Maria
I was being shaken awake the next time I came around. My eyes opened tiredly before I jumped up in fright.
When I met grey eyes, I felt myself relaxing.
“We’re here,” he said.
Master opened the door before pulling me out. He didn’t let my feet touch the ground before he was swinging me up in his arms.
He walked us into what appeared to be a hotel. Confused why we weren’t in his home, I stayed quiet.
It was Master’s decision.
When he reached the room, he let me down and steadied me when my legs wobbled a little.
“We’re stopping here for today,” he explained, staring into my confused eyes.
I nodded and smiled. “Okay.”
Master walked further into the room and started to unbutton his shirt, pulling at his tie roughly. I waited at the door, watching and suddenly feeling very nervous.
He pulled his shirt from his pants and looked back at me.
“Come here, Maria.”
My body glided toward him like it wasn’t my own anymore. Standing in front of Master, I waited.
He brushed my hair out of my face and leaned forward. My lungs constricted as I struggled to breathe when he placed a kiss on my forehead.
His hands smoothed down my shoulders, and when cold air hit my flushed skin, I hissed.
The suit jacket fell on the floor, and I stood in front of my Master, naked. He could see everything. But his eyes stayed on mine, trapping me.
Finally, he pulled away, nodding behind me. I turned away and saw that the door was opened to a bathroom.
“Get in the shower,” he ordered roughly, his voice sending shivers down my spine and the rest of my body.
“You want me to clean myself, Master?” I asked quietly.
“No. I’m going to bathe you.”
Oh.
My heart fluttered, and the butterflies in my stomach increased.
“I’m going to clean you so that there is no trace of another man on your body,” he continued in the same rough voice. “So get in the shower and wait for me.”
I scurried into the bathroom, my heart wild, my mind crazy. He affected me in ways that nobody ever had.
He was different. He made me feel different. And I liked it.
I liked feeling like this.
Following my training, I knelt down on the floor of the shower. The perfect position while waiting for my Master.
Maybe it was seconds, or even minutes, but it felt like so long. Finally, my eyes saw his feet as he joined me in.
His hands went under my arms, and he pulled me up. “Lesson one. The only time you will kneel is when you have your mouth full of my cock and you’re gagging on it.”
My eyes widened, and I sucked in a deep breath. “And right now, Angel, you don’t have my cock in your mouth. So, no kneeling. You don’t kneel, ever. Unless I tell you.”
His lessons were different, but I liked them.
I nodded. He smiled.
Placing another kiss on my forehead, he whispered, “Good girl.”
He reached behind me and turned on the water. It was cold at first when it cascaded around us, and I flinched.
Master chuckled quietly, bringing me closer into his body. I finally noticed that he was naked too.
He felt hard against my stomach, his body firm against mine. I should have been scared, but I felt strangely safe. When the water turned hot, I sighed in contentment. It felt so good.
I missed warm water and warm showers.
After wetting my hair, he shampooed it. Master ran his fingers through my hair strands, massaging my scalp. So sweet. So gentle.
When he was finished with my hair, his hands moved to my body. I stood stiff for a second, feeling his hands moving across my flushed skin.
“Relax, Maria. I’m not going to hurt you,” he said against my neck, placing a soft kiss there.
I nodded and forced myself to relax. But when he started to massage my body with the soap, I didn’t have to force myself any longer.
It just happened. I released myself into his care.
He caressed my body, from my neck to my toes, washing me—cleaning me.
Giving me back the smallest dignity that I had lost.
When his hand reached between my legs, I closed my eyes. But he didn’t hurt me.
Just as gently as before, he washed between my legs. It felt wrong. I didn’t have a chance to think about it before he stood up and kissed my forehead again.
“You’re a good girl, Angel. I’m proud of you.”
My eyes snapped open to see him staring at me intensely. “You’re clean now. Perfect. Your body is all flushed and so beautiful.”
He bent his head, his lips teasing my ear. “And mine.”
His.
I didn’t notice when the water was off, but the next second, he was wrapping a towel around my body.
Helping me out of the shower, he dried me off. I watched him as he wrapped another towel around his waist.
Master walked out of the bathroom, leaving me alone. When he walked back in, he was carrying something in his hands.
“Arms up,” he ordered.
Instinctively, they went up. He pulled a simple black nightdress over my head.
I looked down my body, now fully covered.
He clothed me, shielding my shame from others.
“All done.” He smiled. “Our food is waiting for us. After you eat, I need you to sleep. I will wake you up when we are departing again.”
Grabbing my hand, he pulled me into the bedroom again. Master sat me down on the couch and handed me a plate filled with food.
I gasped, my eyes widening.
So much food. How?
Our eyes met, and he swiped away a single tear that trailed down my cheek. “You need to eat, Angel. Lesson two. From now on, you will have three meals a day. A plate full, not like you were being given before. You can have some snacks in between. Whatever you want. You will never go hungry again. Is that understood?”
I nodded speechlessly. Because what could I really say?
His lessons—his rules made no sense.
But they were his rules, so I would follow them. Not only because he was my Master, but because I wanted to.
We ate quietly. I kept my gaze on my lap, but a few times our eyes would meet. And every time I smiled. He would smile too and then nod toward my plate, silently telling me to continue eating.
Sometimes he would give me a piece from his plate, telling me to try it because it tasted good.
It was hard to eat so much. My stomach wasn’t used to taking in so much food at once.
Master must have understood, because he took the plate from me. “Are you full?” he asked.
Nodding in relief, I sighed happily.
“Good. Go to sleep now,” he said quietly.
I stood up, not needing him to tell me again. Kneeling on the floor, I went to lay down in the position I always slept in.
Suddenly, I was being lifted roughly from the floor. My head twirled in confusion as Master carried me to the bed and dumped me there.
I bounced on the soft mattress, a startled gasp escaping past my lips.
He was angry? I must have done something wrong again.
“You sleep on the fucking bed, damn it!” he snapped loudly.
His glare bored into my body. “I swear, if I find you sleeping on the floor again, I will take you over my fucking knees and spank your ass red until you can’t sit down for days. Is that understood?”
Cowering back in fright, I quickly laid down on the bed. “Yes, Master. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
“For fuck’s sake,” he hissed, closing his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and I heard him taking in deep breaths.
I peeked up at him through my lashes as he opened his eyes again. He looked back in control. Placing a knee on the bed, he bent over my body so our faces were only inches apart.
His voice sounded calmer when he spoke, and my heart settled. “Lesson three. You sleep on the bed. Always.”
I nodded. And he did it again, another kiss on my forehead. “Good girl.”
Good girl.
I smiled. I was starting to like it when he said that. It made me feel better, like I had pleased him.
“Lesson four. Don’t call me Master. I have said that before, and I will say it again. Do not call me Master. I am Lyov. You call me by my name from now on.”
I nodded, and he smiled this time. “Say it. Say my name,” he demanded.
“Lyov,” I whispered shyly, my heart drumming loudly, my pulse erratic.
This time he kissed me softly—so soft and sweet—on my lips. “Good girl,” he whispered back.
I liked it. I liked it so much.
He was pulling something deep from within me. He was tugging at my heart strings, making me feel.
I liked his name. I liked my Master. I liked my Lyov.
“Good girls get rewarded. Bad girls get punished. If you are a good girl and follow all the rules, you will get many rewards,” he murmured.
“I will be good,” I replied.
He smiled and kissed my forehead this time. “Go to sleep, Angel.”
I closed my eyes, still smiling. He settled down beside me, pulling me into his arms, holding me to him.
My heart felt full.
Lyov saved me.
Just like I had dreamed of before. He came for me, swept me off in his arms, and carried me out of hell…toward our castle.
Maybe this was my happily ever after.
Because Lyov…he was my Prince Charming.
Just like I dreamed of. Just like I wanted.
I found my Prince Charming.