Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
“Wow,” Mallory whispered once her mind and body reconnected.
“Wow, indeed,” Fletcher said as he brushed kisses down her spine to where her arms were bound at her waist. “Feeling better now?”
She smiled, feeling drunk and completely relaxed. “I think so. It’s hard to tell.”
“Let me get you out of these bonds and we’ll cuddle.”
She sighed when he withdrew his cock from her body.
When he eased the plug from her ass, she sucked a breath before moaning.
She took another deep breath and floated while he did whatever it was that needed doing.
She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him when he finished untying her arms.
“Ow,” she complained as he moved one arm and then another, manipulating her shoulders.
He kissed the peak of her shoulders one after another as he continued moving her arms around to loosen up the joints.
“Next time we’ll tie them in front,” he promised.
He then went to work on her legs, and once they were both free, he rotated her hips, earning a scowl and another groan of pain.
“I may be getting too old for this,” she said sadly.
“We’ll figure something out. Maybe extra stretching exercises to keep the joints limber.”
“That doesn’t sound like fun,” she commented.
“We can make it fun,” he said as he accepted a soft, fluffy blanket from a service submissive and covered her with it while he picked up the scattered toys he’d swept to the floor and dropped them into the basket.
“If you say so, Master,” she breathed, slowly moving her arms and legs as much as she could while remaining in place on the table.
He helped her stand, which caused another moment of groaning discomfort before he lifted her up in his arms and carried her to the nearest couch. He settled with her curled on his lap, the blanket hiding her body completely.
He waited for several minutes, giving her time to completely come back into herself before he asked, “Feeling better?”
Mallory still felt a little loopy, but smiled as she did a mental and physical inventory. “I do. I feel shiny, inside and out.”
“Shiny, huh? I guess that’s a good thing?”
“Good. Oh so good. Very, very good,” she agreed as she tilted her head back and brushed a kiss on his jawline. “So good.”
“I’m glad. Now we can turn your thoughts to something more productive like the art show and our future.”
“Later,” she countered. “I think we need a nap and some food first. Then we can talk about anything you want. ‘Kay?”
Fletcher took a deep breath, his chest moving her up and back down again. “All right. But I think water and food come before nap, but you do have the right idea.”
She nodded her agreement, closing her eyes and resting her head against his chest. When he held a bottle of water to her lips, she drank deeply and then sighed.
She listened to Fletcher finish drinking the rest of the bottle before asking her next question. “Can I get dressed now, Master?”
“I suppose so,” he said on a sigh. “Though I think you’re wearing too many clothes now.”
She giggled as she realized she only wore the sports bra he’d bought her for demonstrations. Nudging his belly with her elbow, she pointed out, “I can’t go around naked all the time.”
“Oh, all right. Let’s get you dressed if we must. Then we’ll go have lunch,” Fletcher helped her stand up, holding her hips until she was steady on her feet.
It only took a few minutes for him to help her pull on the boy shorts, jeans, and t-shirt.
She slipped her feet into her shoes then stood holding the blanket to her chest. She had a feeling there was something she was supposed to do with the soft fluffiness, but she liked holding it and feeling it brush against her arms.
“Can I take that, Mallory?” Caren asked, trying to pull the blanket from her arms.
Mallory took a deep breath, letting the air in her lungs go at the same time she released the blanket. “Thanks, Caren.”
The service submissive nodded and stepped away quickly, carrying the blanket to the nearby laundry bin. Mallory hummed to herself as she swayed back and forth. There were a few dark thoughts hovering around the edges of her brain, but she shooed them away like bothersome flies.
She jolted when an arm dropped over her shoulder and someone stepped up beside her.
“Ready to go, bunny?” Master Fletcher asked softly as he brushed another kiss on her temple.
“Yes, Sir,” she answered honestly.
It wasn’t until they’d passed through the cafeteria food line and sat in a corner that she looked at him and said, “Thank you.”
For the first time in years she felt whole in body, heart and soul, and it was thanks to the man sitting across from her.
“You’re welcome. Now eat your lunch,” he said with a smile before picking up his double cheeseburger and taking a big bite.
She chose a potato wedge and ate it slowly before following with a dino nugget. Though she was not a Little, there was nothing that said she couldn’t eat like one once in a while.
It wasn’t until he chewed and swallowed that Fletcher asked, “What are you thanking me for?”
Though he had an inkling, he wanted Mallory to explain. She needed to give voice to her thinking, force herself away from accepting the foolish asshole’s hurtful words and thinking.
Mallory blinked as she chewed on two fries before she said, “Thank you helping me get rid of the yuckies, and for allowing me to face the foolish asshole without standing between us. I needed to face him, tell him what I thought, and prove to myself how strong I’ve become.
I also want to thank you for helping me mend my heart and soul from the pain and guilt I carried from the deaths of both Benjamin and my mother.
For the first time in years, I feel like all my parts and pieces are together and not floating around me like jigsaw puzzle pieces in a box. ”
Fletcher smiled and nodded. “You are very, very welcome. I’m glad I was able to help.
I hope that now that you’re all together again, you won’t run away from me when I say again that I’d really like you to come with me when I leave.
I want you, no, I need you in my life, and not just as my rope bunny. ”
Mallory’s gaze dropped to his chest as she used her fork to mix the dressing into the salad in the bowl on her tray.
Waiting challenged his Dominant genes, so he kept eating to allow her time to think.
She finally set her fork down and dropped her hands into her lap. “I’d like some time to think about it, please, Sir?”
Fletcher took a deep breath and forced his body to relax before he nodded. “I’ll give you as much time as you need, bunny. But just know that if you don’t decide before I have to leave I may kidnap you and take you with me anyway.”
“That’s not allowed,” said a Little girl he did not recognize as she stepped up beside their table.
The Little blonde looked nervous as she hugged her teddy bear tight.
She glanced at Mallory then frowned at him before continuing, “You can’t just steal someone from Rawhide Ranch.
That’s not nice, not allowed, and Master Derek won’t let you. ”
She then shifted her attention to Mallory. “If he tries to steal you, tell one of the staff. They’ll get Master Derek and make him stop.”
With her message delivered, the Little girl walked away, hurrying to where Nanny J was waiting for her.
Mallory looked at him, her lips rolled over her teeth as she shook and tears filled her eyes.
“I guess she told you,” she managed to say before dissolving into giggles that had tears rolling down her face.
“I guess so.”
Fletcher wasn’t sure if he should be insulted or not. The fact that the Little girl felt brave enough to step in was one thing, but her eavesdropping was quite another. But he chuckled at the fact that she thought Master Derek was some kind of god, able to stop anyone from doing anything.
Maybe to the Littles and submissives under his care he was.
Then another thought hit him. “You do know I’d never purposely hurt you, don’t you?”
Mallory immediately sobered and reached across the table, laying her hand on his. “Of course I do. Well, except when you’re punishing me or I need a good emotional cleansing. And I promise you will have my answer before you pack your bags and leave.”
Fletcher nodded. “Good bunny. If you’re finished, we’ll go by the office and talk to Erika about setting up a meeting with Sadie and her minions for after your nap.”