Should you wish to comment upon my story, I can be reached by E-mail at: delta @ nym . alias . net Comments and critizisms are welcome. Standard disclaimers: This is a work of fiction - no character within is a depiction of any real person, living or dead. No place or event described within exists outside of the writer's imagination. Copyright retained by the author and this post is for private use of the reader only. It is not to be published in any form whatsoever, including being made available on BBSs, or on Web Pages, without the express prior consent of author. Any readers who are underage in the jurisdiction in which they reside are asked to please pass by. Delta. MUSE By Delta (c. 1999) delta @ nym . alias . net Our worst mistakes generally come from believing we know someone better than we actually do. How far, really, can you trust another? How well, really, do you ever know another? These thoughts, and others, ran through Karen's mind as she contemplated her situation. How well do I really know him, she wondered, then grimaced to herself. She had better, she thought, know him well enough, for it was now too late to think better of the situation. No, that time had passed and she had done nothing. It was far, far too late to do anything now. Madness. There was nothing to be heard in the room except the soft music and the clicking. That and her breathing. She could hear herself breathe. The clicking stopped and she strained her ears to hear something, anything which might give her a hint of what was happening. "Oh!" The quiet gasp came unbidden to Karen's lips as she felt fingers lightly touch her thigh and trace their way down to her ankle. They disappeared and she tried to relax. She waited. Nothing. The clicking resumed and she breathed again. Until that moment she hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. Madness. Utter madness. No safe word, the phrase echoed through her head, no safe word. How had she gotten herself into this? She laughed silently--for she was forbidden sound--and ruefully. Wine and bright ideas don't always go together. In fact, they rarely go together. They only seem good at the time. Later one usually just laughs at what had seemed so brilliant the night before, pleased that one hadn't gone through with whatever plan had seemed so right. Usually. Not this time. Karen wished that she could have the time back; could change her decision; could just laugh. She couldn't. More than anything, though, she just wanted to close her legs. It was almost an obsession. Not that closing her legs would alter anything substantially, she simply wanted to close her legs because, well, because she couldn't. And that annoyed her no end. The clicking ceased once more and she heard him sigh. There was a sound, one which she identified as him leaning back in his chair. She stiffened at the touch. Thumb and finger, she decided, rested about three inches apart in the small of her back. Slowly, lightly, they traced their way up, over the hump that was her ass, and down her buttocks, one to either side. They stopped and disappeared and she relaxed once more. Too soon. A light touch on her labia sent a shiver through her. Softly, oh so softly, the outline was traced and retraced. Again she attempted to close her legs, again she failed. They had laughed through the meal, through the wine, through the talk. They had laughed and laughed, enjoying the games of 'what if'. She wasn't laughing now. She couldn't see, the blindfold prevented that, yet she knew precisely how she appeared, how she must appear to him, and realized, not without some dismay, just how vulnerable she was. No safe word. Insanity. "Ready, Karen?" he asked as she'd stepped into the room--*his* room--wearing nothing but the bath robe and the gifts he'd given her. Her gaze had fallen on the big, wooden, double pedestal desk where he did his work. Everything was, she noted, in readiness. She looked a little more closely, then gazed at the small lamp table in the far corner. Yes, everything. She swallowed hard, not really sure if this was such a good idea after all. "Ready, Len," she confirmed, her voice confident, not betraying the uncertainty she felt. She stepped closer, within his reach. She had agreed, had given her word. For her it was now too late to back out. The big desk had been cleared of its usual paraphernalia. All that remained of the clutter was the computer monitor. It was an old desk, one which featured a drawer for a typewriter. The typewriter had long since disappeared, and a keyboard now sat in its place. Both it and the monitor were off to one side, leaving most of the desk for the newcomers. For his back, he'd told her, the bastard! The big pillow was for under his knees as he lay down, to rest his back. She hadn't batted an eye at that explanation, for that was exactly the purpose for which it had been designed. It was a foam pillow, about 10 inches thick at the peak, sloping down fore and aft at different angles, sharp for the thighs, gentle for the lower legs. She had even tried it herself and, though it was a little too big for her, had admitted that the purchase had been a good idea. It now lay upon the desk, just above centre drawer. Behind it she could see a cord, one which was, no doubt, attached to the rear legs of the desk. Cords were also attached to the front legs. This was looking to be less and less of a good idea all the time, she grimly thought. Just in front of the monitor lay the blindfold he wore when napping during the day. Karen swallowed once again, then untied her belt and allowed the bathrobe to puddle upon the floor. Len glanced approvingly at the wrist and ankle cuffs she'd put on in preparation, his presents to her. He locked the wrist cuffs together, stood behind her and lifted her. She was, as she'd expected, set belly down upon the pillow, her ass now well presented for anything he wished to do to it. Her feet didn't touch the floor and the first wave of anxiety hit her. She didn't like feeling so helpless. In a moment he had finished tying the cord to her wrist cuffs and that was that. She not only felt helpless, she *was* helpless. There was no backing out now, not even if she wanted to, and she was beginning to think that she wanted to. His fingers, softly and teasingly, slipped down her right leg til they came to the ankle cuff, where she felt him thread the d-ring with the cord and begin to pull. Her leg opened and he tied it off. The same process occurred with her left leg. Now she was open to him, or to anyone, for that matter. Open and defenseless. Open, defenseless and lewdly positioned. Turning her head, she gazed into the mirror which he'd set up. There she was, her ass the highest part of her, what with her hips folded over the crest of the pillow, legs hanging down one side now tied open and her body sloping downward on the other, down until it reached the desk top, where her breasts pressed into the soft blanket which cushioned the cool polished wooden surface of the desk. Above that, her hands were cuffed together and tied, her wrists just over the edge of the desk, the tie going straight down. He could use her at will. But there was a price to be paid for everything and she swore that, no matter what, one way or another, he would pay the price as well. Easy to say, she mocked herself, for one who could no longer exercise free will. Karen looked at Len in the mirror. As he caught her gaze his smile changed a little, became . . . what? More arrogant? Cruel? "You look very pretty, Karen," he said wickedly, "very pretty indeed." He reached forward and allowed his hands to caress her back, fondle her hair, drift down and rub small circles on her buttocks. "Do you like what you see?" he asked, bringing her attention back to her own body. She looked again. Yes, she did. Were she a man, or even a woman of different orientation, there would be no doubt but that the helpless woman on the desk top would be well used before she finished with her. However, there was also no doubt but that she would be gentle, well, reasonably gentle. Looking at Len's naked hunger, she could no longer count on that from him. No safe word. Protests would be ignored, deemed to be only a ploy to incite him. How well *did* she know him? How far *could* she trust him? Karen was no longer as sure as she had been even an hour earlier. Power corrupts, she recalled the old aphorism, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. He now had absolute power. A shiver went up her spine and he laughed. "I'm pleased you like what you see," Len chuckled, "but you'll see it no more." He picked up the blindfold and fitted it to her. His hands withdrew. Darkness. Quiet. Nothing. Fear? How long had it been? One minute? Five? The quiet music came on and Karen breathed a sigh of relief. Anything was better than the nothing she'd just experienced. Not even knowing if Len was even in the room. When one has nothing, even the smallest sound is a boon. The chair scraped along the floor and she heard the computer turn on. Soon the clicking began as his fingers roamed the keyboard. There were pauses now and again, some long, some short. Each pause awakened anxiety in her. Would he use the pause or not? Karen no longer wondered. Len was using the pauses all right. She tried to twist, to avoid his fingers, but couldn't. Bastard. He was teasing her, getting her ready for what she knew was coming, sooner or later. She was getting wet, she was . . . . Bigger bastard! He had stopped. The clicking resumed, leaving her hanging, open, frustrated. Now, more and more often, Len's hands were roaming. The clicking never stopped for long, but the teasing continued, as if he were now doing it deliberately. His fingers were moving faster now (on the keyboard) than they had been at the beginning, so it seemed safe to say that there was no longer the necessity for 'The pause that inflames', but those pauses became more and more frequent. And his fingers were moving more slowly (on her), caressing her inner thighs, the side of the breast which was within reach, her ass--anywhere she was sensitive. The frustration grew. "Oh!" This time the gasp was not a quiet one. Len had pressed his finger right into her. She welcomed it, wanted to thrust back onto it, but couldn't. She damn well couldn't do anything. The finger worked itself back and forth within her, then disappeared. She heard the sound of him sucking it clean before the clicking resumed. "Bastard," she whispered before she could catch herself. "What?" Len was outraged. "What did you say?" The anger in his voice was undeniable. There was, however, a subtle overtone of excitement. Absolute power . . . . She remained silent. "You know the rules." Cruel, wicked joy filled the words and Karen couldn't suppress the shudder which went through her. There was a strange dragging sound. Something on cloth. Karen cringed as the doubled over belt came down with a vicious crack on the desktop beside her. Fear dried her mouth, pushed at her to apologize, beg forgiveness, but she dared not. It would only inflame him, perhaps excite him to a level which she would regret. She gave a sudden yelp as the belt cracked on her ass. It stung. She waited, silent. "No," Len said quietly, "I don't think you've learned your lesson yet." It was funny how one could tell by the voice that he was smiling when he said it, even though the tone said that he was angry. She tensed. Crack! Crack! Crack! Karen bore the strokes in silence. They, too, stung. Stung, yes, but didn't hurt. It was more sound than fury, she had quickly realized, and her body seemed, perversely, to enjoy the experience. He was only having a little fun and, hell, it simply added spice to the experience. Relief. Just the four strokes, then back to that damned clicking. Frustration. Time passed. Now, more than anything, she just wished that he'd fuck her. She'd been up there, open and inviting, for who knew how long, getting teased and touched. The hell with making love, she just wanted to be fucked. She groaned her dismay as the clicking never ceased. She whimpered a little, deciding to see what she could get away with. The clicking stopped. "Getting bored, are we?" Len asked maliciously. "Well, I have just the thing for you." Karen felt something pressed between her nether lips. It was hard, unyielding, and soon slipped inside her. "Oh god!" Her body jumped as the vibrations began. Len worked it in and out of her a few times, then left it to quietly buzz away as he returned to the keyboard. Bastard, bastard, bastard. The buzz was enough to excite her, but probably not enough to bring her off. Dirty, rotten son of a bitch! Lemon. She smelled lemon. He'd put a drop of lemon essence in the burner. The whole room smelled so wonderfully of lemon. And the vibrator was so wonderfully alive within her, where he should be. "Please," the word was almost too low to be heard. Sudden silence. The vibrator was pulled out. Silence. "Oh!" The bastard pressed the slick vibrator against her anus. Slowly, very slowly it stretched her and then slipped in. He turned it up a notch then returned to the keyboard. The 'punishment' escalated with every offence. She wondered if she should offend again, quickly. Surely to god, this must be having some effect upon him as well. Surely he would tend to her soon. Surely? Then it began. He was no longer content with leaving her to suffer in silence. Every minute or two he reached over, slowly pulled the vibrator out, then pressed it back into her ass. Each time the widest part of the slim vibrator stretched then released her, she gasped. With each gasp, he chuckled. Each period of waiting was interminable. The discomfort she felt, locked into this position, stretched out over his desk, though somewhat alleviated by the lovely vibration within, was distracting, keeping her from being able to move to any sort of completion. Still, if she concentrated . . . Her hips were starting to sway to her internal rhythm, the vibrations taking her to the start of the wonderful journey. The clicking stopped. The chair scraped against the floor as he moved it back and away from the desk. She could hear faint sounds. A swish of cotton against skin--his shirt? A snap. The characteristic sound of a zipper. She smiled. At last. She could feel the heat of him behind her, the breath on her ass. On her ass? Two quick clicks and she realized that her legs were free. Thank god! Before she could move them together, though, he was there, between them. His hardness was against her, pressing, pushing into her. "Oh," Karen cried out softly as he pressed into her to the hilt. She was ready for him, as ready as she could be, and she thrilled at his movement. About fucking time! Len moved back, withdrawing slowly, agonizingly slowly, until the head of his cock was just parting her pussy lips. Then, equally slowly he pressed back in again, penetrating her once more. She groaned as he pressed into her, coming up against the vibrator with his belly, causing it penetrate her just a little more deeply. Helpless, she thought. Having her legs free, just dangling, but unable to close because of the man between them, enhanced the feeling of helplessness. She was being fucked, and there was not a thing she could do. There was something wildly erotic about it. Giving herself up to the helplessness, Karen found that her body responded all the more quickly to Len's ministrations. When he traced patterns on her back with his fingers, every square inch of skin seemed alive to his touch; when he thrust in she felt the impalement all the more keenly. There was nothing she could do, no words she could say, so why not just give in? "Oh my God!" she cried out. After one particular thrust, Len had grasped the end of the vibrator and held it against himself. When he withdrew, the vibrator withdrew as well. When he thrust, it thrust. He slowed and stopped. Karen tried to gain some purchase in order to thrust back at him, to start the internal massage once again, and failed. She moaned her frustration as he chuckled. Then it began again, him moving faster and faster. One hand circled around her hip and slipped in to find her clit. He began rubbing it in slow circles even as he thrust. It was too much. Karen started tossing her upper body around, bucking, her legs kicking out as he drove her over the edge and into orgasm; drove her into an orgasm that *he* had decided she would have, when he decided she should have it. There was nothing she could do. At that moment she hated him, hated what he'd done to her; loved him, loved that he had not done what he could have done. She had, she knew, agreed. Love, hate, everything was banished as the room filled with her cry, then with silence except for the breathing. The gasping. Len was now pumping into and out of her like a madman and she was being driven with it. She wanted him to stop so she could enjoy the afterglow, but was helpless to do anything. No, not quite helpless. She began to mewl with each thrust, to wiggle her hips in the way she knew he loved. He would not be long, she knew. He roared out his triumph and held himself close to her. Karen smiled her victory. Slowly their breathing returned to normal. Len, now shrunken, slipped out of her. He patted her on the behind, then was gone. The scrape of the chair. The clicking of the keyboard. Karen felt herself coming slowly down, the buzz in her ass slowly fading as the batteries ran down. At least now she could close her legs. She did so. Then she waited, receiving small caresses every now and again, absurdly grateful for the touches. Finally the clicking stopped and Len breathed out a sigh. "Done," he said. The cords were untied and the cuffs removed. The blindfold came off. She could once again see! Blinking in the light, she looked at his face. His expression was one of anxiety, wariness. "Read it," she ordered, as she carefully withdrew the vibrator and cleaned it off. She looked at it meaningfully. Len swallowed hard, then sat down and began to read aloud: "Our worst mistakes generally come from believing we know someone better than we actually do. How far, really, can you trust another? How well, really, do you ever know another? These thoughts, and others, ran through Karen's mind as she contemplated her situation. How well do I really know him, she wondered . . ." Len finished. He looked up at her hopefully. She condescended to nod. "Not great, but it'll do." He sighed with relief as she set down the vibrator. Karen moved over to the lamp table in the far corner of the room. She picked up the key and walked back over to him. Bending down, Karen placed the key in the ankle cuff which held him to the desk. "I don't mind being your muse," she told him, "but if it is *I* who is inspiring you, I expect better." She smiled at him, removing the sting of her words. "It's a beginning. Now, let's not hear anything more about writer's block." The End of "Muse" by Delta delta @ nym . alias . net