Saving Sophia Read online

  Bella’s bottom twitched a second time. She’d never managed to make all three of them mad at one time and wasn’t exactly sure how it would play out. “Maybe Jack doesn’t care as much?” She was Jack’s wife and his submissive, and she clung to the slim possibility he would step up and get her out of this mess.

  Tami frowned. “He said to ask you, and I quote… ‘Where the fuck is your cell phone?’”

  Bella’s face fell as she grabbed her bag. A quick search found nothing so she dumped the entire contents on the table. Hairbrushes, wallet, makeup, gum wrappers, and three small candy bars, but no cell phone. Constant communication was the one serious restriction Jack had given her when she’d gotten her own car. Surrounded by miles of untamed Wyoming territory and seldom driven roads, she was never, ever to leave the yard without her cell. Now she knew why they hadn’t called her since she’d left the ranch.

  “Oh, my God. I left it in the kitchen.” She put her head in her hands. “I am so screwed.”

  Tami said softly, “It won’t be the first time you got blistered, and it probably won’t be the last. But can you try to arrange it when Sophia isn’t around? She might not need to see all three of them paddling your bottom at one time.”

  Sophia’s potential trauma was the least of her worries, and Bella’s glare spoke for itself. “I need to leave now. Where do I pick this girl up?”

  Chapter Two

  Surrounded by most of her worldly possessions, Sophia Montgomery balanced precariously on her biggest suitcase. A Goodwill find, the bag had seen its better days but it was large enough to support her weight while she balanced her long legs against the cheap plastic side. Since she was officially on her way to a job interview, she wore her only pair of khakis and the best clean shirt she could find. Nervous energy picked away at her serenity. She took the stress out on her nails, but Sophia had years of practice keeping her emotions to herself and offered the world no other window to her anxiety.

  Among the few people in her life that she could count on, Tami and Kyle Canton had provided amazing support during the school year and even allowed her to stay in the dorm two days after the residence officially closed. But the college would understandably be upset at the insurance and policy violations, and Sophia wasn’t going to let them get fired on her account. She was fully prepared to move to the homeless shelter until she could arrange something with social services, even if the thought did make her slightly ill.

  With a few sheets, towels, and textbooks tucked into the dorm’s basement storage, she’d prepared for the long trek to the corner bus stop when Tami called. “Be ready to go in twenty minutes. You got the gardening job at Cloudcroft, and Bella will drive you out. Just remember, it’s not a normal job.”

  A deep breath of uncertainty twisted dramatically with the simultaneous grateful prayer. Anything was better than the creepy homeless shelter, but a sex resort sounded pretty big league to somebody who hadn’t lost their virginity until well past their twentieth birthday. The sparse boyfriends had never lasted more than a few casual months before they’d gone their separate, drama-free directions. Physical and emotional distance ultimately defined all of her relationship experiences. Life was easier when you stayed on the outside and avoided contact wherever possible.

  Learning to form positive relationships came from childhood stability, and Sophia’s turbulent background was far removed from consistent familial support. Her parents were a fuzzy memory filled with insignificant events that became more distant with each passing year. Images of her father walking through the door while she played with an old set of beanie babies, or her mother smiling at her from the kitchen were the deepest memories she had left. Both parents were gone before she’d started kindergarten and four foster homes in fourteen years followed the horrible car accident that still haunted her nightmares.

  The five years since she’d exited the county system had challenged her independence, but she was proud of her accomplishments. With the help of several part-time jobs, she was only a few credits away from her associate’s degree and full-time employment in a career she loved. Encouraging colorful life out of a few seeds and a pile of dirt was an empowering experience.

  Tami had assured her that sex remained a personal choice at the ranch, but her warnings were ominous. “They operate differently. If you get the job, you’ll see a lot of kinky, BDSM stuff. They play with dungeons, ropes, whips, and toys. You’ve seen the movies, and everybody’s read the book.”

  Sophia had to work hard at an informed expression while her friend continued. “There are only three events in the four months that you’ll be there. There are all sorts of excuses not to play, but they’re going to think you’re experienced so just don’t freak out. Keep off the radar. Fake a cold or volunteer to work the party. The attention will be on the paying guests, not you. The only reason they like the staff to be experienced is so they don’t quit the first time they see some Roman slave girl getting her pussy whipped in the dining room.”

  Sophia had no idea what Tami was talking about but managed to keep her cringe a mental one. Her romantic library books were not even remotely close to the graphic descriptions of life at Cloudcroft. She couldn’t afford to go to theaters and network television was limited to the dorm’s crowded game room. The last full-length movie she’d seen involved a canine hero and a talking cat.

  It had taken three tries to Google the initials BDSM before she’d remembered the correct order of letters. When the computer screen opened in the school library, she’d almost died. Publically confronted with articles on everything from sexual deviancy to how-to guides, she had turned the screen off as quickly as she could and silently cursed her lack of a private laptop. She’d left the library no more enlightened than when she’d arrived, and half hoped the job would fall through.

  When Tami called with the offer, however, there was only one plausible answer. Four months on a real Wyoming resort would provide practical experience in her chosen profession, or she could spend the summer in some women’s shelter, if she could convince Wyoming welfare to take her case. Watching somebody else have kinky sex didn’t sound too bad when she looked at it that way.

  Summertime had dramatically reduced student traffic on the quiet, tree-lined street, but the weather was beautiful and a lot of people wandered past the impromptu bench to provide her favorite cheap entertainment. Her knowledge on relationships was formed from diligent voyeurism. Viewing life from the outside was like being at the movies and her imagination filled many lonely hours picturing the perfect house with a perfect dog and a perfect family. The game only worked, however, when she could separate fantasy from the life that waited for her at the end of the day. On the rare occasions she allowed it, the sad comparison of the outside world to her solitary existence overwhelmed her, and she would make her simple meal and study quietly until she went to bed.

  Her daydreams were interrupted by a brand new Jeep driving slowly down the road clearly in search of somebody. She stood quietly when the car stopped in front of her, and a tiny blonde with brilliant blue eyes jumped out with half a frown.

  “Are you Sophia?” the woman asked a little grumpily.

  Sophia nodded politely and waited for the pint-size person to take control of the conversation. The girl growled, “I’m Bella Sullivan. You’re a hell of a lot bigger than I am, so you can handle your own suitcases. Throw them in the back, and we can get started. I need to be home by dinnertime.” She added with a mumble, “Not that it will save my sorry ass.”

  Reference to her size always brought a blush. At six feet, she was about as physically different from her tiny blonde driver as a person could be. In her job, however, size was actually a big advantage. She could carry small trees without any help and had no trouble shoveling compost or digging holes. Her curves could nicely fill a pair of jeans or a t-shirt, but the need for an extra bit of protection from the world required clothing a little on the large size.

  There was no reason, however, to explain
any of this to a total stranger, and she simply followed the instructions before she settled herself into the shiny new car.

  After a perfunctory greeting, the blonde remained silent for almost an hour, and Sophia didn’t attempt to fill the gap. It was always better to stay in the background and let the action take place around you. Horticulture was a perfect career choice. It almost never required communication, and she remained happiest surrounded by dirt and plants, far removed from people and real-life drama.

  The quiet drive provided the chance to examine her new companion. Bella was absolutely adorable. Her little pixie figure comfortably filled an expensive pair of designer jeans and a long silk top demonstrated her commitment to fashion and style. In Sophia’s experience, girls like Bella with their perfectly applied makeup and intricately braided hair evaluated her lack of beauty tricks with a judgmental superiority. Her baggy khakis were a discount store find and her navy blue t-shirt displayed a small tear she hadn’t noticed that morning.

  Sophia had no beauty routine other than basic cleanliness and after she’d trimmed her own ends, she simply pulled the thick brown frizz off her face with a cheap elastic band. With a lifetime of teenaged consumerists behind her, she’d received more than one sarcastic comment about her appearance resembling a strong workhorse, but her desire to remain in the background always kept her from responding to any taunts.

  Finally, Bella said, “I’m not being very polite. I’m sorry. It’s just that I am in a fuck load of trouble at home and… well… that’s where we’re heading.”

  Sophia tried to look polite. “Are your parents upset?”

  A small smile formed at the corner of Bella’s mouth. “No. I live with my husband, his brother, and their business partner. Tami explained the ranch dynamics, didn’t she?”

  Sophia remembered the pictures from the computer and blushed a deep crimson. “Yes. She did.” Acting under Tami’s not so subtle advice, she added nothing. Keep off the radar and don’t freak out. The strategy was a perfect fit to her quiet personality and experience had taught her she would learn everything she needed to know if she just kept quiet.

  Bella did not disappoint her. “All three of them are dominants. I’m not. I’m my husband’s submissive, but the other two believe it’s their personal responsibility to take care of me. I pissed Marcus off and now they’re all mad at me. I’ll be lucky if I get out of this with one spanking and not three.”

  Sophia’s mouth hung open. “You mean like a real spanking? Over the knee?”

  “Well, yeah. BDSM,” she responded with a shrug. “What did you expect?”

  With no clear option, Sophia returned to her silent world and wished again for the money to buy a private laptop. Instead of settling her thoughts, however, the vision of Bella’s naked bottom spread over some anonymous knee formed, and a small familiar tingling ignited between her legs.

  She’d always been fascinated by spanking. The virtual reality dollhouse in her imagination often provided a strong, handsome man who was committed to her safety and security. For her own good, Sophia would end up over his knee with her bottom ready for his chastisement, but the story seldom had an ending. Somebody else’s touch on her skin was rare, and a strong palm on the flat of her bottom was tantalizingly foreign.

  Confronted with a real-life spanking experience, a million questions ran through her head. What would it feel like… the stinging mixture of pain and something else that fueled the hidden need just underneath her panties? Her imagination couldn’t even put a word to what came after the firm connection, but it existed in the little sparks between her legs.

  Spanking certainly wasn’t something she’d ever discussed with her one serious boyfriend, but that relationship had only lasted a few months. His height had complemented her size, but he’d grown tired of her quiet ways and oversized clothes. He’d let her down gently. “This just isn’t working. You need to grow up a little more, Sophia.”

  The rejection generated no emotion, and she’d nodded politely. “Can… can you drop me off at the animal shelter? I’m supposed to volunteer this afternoon.” Tears were silly when nobody was around who cared. Instead of self-pity, she buried her face into a loveable brown puppy until a family came to take him home. Bereft of any support, she’d returned to the dorm and finished her term paper on organic fertilizers.

  With images of Bella’s future bottom burning in her brain, they continued in silence until Sophia’s curiosity caused her to stutter slightly, “Uh… what did you do to make everybody angry, anyway?”

  “I pruned a rhododendron this morning,” responded her companion with a heavy sigh.

  Sophia was almost horrified. “You can’t do that. They haven’t bloomed yet.” When Bella glared, Sophia shut up. Apparently that was Bella’s current problem.

  She crossed her legs delicately in a subtle attempt to erase the tingling and looked for everyday reasoning. “They aren’t really going to hit you, are they? Isn’t that illegal?”

  Bella sighed a second time. “It’s kind of complicated. I actually like being spanked, most of the time. I mean, I like what comes beforehand. I like thinking about it. I really like what comes after. The heat can jumpstart your endorphins, and the orgasms are amazing if you take it that far. Sometimes the smacks themselves are a lot of fun too. But this one will be a disciplinary spanking, and it’s going to just plain hurt.

  “Part of being a submissive is operating outside my comfort zone, so I’ll do it. It’s kind of hard to explain unless you try. And… I deserve it.”

  Bella’s description left a small wet spot in Sophia’s panties. With no other resource, she chose to return to a gardening conversation. “All for a rhododendron? Wasn’t that just a mistake?”

  “Well, I wasn’t actually paying attention when Marcus was telling me what to do. His gardens are important to him, and I should have listened better. And Jack is going to murder me because I left the house without my cell phone. They worry about me.”

  A loving scolding over a missing cell phone was as foreign as the idea of a spanking, and the tingle between her legs lessened with the sad acknowledgment. She returned to her quiet reflection and watched the scenery of the Jackson Valley out the open top of Bella’s car.

  It was shortly before six when they approached Cloudcroft Ranch. Bella blew past the welcoming gates and bounced over the cattle guards with little attention to her shocks to follow the long winding road to a beautiful stone house. A large front porch with deep-seated furniture held a view of the countryside and the doors and windows were open to allow the warm spring air to wind its way through the house. Two large barns opened to fields with beautiful horses, and a distant pasture held a herd of complacent cattle.

  True to her passion, however, the gardens surrounding the main house drew her eye. The mid-spring burst of color was clearly just on the horizon ready to fill the yards with an elegant beauty. The beds were well-tended and surrounded by white and pink flowering trees and shrubs, and thankfully no invasive ornamental pears. A kitchen garden was carefully plotted, and its size was more than impressive. If plants filled the whole space, it would contribute to hundreds of meals.

  Dozens of questions about fertilizers and seeds ran through her mind, but she kept her question simple. “Are all those beds planted?”

  Bella shrugged without looking around. “I guess so. I actually hate being out there. I get dirty just walking through it. Come on. I’ll help you with the suitcases.”

  Before Sophia could carefully examine her surroundings, a very large, angry man came out the side door of the house. Despite his annoyance, he was the most incredibly perfect human specimen she’d ever seen. A hint of Asian heritage seemed buried in his soft caramel brown skin, and his sharp eyes held traces of a sparkle even behind his ominous glare. His muscled biceps looked like beautiful river stone, and he was all smoothness and glass in a t-shirt and jeans. He moved quickly and for the first time in her life, Sophia actually felt short. He towered over her.
r />   “Don’t let him scare you,” whispered Bella quickly. “He’s mad at me, not you.”

  Sophia took a deep breath in a vain attempt to locate her limited communication skills. Fortunately, speech was unnecessary since the Adonis had an extensive vocabulary, and it was all delivered to Bella. “What the fuck were you thinking? You told me you knew the difference. I asked you four times and each time you told me you had it. How can I trust you if you aren’t going to even try to communicate?”

  Her sassy driver’s attitude disappeared, and Sophia saw a few real-looking tears. Either she was a heck of an actress, or she was truly upset. Bella whimpered softly, “I’m sorry, Marc. I know they’re important to you. I should’ve paid more attention. It was stupid. Please don’t be mad at me.”

  His frown never left and Sophia wiggled in discomfort. With one small twirl of his finger, he said, “Turn around, Bella.”

  Sophia couldn’t imagine his pinky finger spanking anybody much less his entire huge hand. In her panic, she wondered if she should speak up, but speech was still impossible in the face of so much glaring dominance. Before she could make up her mind, Marcus added quietly, “Lose the pants.”

  Her thoughts ground together a confusing mixture of trepidation, fear, and no small amount of personal shame. The teasing buried deep in her pussy turned to a full-grown ache, and her gaze refused to leave the scene. She wanted to run, but even if she could have identified a safe direction, she was a prisoner to her own feet and stood with her mouth open.

  Without a word, Bella slipped off her perfectly molded jeans and panties. She stood naked from the waist down, and her waxed pussy seemed to wink its approval as the rest of her gave a brief shudder. Great care was taken as she neatly folded her clothing and handed them to the still scowling man. With a deep breath, Bella leaned against the porch railing and pushed her pert little bottom into the air and waited.