Chapter 14

I continued pleasuring Paul with my mouth, tongue, and teeth.  Soon I felt him thickening and I prepared for his orgasm.  I pulled off him and watched him shoot a load up into the air.  He was like a fountain shooting up into the sky, and the sight of him cumming made me smile, even though my hair managed to get covered in his cum.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Oh god, I enjoyed that!" I groaned as Suzi came up for air.   Suzi's smile lit up the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The medicine and the ointment worked together to heal my sore body.  Paul and I found a new comfort level with one another.  We were able to talk about anything and to share much more of our hopes, dreams, fears, and goals.  And we learned how to touch each other softly in ways that spoke of our mutual feelings (without those touches leading to anything more).  I know it probably sounds strange, but this healing time really cemented our feelings for each other.

After two days, I felt ready to ride in the car again.  So Paul packed us up and off we went, two tourists in search of fun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

We had an ace week of just being tourists visiting Edinburgh and other locations in Scotland.  Just being together as a couple seemed so much fun that we almost forgot the problems we'd had before.  It really sank home to me how much fun we could have with or without the bondage; and I think we both realized how much the love between us had blossomed.  It just felt right.

Deep inside me I knew there was a question I had to ask.  I had an idea when and where to do it; but how?

Suzi slowly healed and at the end of the week we tried 69ing and found that Suzi, although sore, enjoyed the fact that she was still functioning in the orgasm area.  God it was fun!  Suzi gave me a blow job every night and I had wanted to return the favor.  It always takes some time to get to know which bits a woman likes and Suzi showed her response in small ways.  The feeling of her orgasm though was felt at the place between her two holes; and by placing my thumb there I learned the correct way of swirling her clit and lips until she arrived at the place we both wanted.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When Paul and I spent the night orally pleasuring each other, I had a wonderful response to him.  I knew then that I was healed emotionally as well as physically.  We might have messed up that once, but he and I were somehow destined to be together.  I could feel it deep inside myself.

The next morning I awoke to discover that I'd fallen off the roof during the night.  Rats!  I dug tampons out of my bag, took two Midol tablets, and felt like I was being punished for finally getting back my sexual feelings.

When I looked bloated and requested just tea and toast for breakfast, Paul figured out that something wasn't right.  "Tea and toast?  You don't like tea." he queried.

"Aunt Sally showed up for a visit this morning, I'm kind of crampy."

"Oh!" the light dawned in his eyes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I had a bit of a do to attend.  The regimental summer dance was held in the old mess building and it was a compulsory event.  Last year I had escaped it due to being in the Balkans.  This year the Brigadier had decided, as all the different units under his charge were at base, that he would jolly well see the officers have a good time.

I had taken a friend's sister to the last one at my unit's base, but as I was now attached to the Catterick Garrison, one had to do the right thing.  "Suzi, I would be honored if you would accompany me the Officers Mess Ball on Friday night.  You will need a dress, and as I don't want to see it until you come down the stairs in the hotel they have booked us into, why don't you go to York with Caroline?  She has been to a few with a friend of mine as his escort for the evening, and knows what type of dress you should buy.  Would you like to go?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Going to a fancy dress ball seemed like a really cool thing!  I mean, the last time I went to a fancy dance was to my Junior Prom in high school.  So I readily agreed to this "Officers Mess Ball."  I wondered if the ball really was held in the mess hall.  After all, our prom had been in the school gym.

Paul called his sister for me and arranged for the two of us to go shopping the next day.  That night, as I prepared for bed, I felt bad for Paul.  I mean, I was sure that he would want to keep his distance from me during this time of the month, so I was resigned to sleeping in the other bed in our hotel room.

While he was in the shower, I cleared our bags off the second bed and crawled under the covers.  When Paul came back into the room, he gave me a funny look.  "What are you doing, Suzi?"

"I figured you wouldn't want to share your bed with me right now.  You know…"

"Hell, woman, do you think I'm that shallow?  I don't care that you're in your cycle.  Or do you feel the need to be alone?"

"I…well…I…uhhh…you know…"  I held out my soft pink and white ropes to him.  "Would you mind if my ankles and wrists were tied and I just spent a night like that in this bed?  If you don't like it, I won't do it."

"Give me those ropes!"

I sheepishly handed them over.  Paul grabbed them and ordered me to lie on my left side.  He then proceeded to wrap the rope around my ankles, tying it securely.  He did the same with my wrists.  Paul gently covered me, kissed my forehead, wished me pleasant dreams, and crawled into the other bed.

Being tied like that was better than having a "blankie" with me and I slept the night through.

"No, Ben, stop it!" I mumbled as his rough tongue slathered across my face.  "Go away!  Paul, help!"

I opened my eyes to see not Ben, but Paul with his tongue slopping around my face.  After a moment, I remembered that we were in a hotel and not at home with Ben.  I sheepishly looked up at Paul's grinning face and whispered, "Good Morning."  I could feel my cheeks flaming.

Paul untied me and sent me to the loo.  As I was standing in the shower washing my hair, the curtain moved and he slipped in behind me.  Paul washed my hair gently before moving down the rest of my body with a sudsy cloth.  I might have been unable to have "real" sex, but by the time he was done with me, my body was a thrumming mass of need.  But he gave me no relief.  Sexually frustrated, I dried my hair and dressed for my shopping trip.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The fact that Suzi let me tie her up for the night gave me such a feeling of tenderness for the courage Mon Brave had.  She was a gutsy girl no doubt about it.  Her eyes glowed in the lamplight between our beds as I kissed her lips and eyes.  Turning off the light I stroked the erection the feel of rope and skin had produced.  For the first time since I'd hurt her it hadn't been a bad day, I thought as sleep overcame me.

I love mornings with my little slave; she is so easy to read – her body loved being pampered.  Her sexual needs were telegraphed by the tightness of nipple and the way her eyes smoked a lustful burning path into my soul.  Still, being a bastard, one ignored this.  I patted her on that spankable rump and sent her off to bug my sister.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Caroline and I spent the day shopping.  She took me to a store called Browns and we looked at the available gowns.

"Are you sure these pouffy gowns are what's expected?" I quizzed her as we looked at rows and rows of ruffled dresses.

"Well, that's the type I wore when I attended.  The officers like their women to look like American Southern Belles."

I gave Caroline a conspiratorial look.  "I'm not from the South.  Ruffles and bows aren't exactly 'me'.  Don't they have something that's more…you know…less…?"

Caroline laughed and took me to a different section.  There we found dresses that weren't so "fluffy."  I chose several and took them into the dressing room.

When I exited the dressing room the first time, I was wearing a silver dress that made Caroline gasp.  To me, it looked just silvery.  But Caroline could see something from a distance that was invisible to the wearer.  She dragged me over to stand several feet away from a mirror.

"You can see my body right through this!" I screeched.  "I look nude!"

Caroline burst into laughter and told me that even though her brother would love seeing me in that gown it was a sight he wouldn't want to share with anybody else.  So I hurried back to change into something else.

Before trying on a red dress, I held it up to the light to see if I could see through it.  Once burned, you know.  The red dress looked tacky on me.  It didn't fit right at all.  I never even left the dressing room wearing it.

The third dress fit like a glove.  It was lavender, classic Greek styling, with a draped shoulder strap on one side only.  The strapless side dipped daringly low, showing off just a hint of the side of my breast.  I liked it.

"Oh my gawd, that's gorgeous!" exclaimed Caroline when I came out. "With silver sandals and jewelry, this gown will be perfect!"

I agreed with her and purchased the gown.  She dragged me to a shoe store for the sandals and to a store for silver drop earrings and a silver bracelet to wear around my upper arm.  We agreed that in this case, less was definitely more.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The girls seemed to enjoy the shopping day and Suzi had been coy about the dress, and her total outfit for the night for that matter.  So off we went to the summer event of the year.  They are not my cup of tea but it is a must to get on socially as well as being a bloody good leader.  I think we both felt the deep excitement as we took the car to the hotel after dropping the dogs at the pub. Those two lucky bastards would be looked after by the whole pub and no doubt would be spoilt rotten.

Suzi was glowing with pride as she looked around the hotel; none of the other officers looked as ruggedly handsome as me, she said.  In our room, I put on my uniform and Suzi seemed to be very pleased that as a light infantry officer, my uniform was different from the others.  She said, "All the rest seem to be the same."

I swatted her bottom and growled, "Don't let them hear you say that or we will get lynched."

I walked over to my briefcase and removed a box.  Suzi looked at me as I held it in front of her.  "Suzi I love you and would like you to wear this."

I opened the box while watching her eyes.  They widened and although she was thrilled I got a slight feeling that I'd missed some feeling deep inside her.  I paused and wondered if I should let her in on the other thing I'd planned for this evening.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Paul had presented me with a silver choker.  It was beautifully made, with delicate engraving on it.  I knew in my heart that this wasn't just going to be an ordinary necklace.  It was a symbol of my subservience to him.  Accepting it and letting him place it on my neck was going to make a huge difference in our relationship.  This was something I wanted and dreamed of.

"Paul, I would be honored to wear your collar," I whispered to him.

I handed it to him, turned my back, and waited for him to circle my neck with the symbol of our mutual love.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I held the collar open and standing behind her slid it around her neck as Suzi held her hair up and out of the way.  As it clicked shut we both shuddered and she backed up against me as I cupped her breasts and kissed her neck above the collar.

"I love you and will await the pleasure of your company downstairs, Miss Smith."  I noticed a little tear on the corner of her eye and kissing it away walked out of the room.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I dressed carefully, wearing only a new pair of thong panties underneath my gown.  None of my bras worked without showing, so I went bra less, knowing that my firm breasts would hold up without sagging.  I did place round Band Aids over my nipples to make them less noticeable.  Earlier in the day, I'd painted my fingernails and toenails a lilac shade that matched my gown.  Then I slipped on my sandals, my earrings, the arm bracelet, and finally, the dress.  Checking my makeup one last time, I took a deep breath and left the room.

At the top of the stairs, I took another deep breath and descended, wondering if Paul would approve of my appearance.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The bar of the hotel was actually at the bottom of the staircase that swept down from the upper floors.  So it wasn't easy to see the arrivals from the rooms as I sat on a stool talking to a Canadian attached officer who was feeling a bit fed up waiting for his wife to appear.  We were laughing at the amount of time it takes a woman to get dressed.  Then we both heard a low whistle from a tank regiment officer; followed by a muted, "Bloody hell!"

Looking over my comrade's shoulder I saw an image that will stay with me everywhere I go.

Her dark hair contrasted with the silver collar round her neck.  Both were shining in the light from the chandelier as she walked quite gracefully down the stairs.  The dress shimmered as the stairs caused her breasts to bounce a little.  She smiled a nervous smile over the top of the heads of the people below her at the bottom of the stairs.  Then her smile was only for me as I stood to walk over to her, saying to the Canadian, "My date has arrived."

"Lucky bastard," he growled as I walked over to her and offered her my arm.

I caught her looking in the bar mirror as we walked towards the doorman and a line of taxis booked for the night.  I hoped she liked the uniform.  We boarded the taxi and I turned to her and looked at her eyes.  They were moist and not a little star struck.  Kissing her lips I held out my hand and stroked her neck.

"You are so beautiful!  How will you not be the most danced with girl at the ball?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I felt like a princess when I descended those stairs; all those men in uniform looking at me and admiring me.  It was a heady feeling, let me tell you that!

Looking over at Paul, I murmured, "But I only want to dance with you tonight."  His responding smile lighted up the taxi.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The car pulled up at the doors to the mess and a corporal opened the door for her.  Suzi looked around at the large old building to a set of doors with red carpet going up between them.  I took her arm and gently led her up the stairs into the entrance hall.

A receiving line was in place and we went through a ritual of handshakes as the Sergeant at Arms introduced us as Major P. Underwood and partner to the hall.  Most people continued talking as we walked down to the end of the line where my boss the "Mad Frenchman" was standing with his wife.  Suzi was overawed.  It does that to you.  I felt sick the first time I did it as a 2nd lieutenant many years ago.  Catherine held out a hand and looked Suzi in the eye.  "I am so pleased to see you here tonight.  We are sitting together and we'll have a chance to talk later."  All said in the French accent that usually sent the Y. O.s off for a wank.

Suzi smiled her "help" smile and Catherine nodded and replied, "Later."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Paul walked me around the room a bit; he almost gave the impression that he was showing off to the other officers.  To realize that he felt that way about me had my heart beating a mile a minute.  Until this moment, I never realized just how much he loved me.  I mean, I knew that I loved him beyond belief, but I'd sort of believed that it was one-sided.  I knew he liked me, but this night was a revelation about how deep his feelings really were.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I picked up a glass of red wine off a waiter going by and walked us over to the bar for a soft drink for my slightly shaking companion.  Steve and Bess were at the bar and after introductions Suzi was dragged off by Bess to tell her where she found the dress.  I got into a brief discussion on how we are doing catching the people we are looking for.  Suzi was returned in time for dinner.

"No snails tonight, darling," I whispered in her ear.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Our meal was delicious and the company was delightful.  I kept looking at Paul, seated beside me, to make sure that I wasn't doing anything wrong.  I followed his lead in eating our meal; with one exception.  Although he seemed to have a good appetite, my stomach was churning in excitement, so I mainly picked at my meal.  I did manage to sip a little wine when toasts were offered, but mainly I stayed with water.

I noticed Catherine frequently looking at Paul and me.  I was worried that she was thinking that I was too young and inexperienced to be with such a fine officer as Paul.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The meal was superb and Suzi drank a little wine but mostly water.  Even I went easy as I wanted a clear head for later.  The port was passed around and the smoking light was lit.  Suzi was chatting away to officers and wives at our table.  They all seemed to be intrigued by my American beauty.

"Her eyes give away her feelings for you," Catherine whispered in my ear.  I looked at her and she smiled.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As the music began, Paul took my hand and led me to the dance floor.  They were playing a waltz, and I struggled to follow him in the unfamiliar steps.  We both quietly laughed together as our feet became tangled, but we kept at it until we were moving together as a couple.  We might not have been doing the fancy stuff, but we were moving together as one.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The band struck up and we went off for a dance.  Suzi danced quite badly at first.  The waltz was difficult for me too but soon we mastered it and the evening rushed to a close with a fireworks display in the early morning.

Suzi snuggled in as I pulled her to me for warmth.  I looked at her.  "Have you enjoyed tonight?"

"Oh, Paul, I've never spent an evening like this before!  It's been wonderful!" she gushed.

I held her tight and slipped a box out of my pocket.  As we watched a rocket soar up to the stars I turned to her, "Suzi, would you do me the honor of being my wife?" I asked as we watched it explode.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I was overwhelmed.  Did he just ask me to marry him?  I looked up into his smiling eyes, and then down at his hand holding a ring box.  An instant replay spun through my mind.  Yes!  That's exactly what he'd done!

"Yes!  I'll marry you, Paul!" I exclaimed.

He beamed, then bent down and tenderly kissed me. Our lips lingered together for and eternity as we sealed our promise to one another.  Then he slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Shall we go back to our room my dear?"  Suzi nodded and we moved to the taxi queue.

"I'm going to remember every detail of this night forever," she said.

I pulled my jacket over her shoulders.  She snuggled in under my arm.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Paul and I stood waiting for our cab, my mind went back over each detail of the evening, working to imprint each moment to memory.  I sighed in happiness as I now knew without a doubt that Paul's love for me was just as strong as my love for him.

Riding in the cab, we kissed and snuggled.

End of Chapter 14