"Good-bye, my n.o.ble one," I whispered into the s.p.a.ce where her beauty had just graced. It was getting harder. I missed her already.

Chapter 124.

"And then there were two," Jane spoke softly as I entered the dining room.

I mutely nodded, still missing the other girls and unable to hide it. I carefully pulled a chair from below the table and reversed it, straddling the chair as Christi was. I faced the girls, my chin resting on the wood of the backrest.

Christi spoke gently from her seat. Her hands still encircled the back of the chair, but she turned her body to face me.

"Do you want us to kneel?" she asked even as she began to struggle to her feet and out of the chair. Jane was making motions as if to drop to her feet from the window sill.

"You don't have to kneel for me anymore. Stay comfortable."

A mischievous smile broke across Christi's lips. "Will you let us out of the handcuffs as well, then?" she asked lightly, obviously not expecting a positive answer.

"Nice try," I actually managed to smile back at her. Silence descended into the room for a moment before Jane broke it.

"What happens now?" she spoke so softly it was almost a whisper.

"I'm not quite sure."

"I'm sorry," Jane was still speaking in soft tones.

I looked up at her, confused. "Sorry for what?"

"Sorry that you have to let us go. Let them go. It's obviously hard on you."

I nodded. It had been a lot harder than I'd expected. Originally I'd just picked up these girls as playthings. As s.e.xual objects. As slaves for my pleasure and my pleasure alone. But they were more than that, now. Perhaps, I'd kept them too long. Perhaps they had just become more than just pretty girls walking down the street, available for my games. Despite what I did to them, they were thinking, breathing, feeling human beings. Women. This was harder than I'd ever expected.

"How much time do we have?" Jane asked, breaking my train of thought.

I really didn't know. It might be days, it might be minutes. I wouldn't know until that cursed black spider began its journey across my mind. And I had no idea if it would be the last one, or the first in a procession of little spiders. I was hoping to hold onto the timeline long enough to give the girls whatever they wanted. I hoped that the spiders weren't hungry.

After a moment I answered her. "I really don't know, honey. I really don't know."

I gazed at the girl, resplendent in her black evening gown and handcuffs. Even though I knew that was all she wore, and she still would look more natural in jeans and a sweater, she was beautiful. She was beautiful as only a seventeen year old girl can be, nonchalantly swinging her bare legs and feet, gently twisting her wrists against her fetters, her face strong and sure. Her dark hair curled around her shoulders as soft as a downy comforter. Her lips curled into a gentle smile.

"Do you want me?" Jane asked softly, knowing what the answer was. But I had promised myself that I wouldn't force myself on any of them. It wasn't necessary. I had already made love twice this afternoon. Three times today if you counted Christi in the morning.

I continued to gaze at her, not answering her simple question.

"You do. You can have me, if you want. You know that," her perception had always been correct.

"Janey. Of course, I want you. But this isn't about me. It is about you. It's about what *you* want. I'll do whatever I can to make it happen for you. But there isn't much time left. I'm sorry for that."

She swallowed heavily. "Does that mean that I'm the next one?"

I nodded slowly at her. I so much didn't want to let this girl go.

She took a deep breath, raising her b.r.e.a.s.t.s beneath the dress. She let it out in a long steady stream through her nose. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s fell again beneath the fabric. I thought I could detect the points of her nipples. The nipples that I knew so intimately.

"You are going to let me do whatever I want?"

"Almost anything."

"I'm going to a.s.sume that the *anything' doesn't include letting me try out that crop of yours on *your* hide? Let you know what you put us through."

I considered it for about half a second. "I don't think so. Nice try though."

She smiled radiantly. She knew that I wasn't going to agree to that, no matter how fair it might seem. But she was just trying to make a point. I knew that. I let her have her small victory.

She tilted her head down, staring at her toes. She took a deep breath and spoke quietly.

"Do you remember the night that you let us free to teach the Judge a lesson?"

I didn't know where she was going with this, but I wasn't about to let her at that a.s.shole again. Even if she deserved it. No. I didn't particularly want to spend my last time on this timeline dealing with him. I didn't even want to think about him.

"Yes ..." I replied cautiously.

She continued, lowering her voice even further, almost to the point of inaudibility. "Do you remember what happened that night?"

I let my mind wander back, trying to find what she was driving at. I glanced over at Christi who was also staring downwards, suddenly fascinated with her own small toes. The sight of Christi brought it home to me. I still wasn't sure where she was going, but I knew what she was referring to.

"You. And Christi. Yes." I spoke carefully, not wanting to dissuade her from speaking whatever was on her mind.

Jane finally raised her eyes. I watched as she fought her discomfort and embarra.s.sment that it had even happened in the first place. Her toes curled against the air as she continued in her soft voice, her eyes capturing and holding mine.

"Christi and I talked about it. We can't say good-bye. We just can't," her voice cracked a bit and tears began to form in her eyes. "We. We would like to use one of our wishes, it doesn't matter whose, to ... to leave together. So we don't have to say good-bye. We would like to spend our last time together. As long as we have. Please? And if we can't do that. If you won't let us. Then don't make us say good-bye to each other. I'm begging you," Jane was crying softly by the time she'd finished.

I leaned back a little, surprised by her request. I had honestly thought that they had worked it out, that their feelings for each other, if they even existed, had been resolved. Christi had tears in her eyes as well as she sat there, twisting her hands against the steel holding her wrists. I thought I understood. If they did have any feeling for one another, then the good-bye would even be harder than anything I'd felt so far letting the other women go. And they had recognized it.

I spoke quietly. "Janey? Christi? You don't have to use up your last requests. You won't have to say good-bye to one another if you don't want. I won't force you."

"Thank-you," Jane whispered into the quiet room.

I let them sit there for a while with their thoughts, not wanting to interrupt them.

Eventually, I turned my attention back to Jane. She was staring at her bare feet again as they swung back and forth.

"Jane?"

She looked up, unsure of what else I might want from her.

"What do you want, truly? You can include Christi if you want. If she wants."

Jane took a deep breath. It looked as though she'd made a decision that she wasn't sure that she wouldn't regret. She let her breath out slowly and spoke.

"You know what I'm like. Right?"

I thought about it. "Stubborn. Strong willed. Caring." I smiled at her.

"And m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.tic. No matter how much I hate it," she continued.

I nodded slowly.

"I might never get another chance to experience this. Being completely in someone else's control. Let's face it, I'm unlikely to discover this on the real timeline. Right? Not safely anyway."

I nodded again, slowly. I was getting aroused just antic.i.p.ating her request. I had a feeling I knew what it was going to be, though not the specifics.

She turned slowly to Christi. "Christi? Honey? I know how you feel about him. I won't ask if you don't want me to."

Christi lowered her blonde head and stared at the floorboards for a moment. She took a deep breath. She obviously knew what Jane was talking about, even if I hadn't figured it out yet.

"It's alright. I don't mind," she attempted a smile, not completely succeeding, but close enough.

Jane nodded her thanks to Christi and turned back to me. She pulled against the handcuffs on her wrists.

"I. I want to be your slave. One last time. I want to put myself in your hands. I want to be taken," she shivered slightly at the words coming from her pretty lips. "I. I don't care what you do to me, but I only ask not to hurt me more than I can take. You know where that is better than I."

Tears began to form in her eyes. I watched as she struggled to will them away. Her strength prevailed as I watched the tears recede. Her mind was at war with her body again. But she knew that her mind had lots of time to win on the main timeline. She might never experience what her body wanted ever again.

It took me a moment to respond. I have to admit that I wasn't completely surprised by this, but nevertheless I had never been sure if she would ever accept this part of herself that I saw so clearly.

"Are you sure, Jane?"

"I'm sure," her voice became a little stronger.

"Do you want s.e.x to be involved?" I just wanted to be clear what her intent was.

"I ... if you want it, I am going to be your willing slave. I'm not sure I have a choice."

I swallowed. This wasn't the answer I wanted.

"No. Do you want s.e.x to be involved?" I asked her again.

She thought about it for a moment. I had never taken her, never forced her into s.e.x. At least with me.

She licked her lips. "Yes," she answered simply. When I didn't say anything she continued softly. "What is the point of being all hot and bothered if I don't get to climax?"

I nodded slowly.

She whispered again, "You can't tell right now, but I already am. Hot and bothered."

I looked up at her. Her breathing was heavier than normal, but with the dress between her skin and I, I couldn't see the other outward signs of her arousal. If they were even there. I took her word for it. For now.

"Would you like Christi to be involved in this?" I asked slowly.

Jane nodded slowly, almost shyly.

I didn't want to offer Christi's services if she had an objection. I had a funny feeling that she wouldn't, especially considering the circ.u.mstances. I turned to Christi, a look of questioning on my face. Christi nodded slowly, giving her permission for me to include her. If I ordered her, she wouldn't have a choice. She knew that. But this was no longer about my control over them, and I think that Christi sensed that. If she'd objected, I wouldn't have forced the issue.

"Who am I?" I gently asked Jane.

Her eyes clouded for a moment as she considered her answer. Then, as naturally as if she was in church, she slipped off the windowsill and sank to her knees on the hardwood, the black fabric of her gown flowing around her feminine form. Her bound hands rested easily between her kneeling thighs; she was no longer twisting in her restraints.

She spoke clearly but quietly, looking up at me.

"You ... are my Master."

Chapter 125.

I rose from my chair. Leaving Jane kneeling on the floor, I approached Christi. She looked up at me as I approached, her blue eyes boring into me.

She remained seated, so I ended up towering over her. She held my eyes with her own and licked her lips.

"Just because I've agreed to help you with Jane doesn't mean I've given up my wish."

I was aware of that, but I thought that given her position, her words were a bit s.p.u.n.ky.

"You would have helped if I'd told you to anyway. I haven't let you go yet."

She flushed a little, but lowered her eyes at my words.

I smiled, having gotten the desired effect. I continued more gently. "I haven't forgotten you. I'm still going to give you whatever you want. Just tell me when the time is right. Fair enough?"

She looked back up, a smile curling her lips. She had a secret. She knew exactly what she wanted, and I didn't. And she didn't have to tell me. I wasn't going to punish her until she told me her secret. Her life was changing, and even I was finding it difficult to keep her in the slave role. Especially as she sat there, looking up at me with those irresistible eyes. She was still wearing that sweater and the tight jeans that would have looked more at home on Jane. The only concession to her role as mine was the handcuffs adorning her wrists, that she couldn't remove. Nevertheless, she looked spectacular. She should have been a model.

"What?" she asked in confusion, not understanding why I was staring at her.