Castlewood (c) LdyJessika, 1997
By LdyJessika@aol.com
[All rights reserved - copy/duplication prohibited without permission

Chapter 1 (Readers please note this is written in two points of view the bullet indicates HIS.

Castlewood, long known in the region for its drawn brocade drapes that keep out all light. It looms tall, dark, made of stone and built upon the top portion of the cliffs. The only light ever seen is at night and then only the candles from the upstairs towers. The owner, seldom seen and known only as Lord of Castlewood kept to himself but was quite cordial and well liked.

The car had been giving me trouble for the last ten miles. I knew it was just about to completely overheat when the steam started pouring out from under the hood. "SHIT! Not now! Not the damn water hose". I stopped the car and looked at my surroundings.

I looked down the same dirt road leading to town I had been on for the past 10 miles and mentally noted that I must have at least 35 miles left to go. I reached for my cellular phone to find I was out of range. I mentally said fine I am having a bad hair day, I can deal with this and proceeded to mentally outline my options. I was still on the upper road that would eventually wind its way down off these dam cliffs to the small town at the bay. Impatiently I got out of the car to see what the light was up a long drive off to my right. It was dark, late...I kicked the car...swore at its expensive sleek lines and threatened it with a trade in on a GM 4x4 as soon as I got back to the bay area. It answered me by still spewing forth the last of the water out of the radiator. I started the walk up the road to the light, my only apparent option and the house that loomed before me did nothing to make me feel secure.

The black, iron gates to the property opened with pressure against them from my shoulder, they seemed rather rusted on the hinges but did give way. I saw the doors ahead and they loomed larger and larger as I approached them. The doors were solid oak, seemed to go from the ground to at least 15 feet high and were rather intimidating at their height to my 5'1 height. I stood on tip-toe and stretched to reach the old, brass knocker, banging it at least three times. The door to my surprise was quickly opened. My breath left my body, as I looked at the man standing before me, candle in his hand. I felt myself shudder but was sure he did not notice. He stood about 6', and was rather handsome but it was his piercing eyes that made me freeze and just stare at him.

"Please, my car broke down, I need to use your phone". I could see him look almost through me and could not know his mind ignored everything I said only registering he liked the way I said "please". He told me there were no phones, no electric, no extra transportation but I was welcome to stay the night. I stared at him as if he just told me the sky was green, I said I would walk to town - He said there would be a storm - I said I would walk anyway. I only walked 1/4 of a mile before the rain and lightening made me turn and flee back to Castlewood. The doors opened immediately before the first knock - with what could only be described as a grin he made a wide sweeping gesture with his arm and stepped aside. I looked into those eyes of his and cautiously moved past him into Castlewood. I felt nervous about having to return and stammered, "There is a hell of a storm outside". He peered out the door, "Ahh, so there is". He turned and walked toward another large door expecting me to follow.

He brought me to the library and we walked to in front of a large fireplace. He smiled and just walked out but in a few moments he returned with a large robe and towels. "You may continue to drip on my carpet but my preference is for you to not catch pneumonia, not ruin my expensive, imported carpet and change into this while your clothes dry". He held out the robe and towels and when I took them he again just turned and walked out but said he would return in a few moments with hot chocolate for us.

When he returned I was in the robe sitting on the couch, my legs curled up, looking rather like a lost kitten - but I felt at least I looked as formal as one could drenched from a storm, in a strange house, with an odd man handing you a cup of cocoa. I did notice that at least he had put marshmallows in it. "Here, drink this and relax, the night is going to be rather long". I took the hot cocoa and looked perplexed at his comment. I began to relax and wonder why my first reaction was so strong when he smiled and said, "So, you are on vacation for a week and this is the first night, Sunday night to be exact, rather an odd way to begin?" I laughed nervously and agreed but assured him I was grateful for his hospitality. "Sir, I really appreciate this and hope I am not putting you out by being here". He seemed to look through me again and I could not know that his mind only registered the way I said "Sir".

I did not care for the way he looked through me and I apprehensively said, "Please, I shall return this towel now and I think the rain has stopped. I thank you for the last few hours while I dried off but I really must leave for town now." He took the towel from me, stood up saying nothing but as I walked past him he took my hand and walked me to the front door. He knew our discussion over the last hours of castlewood and him had me intrigued and I moved closer to him just wanting the contact. We walked toward the door and he discussed what our week would be like if I stayed with him here rather than going to a boring town to rest. I could not believe he was talking about this subject so candidly - I, of course, had heard about such things, fantasized about them, even played with them on my computer on line but never imagined I would meet someone. He opened the front door into the night and I looked up into those piercing eyes realizing it was now or not at all. I either believed him or not - I amazed myself as every fiber in my being believed him and his oath.

I slowly closed the door and stepped back into Castlewood. Lord in turn stepped forward and the sound of the bolt being thrown into place echoed through the halls and sealed in place the next week and our fate.

I walked in front of him to the library when I heard him move in the other direction. "Not that way, it is late, we have already discussed so much, we will go to my favorite room, care to see it?" I just stood there not moving so he moved across to me, lifted my hands, kissing their palms. He tucked one firmly in the crook of his arm and we left the refuge of the library and climbed the stairs together. I felt the strength of his hand at the small of my back propelling me forward even as my mind told me that I was nuts for doing this. But just once, this once, I wanted something more in my life than logic, order and business. I wanted him and the promise of what he had told me about.

We reached the first landing and proceeded to the end of a hall where a staircase started to one of the towers. I stood there at the bottom stair, my hand still in the crook of Lord’s arm and hesitated until his voice calmed me and we proceeded up to the tower. I stood at that final tower door, thinking for a few moments but then looked up at him and smiled. He swung the door open and looked at me to make the first move to enter. I stepped over into a world I had wanted for so long but did not realize it. It was time to begin.

I moved in to the room that seemed like a tower chamber of some sort. He wasted no time in bringing me to the center of the room and taking off the robe I wore. I stood naked, vulnerable and tried to snatch back the robe, "We can do this while I wear the robe, okay?" He smiled and answered not by handing me the robe but wrapping his arms around me pulling me to his body. We stayed like this for awhile without speaking and just the feel of his one hand holding my face to his chest while the other stroked up and down my back I began to relax with being naked before him. He stepped back looking at my body, "Your fine the way you are" and with that he threw the robe across the room to a chair. The chill made my nipples harden or was it from looking at the table he led me to. It was the shape of an "X" with cuffs at the top of each end of the "X" and at the lower legs of the "X". There seemed to be a strap around its center as well. The walls seemed to have various chains and latches hanging on them but that corner was in shadow so I could not see them clearly. I think I was rather glad I could not see that far. "You did say if I said the word morning this would all end right away, correct?" He laughed and said yes but said he doubted he would see morning until it actually occurred naturally. Looking around this room I felt he would hear it in about 10 minutes. I sat upon the table as he bid me to and tried to relax. He surprised me by hopping on the table and as he sat on it next to me he just stroked my arm as we spoke in low voices about the room. He then slowly stood up pushing me slowly on my back and continued to chat with me. Eventually he pulled my arms and legs to match the "X" and secured them as well as my waist to the center. I was not that uncomfortable as the table was quite padded and warm from the fire. I could feel my body begin to relax, anticipation start to build, and I needed to hear his voice and feel his hands against me reassuring me, touching me. A blindfold was put over my eyes and after a few moments of fear at not being able to see anything, the constant sound of his voice and feel of his hands comforted me. I slipped into feeling pure sensations as they began to wash over me and I drifted into a world of feeling and over to his safe keeping.

I woke and thought moments had passed until I looked at the candles. I felt fear, I was alone but then he came to me it seemed out of the stone walls and calmed me once again. He looked at me and smiled, "Morning". I did not want it to stop, I was not afraid anymore of him and my mind and body never felt such freedom, "No, it is okay, I did not say the safe word morning, I do not feel afraid anymore". I knew I was rather disoriented from just waking but wanted him to understand that I did not mean it if I had for some reason said the word. He smoothed my hair and moved to the cuffs and removed them, he began to rub my wrists and arms, legs and ankles. He helped me put on his bathrobe and stepped aside pointing to the stain glass windows - I then realized he was only telling me it was morning. He smiled at me when he saw me relax and realize that he was not telling me to leave. He held out his hand and this time I did not hesitate reaching for it. We walked from the tower to the lower floor. Monday with my Lord had arrived.

 

CHAPTER 2

We walked to the middle floor of the house. Although it was summer the house remained cool from the stone and the lack of sun allowed in except for the top portions of the windows that remained uncovered. We entered his bedroom and I was rather surprised to see rather modern looking surroundings. The furniture as opposed to the dark oak Victorian library was a beautiful polished mahogany. At one end of the bedroom stood a massive bed with two night tables and a reading lamp. "I thought there is no electricity here, but you have a lamp?"

He looked directly into my eyes and said in a low voice, "If you look closely, pet you will see it is battery powered – I do not lie."

I felt rather sheepish at the tone I had used but turned and surveyed the other end of the room where a desk sat full of strewn books and papers next to the window. In the middle of the room I could see a round table with a platter of fruits, cheeses, nuts and crackers, already placed with two glasses of ice water. I do not know how he moved so quietly but when I turned I found him sitting up in the bed watching me with those piercing eyes of his. I did not even notice he had moved and undressed I was so busy studying his room. He just sat there with his closed expression studying me.

He stayed in the bed and I went to retrieve the platter and bring it to him. After kissing me we proceeded to talk low about as he called it our previous session.

"Pet, that is what I shall call you for the next few days and you shall call me Sir, did you find the tower pleasurable?"

I could feel myself blushing trying to think how to justify that I had found being bound, out of control with my eyes closed pleasurable when I had no idea something like that would ever feel to me like I was floating free. "I was rather surprised but yes, it was quite an experience!" I felt it but could not bring myself to explain that it was the most sensual experience I had ever had in my entire life. Not that I had not dated and made love quite passionately but there is making love and then now there was this!

"Well pet, I can see you are still dealing with this as a work project so we shall eat for a bit and then you can explain to me what type of experience."

He turned and fed me a piece of fruit which juice dripped down my chin and he licked it off me. I had never had that done and thought I would die telling my best friend about this but who would never believe this whole vacation anyway. I wanted to do the same feeding him but each time he would take it from my hand and feed himself and look at me until I realized that I was not to do that for some reason. "Pet, hand me the glass of water, please."

"Here, Sir, it is nice and cold with ice." He looked at me and had a grin I can only describe as quite wicked, took the ice and replaced the glass of water on the table.

I woke to find him still sleeping next to me and it gave me time to think on the past day and to look at his features as he slept. Such an odd man it seemed yet he was the most intelligent man I have spoken with in quite awhile. Still there was so much to learn about him but then I questioned myself why I would want to when in a few days I would be leaving for home and with quite a tale to tell my best friend. This was not exactly something you put on a postcard such as, "Dear Marnie, Having a wonderful time being tied to posts glad your not here, we seem to have only one set of cuffs. Love and see you soon." My mind started to think that perhaps this was enough and I should really get my car and get to town, after all the storm was over. I quietly crept out of bed to look out the window. I could see the road from here and looked for my car since the window was facing the road where I had left it. It was missing.

I was startled when I heard his deep voice, "Pet, why are you out of bed?"

"Oh I did not realize you were awake"

He had that intense look as his voice grew low, "That is okay, you do not realize quite a bit yet but in time you will."

I just looked at him, as it seemed there was another cryptic message somewhere hidden in there, but I ignored it as my car was my main concern now and this vacation had to have some reality come to play in it. I felt rather vexed at him since he probably did not even own a car much less a portable phone left in the car so why would he care that mine was stolen during the night. My back was to him as I thought Ugh! This is what I get for meeting up and being attracted to a weirdo – sometimes I am such a dolt!

" I do not mean to push the issue Sir but my car that was apparently broken down in front of the house last night now seems to have been stolen." I immediately recognized the same grin he had when told me it was indeed raining and now I waited for the news he was about to impart to me.

"Ah yes, the car with the broken water hose soon to be replaced, uh was it with a truck it seems, that car is safe and sound in the garage on the back portion of the grounds."

"And Sir, just how did it find its way there?"

"Why tow truck of course my pet." "Wait pet, let me guess now you are going to ask whose tow truck?" I actually was going to ask that question but just smiled instead since I was so relieved my car was safe. I did not even give the car a passing thought for the rest of the day and as night fell my mind was only on my next session with Lord. (cont.)