Part 70 (1/2)

I was silent. Not knowing what to tell her.

Christi continued as her wrists were freed from their restraints. ”I truly am sorry. Not because I'm afraid of punishment. I am. But you seem different. Quiet. Melancholy. And whatever I did to cause it, I'm sorry.”

I finished with her hands and she pulled them in front of herself, rubbing at her wrists. She slowly turned her body on her hands and knees, falling into an easy cross-legged position.

I looked into her deep blue eyes and spoke solemnly. ”Christi, honey. Honestly. It isn't anything that you did. Everything is fine.”

I tried my d.a.m.nedest to get a smile onto my face. It shouldn't have been hard with her, nude, and available sitting there in front of me. But I knew I had failed when tears threatened to form in Christi's eyes.

Instinctively, she threw herself forward and hugged me. I'm not sure what possessed her to do it, but it was right. I felt her bare body press itself into my clothes tightly. She held me for a few minutes, and then slowly backed away, falling back to her knees on the bedspread. Strangely I felt better somehow.

”Thank-you,” I spoke quietly. Christi raised her pretty eyebrows at that. I don't think I'd ever thanked any of them for anything that they did. They were human, but they also had to be reminded of their status in small ways. She still looked a little worried, but she managed to speak.

”You're welcome. I know you can make me hug you whenever you want, but that one was real.”

”I know.”

She held her wrists out, close together, offering herself.

”Don't you want to get dressed first?” I asked her gently.

Her eyes brightened immediately as she was distracted from my state. She nodded her head slowly.

I lay back on the bed as she crawled off and picked up her discarded clothing. I watched her lithe body as she covered it, pulling the too tight jeans over her hips, and the top over her head. I marveled that she could look so perfect both nude and clothed. She smiled brilliantly at me as she stood there, waiting for my approval.

I smiled at her as I sat up and swung my legs off the bed. I was really going to miss her.

Chapter 119.

She held her wrists out again expecting the handcuffs. She seemed almost eager to have the restraints, or perhaps she was simply more accepting of her treatment since I'd allowed her the clothing back.

Instead of attaching her wrists together, I grasped her right hand firmly in my left and walked with her, allowing her to open the bedroom door and lead the way out and into the hallway. If she was surprised at the fact that I hadn't handcuffed her, she didn't show it.

As we approached the kitchen, I released her hand, and watched as she wiggled her fingers. She smiled at me, not quite understanding my mood. Her bare feet danced in nervousness on the hardwood of the entranceway to the kitchen.

”I feel like it's my birthday or something. Everyone in there is going to jump out and yell *Surprise' when I walk in.”

I smiled at her. ”Maybe it is. Maybe they will,” I spoke quietly.

She gave me a confused look, and waited with her hands at her sides for me to allow her to enter the kitchen.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the kitchen door and motioned for Christi to enter. I watched as she walked into the kitchen, the sway of her feminine body exaggerated as she moved.

As I followed her, I noticed that the other women were scattered about the kitchen. Amy and Elizabeth were quietly talking at the table, their hands impeding them a little as they sat upright in the kitchen chairs.

Jane was swirling around the kitchen, finis.h.i.+ng up making sandwiches. Sheila was doing whatever she could at Jane's direction to help. Her bound hands making any ch.o.r.e difficult. But she didn't seem to mind as she moved her bare body around. Christi moved over to Sheila who was trying to carry a small tray of cookies behind her. Christi immediately took the tray and spoke a few whispered words to Sheila. Sheila looked a bit relieved and moved towards me, kneeling at my feet.

”Can a slave ask to have her hands released so that she can help with lunch?” she inquired with a sweet look on her face. The bruises had faded considerably from her features, but they weren't completely gone yet. She was still beautiful.

”Sweety. Go sit with Amy and Elizabeth. Christi can take over.”

She looked a bit disappointed, probably hoping to be released even if it meant ch.o.r.es for her to do. She slowly climbed to her bare feet, with a helping hand from myself, and walked over to table, settling her bare bottom onto one of the hard chairs.

I leaned against he wall watching the activity. Jane and Christi quickly set the table with plates and trays of small sandwiches. As Jane fished pickles out of a huge jar, I couldn't believe the sights. Three women, completely nude from the tops of their heads to their pretty toes, handcuffed, talking like it was the most natural thing in the world. Christi, in her tight jeans and top, no underwear and barefoot. Jane in evening wear, her feet bare and moving against the tile. Busily making lunch. They were all just so ... exquisite, delicate creatures.

It was hard to believe what I'd put them all through over the last days. Pain. Humiliation. s.e.xual slavery. I closed my eyes and pictured them, just this morning, covered in syrup, sticky, eating without complaint, in a situation that just wasn't imaginable for most people. And they were here. Still alive. Still surviving. And unbroken. Even happy. I watched a quick smile flash across Amy's face as she laughed at something Sheila had said. The female of the species is a wondrous creature.

I took a deep breath.

”Christi?”

She looked up from her tray of sandwiches that she was placing on the table, her eyes questioning. If I was to tell her to make love to Jane on the floor, she would. No questions. No complaints. If I was to ask her to whip Amy's b.r.e.a.s.t.s for a few minutes ... she would. She'd protest. Try to avoid it. Try to offer herself. Any number of things. But she'd do it for me. Any of them would. I felt a tingle race through me.

”I think we are going to need a couple of chairs,” I spoke to her.

She looked at me incredulously. I was implying that all of them might actually get chairs? At lunch time? Not make two of them sit on the floor, or worse eat off the floor like pets? She didn't move, her thoughts freezing her body.

”Christi?”

She shook herself and looked at me again, her mouth open.

I laughed gently. ”Yes, you all get to sit like human beings today.”

She finally took a breath and scampered towards the dining room. Smiling, I watched as she struggled with the larger dining room chairs. Hugging them as if they were a person, using her whole smaller body to lift the things and bring them into the kitchen. She used her bare foot to push open the door.

After she was done, there were six chairs gathered around the small kitchen table. She had arranged the chairs with a little help from the three nude girls, such that one dining room chair had more s.p.a.ce than the others. Presumably mine.

I looked at the girls. Jane had finished preparations, all the food was on the table. The girls were all standing demurely beside their chosen chair, waiting quietly.

”Christi?”

She looked up a bit fearfully, afraid that she'd done something wrong. Something in my tone, I guess.

”Relax, silly female. Two things. You could have dragged them,” meaning the chairs that she'd struggled to carry in here. Christi blushed a bit at that, realizing that she wasn't thinking. I continued, ”And even out the chairs. You'll never have enough room like that.” The girls chairs were really jammed together giving my chair an excessive amount of s.p.a.ce. While I liked the image of them pressed together and a little uncomfortable, it wasn't necessary today. No need to have them unable to eat easily, constantly b.u.mping elbows and other softer things.

”I'm sorry,” she whispered. Given past treatment, there was no reason for her to think that I would allow them more room at the small table. She was apologizing anyway, as though it were her fault for not reading my mind. After this morning, I suppose that I couldn't blame her for being careful and thinking any perceived transgression might be punishable. She quickly moved to separate the girls' chairs. She still left me more room, but I didn't push the issue.

I slowly moved to the chair intended for me and sat. The rest of the girls sat down as soon as I touched the chair. They were quiet, not really knowing what was happening. Except Jane probably had an inkling what my unusual mood was about.

A tremulous voice rose from beside me. Elizabeth spoke, almost fearfully.

”M-master? Are we. Is it,” she stammered and finally found her tongue. ”Was it your intention for some slaves not to eat?”

I looked at her quizzically. She looked down quickly, probably sorry she'd spoken at all.