12 Red Roses

Beep, beep, beep... I fling a hand out from beneath the blankets and fumble to hit the snooze button on the alarm clock that has so rudely awoken me from a very sexy dream in which I was tied down to a bench and Master Steve's cock was buried deep inside me.

Ahhhh, blessed silence. Ten more minutes to sleep and maybe I can finish the dream. Yawning, I roll over and stretch. As I fling out my arms, my left hand encounters something soft on the pillow next to me. I open my bleary eyes, grope for it with my fingers and pick it up. The strong scent of a freshly cut rose fills my nostrils, making me sneeze. I sit straight up in bed dumfounded. I look at the blood-red, long-stemmed red rose I am holding. Its petals are still tightly closed and dewy. Where did it come from? The previous evening was spent alone in my house grading papers and doing laundry. My housemate is out of town visiting his family. Master Steve has been occupied with his job for the past couple of weeks and I haven't seen him. And he doesn't have a set of keys to the house.

The fine hairs on the back of my neck stir as I listen intently, trying to determine if there is anyone in the house with me. The door to the bathroom off my bedroom is wide open and I can see clearly inside. It is empty. The only noises I hear are the normal household noises, the hum of the air-conditioning, the dripping of coffee into the pot.

As quietly as I can, I slide out of bed and reach underneath for the baseball bat my brothers insist I keep there. With bat in hand, I tiptoe out of the bedroom onto the upstairs landing. My housemate's bedroom door is open and his room empty, as is his bathroom. Downstairs is the same. There is no one else in the house with me. I check the locks on the front and back doors as well as the sliders leading to the deck. All are secure. I also check the locks on all the windows. They are all secure as well and there are no signs of tampering.

I feel relieved that there are no signs that someone has broken in. My housemate must have come home early and left me the rose. I don't know why. He knows I belong to Master Steve.

Giving up on the idea of any extra sleep -- I'm too wide awake, I go back up to my bedroom and make my bed. I place the rose in a bud vase with some water and leave it on my dressing table. After showering and dressing, I am ready to face the day.

I grab my briefcase and my car keys and leave the house by way of the door to the garage. I unlock my car and toss the briefcase across the driver seat into the passenger seat. I slide in, and there on the dashboard is another blood-red, long-stemmed red rose. Goosebumps erupt on my arms as I stare at it. There is a small card underneath.

With relief, I recognize Steve's handwriting on the card. The note says he misses me and will see me soon. I feel warm and happy as I read his words. I miss him too. More than I thought possible. I've missed being in his arms, his quiet confidence and his forceful presence. He has always me feel so safe and protected when I'm with him. He pushes my limits, because he knows I need it and that I love serving him. But he is respectful of my boundaries. There are those who would not understand the nature of our relationship, but it is right for us and all I know was that when I am with him, it feels right -- like I have always been meant for him.

The rest of my day flies rather quickly. Roses keep turning up in the oddest places. By the end of the day, there are ten of them in all. One rose is handed to me along with my coffee when I drive through the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru on my way to the school where I teach. Another rose is on my desk. Still other roses are delivered by students who refuse to say anything about where they come from. I am mystified and I can't wait to ask Steve how he's done it.

Rose number ten is in my car when I leave school that afternoon. Along with this rose is another note from Steve: "Be ready to go at 6:00 tonight. My foreman, Todd, will pick you up and bring you to me. We will be outside, so dress comfortably and be sure to wear sneakers or sturdy shoes, not sandals. Remember, you are not to wear panties or a bra. You are to do exactly as Todd requests - just as you would with me. I can't wait to see you, Baby."

My body hums with anticipation as I hurry home and shower. I take care to make my body as smooth and soft as possible. It is a warm, late-summer evening, so I pull on a pair of shorts and a soft, cotton-knit tank top that shows off my lightly tanned skin. I search for and find my walking shoes and pull them on without socks. I'm lucky enough to have thick, wavy hair and I wear it in a wash-n-go style that requires little maintenance, so I slick in a little styling gel and let it dry naturally. I add a dash of mascara to highlight my blue eyes, sweep on a quick brush of blush and slick on some sheer lip gloss. Just as I am finishing up, my doorbell rings.

I grab my purse on the way to the door and am ready to go when I open it. I stifle a gasp as I stand face to ribs with the tallest man I have ever seen. I look up, and then up again. The man standing there towers over me and at 5'8", I am not short. He is broad and muscular. His chest muscles and biceps strain the seams of the black Ramsey Construction T-shirt he wears. His lean hips and endlessly long legs are encased in a dusty pair of jeans that have seen better days. On his feet are the regulation steel-toed boots.

The late afternoon sun dances on his smooth, shaved head and his smile gleams like a white beacon against the dark mahogany color of his skin. His deep, chocolate brown eyes are surrounded by lashes so long no man should be allowed to have them. His voice when he speaks is deep and thick like slow moving molasses.

"Hey, Ms. Lea," he drawls. "Steve sends his apologies that he can't pick you up himself." He hands me another rose in a hand that is calloused and strong and so large that the rose seems that much more delicate.

As I reach for the rose, the cell phone attached to his belt rings. He checks the number and flips it open. Giving me an apologetic look, he turns slightly away and goes to stand near the porch railing. Taking the opportunity, I slip back inside and add the latest rose to the collection.

When I get back outside, Todd hands me the open phone. "It's Steve," he explains.

"Hello, Sir," I say into the phone. "Thank you for the beautiful roses. How on earth did you manage to have the delivered so mysteriously?"

"Hey Baby, it's good to hear your voice. Sorry I can't pick you up in person, but Todd will take good care of you." He doesn't say anything about the roses.

"You didn't have to send someone to get me," I reply. "I could have driven out to the site by myself."

"Nah, the road out to where I am is pretty rough. You'd need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to get here. I don't think your car would make it. Besides, I'll be bringing you home later."

At his words and intimate tone, a little thrill shoots through me straight to my pussy. He then asks me if I have followed his instructions.

"Yes, Sir, I have."

"What aren't you supposed to be wearing?" he asks.

I glance over at Todd to see if he is listening. I can't tell, so I reply as softly as I can, "a bra and panties."

"What was that?" Steve asks. "I didn't hear you. Say it louder."

I glance at Todd again and repeat myself a little louder.

"What about them? I want you to tell me and make sure Todd can hear you." Steve's tone is quiet and firm and I know that to hesitate or disobey will disappoint him and possibly earn me a punishment.

With pink cheeks, I say in a loud, clear voice. "I'm not wearing a bra or panties." I risk a look at Todd to see if he has heard. He has a slight smile on his face that tells me he has heard and knows exactly what is going on.

"Did Todd hear you?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good girl. Now make sure you obey Todd the same way you would me, and I'll see you in a little while." Steve disconnects. I fold the phone closed and hand it to Todd who reattaches it to his belt as he walks me to the truck.

Todd opens the passenger door for me and with his hands around my hips, helps me into the high cab. He reaches behind me for the seatbelt and pulls it down and across me, fastening it securely. As he adjusts it, his hand brushes my breast, making my nipple tighten. I bite my lip as I try to discern if he is doing it on purpose or if it was accidental. When his hand lingers in the space between my breasts, fingers again brushing my hardened nipple, I know he is doing it on purpose and that he's very aware of what he's doing to me.

I stiffen a little and he says "Relax Ms. Lea, I don't bite unless I'm asked."

With that, he winks at me, and closes the door. He jogs around the truck and slides into the driver's seat. The drive out to the construction site is uneventful and as Todd and I begin chatting, I begin to relax. Todd is intelligent, thoughtful and has a very dry sense of humor.

When we get to the site, Todd turns off onto a rutted dirt track. "Hold on tight," he warns. "It's going to be a little rough for a bit." As we bounce over ruts and potholes, Todd keeps glancing over at me. He seems fascinated with the way my breasts sway and bounce along with the truck. My nipples are aroused and dancing against the thin fabric of my top.

Finally after what seems like an hour, but is probably only ten minutes or so, we drive into a wide dirt clearing where several construction trailers are parked. Todd pulls up in front of the largest one. He reaches over and unfastens my seatbelt and reaches across me to open my door. His intense heat envelops me as he hovers over me and I smell his unique musky scent.

He pulls back and hops out of the truck. Coming around, he pulls the door wide for me and hands me down. I turn to see Steve standing off to the side with a big smile on his face, his arms crossed over his chest.

I pause for a minute taking him in. He is tall and lanky with sandy brown hair cut in a spiky crew cut. I love to run my fingers through its softness. His eyes are his best feature next to his smile. A unique mixture of blue, hazel and green, they are expressive even as they seem to change color with his surroundings. They shine with amusement and warmth as he locks his gaze to mine. Everything fades into the background as I am caught in that intense gaze and I launch myself into his arms.

"Hey," he laughs as he pulls me close, his hands resting on my waist. He gives me a much too short kiss and slides his hand under my tank top to rest on the bare skin of my back as he turns to Todd.

"Was she a good girl?" he asks as his hand slides down to rest possessively on my bum.

"She sure was," Todd answers with a grin. "She was ready on time and didn't make me wait at all."

Steve looks at me proudly. "I told you she would be," he says. After giving Todd some instructions, he grabs my hand and pulls me into the trailer.

He closes the door behind us, and pins me against it. Then he is kissing me, devouring my mouth like a starving man. I wind my arms around his neck and kiss him back with all the wanting and need that has been bottled up for the past two weeks.

His hands slide under my top, stroking my belly and making goosebumps rise before moving up and cupping my breasts. I shiver as he squeezes them together, tweaking my nipples, sending sparks straight to my aching pussy. I arch into his hands, reveling in the feeling of his rough hands on my soft skin. He captures my nipples between his fingers and pinches just to the point of pain before easing up. I moan into his mouth, and he sooths the ache with gentler pinches, flicking them with his thumbs while he trails a fiery line of kisses across my collar bone and lingers in the sensitive hollow beneath my ear. He lingers there, knowing it is guaranteed to drive me wild. My knees buckle.

Reaching down, he lifts me, pinning me more tightly against the door and wrapping my legs around his hips. He grinds himself against me, his cock straining against his button fly. I writhe, frustrated by the layers of shorts and jeans, as I feel the heated length of him grinding against my hungry pussy. My clit is throbbing and I shudder with the need to have him buried deep inside me.

With a groan, he pulls back a little and lowers me so that I am once again standing. He rests his forehead against mine and his breath is as ragged as mine is. "Later," he groans. "We'll take this up later. Right now I want to show you around the site."

Before we leave the trailer, Steve pulls out a box from under the drafting table and hands it to me. I lift the flaps and reach in through the packing peanuts. I feel something hard and rounded. I carefully pull it out of the box and start chuckling. It is a bright yellow hard hat with the words "Property of Steve" stenciled on it.

He gently places the hat on my head. It fits perfectly. "I had it made for you. To protect you whenever you visit me on a site."

I laugh. "Thank you, Sir." I lean into him and kiss him, rubbing myself against him and hoping he will change his mind about waiting for "later." He catches on to me though and with a sharp spank on my ass, shoves me out the door.

The tour consists of a brief hike through the cleared areas of the site. Along the way we meet several of the men on his crew. They gave Steve knowing looks when they see my hat, but they are polite and flirty. We run into Todd along the way and he says he will be over to say goodnight before he leaves for the day. I assume we will be returning to the trailer, but Steve has another surprise for me.

He leads me through a tangle of brush and trees on a barely there path. I follow, stumbling now and then over roots. Steve holds my hand so I don't fall. After a few minutes, we emerge from the tangle to a sight that takes my breath away. Spread out before us is a very secluded cove with calm, clear, brilliant water. The white sand is smooth down to the water's edge where little wavelets lap at the shore. The sun is just starting to disappear below the horizon. The sky is lit with the purples, pinks and gold of the setting sun.

"It's beautiful," I gasp. "This is incredible."

"Yeah," he agrees. "The resort will have its own private beach. He leads me towards a blanket that has been set up next to what looks like the makings for a fire. There is a picnic basket parked at one corner of the blanket and a cooler on another. On top of the picnic basket is another red rose. He takes out a pocket knife, picks up the rose and cuts the stem down and removes the thorns. He then tucks it behind my ear.

"There," he murmurs, his breath warm in my ear, "Twelve red roses for the best girl in the world. You've passed your training with flying colors and made me very proud of you. This night is for you."

I feel the beginnings of tears sting my eyes as he draws me down onto the blanket. Once we are seated, with me between his outspread legs and leaning back against his solid chest, he draws out a square jeweler's box.

"We've talked about your wearing my collar," he says. "And I've respected your wishes. I know you don't like anything restrictive around your neck or over your face. But I've gotten you this and I want you to wear it for me."

With trembling fingers, I take the jewelers box from him. When we met each other, we had gone over the boundaries of my becoming a sub. I didn't have many hard and fast rules, but one of them was no restrictions around my neck or over my face. I am claustrophobic and the thought of gags or hoods or even a tight fitting collar is more than I am willing to endure. Steve has agreed to respect that boundary and he has been very careful during our scenes not to push it.

I pry open the lid. Nestled inside on a bed of black silk is a simple 20-inch gold chain with a small round disc dangling from it. Engraved on the front of the disc are the words "I belong to Steve Ramsey." On the back of the disc is today's date. I swallow past the lump in my throat and nod. "I... I'll be honored to wear it for you," I murmur. He takes the necklace out of the box and places it around my neck, fastening it. I look down to see the disc disappearing beneath the neckline of my top and feel it nestle between my breasts.

Steve kisses the back of my neck where the chain is warm against my skin. "Thank you," he says simply.

We sit like that for a long while, watching the sun set, mesmerized by the changing colors of the water and sky. The moon rises. It is full and bright enough to see by. Steve pulls a bottle of white wine from the cooler. He then pulls two wine glasses from the picnic hamper and pours the wine. I sip mine, savoring the cool, dry, fruity taste of it sliding down my throat. It warms me and I drink a little faster than I should on an empty stomach. By the time I've finished the glass, I feel very relaxed. Steve pulls out some cheese and some grapes from the basket and feeds me as I relax into him.

Now that the sun has gone down, it is cooler here on the beach and Steve gets up to light the fire. Sated, we snuggle together near its warmth. Steve sits and again draws me between his legs and settles me back against him. His hands, warm, strong and calloused slid under the bottom of my tank top and stroke my bare skin. Slowly, he slides the top up and over my head, baring me to the cool night air. My nipples pebble with the chill, but are soon covered by his fingers as he plucks at and teases them. He nibbles on the back of my neck and soon has me writhing against him. He spends long moments playing with my breasts, squeezing and stroking, teasing the nipples until they are harder and longer than I've ever seen them and my breasts are swollen with the need to feel his mouth on them.

"Hey, Steve," A voice comes out of the darkness, lifting me from my relaxed daze. I stiffen in Steve's arms as I recognized Todd's voice and hear him approaching.

I try to grab my tank top to pull it on, but Steve's grip on my breasts tightens. "No," he murmurs into my ear.

He greets Todd and to my shock tells him there is beer and wine in the cooler and for Todd to help himself and join us. Embarrassed, I hope Todd refuses, but he comes into the firelight, grabs a beer from the cooler and joins us on the blanket, seemingly totally at ease. I sit in Steve's arms stiffly wondering what is going on.

Steve and Todd begin talking about work. Steve's hands leave my breasts bare to Todd's heated gaze and he lightly trails his fingers up my arms and begins massaging my shoulders, making me relax against him once again. I am still not completely at ease with Todd's presence, but the combined effects of the alcohol and Steve's hands are working their magic and gradually my inhibitions slip away. Steve keeps his hands on me the whole time he and Todd are talking. Stroking my belly, my breasts, teasing my nipples, running them along the inside of my legs. Occasionally he places kisses in the sensitive hollows along my neck, his tongue teasing my skin. His teeth nipping and biting. His hands are incredibly arousing and I begin to drift along in a sensual haze of sexual longing. Every nerve ending is alive and aching for his touch. I can feel wetness gathering between my legs and I wiggle a little trying to adjust the crotch of my shorts so that it will rub where I need it most.

He feels me squirming, and stops his maddening stroking of my body. I whimper a little as the cool air touches the skin where his warm hands have been. "Stand up," he orders in a quiet, no-nonsense voice.

I scramble to my feet without question, obeying him as I've been trained. Even though I feel a little trepidation about Todd being there, I can't deny that part of my arousal is because he is there and I know he has been watching as Steve touches me.