A Strange Inheritance (Open to one female, please PM if interested)

A Strange Inheritance (Closed for MaskofSand)

Josh Mullins couldn't believe it when his uncle passed on. Uncle Bill had always been considered a bit eccentric by the rest of the family, and had never married or had children. He was the older brother of Josh's father, and Josh was the only one who normally talked to him or spent any time with him at family gatherings. The two were actually close, as Josh was, himself, somewhat of a black sheep, having no interest in going to law school in order to follow the family business.

His relationship with his uncle had affected his choice of colleges, as he went to the University closest to where Bill had lived. Not to stay with him, as Josh wanted to have his own life, but so that they could visit more often. Then the day came when he received news of his uncle's untimely passing due to cancer that had not been diagnosed. Josh went to the funeral, of course, and at the will reading, he was mildly surprised when told that everything his uncle had amassed was now his. Thankfully, spring break was coming up at school, so he would be able to go to the house and take account of what he now, apparently, owned.

When the day came that he pulled up to the house, it was just as he had remembered it from the visits he had paid his Uncle Bill: large and on the creepy side. It was in good repair, though, and close enough that if he chose to keep it, he would be able to live there through his time in college. Unlocking the door and walking inside, he went first to his uncle's study for some reason. On the desk was a letter, addressed to him. Opening it, he read silently:

Dearest Joshua,

If you are reading this...well, we both know what that means. Anyway, there was something I couldn't exactly put in the will, that belongs to you now, as well. You will find it upstairs, in the small room attached to the master bedroom. Take good care of her.

Love,
Uncle Bill

Curious what his uncle was referring to in the letter, he headed upstairs, and found the master bedroom. He had never been inside it before, but it was massive, just as expected, with a king-sized canopy bed dominating one wall, thick black curtains drawn open. There was a beautiful master bathroom as well, and another door that opened into a small room with a cot inside it. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw a woman laying on the cot, and he could not speak at first.

*bump*

Monica was still mourning the loss of her Master, her uniform tidy and ironed each morning, just as it always was. She couldn't break that routine. It had taken her a few days before she stopped making coffee and breakfast, setting it at his spot on the table.

She wasn't allowed to the funeral. She wasn't allowed outside. Not without him.
And he wasn't there to bring her out. To say Okay.

Monica had gone out once, just once, to fetch a package from the rain. She thought she would be thanked. Instead, he punished her; a full hour in the basement, her screams echoing into the walls as he made her remember. Do not go outside.

So she never did. Not even now.

Laying on her little bed, curled up in a little ball, she waited. For what, she wasn't sure. So lost. So confused. He always told her what to do. What he expected, what was to be met for that day. She had done nothing for days. Not eat. Not sleep. Just wait... Wait for something to happen.

The door opened. She quickly sat up, wiping her eyes, staring at the floor. *Say nothing...*

She hesitantly looked up, stealing a peek at the man.
He looked. Familiar. But not.

Picture. The picture Master had shown her! "You're- him..."

Monica's hand slapped to her mouth as she realized what she had just done, hurrying to get herself off the bed, crawling over to him and resting her forehead against his shoes. "Master Joshua." There was a crack to her a voice, a trembling as she reached back, flipping up the short skirt to reveal the bare behind. She had spoken out of turn in her shock, and expected the punishment for such to follow immediately.

Nothing was happening.

Bewildered, the petite brunette looked up at him, hesitant to speak again as her blue eyes cast themselves higher still. "I... Sir?"

To say that Josh was bewildered would have been a gross understatement. The last thing he had been expecting was for the 'her' at the end of his Uncle's letter to be literal. Of course, it seemed very much as if it had been literal, as one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen rushed toward him on her hands and knees to press her head against his foot. There was something highly erotic about the way she moved on all fours, but he shook that from his mind...there were too many other questions that needed answers.

Such as why she flipped up her skirt so casually, as if she were expecting him to do something. She had a lovely ass, but he was vastly uncertain what it was she wanted or expected him to do. Seeing confusion that matched his own in her striking blue eyes, he finally spoke, "Yes, I am Joshua, though I'm not sure about the 'Master' bit." It dawned on him then, just what the letter was meant to say...that this woman now 'belonged' to him, much as the house and car now belonged to him as well. Uncle Bill had never mentioned her, though, nor had Josh seen her on any of his visits.

Smiling at her uncertainly, he wasn't quite sure how to proceed. "Hello. You apparently know my name," he began, his green eyes locking with hers as he spoke, "What is yours?" She was acting unlike any woman he had ever met, but he could tell he was going to have to figure it out.

She stayed on her hands and knees, looking up at him with still unsure glances as he spoke. His voice was familiar. She had heard it before, when Master. Her old Master. Sent her upstairs, to wait for him in the bedroom, while he made the family appearances.

She had wanted terribly to meet them, his family. But he insisted that was none of her concern, that she were merely another luxury of his home than a member of the family. He had even mentioned the idea of passing her on to his nephew. In a sense, this was... her doing. Left to Joshua instead of given her own freedoms. To prove to her that she were merely an object.

Then why did he not see her that way?
"But you are my Master," she whispered to him softly, the skirt still raised.

Her eyes widened once again as he asked her name. More hesitance. "I... I'm Monica. But you can call me what you wish. That name isn't important. I'll answer to another. I answer to anything." Her lower lip was captured by her teeth, the guilt unbearable. "Please sir, punish me in some way, please! It's driving me mad, please!" She was nearly in tears now. Was he being cruel, or simply truly not understanding? Was that even possible? "I know I have done something wrong, and to not be punished is even more torture; please..."

He listened to her closely, trying to make sense of what she was saying. It seemed that his uncle's eccentricity went much further than even he had imagined.

"But you are my Master,"

Those were the words that were the key to it all, to Josh. She had been some sort of slave to Uncle Bill, a sex slave from the looks of her. Maybe more, though, as she seemed rather hysterical because he had not punished her yet...for what, he had no idea.

He had a feeling his next action was wrong, but he had to do something to calm her down, especially once she started crying. Reaching down, he gave her bared ass a firm swat with his open palm. He'd never hit a woman in any fashion before, and it felt alien to strike her. But there was something about the way her soft skin warmed when he smacked it that sent a delicious thrill down his spine. Exhaling deeply, he repeated this twice more, until she seemed to relax a bit.

"Um," he said softly, trying to figure out the best way to put what he needed to ask her, "That is enough punishment for now, unless you don't answer my questions clearly." He thought he sounded silly, commanding a woman who was at least a few years older than him in such a manner, but he didn't know what else to do, given that speaking to her that way was the only way to relax her.

Walking over to the bed...his bed now...he took a seat at the edge, and indicated for her to come closer. "Let's at least get comfortable for this. I'm not sure how long we will be talking, after all," he said, as much to himself as to her. Once she came to him, Josh told her, "My Uncle Bill never told me anything about you, Monica, so I'm not sure what to do with you." He paused, exhaling deeply as he tried to string his thoughts together, then went on, "What did you do for him?"

She looked back to his shoes as he hesitated. She had said something wrong again, hadn't she? This was horrible. She was making things worse and worse. This just didn't-

Monica cried out in surprise at the first swat made at her backside, her lips tightening for the second and third, lowering her back a bit more to accept them. She sniffled lightly, but was smiling faintly. "Thank you, sir," She whispered, her ass stinging painfully but finally relieved of the guilt.

She looked up to him again, taking in every word earnestly. "Yes sir." As he walked away, she just watched, her hands in her lap, unmoving until his 'come hither' motion was directed to her. Crawling across the carpet, she settled at his feet once again, this time a bit more relaxed pose being made; her legs tucked up under one side of her, her head resting on her hand against the edge of the bed.

She nodded at his words, still so fascinated by him. When he asked what she did, she almost laughed. "Everything, sir."

Maybe a better explination.
"I kept the house clean. I made his food. I gave him his pills, I warmed his bed. I-" She paused, looking at him. He really didn't know. "I was his pet, sir. Anything he wished of me, I would give to him. Anything. He- your uncle- I mean, my Master- he... he was a very creative minded soul, to put it in terms." She blushed slightly, her face's cheeks nearing the same hue he had left her lower ones. "He may have been on in years, but there were some things he could do like someone half his age." She looked to him once again, fidgeting slightly. "We knew different sides to him, Master. Much, much different sides to him."

"So I am beginning to understand," Josh commented on her last statement, smiling at her a bit uncertainly. He was passingly familiar with BDSM, at least as much as the average college freshman was. This, though, went beyond such casual knowledge. Leave it to Uncle Bill to throw him this sort of curveball; he was certain the old man's intentions had been good. Monica was a gorgeous woman, after all, and leaving her to Josh as he had was a tremendous gift, in it way.

After a few more moments of thought, he asked her another couple of questions, green eyes sparkling with curiosity, as well as the confusion that was slowly diminishing, "And my uncle wanted you to do the same for me, Monica? You don't have any desire to be free?" There was no law that would force her to stay with him, no matter what Bill had wanted. And in a way, it would be easier if she just left. At the same time, he had to consider the possibility that she had served his uncle of her own free will, with a part of him he didn't really understand hoping this was the case. The same part of him that had enjoyed the way her ass had felt when he swatted it.

"You can be honest with me," he added hastily, not wanting her to think he was trying to trick her in any way, "You won't be punished for speaking your mind." For the sake of his conscience, he needed to know the truth of her thoughts, at least this once.

That blush still lingered as he spoke, Monica smiling at him softly. He was so like him. The sense of humor was there. She wished they had gotten a chance to meet before this. Even if he had said Monica was simply his maid-

She was doubting his past choices. The man that had loved her so much. She suddenly hated herself for even letting her mind drift to such things.

"I am to serve the Master of the house," She explained. "And that is now you." His added question caused a momentary hesitation from her. Did she want to be free? Try to find her own life?

She looked to the floor, lost on what to say. She had been here for nearly 7 years. Did she even know how to start a life of her own?

He told her to be honest.

Slowly, her head shook. "I don't want to go. I don't know how to do anything else. I've been with your uncle since I turned 18... The idea of trying to be anything else is- it scares me." Her head rose, looking at him with saddened eyes. "Please don't make me go. Everything I've done for your uncle, I will do for you. Everything, anything. Just don't make me leave, please." She backed up slightly from the bed, putting her head down to his shoe once more, nearly in tears at the thought of being away from this house.

Listening to her carefully, Josh nodded, and had been about to speak when she suddenly became afraid...apparently of him sending her away. The sadness in her eyes was heartbreaking as her fear took a solid hold of her, and she lowered her face to his feet once again. "I'm not going to make you go, Monica," Josh told her, feeling that to do so would have been an insult to the trust his Uncle had shown in giving her to him along with all of his other worldly possessions, "I am sure you will make me very happy." He didn't know why he added that last part, but that part of him he hadn't been aware of before that day certainly meant it.

Of course, now he had to learn how to deal with a woman unlike any other he had met. The fact that she wanted only to serve and make him happy might have made it seem much easier than dealing with others, but somehow he had a feeling that was just too logical to be true.

"Relax again, please," he told her, watching intently as he waited for her to lift her head from his feet. The uniform she wore showed off her body exceedingly well; he had to guess that his uncle had chosen it for just that reason. "I will have a lot more questions in the coming days, Monica," Josh informed her, "And when I ask you opinion, I need you to give it to me honestly." For the moment, he had plenty to think on, though, and saw no need in questioning her further. "I have never seen the entire house," he told her, slowly rising from the bed as he spoke, "It would probably be a good idea if you showed me around."

(Image for Monica- though eyes are wrong color)

Her head raised as he spoke, trying to keep from letting her tears fully escape. "You aren't?," She asked softly, wiping at her eyes. She had truly never thought about leaving before, and to have it offered was actually quite scary. That thought, of being out in the world on her own, no true purpose to her life. Here, she had one. Here, she was a part of the house. The living workings of its many functions, her purpose obvious to her each morning.

At least, it had been. Without Master Bill, she had felt so lonely and lost. Empty, like the house. They were both alone...
But now he was here. He could give that back. He could fill that void in both.

"Thank you, sir." Settling back on her knees, she watched him, nodding affirmatively at his words. Questions. yes. She understood that. "I will answer as best I can, sir," she promised, her eyes following him as he stood. "Oh, yes, of course, sir!" She smiled with that, slowly getting up as well. He had requested a tour, so crawling would make that hard.

"The house has three bedrooms. The one we were just in... One down the hall," She pointed down to the end of the little hallway as she spoke. "There is another downstairs. For guests and such. When he had people stay overnight, they were usually there... So that I could wander the halls here. The bathroom is right across the hall."

And so the tour continued; the main floor, kitchen, dining room, living room, study. She made note of the garden, the rarely used pool, the garage of his various cars. "Those would be yours now too," She remarked softly, looking at him with a smile. Beyond the garage was another little building, constructed of stone and cement, almost the look of a pool house, but lacking in windows. Just stone and the red walnut door.

Monica stared at it through the study's window, her lip nearly quivering. "He built that himself. Before he turned so ill... The basement simply wasn't enough, he said. That is- was... A place I both loved and feared. He called it the playroom..."

She suddenly ripped her eyes away from it, looking to him with a quickly forced smile. "Are you hungry, sir?"

Josh followed her through the house, paying as much attention to her as he did the rooms of the house. It was a large place, though not so much that he wouldn't be able to take proper care of it. Especially with Monica's help. Then they came to where they could see what looked like a poolhouse, though the lack of windows was a bit confusing until she told him what it had been called. It actually caused him to blush slightly, as he knew his imagination would likely only skim the surface of what was inside that place.

"You will have to show me the playroom later," he said in a low voice before answering her question, "And yes, I am actually fairly hungry. Let's go back to the kitchen." After waiting for her to lead the way, the young man followed her back to the large kitchen, and he took a seat at the small table to watch her as she prepared lunch. "A sandwich is fine, Monica, and make something for yourself as well," he told her, not wanting to forget to take care of herself properly, since it looked as if she might have missed a meal or two over the past few days. Given the situation between her and Uncle Bill, and how much she seemed to have relied on him, it wouldn't have surprised him at all to find out she had not eaten since his passing.

As he looked on, watching her move about the kitchen, he could not help but stare at her; his uncle had incredible taste in women, if nothing else. The uniform accentuated the curves of her petite body in a way that could drive a man mad...if he didn't know that he could simply walk over and have his way with her at any moment, quite literally. The thought of actually doing so, while it turned him on to no end, also brought color to his cheeks just slightly.

Monica shivered softly at the request of a further tour of that other structure later on, nodding in promise to follow up on it. Her stomach was a giant knot now; the way it felt when she first met his uncle. Again, that feeling of familiarity. That even though they never met, she knew him. That somewhere in there was the same type of man that she knew in her former Master, the same type of man that could bring her to her knees and begging, oh-so-happily.

Returning to the kitchen with him, she immediately set to work at the decision of what he wanted, pulling bread and meats from the fridge. Settling them onto the counter, working on the sandwiches, she glanced back for a brief moment to find him staring. She blushed again, quickly looking back to her work.

"I don't wear them at all."
The words were barely above a whisper.
"If you were wondering."

The food readied, she placed a plate before him, waiting for him to take a bite before she touched her own. "A drink, sir? There is whiskey, beer, wine, water, milk, cola..." She was listing them off as quickly as she could remember, hesitating as she looked back to him once more. "I'm sorry, sir. It's just. I've been very lonely since..." She paused, closing her eyes. "Knowing I can make you happy makes me feel better. So please, tell me anything you would like for me to do. It may seem silly to you, but it truly does comfort me."

She gasped with that, quickly holding up her hands. "But I'm not demanding it or anything, sir! I'm just- offering my services, Master! Please don't think I'm trying to make my own demands, that's not it at all! I'm not being selfish, sir!"

At her words, spoken as he was making the food, he bit his lip for a moment. If he were not already aroused enough, that had certainly done the trick. Only the fact that she had finished making the food and was bringing it to him stopped him from acting on the urges she was bringing forth in him. "Cola will be fine for now. Its a bit early for whiskey or beer yet," Josh said, watching her as she approached with the food. He took a few bites of the sandwich as she began to speak of how pleasing him would comfort her...then her words descended into explanations of how she had not been demanding anything.

Taking her hands in his, touching her for the first time since the brief swats he had given her ass, Josh told her, "I knew what you meant, Monica, and I doubt you would know how to demand anything if you wanted to." Feeling his cock throbbing inside his pants, he added, "And trust me, I will let you know if there is something I...desire of you." It was a hard thought to get used to, the fact that he could just demand sex, or anything else he wished, for that matter, from this woman, but it seemed one he would have to adjust to.

"For now, though, just eat. You look like you haven't eaten well in some time," he said, releasing her hands slowly before picking up his own sandwich again, letting out a deep breath before taking another bite. This was certainly going to be an interesting learning process. Hopefully it was one that wouldn't push either one of them to insanity.

His words comforted her, but the touch of his calming hands against hers truly did it for her. "Thank you, sir." She smiled again, almost laughing at his addition to it all, though managed to bite it down. Instead, she just nodded, finding that she was enjoying this confusing little lesson for the both of them.

He didn't seem to know what to do with her.
And she certainly didn't know what to do with him.

"I will, sir. As soon as I get your drink," She promised, fetching one of the glasses from the cabinet, stretching up on her toes to reach one of the higher, taller glasses before heading to the fridge once more. "I tried to eat, sir. I truly did. It was just so hard these last few months. When Master's appetite failed him, mine failed too. I didn't want to be taunting him with my own interest in foods. I was more worried about him than my own concerns..."

Pouring him the drink, she slid the glass over, then replaced the bottle before getting herself some water. "But I will try to eat more for you, sir." She took a sip of her drink, then a nibble of her own sandwich. "Is there anything else you wish to know about? I will gladly answer any questions..."

She took another drink, stealing more glances over the rim of her glass, slowly setting it down as sh bit her lip. "If... If I may? Is it alright if I ask about you, sir?"

He continued to eat, even as he watched her make her way over to get drinks for both of them. As she tiptoed, he caught a glimpse of what he had seen more fully, earlier: her soft, round little ass. When she returned, he took the glass from her and took a long drink. His own sandwich was almost finished, sitting on the plate as he listened to her requests. "I am certain I will have plenty of questions as we go on. Especially when we visit the playroom," at mentioning the place, he blushed lightly again, but continued speaking anyway, "But yes, I can answer some questions for you, if you want to know about me."

It was only fair, after all. She had essentially given herself to him without even knowing him, so any questions she had about him Joshua was going to be willing to answer, no matter how personal. As he waited to hear what sort of questions she had for him, he finished eating the sandwich, relaxing in his chair as he watched her, noticing now the way that she, mostly, kept her eyes averted to the floor. It was a habit he was going to have to ask her about, but it could wait for her curiosity to be satisfied a bit.

Monica smiled faintly, nodding at the mention of the little room outside. "Yes sir. Of course."

He was curious on it, wasn't he? So like his uncle, so like the man she had devoted her heart to. She would devote it to him now. But first, she wanted to know a bit more about him. Master Bill she had learned from over the course of her 7 years, talking with him online before they even met up. He had been honest on his age; blatantly saying he was old enough to be her father, but that hadn't mattered to her. She saw it as experience. A man who knew what he wanted, and that he would be able to teach her everything she should ever need to know.

And he certainly had.
Would what he taught her be the same needed things for his nephew? Master Joshua may have been similar to him, but enough to have the same interests and needs, wants and desires as Master Bill? He didn't even seem to know those things himself at the moment.
Maybe they would need to learn together.

"Thank you, sir," She said softly for his agreeing to answer questions, stealing another glance to him. Looking at him straight on for too long seemed so wrong. She had never kept contact with Master Bill for a length of time without him requesting it. Stop staring at me, he'd say. Don't be like a begging dog.

She didn't beg. Not unless she truly had to, was told to.

"What do you do, Master? Did you not know about me at all? Where did you come from? Like grow up? Oh! And- And- what do you like, sir? I mean, everything. Foods you like. Music you like. Sex you like. Books and cars and-" She stopped, biting her lips together. She was getting hyper. The dog, incessant yelping and barking for no reason... Master Bill's old scoldings from when she first came to him ran through her head. She was doing it again, with someone new. "I'm asking too much at once. I'm sorry, sir. I'll slow down." She took a breath, resorting her thoughts. "I'm 24, sir. I'll be 25 come December. How old are you, if I may ask?"

He listened carefully, as Monica began to rattle off questions, one after the other, seemingly growing more excited with each one. That is, until she realized it and calmed down of her own accord, giving him her age. Nodding softly, he finished off his drink, then licking his lips as he set the glass down. "Well, I'm only 19. I grew up about a day's drive south of here, with my parents. My father was Bill's brother, but they didn't get along that great," Josh explained, watching her intently.

For a moment, he thought, trying to remember all of her questions, then continued to answer her, "No, my uncle never told me about you. I think he was afraid that I'd think him too strange and stop visiting him. I was the only one in the family who ever got along with him." Smiling at her as he said this, he went on speaking, "As far as things I like...well, my favorite kind of food is mexican, and as far as music, just about any kind of rock. For books, I prefer sci-fi and fantasy, and up until recently, I never really had much choice in what kind of car I had." Of course, he had inherited a few from his uncle; he would have to decide which, if any, to keep. He was not nearly the mechanic Bill had been.

That left her question regarding what sort of sex he liked, and he could not help but blush at the thought of answering it. "As for sex, I'm not that terribly experienced. I'm no virgin, but the girls I've been with have all been pretty...straightforward," Josh finally explained to her, managing to meet her eyes as he spoke despite the color in his cheeks, "I've read about some other, kinkier stuff that sounds fun, but I've never really had the chance to try it."

Nineteen?
Monica's eyes widened a moment, looking back to the floor quickly. She thought he had seemed younger than her, but by that much? "I suppose that liquor I had offered was a bad idea then, wasn't it, sir?," she asked softly, smiling a little. She listened as her new sir told her of his family, the connection he shared with her old Master. Master was an outcast, in a way? She never would have thought...

"My old master-your uncle... He may have been strange in ways to others for what he and I shared, but I truly must confess to you that he changed my life. Not in the way you might think. I was- troublesome. My parents called me destructive, uncontainable. I met your uncle online, and the more we talked, the more I realized how much I was falling for him. I confessed how reckless I was offline, and that I was truly getting scared on who I was becoming. He said he could change that, but I had to submit to him, let him take over the path my life was headed. He promised me he'd keep me from self destruction. I told my parents when I left that I would go find a way to turn my life around... And here we are, 7 years later. He changed me for the better. I owe him so much."

She smiled coyly with his explanation on his previous love life, giggling softly. "Oh dear. So you've been left the key to a true Pandora's box, haven't you, sir? I'll do my best to try and show you what I know." She paused, playing with her cup as she glanced at him. "What- what your uncle seemed to enjoy, I can try for you as well... and... well, let you test what you think you may like. You never know, sir, until you try. That was his motto. Helped me try sushi! And anal. Both have that initial surprising factor, but once you get used to it, it's actually rather nice." She paused, realizing her little comparison. "That probably wasn't a good start... See, this is why Master didn't let me talk that much without being spoken to. My mind goes to some very odd things..."

Joshua listened to her closely as she spoke of her own relationship with his uncle. It was interesting, and he was glad to hear that there wasn't anything more sinister on Bill's behalf than helping her out, after his own fashion. "Its fine, Monica," he told her, seeing that she was beginning to beat herself up once again, his cheek remaining slightly reddened at her mention of anal sex, "I've just not dealt with any women so open about sex as you have been. But I'm not upset." Quite the contrary, he was more turned on than he could really explain, especially after her mentioning that she found anal sex pleasant. The one time he had asked a girl to let him try that, she had broken up with him on the spot.

"Why do you keep looking away from me, though?" he finally asked, since they seemed to have come to a pause in their discussions, "Its almost like you are afraid of me, but not quite." It was odd behavior, to one who had never been around a submissive before. Especially now that he was fairly certain that his uncle had not been bad to this woman. He didn't want her to be afraid of him, or at least, he knew he shouldn't want it. Again, however, there was that part of him that seemed to be just waking up that liked the idea, no matter how much he tried to ignore it. "Again, I'm not mad about it, but I've never seen anyone act that way unless they were scared," he added, once more trying to assure her so that she would not have any reason to lie to him, no matter that he doubted she would do so anyway.

"I wasn't always so open," Monica admitted, smiling still. "Master brought that out in me. He made me admit to what I wanted, and flat off tell him when I liked something new. if I didn't, he would punish me. I wasn't allowed secrets. Anything that was in my mind was partially his as well, and should be revealed." She looked at him, letting that smile grow as she bowed her head slightly. "And now they belong to you."

His other question, however, left her silent for a moment.

"I'm not scared of you, sir." She spoke quietly, her voice unwavering as she looked to the floor. "It's not that at all. It's just- Old Master had called me his wild dog when I first came to him. That I should not beg, bark and whine. To look to long is to stare, to stare is to beg. I am not a wild dog anymore, and will not act like one."

She hesitated, glancing up in a few quick peeks. "But sir. Please do not think I am avoiding you, or frightened of you. I respect you, sir. And that is why I will not look at you too long unless you say otherwise. I do not want to offend you."

In all honesty, she wanted to look. She wanted to drink in this new man in her life, younger than her but still her keeper. She wanted to get to know his face, in all its emotions. What he looked like when happy, when mad or sad, when he was pleased or when he was even tired. She felt the need to know just from the look on his face what she should do; make him dinner, bring him a drink, offer herself, expect a punishment.

But that was the other thing.

His reaction to her pleading for punishment from him. Could he treat her in the manner she was accustomed? She relied on Master Bill for so much; to teach her and remind her of what was wrong and right. When she started to slip into her old ways, when she ignored his silent requests, to show her how well he knew that thin line of pain and pleasure on her body.

"I am not afraid," She repeated, both for his ears and her own.

He nodded as she explained. Perhaps not how he would have thought of it, but in a strange way, he could see his Uncle Bill saying such things. "Th...your answer pleases me, Monica," he told her, almost thanking her for something that she seemed to think was his by right. It would take time, adjusting to her and what she seemed to want and need, but looking at her, he could see why it would be worth it. "And it is good that you are not afraid; I would never harm you," he said, choosing his words carefully. Josh had already hurt her, after a fashion, but that had been at her own urging. He had also decided not to correct her as far as the habit of looking away from him; no need to confuse the issue even more by expecting her to change something that his Uncle had apparently gone through great lengths to teach her.

"Were there any other rules he gave you?" the young man asked her, growing curious now about what other behaviors his Uncle might have tried to ingrain in her. If she were going to follow these rules, he may as well know what they are. If he had known about them ahead of time, after all, it might have saved much confusion on both of their parts. There were a lot of questions he would need her to answer, and he knew that there was no way to get through them all at one sitting, so Josh resolved that after this, they would take a break from it so that he could settle in and begin feeling at home. He only had a week before he would have to be back at school, after all.

"Thank you, sir." Monica smiled again, finishing the water in her glass before picking up his empty plate, piling the dishes together and resting the cups atop them as well. She was truly starting to feel more comfortable around him, these little talks already helping her to adjust to him, the sound of his voice. He spoke so calmly, so kindly, so gentle.

She nodded as he asked about other rules. "Yes sir. That I speak when spoken to, as you've seen when we met." She paused with that. "And- thank you again, sir. It truly would have driven me insane... I do not enter or exit a room first. I do not get on the furniture unless invited." She nodded to the chair he was in. "Why you sit now, sir, and I do not. My uniform is to be worn unless otherwise stated, whether to be in nothing at all or clothing for travel. I do not leave the house without permission. Not even to fetch the mail." She shivered a moment, remembering that box incident. "I do not eat before you taste your own food. And above all else, I do not tell my Master "no" to any of his requests."

Listening carefully as she told him the rules she had been given, he could see how some of them had affected her behavior; he may not have the experience his Uncle did, but he was exceedingly bright, and could come to logical conclusions fairly quickly. The last rule, though, made him pause, thinking intently. "To never say 'no' to him. Does that extend to me as well, now?" he asked her curiously, feeling the nervousness in his stomach, despite the fact that he was fairly certain what her answer would be.

Standing, he drew closer to her as he awaited her answer, looking at her intently. The day had been full of surprises, some of them shocking, some of them far more erotic than he could have dreamed, but the idea of her being so compliant, so ready to please made him both afraid and excited on a level he didn't think he could explain. As he waited for her answer, his breath quickened just slightly, and if she looked at him right, she would see the erection straining against the front of his pants. He drew close enough to reach out and touch her, though for the moment his hands remained at his sides.

Monica faintly let a smile come to her lips, staring down at the pile of dishes between her hands. Her fingers tightened on the rims of the plates as he stood up, nodding slowly. "Yes sir. It does."

She looked at him as he moved closer still, that quickly made shy glance from behind the hair that fell before her face. Don't stare. Look back to the floor, now.

Her gaze lowered, trying to instead focus on his shoes, but found that view to be a bit blocked as well. At least she knew that signal without explanation; she had done something he approved of. Or was it simply their conversations? Everything she had explained to him, told him about her life in this home, with his uncle?

Whatever it was, to see that had actually helped to calm her nerves even more.
He was aroused by her. Or at least the situation that he had been left with. She had been afraid, so afraid, that he would have deemed it too much for him. That he would have decided he no longer wanted the house, the cars, the girl who came with it. Everything else could be sold, but- What about her?

But that wasn't a concern now. This proved to her.
He wanted her. In all senses of the word.

"Is... something on your mind, sir?," She asked softly, letting go of the plates.