she hit that perfect spot within me. Then she began to slowly thrust again. She kept up the slow pace until I was desperate to come then she quietly asked, "Who do you belong to, my pet?"

I gasped out, "I belong to you, Mistress."

Aubrey picked up the pace of her thrusts, and I felt myself almost on the edge of bliss. "Yes, Beca. You're mine. Say it."

"I'm yours," I groaned, nearly there.

"Say 'you're mine' and I'll let you come, my pet," she demanded.

"I'm yours," I said on a moan.

"No, say 'you're mine'," she ordered, still continuing to thrust faster.

It took a moment for my brain to figure out the distinction. When I did, I tensed, suddenly on the on the brink, my inner walls clamping around her fingers. "You're mine, Mistress!" I said as a shudder ran through me and I fell over the edge.