She knows my name?
Cindy—or Harmony, it seemed—never asked for my name. I gave her permission to call me Master or Sir. She preferred the latter. I prided myself as being a man that didn’t really feel apprehension or fear. I felt both when I got a text message with a flight confirmation that contained all of my personal information. I couldn’t help but question if it was some elaborate prank or if I was being catfished. I didn’t make my final decision until the very last minute. I quickly packed a suitcase with clothes and a few essentials before rushing to the airport. If I had a chance to meet Harmony in real life, then I wasn’t going to pass it up.
“Hello, you must be Devlin.” A blonde woman walked up to me when I stepped out of the airport.
“Are you—no, you’re not Harmony.” I narrowed my eyes and stared at her.
“No, I’m Angelina. I’m the one that talked to you. Come, I have a car waiting. I’ll explain everything on the ride to Bakersfield.” She motioned to her left.
“Okay.” I nodded and followed her to the car.
Once we were inside the car, Angelina started explaining things to me. She told me about Harmony, who she really was, and the life she lived in secret—the only part of her life I really knew. She was just as young and inexperienced as she said she was, but the situation was more complicated than I realized. Angelina believed that I was one of Harmony’s many roads—paths that she had to travel before she could fully realize who she was. I wasn’t sure that I bought into her logic, but I was eager to meet Harmony. If nothing else, I wanted her to explain why she disappeared on me like she had.
I don’t think any explanation will be enough to save you from the punishment you deserve. You abandoned me. You made me worry. There will be consequences…
9
Harmony
I gave in. I gave in to Angelina’s plan and in turn, gave in to the desires that had been haunting me for a very long time. I never thought I would come face to face with them. They were supposed to stay in the virtual world where I could turn them off every night when I was done with my fantasy. Those desires were never supposed to manifest in the real world. I roleplayed with a number of online Doms before I found Devlin. I never knew the man behind the screen, but he was always there for me. I assumed he was roleplaying with a number of other girls just like me. We never discussed exclusivity or the concept of a relationship that transcended our virtual playground.
He wasn’t like the other Doms. They got upset when I refused to share pictures of my naked body, talk wit
h them on the phone, or agree to meet in real life.
Devlin was content with my secrecy. He asked for more, just like the rest of them did, but he didn’t try to force the issue. That made me feel safer with him. I started to rely on him when I was in college. Even if I wasn’t ready for a session, he still talked to me. I felt guilty for disappearing the way I did, but I never considered that he actually cared about me. I thought about him from time to time, but I wasn’t brave enough to engage in those kinds of discussions with my parents downstairs watching television. When that excuse wasn’t strong enough, I had work to distract me, and then my sister’s wedding on the horizon. I might not have been a bridesmaid, but I still helped my parents with their portion of the planning.
I can’t run from those desires anymore. If I want to have a future with Nate, I have to follow the outline Angelina has created.
I stared at the elevator buttons once I was inside. After a brief period of hesitation, I pushed the key card Angelina had given me into the slot and hit the button that would take me to the penthouse. Devlin was waiting for me. I knew what he looked like. I might not have shared a picture of my face with him, but he was a lot more open with me. He was definitely an attractive man, so much so that it intimidated me at times. The fear of rejection carried over, even into my virtual world. Angelina promised that she had vetted Devlin completely and was certain I would be safe with him. Her version of safe was likely more painful than mine, but I had earned anything Devlin had in store for me.
“Hello?” I stepped into the penthouse suite and tried to swallow a lump that rose up in my throat.
The entire suite was dark except for a few thin lines of light that cast an illuminating glow from beneath the curtains. It looked abandoned. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I scanned the room. They came to a stop when I saw the outline of a man sitting in a chair. It looked like a real-life version of Devlin’s profile picture. The darkness hid his face, but there was enough light to see an outline of his body. My eyes looked down and just like in his profile picture, there was a small oval paddle hanging loosely from his right hand. I had spent hours staring at that picture, wondering what it would be like to be across his knees, feeling the wrath of that wooden wonder.
“Hello, Harmony.” He lifted his hand and turned on the lamp sitting next to him. “We meet at last.”
“Oh my god…” I blinked in surprise when the lamp lit up the room.
He was even more attractive in real life. His steel colored eyes looked like they could tear apart the darkness with a glance and see straight into my soul. He was dressed in a white button down shirt and black pants, but neither hid the muscles beneath them. My heart starting beating hard in my chest. The moment felt like every fantasy brought to life. I was going to be spanked. I was going to be punished. The look on his face confirmed that even without words. His disappointment might as well have been flashing on a marquee above his head. Just seeing him made me shiver and even with the fear flooding my veins, I still found myself getting strangely aroused by it.
“Why don’t you come over here and roll up my sleeve? I believe you’re long overdue for a trip across my knee.” He tapped the paddle on his palm and the sound made me tremble.
“Yes sir.” I nodded and began to approach him.
I knelt at Devlin’s feet and began to unbutton his sleeve. He never took his eyes off me, but I struggled to look up at him. My hand shook when I started to roll up his sleeve. His forearms were powerful and thick. Being that close to the paddle I had fantasized about brought both excitement and terror at the same time. I knew it would hurt. It was designed for punishment. I had wanted to feel that sting for so long that it was all I could focus on. Once his sleeve was rolled up, I leaned back and stared at the floor to await further instructions. We had roleplayed the moment enough for me to know what I would have to do next, but I also knew I wasn’t supposed to do anything unless he told me to do so.
“Stand to your feet and remove your clothes.” His tone was thick and his voice was almost like gravel.
“Yes sir.” I nodded and slowly rose to my feet.
I had followed Devlin’s instructions before and undressed when we were roleplaying, but it was different with him staring at me. I didn’t have the safety of anonymity or the security of knowing that I was the only one who could actually see my naked body. I slowly removed my dress and let it fall in a heap at my feet. I pushed off my shoes and started to tremble when my fingers wrapped around the clasp securing my bra. I pushed the prongs through the clasp, one at a time until it was free. My hands fell to my side and it slid down my arms. My panties were next. They were the only thing left between me and the Dom that intended to punish me for my transgressions. I slowly pushed them down my hips and then let them fall to the floor with the rest of my clothes.
“You’re even more breathtaking than I imagined when I saw the silhouette of that gorgeous body.” He exhaled sharply. “I wish I could stare at it all night, but first, you have to be punished.”
“Yes sir.” I nodded and continued to stare at the floor.
“Tell me why you deserve to be paddled.” He tapped the paddle on his palm and continued to stare at me.