I turn around as soon as I hear her crying.

Fuck. I wanted to shock her, but I didn’t think she’d cry.

She had so much fight in her when I left her. I don’t know what happened while I was gone. I know that being alone for hours can be torturous when you have nothing. No noise but the sounds you make, nothing to touch but yourself and the walls and floor.

But I didn’t think it would affect her like this.

“Kitten,” I begin as I crouch down next to her, although I keep my distance. She could be playing me for a fool. Waiting for me to comfort her so she can strike. I’m certain I picked up the large chunks of the plate. There were only three or four of them. But maybe she found a smaller piece and she’s planning to stab the shit out of me with it. She doesn’t trust me, and I sure as fuck don’t trust her.

I didn’t watch her in the monitor. I was driving myself crazy watching her do nothing. More than anything seeing her like that pissed me off, because all I wanted to do was to go to her. But she’s being punished.

This is a part of her punishment.

“Yes, Anthony,” she answers in a strangled voice. She raises her head with tears staining her reddened cheeks. I’m surprised she answered. She wipes the tears from her face and I see she doesn’t have anything in her hands. She’s not armed, and she’s not trying to fight me. She’s just genuinely upset.

“Why are you crying?” I ask her.

“Because I give up. I’ll let you do whatever you want. I just want this to end.” My heart stops in my chest. That’s not at all what I expected, and so far she’s done everything I thought she would.

I haven’t broken her yet. But maybe I've taken away her hope of getting out of here unless she obeys.

“And that makes you sad?” I ask to clarify. “You’re upset that you’re giving me control?” Truthfully though, she never had any control. Maybe over her own actions, but not at all over the situation. She’s a strong woman. I guess that very realization could be troubling her.

She takes in a small gasp and shakes her head. “Of course I’m upset about that. Normal people don’t do this.”

Although I appreciate her honesty, that fucking attitude is going to be the first thing I correct.

“Watch your mouth, kitten.” She looks up at me with nothing in her eyes.

“Yes, Anthony. I’m sorry, sir.” She says the words without a hint of sarcasm in her voice. And it’s disappointing. I’m surprised by my reaction to it.

“Could I know the terms, please? Before you chain me?” she asks in a flat voice. It’s unsettling how much I don’t like it.

“No.” I watch her as I answer sternly. She merely nods her head slowly, as if she figured I wouldn’t tell her anything.

“Okay.” Her voice is small and she’s finished crying. She sniffles once and nods her head again. “I’m ready.”

I was foolish to think that this behavior didn't indicate her inner strength. She’s resigning herself to a fate she doesn’t want so that she can move forward. That in and of itself is strong. I feel my tense muscles relax now that I understand.

I grip her chin with my thumb and forefinger and make her look me in the eyes.

“You won’t regret this, Catherine. I promise you.” As I say the words with confidence, I remember Vince and the Cassanos, and I fucking hate myself for thinking of them right now. I won’t let them take her. And I won’t let her regret this either.

“I’m going to put you on the bench, and I want you to hold onto the straps.” She nods her head and then whispers, “Yes, Anthony.”

“Once you agree to the terms, and only then, I’ll bind your wrists.”

She closes her eyes and I can see her pride leave completely as shame overwhelms her. I knew this would happen. But I still don’t like it. This isn’t the part of this relationship that I looked forward to. But the next part, the part where she learns she can trust me and that it’s not the nightmare she perceives it to be? That part will be worth all of this.

“Up, kitten.” I stand up and hold a hand out for her. She starts to get up on her own, but then she sees my hand. She looks dejected and depressed. That’s exactly what she is. Depressed that she’s given in to me. But I’m going change that. I’m going to make her love giving in to me.

I walk her over to the bench and help her on. I fucking love this idea. It’s meant for spanking and fucking, and I intend to do both in time. But for now, that’s not what we’re going do. I lay her down so that her chest is flat against the lowered part and her ass is in the air. Her eyes are focused on the leather binds.

I take one strap out and hold it for her to take. “Go on, kitten. It won’t magically wrap around your wrist.” Again her eyes meet mine and I see a spark of the smart-mouthed woman from this morning. But it’s only a dim flicker of defiance, and she takes the leather without much hesitation. She does the same with the right without my help. She lays her head and body flat with her legs and hand off the side. She waits for my next command with her pussy almost fully bared to me, covered only by a thin layer of fabric.

She’s perfect like this, vulnerable and waiting for me. But she’s obviously unhappy and only doing it because the other choice isn't really a choice at all. I splay my hand on her back, and although she stiffens, she doesn’t move away from my touch. I walk around her slowly, moving my hand in soothing circles until she slowly relaxes her body.

I keep my voice soft and comforting. “The terms are simple. You do your best to obey me. If you don’t, you come back here.” Her eyes close as I speak. “If you please me, I will reward you. I will give you everything you need. You want your old life, and you can have it.” Her eyes fly to mine, but before she can question me I add, “I will simply be a new constant in that life.” Her eyes fall to the floor and then close again.

She whispers, “Yes, Anthony. I understand.” That was too easy.

“You don’t have any questions?” I’m surprised by that.

“What questions should I ask?” My dick finally starts hardening. Her submission is just now starting to arouse me.

“Any questions you have, kitten. I’ll answer them all truthfully.”

“If I do this, you’ll let me out of this room? You said I’d have an office and my old life back?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I’ll be able to keep working?” she asks.

“You will,” I reply. I walk around to where her head is and place my hand on her chin to make sure she sees my face and knows how serious I am. “It will be heavily monitored though. And any sign that you’ve disobeyed me by doing anything at all that would obviously upset me will result in you being sent here. And not just for a few hours, kitten.”

She nods her head and says, “I understand.”

“Anything else?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “No.”

“You don’t want to know what I’m going to do with you?” I ask. I imagine she’s already made up her mind.

“You’re going to do what you’d like to me.” Her voice is flat, but dampened by sadness.

“Close,” I answer. “I’d love to fuck you, kitten. But I’ve told you I won’t do that until you beg.” Her head lifts slightly off the bench and her eyes widen with hope. That’s the woman I want with me. Her reaction makes me smile.

“You thought I was going to fuck you right now?” I ask her.

“Yes,” she answers with a tinge of confusion.

“I told you I wasn’t going to until you begged. I mean it,” I say.

“Do I have to let you do that in order to get out of here?” she asks.

“No,” I answer, and love how much her body relaxes at my answer. I love it because she’s showing trust in my words. I’m giving her hope and her strength back. Even if she doesn’t realize that.

“Will I ever have to…?” she starts to ask, but trails off. My eyebrows raise and I lay a hand on the small of her back.

“I want to reward you as a dom should reward his submissive.” I let my hands travel to her ass. I cup her cheeks and spread them slightly. “I’ll let you know if I’d like to be pleasured. But it’ll be your choice if you’d like to give me that.” I let my thumbs skim along the seam in the center of her panties.

“I do want to reward you, kitten. Do you know what that means?” I ask.

She nods her head, seeming very much at ease with the knowledge I’ve given her.

“Tell me what you think it means.”

It takes her a moment to respond, but when she does, I’m pleased. “It’s what you were doing earlier.”

I smile at her backside as my fingers slip past her panties. I run them along her slick heat and I’m rewarded with a soft moan.

“You rubbed my clit,” she says as she continues her answer.

“Why?” I ask as I gently place her panties back where they belong.

“To reward me,” she says.

“What was I rewarding?” I ask her. I’m sure she’ll say it’s because she was listening to me. Or because she did as she was told. But in actuality it’s because she was enjoying it. I rewarded her desire for my control to continue. I’m intentionally conditioning her reactions and her emotions.

“Because I listened to you and obeyed. Because I earned it.” She adds the last part forcefully. I smirk behind her. That’s how that dirty book went about it. You obey, and you get rewarded. Disobey, and you get punished.

I agree to an extent, but emotions are far more powerful a tool. She’ll thrive with my touch. She’ll love my control. And it’ll only bring her happiness.

“I want to reward you now, kitten. Should I?” I ask her.

Yes. Yes, I fucking should. But right now I want her permission. I want her to control this next step. If she answers yes, I’ll have her shackled and cumming harder than she ever has before. If she’d prefer not, that’s fine, but I won’t shackle her. I’ll merely move her to her room, unrewarded in some ways, but feeling safe in others. It’s a fair trade. And either way, she’s rid of this room so long as she isn’t disobedient.

After a quiet moment, I look at her face. She seems lost in contemplation.

“I think so,” she finally answers. I chuckle at her response.

“You’re being very good, kitten. How would you like me to reward you?”

She bites down on her bottom lip.

“I--” she starts to speak, but stops herself. I know she’s ready. I know she’s craving a release. Each time I rest a hand gently on her lush ass, she tilts it slightly.

“Tell me, kitten. I want you to know that you can tell me anything. So long as you’re respectful, you won’t be punished.”

“I don’t want you to...have sex with me.” Hearing those words fall from her lips is disappointing. But I simply tack on the unspoken “yet” to the end. Obviously she won’t admit that she wants me just yet. She’s angling for control as well. This is her bid to ensure that if she says no, it’s not going to happen. And that’s a truth. I want to earn it. I want her to yearn for my touch and desire pleasing me more than anything else. And I will. This is just a step, a small hurdle, in that direction.

“I don’t intend on fucking you. Not until you beg me, remember?” She eyes me warily and I know I should just play my cards so she has more confidence in her decision. I reach inside my pocket and pull out a small vibrator.

“You’re doing very well, kitten. I’ll be honest, I’m very pleased. But you haven’t earned my touch yet.” Her brows creases and she almost looks disappointed. “This is all I’ll use.” She looks between my face and the vibrator.

“You’re going to tease me? Until I beg.” It pisses me off that she makes that assumption. Although I know she’s read that shit in her books.

“No. That would not be a reward. I’m going to put this vibrator against your clit and make you rock yourself on it until you cum. That’s all there is to your reward.”

She may not notice that her ass raises just slightly, but I sure as fuck do.

“I asked you a question. Do you think you should be rewarded?”

“Yes.” She finally gives me the green light in a breathy voice that makes my dick impossibly hard.

“I think so too, kitten.” I push the vibrator under her, past her clit and snug between her body and the bench, just to warm it and then walk around to the front of the bench. I take the strap in her left hand and move it into place. She pulls back and nearly falls off the bench. “This is your reward, but you will receive it how I see fit.”

Her big brown eyes look up at me with worry. I can’t wait to ease her concerns.

“I told you what’s going to happen. I won’t lie. Once you’ve cum, I’m going to want you, and I’ll ask. But if you say no, or don’t beg well enough, I’ll release you and show you to your room.” She nods her head and places her chest flat on the bench again. Her breathing is coming in pants and I know she’s scared. But she’s trusting me. In only a day, I’ve gained enough trust to make her bared to me, completely vulnerable--and she did so willingly.

The realization thrills me.

I strap both her wrists and her ankles, letting my fingers trail along her exposed skin. I gently pull the nightgown up to her waist and then slip her panties slowly down her thighs. They don’t go far, but it's enough to expose her. I bend slightly and blow against her glistening sex. She’s so fucking wet. I want to lean in and take a languid lick of her sweet cunt. I want to slide my fingers inside and feel her tight walls clench as she cums. But right now, I’m limited. Soon. Soon, she’ll beg me for more. She’ll desire nothing else. I smile as I pull away and pull out the warmed vibrator and twist it on.

Soon, she’ll be begging me.