House of Goths

Chapter 21

With a dramatic sigh, he crouched down by the box once again. He then purposely took his time, rifling through its contents. He took wicked pleasure in watching her worried expression at the sounds of the items in question being rattling about in the box.

"Please, Crispin, I don't like those things," she pleaded miserably.

"You didn't mind the feather so much, did you?" He barely contained his smile.

"Well, no, but..."

"I could just use this little whip," he said, slapping into his palm, watching her immediately tense at the sound. "It would be a most appropriate punishment for a little trespasser like you." He stood up and methodically stalked towards the bed, slapping it repeatedly on his palm. Thwap... thwap... thwap... "What do you think?"

"No!" she cried, quivering everywhere, pulling at her hand restraints. "I'll tell Kelley!"

"Kelley can't help you," he teased wickedly.

He sat down by her side then, and simply watched her. She was scared shitless. It nearly broke him.

He could be such a cruel bastard when he wanted to be. Life hadn't exactly been kind to him. He could honestly admit that there had been times in the past when he could have gone either way.

Lucky for both of them, those dark moments no longer haunted him, not since coming to reside at the House of Goths, and especially now since Becky had darkened their doorstep.

Becky didn't know what to think anymore. This had gone far enough. How dare he toy with her like this!

What was he up to? Why was just sitting there? And what of that horrible whip? Would he dare use it on her?

"Crispin?"

"Right here." He chuckled.

"Okay..."

"Now tell me, dormouse? How many lashes do you deserve?"

"None! Don't you dare."

"You deserve at least half a dozen." He snickered. Thwap! He smacked his palm once again. "For sneaking around, going through my personal items, like a common thief." Thwap, thwap, thwap.

Placing the tip of the whip against her cheek, he then ever so lightly gave it the gentlest of taps. "Bad girl..."

She jumped and let out an involuntary squeak, only to feel him laugh so hard that the bed shook. Coming to the realization that her punishment had come to an abrupt and very anti-climactic end, Becky sighed with relief.

He couldn't help but continue to laugh as he chucked the silly whip aside. He then leaned over, flipped up the edge of the sleeping mask, and looked her in the eye. "Oh, Becky, you crack me up, you know that?"

Now he was really pissing her off, the miserable Goth. "Are you done yet?" she said, pouting at him. "I'm getting hungry."

"Almost done," he said, fixing the mask back over her eyes. "Just one last test of your trust."

"But why?" she lamented.

"Think of it as payback for snooping around my room," he snarked, gathering the feather and whip, and placing them back into the box. He then looked her over once more before leaving the room, making a show of stomping his feet as he descended the stairs.

"Where are you going? Hey, come back here!" Becky fought to free herself but it was no use. "Crispin!" Was he just going to leave her there all afternoon, strapped to his bed? Realizing that he very well could, she started shouting for him.

"Crispin! Crispin!"

"Right here..."

She startled not having heard his stealthy return. When he sat back down on the bed, she couldn't help but smell something delicious.

Crispin could barely contain his laughter, watching her nose twitch, the crafty little dormouse. He then pulled the fries out of the paper bag and dipped one with ketchup.

Becky couldn't help but frown. He was going to eat in front of her and let her starve! How cruel!

"Now then, do you still trust me?" He brought the fry to just under her nose and waved it around.

"Is that what I think it is?" Becky asked, licking her lips in anticipation. He smiled as he plunked its tip to her tongue.

"Trust me?"

"Yes, Crispin, you know I do." She laughed, chomping down on it as he slowly fed it to her. "Mmm... so good."

Crispin quirked an eyebrow. "That's what she said." He laughed as he plopped another fry in her mouth.

"Oh, you!"

In a matter of seconds, Crispin had her freed of all restraints. He even helped her to sit up next to him. "Now then, shall we go downstairs, and have the rest of our lunch where you won't get crumbs all over my bed?"

"I'm sorry, Crispin, for snooping."

"Never mind. Just don't ever do it again or I might just have to increase your punishment."

"I still don't understand why you would have all those things." She frowned, looking from him to the dreaded black box.

Taking a deep breath, Crispin gathered the handcuffs and silk ties onto his lap. "These are all I ever really need. Those other things came along as part of the kit. I have no interest in them. Although now, I might have to revisit the feather." He smiled, watching her blush.

"Why do you need these?" she asked, lightly stroking the silk ties.

"I like being in control," he said simply.

She frowned at that, still rather confused.

"What is it? Ask me."

"Aren't you already in control by default? By being a man?"

As innocent as she was, Crispin realized then that she was definitely not at all naive. "Far from it, Becky," he added with a wistful sigh. "Far from it..."

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To be continued...

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House of Goths Copyright © 2014 by Maria Bernard ISBN: 978-0-9938067-3-5

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