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Monique looked up. “Later?”

“Of course.” Helen gave her that hungry look again while crossing something else off from the list. “We’ve got a lot to accomplish tonight.”

Monique kicked back her glass of wine and ate. Her ass was sore, her chest was wet, and her thighs were so worn out already that she could barely press them together – but had to, if she wanted her new dress to remain unstained before they got back to Helen’s place. Even though she ached on the outside, she ached even more within.

Tonight.

Helen was going to do even more to her.

Tonight!

Chapter 20

Cut, Take, Free

“Let’s see what you brought with you tonight.” Helen crossed in front of the bed and opened the top of Monique’s overnight bag. “Oh. I see.”

Monique watched from the bed. She sat on her legs, arms pulled behind her… and with a silk black rope tied all around her torso. Her body ached in more than the pleasures of discomfort. With the rope pressing into her skin and her arms forced behind, she felt like a sweet specimen on display for her Mistress. Her underwear poked out from Helen’s skirt pocket.

“I packed with you in mind.”

She wasn’t under any orders to stay silent. Nevertheless, Monique was mindful of her manners when in her Mistress’s quarters. So when Helen lifted the silver and diamond collar from Monique’s suitcase, she only flashed a sheepish smile.

“I have good tastes, don’t I?” Helen held it up to the light, the chain falling against her arm and tapping against her hip. “Did I ever tell you that I had this custom-made?”

“No, Mistress.”

Helen stepped away from the suitcase with the collar still in her hand. It swayed in the muted light of her room, diamonds twinkling and the end of the leash scraping the carpet. “I did.” She stopped in front of the bed. “When I thought of the perfect gift for you, this was what popped into my mind. I had it rushed so I could give it to you as soon as possible. Cost me a pretty penny.” She opened the collar and glanced at Monique. “Money well spent.”

Go ahead. Put it on.It made Monique think of the first time they made love. When Helen strung her up with the collar on…

Yet the collar hovered a few inches away, secure in Helen’s hands. “I bought this when I thought I would be your patron, not your actual girlfriend. It was a bit of fun. Now that I think about it, I overstepped some lines buying you a leash and collar, didn’t I?”

Monique didn’t say anything. The bindings dug into her arms.

“Have you ever been collared before? Officially.”

She lifted her eyes and looked into Helen’s. Blue. Calm. There was serenity in those eyes that Monique rarely saw in women. Even though her brain took her back to that day Jacqueline wrapped a marital collar around Monique’s neck, she didn’t feel scared or pained. Not if she looked into Helen’s eyes.

“Yes.”

The collar lowered. “Jacqueline.”

“Yes.”

“How long ago?”

“I’m not sure exactly. We had a collaring ceremony when I broke up with…”

“Broke up? With whom?”

There was a surprise in Helen’s voice.Suppose I had to tell her at some point.“I used to be in a ménage with her and Etta Coleman. A long time ago.”

“I see.”

“Does it anger you?”

“Of course not. I just never considered it.”