Reign Chapter 16
The rest of our week since moving Kathlyn, confronting Savar, and having that fucker Sam give Anastasia that stupid breach of contract had been stressful as hell. But we kept moving and didn’t let it consume us.
The following morning after Sam’s bomb, Carver reached out to me with the name and number of an attorney who specialized in family disputes and odd laws.
Her name was Sophia Gunn. Anastasia and I spoke to her over the phone together.
Ms. Gunn sounded sharp and on top of things. We agreed to meet later that day.
After meeting in person, Ms. Gunn insisted that we call her Sophia.
She was a sharp, attractive, well-dressed woman who exuded a hard-ass aura when necessary.
I was thrilled. That was the kind of lawyer I needed.
Because we met before the forty-eight hours Sam gave Anastasia, Sophia was able to file suit against him before he filed against my woman.
There were other attempts by Savar, Arish, and even the sons-in-law, daughters, and daughter-in-law to reach Kathlyn.
They started with phone calls, texts, and emails.
When those didn’t work, they tried to get her to talk to them at the townhouse.
However, when they arrived there, they were chased away by Iker’s people, whoever was on duty at the time.
Based on what Kathlyn said last night when we had her over to our place for dinner, their disregard of her wishes had pretty much decided her next moves. At least while we were in the penthouse, we had no concerns about one of them disturbing us, so everyone relaxed.
I was proud to show my future mother-in-law around her daughter’s new home.
Yeah, I was ready to put a ring on Anastasia’s finger.
I loved that I could prove I was capable of taking care of her, even though she had every means to take care of herself.
Kathlyn exclaimed about the place but lost it when she saw the roof, like her daughter had the first time.
It was the primo space. We’d sat up there after dark and talked as we sipped wine.
Kathlyn stayed the night rather than go home. It felt right.
Early this morning, both women had wanted to do some shopping, so Poe and I went with them.
It was fun, and the women teased the crap out of us by dragging us into home goods stores, clothing boutiques, and more.
When we were through, Kathlyn went back to the townhome.
Poe went with her. He’d be relieved this evening.
Tonight, Anastasia and I were headed to Lustz again.
It was time to expose her to more of the club and me.
During all the upheaval this week, we’d been able to sit down, go through the contract we’d outlined, and sign an official one.
I educated her more on how things should go when entering into a kink relationship and what not to do at a club like Lustz.
Anastasia was eager to be there again. Although it wasn’t long ago, Mikhail had approved her as a patroness.
That was a change. And this time, she seemed prepared to figure out her outfit on her own.
Like last time, I wouldn’t get to see it until we went.
As for me, I was bringing my ropes. It had been way too long since I’d laid rope, and I was feeling scattered and insecure.
Doing shibari centered and relaxed me, especially when I created my art with it.
When I asked Anastasia if she’d allow me to do a simple pattern with her, she agreed.
Yes, there was apprehension there. Who wouldn’t be when you’re about to do something you’ve never done? But the bigger emotion was excitement.
I’d booked the playroom set up for riggers and shibari enthusiasts. It would contain the suspension gear: suspension rings, strong anchor points, and locking aluminum carabiners, so I didn’t need to bring mine, although tonight I wouldn’t suspend her.
While we waited for nighttime, I introduced Anastasia to my ropes at home.
I let her touch them and explained various aspects of their care.
I enjoyed sharing the different aspects of shibari.
It wasn’t just a matter of grabbing some rope and tying a person up.
That approach will harm people, possibly even kill them.
Hitch had been very methodical when he taught me the proper way to be a practitioner.
In addition to discussing the ropes with Anastasia, I also coached her on safety.
First, I told her how I conditioned my ropes. Before using a rope for the first time, I conditioned it with oil and heat, then singed it to ensure it was smooth and safe. At the ends, I’d use heat-shrink tubing to prevent them from fraying. I showed her how to do it on a new one.
Then, I explained the different types of rope that can be used. The five main ones were hemp, jute, nylon, cotton, and posh. I preferred a mix because each created different sensations on the skin.
Hemp was a staple for me. Due to its rough texture, hemp creates friction-tightening knots that prevent them from sliding, thus holding better.
There was nothing more frustrating than getting your partner rigged and tied the way you wanted, only for the knots to give and destroy the whole aesthetic.
Hemp wasn’t elastic, so knots wouldn’t become impossibly tight when tension was applied.
And finally, its width was thin, usually six millimeters in diameter, which made for visually pleasing knots.
Jute visually looked the same as hemp and provided the same benefits, but it was cheaper. The one con was that the fibers were rough and could become uncomfortable, less flexible, and thus harder to tie, resulting in bulkier knots. I had a few pieces of jute, but not many.
Cotton rope was cheap, light, softer than hemp, and really good for beginners because it took a lot of pressure or speed to cause rope burn.
Plus, it softened after washing and was easy to dye in different colors.
The color part was why I had a few pieces.
But I used it with caution since it stretched under tension, and cotton doesn’t absorb oil, so when it dried, the rope felt coarse.
The other con was that it got fuzzy and dirty, so I had to change it out often.
Nylon was very flexible, cheap, and smooth, and it took a lot of pressure and tension to cause rope burn. All I had to do to clean it was put it in the washer and let it air-dry. I could get it in many bright colors, but it was smoother and harder to hold knots.
Posh rope was last. It was cheaper than hemp and more durable than natural fibers, but it was stiffer, making knots harder to make and look nice.
I showed her the safety scissors in my kit. They were the same as the trauma shears used by EMTs. Those were there in case I had to cut her loose due to an emergency. Sometimes, one didn’t have time to undo knots.
My ropes were between seven and eight meters long, so I had plenty of length to work with.
And I used jojoba oil to treat and maintain my jute ropes, and all were carried in a breathable bag.
Plus, there were a few other things in there, such as a blindfold, a Wartenberg wheel, and a small basic crop.
Anastasia listened attentively, showed interest, and asked great questions. I got no indication she was only doing it as an appeasement for me. Her attitude only heightened my desire for tonight.
“I’m ready,” Jaanu called before entering the kitchen. I scanned her from head to toe.
“What’s up with this?” I asked.
She smirked. “I want to surprise you fully, so I’ll show you when we get to Lustz and in our special room.”
Her sultriness and the possibilities of what was underneath the long robe that covered everything but her hands and head caused my cock to begin to thicken.
Her hair was the same as last time. However, her eye makeup was much heavier.
I’d learned from her that what she used to outline her eyes was kohl.
Her eyeshadow was a mix of browns and shimmery gold.
A hint of color was on her cheeks, and her mouth was a brownish-red, which looked amazing on her.
I caught a glimpse of sparkly earrings. I walked up to her, wrapped my arms around her, and grinned.
“Can’t I have a little peek?” I cajoled.
“No, you may not. It’ll be worth the wait, I swear.”
I groaned as if in pain, then grazed her mouth since I knew if I gave her the kind of kiss I wanted, we’d be late.
The ride over was relaxed. We held hands while we talked about shibari.
She wanted to know more. After we arrived, I saw that the doorman was Tuck.
We paused long enough to introduce her to him.
He congratulated me on finding such beauty and lamented to her that he hadn’t seen Anastasia first, which made her laugh.
I told him I knew I was beyond lucky and that I would be watching him.
We entered and found Babs, the greeter with the bracelets, so another introduction took place before we made it all the way inside. We didn’t waste time on the first floor. It was a straight shot to the second, where we would have about twenty minutes to wait until our room was available.
We checked in with Sheila to let her know we were there, then wandered around to see what was happening.
On one dais, a man and a woman were engaged in age play.
The woman was dressed like a teenager and carried a stuffed animal.
The man, who was her Dom partner, was directing her in what was appropriate behavior.
When she complied, she was given hugs, cuddled, and so on.
When she didn’t please her Dom partner, she was ignored, or her stuffed animal was removed. She faced consequences.
It wasn’t the kind of role-playing I was into, but if it nurtured something in them, then go for it. Many people thought it was a safe way to express pedophilic behavior, but it wasn’t about being a pedophile. Age play was about regression, power dynamics, and nurturing.